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The Flowers of Evil
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May 5, 2013 10:49 PM

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Oct 2012
15987
amginex said:
katsucats said:
It's hard to root for an MC that's the stereotypical pansy. I guess this is what happens when you take a typical clueless loser from some harem shounen anime, rotoscope him, and put him in a scenario completely out of his element. What would have been a tense and dramatic situation is utterly ruined by the stupidity of his actions, how he comically overreacts or blows his fuse inappropriately. Aku no Hana is the perfect example of when excessive realism from the rotoscoping actually damaged the story because it's apparent the characters were never meant to exist in that setting. And if there is some poor guy somewhere in real life that has -10 ability in calmly assessing his situation at some singular point in the week or so that this series take place, then I don't want to watch such an anime about that idiot, Zeus bless him!

It's 5 episodes in and I'm giving this series a 3/10. The only thing that's keeping me from dropping this show is the reassurance that I get at the beginning of each episode that there are only X "out of 13 episodes" -- sort of like a goal post that I shall look forward to.

I am disappointed. The premise had so much potential. If they could at least do a narrative in the thought process of the MC to give him just an ounce of human-like intelligence to make the bullet easier to swallow.
i think youre missing the part that hes in middle school, in love with a girl who owns the clothes he "stole" while being blackmailed. what level of intelligence are you expecting?
I'm expecting the Kindergarten level of intelligence, where the subject has the wisdom to say, "No".
My subjective reviews: katsureview.wordpress.com
THE CHAT CLUB.
May 5, 2013 11:49 PM

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Nov 2007
71
It seems like you're over-thinking it. There's nothing inherently unrealistic about his actions. I'd assume there's more middle school kids who aren't experienced with dealing with blackmail than there are those who would somehow handle it calmly.

TravSavage said:
Anyone noticed a slight change in the ED? Still creepy, though.

Yes, there were definitely some subtle changes to the music throughout the entire ED.
May 6, 2013 12:19 AM

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Jul 2012
140
Nakamura so kawaii in the beginning I can't. I really can't. Loved her "bitch plz" face after Kasuga asked Saeki out. Gotta love dat cockblock there.

The ED will forever continue to haunt me, so chilling.
apparentlyMay 6, 2013 12:39 AM
May 6, 2013 1:42 AM

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May 6, 2013 3:05 AM

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This scene was so hilarious i had to upload it.
May 6, 2013 3:26 AM

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They should have left the ED as it is. This is way too weird.
May 6, 2013 4:58 AM

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Oct 2011
872
The amount of replays of the water bucket scene o__o And that angel scene was a big wtf
Anyways im still anticipating the next episodes!
May 6, 2013 5:41 AM

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Apr 2013
18
umitosora said:
Is it me or is the animation slowly getting better?....
I'm not sure but it feel like it's building on it's self......
What do you guys think?....
Except for the lousy mouth movement early in the episode other than that I'm getting used to the animation.
I Want To Inspire People. I Want Someone To Look Back And Say "Because Of You I Didn't Give Up."
May 6, 2013 7:07 AM

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Jan 2012
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katsucats said:
I'm expecting the Kindergarten level of intelligence, where the subject has the wisdom to say, "No".


Bullying is rife everywhere in the world but especially prevalent in the schools and workplaces of Japan. You have already seen what happens when he says no. He is stripped or beaten or humiliated in some way or another. I know it's hard to warm to such a pathetic MC but this isn't some shounen/harem where we all want to be like the MC and have an amazing life.
May 6, 2013 7:19 AM

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Jan 2011
2839
Why doesn't Kasuga just beat up Nakamura? I just can't find myself liking him because he's such a pussy.
Saeki accepted his "confession", that just doesn't feel right. 5 episodes in and already a confession? I guess this'll end with Saeki finding and the truth and dumping him or Saeki finding out the truth and accepting it.
I almost never read discussions after I made my post, if you want to reply PM me or post on my profile page.
May 6, 2013 7:23 AM

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Jan 2012
1833
MasterMeNL said:
Why doesn't Kasuga just beat up Nakamura? I just can't find myself liking him because he's such a pussy.


Do you really think he could? She has already forcibly stripped him and hit him. She has a bigger body build and is more aggressive, sorry to say I think Kasuga would get his ass handed to him. We will see though maybe he will snap at some point.
May 6, 2013 8:00 AM
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Mar 2011
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ReasonDesu said:
katsucats said:
I'm expecting the Kindergarten level of intelligence, where the subject has the wisdom to say, "No".


Bullying is rife everywhere in the world but especially prevalent in the schools and workplaces of Japan. You have already seen what happens when he says no. He is stripped or beaten or humiliated in some way or another. I know it's hard to warm to such a pathetic MC but this isn't some shounen/harem where we all want to be like the MC and have an amazing life.


thanks for that, this exactly was the point i was trying to make. alot people cant relate to being bullied (bully-ed?) or blackmailed, especially when youre in middle school, hence they cant relate to the character. its definitely good that those who havent had the experienced of being bullied or blackmailed didnt have those experiences, i wouldnt wish that on people.
but on a positive side (if there is one), it does make you understand the situation more. Kasuga is a wuss, thats his character and of course its ok to not like it. (hell i hate some wussy characters in animes too, like that MC in the early episodes of Mirai Nikki). But when people say "i cant understand why hes such a wuss", i just go ape-shit like "really?! you cant understand?" (maybe my expectations of people's intelligence is a problem LOL)
"....i am the villain in this story"
May 6, 2013 8:09 AM

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Apr 2011
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I love this lol.
May 6, 2013 8:15 AM

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Jan 2012
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Nerdy_Old_Taco said:


I love this lol.


SA SA SA SA SA SA SA!

I really loved that bit *_* Way too much.

May 6, 2013 8:17 AM

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Jul 2011
2757
Nakamura is slowly getting on my nerves.
講廢話,被撞到.
May 6, 2013 8:54 AM
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Jun 2009
1244
The replays. Hahaha. IMO, this is the best episode thus far.
May 6, 2013 9:31 AM

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Aug 2012
2417
Lol! Nakamura is hilarious. I'm starting to like her.

katsucats said:
It's hard to root for an MC that's the stereotypical pansy. I guess this is what happens when you take a typical clueless loser from some harem shounen anime, rotoscope him, and put him in a scenario completely out of his element.

I don't see Kasuga that way. Insecure bookworm that has been pampered for most of his life, he thinks he's smarter than everyone else yet he lacks more RL expirence than them so he ends up stumbling on his date and making it awkward all the while Nakamaru is harrassing him behind the scenes making him feel trapped and such.

I forgot who said this "why doesn't he just punch her?"
Because he's "I'm not a deviant!" a good boy.

It's sad that he lets his emotions delude him into thinking ridding the swimsuit is a hard task to do, but you can't really blame him for that, he's in middleschool/still in development stages and he's a super self-concious type of personality. People do stupid stuff like him all the time.

I do consider him stupid but I find his character realistic. I mean, It's not like they are portraying him as a normal person with that dark book of his. He's a minority but still acceptable in the eyes of the majority.

I'm not saying this as facts btw its all imo
GhostonyMay 6, 2013 9:41 AM
sexual incest in nisomonogatari - no one bats an eye
romance incest in SAO - everyone loses their minds
May 6, 2013 11:29 AM

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Jun 2011
91
Oh my goodness that bucket scene was amazingly funny I couldn't stop laughing!
Second hand embarrassment is strong with this one though.
Saeki looked so bored but yet she said she had fun..
I.. what?
Shall now peg her as a liar and she surely knows everything and is building up Kasuga for ruin.
Yes.
At least that would be an interesting plot twist.
Right?
May 6, 2013 11:52 AM

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Oct 2012
1917
I notice that a number of people here are making statements to the effect that bullying
is somehow worse in Japan than in other countries. However, I am concerned that we
could be getting into spreading stereotypes and confusing them with facts. There was
a very extensive recent study that did a country-by-country comparison to see how
common bullying is. Here are a number of links:

http://www.latitudenews.com/story/what-country-has-the-most-bullies/
http://prevnet.ca/BullyingFacts/BullyingStatistics/tabid/122/Default.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2747624/
http://cyberbullying.us/blog/cyberbullying-rates-across-the-world-and-the-role-of-culture.html

I am certainly willing to believe that there are some people in Japan who are bullies
and that there are some people in Japan who are bullied. However, there are 128
million people there. So... some bad stuff is going to happen. From my quick check, I
did not find any indication that bullying in Japan is above average.

Apart from bullying, there are some other stereotypes about Japan that have no basis
in fact. As a general rule, I suggest that people avoid statements along the lines of
"People in [COUNTRY] are very [ATTRIBUTE]." unless you did your homework. We
want this to be a big, happy world. One of the great things about MAL is that it is a
great forum to promote better international understanding.
May 6, 2013 12:08 PM
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Mar 2011
737
okanagan said:
I notice that a number of people here are making statements to the effect that bullying
is somehow worse in Japan than in other countries. However, I am concerned that we
could be getting into spreading stereotypes and confusing them with facts. There was
a very extensive recent study that did a country-by-country comparison to see how
common bullying is. Here are a number of links:

http://www.latitudenews.com/story/what-country-has-the-most-bullies/
http://prevnet.ca/BullyingFacts/BullyingStatistics/tabid/122/Default.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2747624/
http://cyberbullying.us/blog/cyberbullying-rates-across-the-world-and-the-role-of-culture.html

I am certainly willing to believe that there are some people in Japan who are bullies
and that there are some people in Japan who are bullied. However, there are 128
million people there. So... some bad stuff is going to happen. From my quick check, I
did not find any indication that bullying in Japan is above average.

Apart from bullying, there are some other stereotypes about Japan that have no basis
in fact. As a general rule, I suggest that people avoid statements along the lines of
"People in [COUNTRY] are very [ATTRIBUTE]." unless you did your homework. We
want this to be a big, happy world. One of the great things about MAL is that it is a
great forum to promote better international understanding.


1st para
i dont think people here are generalizing that Japan has the worst or the most bullies in the world.

2nd para
yes, 100% agree that if there is a bully there is a person being bullied :D thats a given isnt it?

3rd para
yes,i also agree that its bad to stereotype groups of people as something-something. But it is safe to say that Japan has very different moral culture than other countries and (this part is opinion) im leaning towards to a more "strict" way, especially with the whole "shame" thing. I am basing this on what i see in anime and also in global news.

now, in relation to this anime. i think it works very well in this setting, it is what handcuffs Kasuga into doing a more "logical" action
"....i am the villain in this story"
May 6, 2013 12:21 PM

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Jan 2012
1833
okanagan said:
I notice that a number of people here are making statements to the effect that bullying
is somehow worse in Japan than in other countries. However, I am concerned that we
could be getting into spreading stereotypes and confusing them with facts.


Japan has a very hierarchical social system and the shame and actions of an individual also impact upon the family as a whole. Families are kind of a unit in that respect. I am in no means belittling Japan as a nasty nation of bullies (it happens all over the world), but they would be the first to admit it is a social problem in schools and the office environment especially (knowing teachers and people who have worked in Japanese businesses I can tell you it is there) although I've never been there to experience it first hand. It's also probably a contributing factor to the high suicide rates and something the government / schools try to tackle as much as possible. You see it popping up as a recurring theme in anime quite a lot as it's a prevalent social issue a lot of people can relate to.
May 6, 2013 12:25 PM

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Sep 2011
33680
Kanorin said:
Nakamura is slowly getting on my nerves.
dont worry, her and the main character only get so much worse, but at the rate the anime is going i dont think it will get to the most annoying parts of these characters

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

May 6, 2013 12:51 PM

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Feb 2012
1263
I was hoping for a normal OP and again this horrendous stuff.
Nakamura is pretty sick, I'm not sure if I like her or not.
MC can't get anymore pathetic I guess...
I wonder how Saeki liked The Flowers of Evil. I don't think it's an appropriate gift for a girl like her, LOL. Nakamura looks more like the kind of woman who would be impressed if you recited The Carcass for her.
The only thing you can rely on is that you can't rely on anything.
May 6, 2013 12:56 PM
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Oct 2012
6648
lightXTC said:
Damn GG troll subbing this episode, I now understand why people say they troll sub.



EDIT: LOL nevermind. I'm an idiot who didn't know what "platonic love" was.


Hey anyone can make a mistake, but you have to let us know what you thought it meant. Be a good sport and let us know!
May 6, 2013 2:28 PM

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Mar 2010
481
Great episode,

In response to a few of the earlier posts wondering how Saeki could have enjoyed the date or pondering the strangeness of the date in general. Here is my opinion regarding the whole thing. After Kasuga decides not to kiss her, and screams about entering a platonic relationship Saeki tells him that she is very excited about receiving her first confession, which pretty clearly tells you her own personal level of experience with this sort of thing.

Remember, she went to him in the first place. It's almost like she asked him out. I wasn't surprised where even after the silent awkwardness and overly excited passionate outburst at the bookstore she said she was having more fun than she'd had in a long time. They both clearly want each other, but they both seem to be paralyzed by social and cultural pressures. All that blushing and heavy breathing, it's like they both want to tear each other/be torn apart. But, they're scared and they both know it. Real teens in love type stuff.

Kind of a related subject. The sexual energy the characters give off in this show to me feels so real and I find myself more capable of considering their desires and emotions than in most anime I've seen before. I've been having a hard time deciding if the show is just so well crafted and the characters so vivid that these kinds of subtle qualities come across more clearly to me. Or, is it the fact that the animation is closer to reality and the characters are closer to real human bodies because of the artistic techniques employed to create the show?

At this point I feel like it's a totally masterful combination of both possibilities. The show is very well made and the animation style is just one element of a carefully focused mood the show affects.

Also, just wanted to say I fucking love the new OP, it's so rare to hear that much dissonance in a OP song. You can really feel the rage and desperation it's so cool.
May 6, 2013 2:41 PM

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May 2012
314
katsucats said:
It's hard to root for an MC that's the stereotypical pansy. I guess this is what happens when you take a typical clueless loser from some harem shounen anime, rotoscope him, and put him in a scenario completely out of his element. What would have been a tense and dramatic situation is utterly ruined by the stupidity of his actions, how he comically overreacts or blows his fuse inappropriately. Aku no Hana is the perfect example of when excessive realism from the rotoscoping actually damaged the story because it's apparent the characters were never meant to exist in that setting. And if there is some poor guy somewhere in real life that has -10 ability in calmly assessing his situation at some singular point in the week or so that this series take place, then I don't want to watch such an anime about that idiot, Zeus bless him!

It's 5 episodes in and I'm giving this series a 3/10. The only thing that's keeping me from dropping this show is the reassurance that I get at the beginning of each episode that there are only X "out of 13 episodes" -- sort of like a goal post that I shall look forward to.

I am disappointed. The premise had so much potential. If they could at least do a narrative in the thought process of the MC to give him just an ounce of human-like intelligence to make the bullet easier to swallow.


3/10 is pretty harsh, but for your reasons that's too far imo
A stereotypical pansy? not every kid/main character is going to be upright and brimming with all the positive qualities of a superhero. he's the main character of aku no hana, and from what we have seen, he is a quiet kid who likes to read, has few friends, sticks to himself with not much social activity. His parents are somewhat strict. now he is being blackmailed after being put into a ridiculous situation. possibly becoming the center of attention in his class/school for being a sexual deviant who stole a girl's gym clothes and put them on.

I can thought of a hundred possible options for him to get out of them all. but i'm a college student. hes a middle school student. i am sure he will grow as the story moves on, as while not all mcs start off strong, they can be weak and grow later. or hell, he may even be enjoying this in his mind and turn into a true pervert.
if you looked at any middle schooler today, or perhaps even from your school life, there would be very few who "calmly assessed" their situations.

and a typical loser from a harem shounen anime put in a scenario out of his element? that's way too close minded/industrialized. there should be no set standard for this character for this setting. yeah there definitely is if you want a show to work and be successful in some situations, but that's not the focus here.

but i do respect your decision to keep watching :)
May 6, 2013 2:51 PM
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Sep 2012
287
I was wondering how many times the bucket throw was going to be shown. Hopefully Kasuga can patch things up tomorrow with Saeki.
May 6, 2013 4:08 PM

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Aug 2009
1209
Nakamura <3
May 6, 2013 4:21 PM

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Feb 2011
3671
I wonder where my HEYAYAYAYAYAYA post disspeared to .
May 6, 2013 5:05 PM

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Oct 2012
1777
What the hell did I just watch? For whatever reason, Saeki likes Kasuga but he is going out of his way to screw things up.
Let this be our little secret, no needs to know we're feeling HIGHER AND HIGHER AND HIGHER!
May 6, 2013 5:11 PM

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Apr 2011
167
everything Kasuga does just makes me laugh/cringe from second hand embarrassment.
May 6, 2013 6:06 PM

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May 2012
329
Takuan_Soho said:
lightXTC said:
Damn GG troll subbing this episode, I now understand why people say they troll sub.



EDIT: LOL nevermind. I'm an idiot who didn't know what "platonic love" was.


Hey anyone can make a mistake, but you have to let us know what you thought it meant. Be a good sport and let us know!


I was under the impression that platonic meant that you're just friends and nothing deeper, as that was what my grade 10 English teacher had taught me. So when Kasuga confessed, I thought he wanted to enter a friendship with Saeki, which should have been no big deal. But then Saeki agreed, looking embarrassed and mentioned that it had been the first time she had been confessed to, which led me to be very confused, thinking that the subs were trolling me.
Go ***k yourself.

Polite as usual,
lightXTC
May 7, 2013 12:01 AM

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Sep 2012
445
dont get me wrong, saeki chan is cute,
but id drop all the bs and just fuck Nakamuras brains out. ヽ(´ー`)ノ
May 7, 2013 2:17 AM

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Aug 2012
161
Fun question:
Where the fuck did Nakamura get that bucket?
May 7, 2013 2:24 AM

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Sep 2012
5065
SirMaddy said:
Fun question:
Where the fuck did Nakamura get that bucket?


She's a ninja!
May 7, 2013 6:13 AM

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Jul 2011
202
SetsukoHara said:
SirMaddy said:
Fun question:
Where the fuck did Nakamura get that bucket?


She's a ninja!


SASASASASASA
May 7, 2013 7:13 AM

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Jan 2012
486
Dat mustache.
May 7, 2013 8:02 AM
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Mar 2011
737
SetsukoHara said:
SirMaddy said:
Fun question:
Where the fuck did Nakamura get that bucket?


She's a ninja!


so good a ninja, all saeki saw is a blur and didnt recognize nakamura as she was running away haha
"....i am the villain in this story"
May 7, 2013 8:03 AM
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Mar 2011
737
EdenBaggins said:
SetsukoHara said:
SirMaddy said:
Fun question:
Where the fuck did Nakamura get that bucket?


She's a ninja!


SASASASASASA


hahaha awesome.
"....i am the villain in this story"
May 7, 2013 8:57 AM

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Dec 2009
1948
"Sa sa sa sa" sums up this episode pretty well.

This episode looked much better than the rest. Was it because it was brighter and had more colors?

I laughed at the bucket scene, though, and I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do... >_>'
I have my own anime blog. It's called Anime Viking. Hope you'll you read it!

May 7, 2013 9:05 AM

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Dec 2011
21
Marow said:
I laughed at the bucket scene, though, and I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do... >_>'
Based on the editing I think you are supposed to laugh and then feel awkward about doing so.
GizaruMay 7, 2013 11:05 AM
May 7, 2013 10:52 AM

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Aug 2012
2935
I laughed at the bucket scene just because it seemed so silly when they repeated it so many times
كنت تهدر وقتك عن طريق ترجمة هذه.


mattbenz99 said:
Christians and Satanists are technically the same thing
May 7, 2013 12:36 PM

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Jan 2013
805
I liked the manga but this was so awkward when animated. Like I might have cringed several times.
-Nothing can stay unchanged. Even so, can you still keep on loving this place?

-Be still my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
May 7, 2013 4:43 PM

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Jul 2011
15
Smirking said:
My sides man... my sides... I can't do this any more. I thought SnK was the best unintentional comedy but this episode took the cake.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is secretly a comedy in disguise.

But in other words, the animation is either better or I'm used to it, and also:

Goryo said:
I laughed at the bucket scene just because it seemed so silly when they repeated it so many times


This. I think three or four times at most would've been enough. What they did was way too much.
GarpachiMay 7, 2013 4:48 PM
May 7, 2013 5:50 PM

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Sep 2010
6759
I laughed at the bucket scene and at the guy with the mustache. I'm not sorry that I did either.

I still think Saeki looks better here in the anime than the manga cause of her live action actoress is hot. xD
"What has two arms, two legs, and is alive? Not your favorite character lol! xD"
May 7, 2013 5:51 PM
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Oct 2012
116
I don't know....everything about this show disturbs me, not that it's bad of course.

While I found Nakamura stalking to be rather comedic, the bucket scene was horrendous. I laughed at first but...

I guess this only applies to people who had dark secrets...right?
May 7, 2013 7:26 PM

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Jan 2012
964
If he just would've gotten rid of her clothes in the beginning he could deny everything and none of this would happen -______________- He'd have no more proof. Why hasn't he burned them already???!!

3/5



May 8, 2013 2:53 AM

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Dec 2011
21
There are a lot of reasons why he would be afraid of making Nakamura angry, but it is also likely that he has some rather perverted reasons for not getting rid of the clothes too.
May 8, 2013 3:08 AM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11299
Dat moustache.

Kasuga should burn those clothes pronto.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

May 8, 2013 3:37 AM

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5799
Gizaru said:
There are a lot of reasons why he would be afraid of making Nakamura angry, but it is also likely that he has some rather perverted reasons for not getting rid of the clothes too.

But if he got rid of those clothes he would finally get rid of this menace.

Now I am more worried what Saeki-san says about this Aku no Hana book.
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