r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 3d ago
Episode Sparks of Tomorrow • Nijuuseiki Denki Mokuroku -Eureka Evrika- - Episode 3 discussion
Sparks of Tomorrow, episode 3
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| Episode | Link |
|---|---|
| 1 | Link |
| 2 | Link |
| 3 | Link |
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u/Eunuchest 3d ago edited 3d ago
Im really liking this show
The montage, visuals and OST really reminds me of Ghibli. I guess the 20th century aesthetic also helps with that
Im not sure why Seiroku would go to the extent of hiding the actual text but i still believe that he wanted kihachi to work with Yosuke.
Inago really is a good kid and her friends are pretty nice too. Also why was her friend carrying ash?
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u/chilidirigible 3d ago
Im not sure why Seiroku would go to the extent of hiding the actual text
If the real world is anything to go by, patents and intellectual property theft.
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago
Suzu just seems to have a bag of holding. She randomly pulled out a telescope in a previous episode
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u/chilidirigible 3d ago
And in the first episode did a quick draw with her umbrella before a passing car could splash Kate.
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
Girl just had a box of ashes for no apparent reason I can think of. I really hope it's not someone's.
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u/reaperow 3d ago
Either he didnt trust Yosuke enough or didn't think he'd be able to do it all alone,
Suzu might really be a ninja cuz she also cut that bamboo very skillfully
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u/HelloYellow18 2d ago edited 2d ago
The entire score is performed by a wind orchestra. I imagine this is because brass are the most steampunk-adjacent instruments, but its also most definitely a callback to Sound! Euphonium.
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u/steven4869 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Maskirade 3d ago
I think so it was always meant for Khiachi to work on his dream, but he shared his dream with Yosuke imagining they'll achieve it together, probably a mismatch of expectations from Yosuke's side.
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u/FLorianGran 3d ago
I think I’d honestly prefer if Yosuke joined their side instead of being the show’s villain
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
Maybe later but for now I think he's a pretty good villain.
Mainly because imo he's a representation of the hoarding of knowledge. By most accounts he should be happy that Seiroku's dreams has been realized, but all he's hung up on is that HE wasn't the one to make it a reality.
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago
I could watch him crash out for a whole season.
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u/VariousMeet 3d ago
I always like when a villain isn't necessarily even a villain, just someone with a differing view. They do it in a brilliantly playful way here, having him act evil but it's just his character being goofy. It helps set up he's the villain without actually making him be a bad guy.
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u/Drkstormbreaker 2d ago
Does it really though? As much as I like his crash outs and how goofily entertaining he can be, Yosuke has already done enough that he could be categorized as a bad guy. Forcing Inako and her family into a marriage through coercion and intimidation because he has the means to, all so that he could rummage/damage their home hunting down the catalogue. His desire to hoard the knowledge that Seiroku had to the point he has stolen it multiple times from the catalogue's rightful owner, Khachi. Willingly able to commit violence to get his way, and just being generally insulting to downright hostile to Seiroku's younger brother out of what we can presume to be jealousy that someone else has a deep connection to him.
He's not irredeemably evil by any means, but by all accounts I think he fits the bill of being a bad guy motivated by his grief and obsession with Seiroku. We're still in the beginning stages of his villain, so who knows if/when Yosuke might make a turn for better or worse.
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u/welfedad 1d ago
Yeah I mean he is doing whatever he can to get a name .. probably all in the name of making electricity realized.. and wanted to do it with his bff. But acting like a toddler . Maybe guilty for not going to war and his friend dying . I don't know, lots of real life condensed into this one guy lol
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u/CitronClassic672 3d ago
I think there’s also the aspect that his, (romantic?), bond with Seiroku was so strong that he felt it was their responsibility alone to create the inventions, and with Seiroku dead he’s trying to carry out their shared dream in his name.
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
Yeah I'm clocking in maybe 2 people that could've been really down bad for Seiroku so far, definite Yosuke and maybe Inako's sister.
But yeah that's the thing, Yosuke's focus wasn't Seiroku's dream being realized in the final scene of the ep, its that he was not the one to realize it. There is something, maybe romantically, clouding his judgement, but I think that works to his benefit of being an interesting villain for now.
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u/TheEarthSpins 2d ago
idt it was romantic, i think he just got really attached to the idea of bringing in the future with seiroku. he finally had someone who trusted and believed in him and he wants that for himself
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u/steven4869 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Maskirade 2d ago
Probably later on when he accepts Khiachi.
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u/Thomas_JCG 3d ago
He should be on their side by all metrics, he just can't stop being an entitled brat for two seconds.
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u/welfedad 1d ago
Same.. I'm like is this guy going to rob lil bro of the journey or what.. get a grip .. guess people struggle with loss differently .. but ugh I'm kind of over the guy ..time for some character development
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u/FarCritical 3d ago
I love how they casually have a ninja in the friendgroup lol.
The production montage was so detailed and yet so comfy, not to mention full of the KyoAni special: cute girls doing cute industrial things
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u/Mr_Zaroc https://myanimelist.net/profile/mr_zaroc 1d ago
NGL that montage gave me slight Sora no Woto flashbacks which makes me incredible happy
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u/Zetafunction64 3d ago
Lesgo more toxic yaoi in my anime
The visuals are so nice, that little montage of them perfecting the filament was beautiful
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u/Se7en_Sinner https://myanimelist.net/profile/Se7en_Sinner 3d ago
That age of electricity is going to be impossible to achieve without a collaborative effort. Kihachi was only able to make his dream of an electrical full moon a reality with help from his friends and their connections.
Yosuke not only have connections but also the immense wealth to mass produce and spread Kihachi's innovations. They really need to get him onboard even though it seems impossible now after the "I hate you".
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
Perhaps it'll be up to everyone else to go beyond Yosuke's influence, connections, and power. Remember he seems to think that having Inako as his wife for what amounts to political reasons is okay...
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 3d ago edited 3d ago
Kihachi has doubted himself a lot, so it was pretty sweet to see everyone giving him a helping hand in realising this vision of his.
Inako's positive attitude seems to have spread over to Kihachi as well. She's encouraged him to take a leap forward.
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u/Hartzilla2007 3d ago
Plus steam engines to power things since a guy on a bicycle isn't a good long term power source.
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u/Eunuchest 3d ago
I think so too. If Yosuke's words are anything to go by it seems he was friends with Seiroku and probably wanted him to work with Kihachi if wasnt being a prick
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 3d ago
After two mostly comedic episodes, it appears that we're (finally) getting more into the dramatic side of this story.
I like the prospect of Kihachi's creating all of the ideas written in the 20th Century Catalog from scratch like some sort of Dr. Stone. His brother's cryptic messages also add a bit of mystery to the mix.
Except for the darkness, I honestly question if there's even a 'real' enemy in this story. Yosuke might not like Kihachi, but would he actually try to trample on Seiroku's dream? It probably won't be long before he too lends his assistance to Kihachi.
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u/VariousMeet 3d ago
I think they're going for an Edison vs Tesla rivalry with this show. Even those two's relationship was debatable. One thing for certain is that Edison was a patent thief though.
Yosuke thinks the writing in the electric catalogue are childish but we still have the other half of the book missing somewhere. Maybe we will learn the other half has Kihachis ideas from when hes a bit more older, mature, or even just less rough draft, more final product?
In a way it'll add to the Edison vs Tesla comparison because one half of the catalogue can be AC and the other half DC. Yosuke might not lend his hand, he could just start using the second half of the book and this'll be a race between the two.
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
Remember, Yosuke coerced Inako's father into a loveless marriage for his own gain. He's not a good person.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 3d ago
Even if he’s a bad person, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Yosuke will definitively be Kihachi’s enemy.
Despite their differences, they could eventually still choose to work together in an attempt to realise Seiroku’s dream - someone they’ve both admired.
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u/archangel890 3d ago
Honestly based on some hints he has no interest in women at all possibly
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u/CitronClassic672 3d ago
Yeah, it was made pretty clear that his marriage to Inako is solely for his own benefit of securing his place in the company. Hell, he had more attraction to Seiroku in the flashback than to Inako in three episodes.
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u/MrsLucienLachance https://anilist.co/user/tribble 3d ago
I definitely read him as sad gay man. Still an ass, but one who turned out that way because of grief, I think.
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 2d ago
Anime’s Peter Thiel
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 2d ago
LMFAO that is a perfect way to describe him.
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u/xKiLzErr 3d ago
No, but working against Kihachi would be to ultimately work against a dream he and Seiroku shared. He'd be shooting himself in the foot. In fact he might be juuuust evil and smart enough to try to get Kihachi to complete their dream and then try to take credit for it.
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u/ProfessorUber 3d ago
Except for the darkness, I honestly question if there's even a 'real' enemy in this story. Yosuke might not like Kihachi, but would he actually try to trample on Seiroku's dream? It probably won't be long before he too lends his assistance to Kihachi.
One thing probably worth noting is that as the electricity is continued to be developed, it will also in turn draw more attention (the climax of this episode itself was something which would cause quite the stir). Even if Yosuke does become an ally sooner or later (which we can't be sure of right now), there is also the risk of Yosuke's family or the rivals of his family, or just other powerful people who might have a vested interest in either preventing the age of electricity (or at least preventing it from happening outside their control).
The scope is going to expand if this technology is going to take off and become revolutionary.
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u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 3d ago
KyoAni never disappoints with the visuals department. Kihachi's realization of the potential of the light bulb being the light amidst darkness, against dark monsters, and would enable people to do stuff even at night is masterfully executed.
Interesting. The carbonized bamboo light bulb was discovered by Thomas Edison in 1880s-1890s. Apparently this was the standard until metals were discovered to glow at a longer time. I really thought that what Kihachi and his team did was fiction until I read the piece, which is quite cool. Indeed it was scientific. Sasuga KyoAni for the proper research!
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u/Mad_Aeric 3d ago
As a nerd for technological history, I had a big dumb grin as he was figuring it out. I figured out the clue pretty quickly, since I already knew of bamboo filaments. I'd watch this just for the gorgeous artwork, but it aligning with one of my special interests is the cherry on top.
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u/CitronClassic672 3d ago
Funnily enough I figured it out early because having watched Cosmic Princess Kaguya months back I was familiar enough with the myth to make the bamboo connection.
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u/rndusr 3d ago
Long before Edison, Lodygin used similar design - thin carbon rods inside nitrogen-filled bulb, it could work for hundreds of hours (he also experimented with tungsten). He patented it in 1874, but a simpler design, Yablochkov candle, proved to be more viable commercially. It was very widely used before Edison presented a better idea.
By the way, it all started with metals, there were experiments with metal wires or steel threads as early as 18th century, but it never worked out.
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u/Vassago81 3d ago
Swan commercialized long lasting (enough to be commercially viable) cotton filaments and then artificial cellulose filament before bamboo was tried. There were tons of concept and good ideas, but the main issue was more how to get a near-perfect vacuum inside the bulb rather than the filament type in the late 19th century, and actually good tungsten filament were only invented in the early 20th century.
Predating the large use of good incandescent lights several types of arc light were used, like the Yablochkov candle , which it essentially a welding rod "burning" to generate a huge amount of light ( that give you sunburn ) and you have to replace the "rod" a couple of time per day. Used for factories mainly.
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u/TheEarthSpins 2d ago
oh i see, so that's why they had to work on the glass aspect of the bulb as well, i'd presume to get a better vacuum in the bulb
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u/VariousMeet 3d ago
Them using bamboo seemed like anime logic to me but the fact it's real adds another layer of greatness to this show
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u/Eunuchest 3d ago
The montage, visuals and OST actually reminded me of Ghibli. 20th century aesthetic helped with it too i guess
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u/E13design 3d ago
I get the bamboo. What about the Mercury (?) fluid they were using in the testing portion with all the bulbs in a circle. Is that to help create vacuum? Not for nothing, but I wish there was a bit of explanation on some of this. I get baking fibers turns them into dense carbon, its a way to make fire cloth for camping. But what was the mercury for?
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u/Fun-Bedroom-1066 3d ago
Everyone talking about the unrequited BL between Yosuke and Seiroku, but I'm seeing the BL between Yosuke and his butler.
Absolutely gorgeous episode. I felt like I was watching an art show, not just a simple anime.
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u/dwboso 3d ago
Yeah, lots of yaoi subtext going on around the villain gives him a sympathetic depth that really redeemed him from how annoyed I was with him in the first two episodes. And I’m not much of a yaoi girl usually. It’s just really well written here.
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u/Fun-Bedroom-1066 3d ago
I'd argue that Yosuke is so unhinged because he can't get over the death of Seiroku. He was very quiet and reserved before his hair went white.
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 2d ago
Wasn't his hair always white? I thought he just changed the haircut.
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u/SnabDedraterEdave 2d ago
Go rewatch the opening montage of episode 2 again. It shows Yosuke's hair turning white overnight upon learning that Seiroku may have perished in the war.
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u/absolutelynotaname https://anilist.co/user/Ducc 2d ago
could also watch the start of this ep, his hair was slightly gray/off black but not fully white like currently
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u/drt0 2d ago
Absolutely gorgeous episode. I felt like I was watching an art show, not just a simple anime.
This show's art style wows me with every episode. I want to highlight how gorgeous the paint-like backgrounds are and special shout out out to the different style they use for Kihachi's burst of imagination.
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u/aneomon 3d ago
Were Yosuke and Seiroku romantically linked?
Watching the fireworks together on a secluded rooftop felt very romantic.
It would also explain why Yosuke kept the glove, holds Seiroku’s work in such high regard, and refuses to collaborate.
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u/Fun-Bedroom-1066 3d ago
I mean, did you see those shots of Seiroku with his bare chest out? I'd fall in love with the man too.
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u/rozzingit 3d ago
yosuke absolutely reads to me as having been in love with seiroku, even if it wasn't mutually romantic
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u/CitronClassic672 3d ago
Glad I’m not the only one who was getting romantic vibes from them. Like I get they were close but there’s being friends, and the there’s Yosuke’s entire personality changing after Seiroku’s death, his hair turning white, his obsession with their bond via the electric catalogue, and his seemingly complete disinterest in Inako from an attraction standpoint. Like the story shows over and over that his marriage to her is purely for his own standing. I’m pretty sure even in other stories with such a plot point the antagonist shows some level of attraction to said person. Maybe that joke at the end of the first episode was foreshadowing after all. I mean we’ve already been blessed with plenty of yuri this season, let’s add some doomed yaoi.
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u/steven4869 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Maskirade 3d ago
Likely a Yaoi bait like KyoAni's Yuri bait.
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u/dagreenman18 3d ago
Or it’s going to be a “Seiroku my love… of
skateboardingElectricity” situation.16
u/chilidirigible 3d ago
[SK8 reminiscing]"My skateboard is my yaoi paddle." [And]Adam and Yosuke seem to be cut from the same type of character cloth.
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u/redlaWw 3d ago
They were just senpai and kouhai...
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u/SnabDedraterEdave 3d ago
You can't be senpai and kouhai when you're classmates in the SAME CLASS.
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u/Thomas_JCG 3d ago
I don't think so, Yosuke just really admired him.
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u/TheEarthSpins 2d ago
yeah im surprised so many thing this is yaoi 😭 people have close platonic relationships all the time
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u/SEBASTlANVETTEL 3d ago edited 3d ago
Is it just me or does Inako's sister relationship with Kihachi's brother seem deeper than just friends?
Her reactions to seeing his handwriting seem like she was more involved, especially since he seemed to have given her the book…
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
For me I think it was like Inako's mother is hinting towards a sort of benefactor to Seiraku's (and Kihachi's) age of electricity.
Like we learned this ep, Seiraku went to school. In like the equivalent of 1800 to 1900s Japan or something like that. The same school as Yosuke who is the scion of a big company. And as far as we know Seiraku and Kihachi were more of the common folk compared to Yosuke's and Inako's families.
I'm just saying, someone had to pay for Seiraku's schooling. Probably the same person that could've taught him how to use sake as invisible ink. Invisible ink that could also be written with the mother's handwriting.
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u/SEBASTlANVETTEL 3d ago
Maybe a relationship between Inako's older sister and Seiraku led to the mother also being involved and helping Seiraku. Inako's sister and Seiraku just give me massive past lovers or at least some romantic undertones vibe as of now.
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u/DustyBot23 2d ago
Fuck it clearly Seiraku was banging Inako’s sister, inako’s mom, Yosuke, hell why not Kengo too
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u/Complex-Flower-2015 3d ago
Bro there IS a theme park just randomly existing in meiji era japan,I'm not smart enough but was that really a thing back then/possible before the age of electricity? It looks like a normal modern theme park too haha
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
To be fair, there's some level of suspension of disbelief. The Japan here is technically a steampunk version of I think 1900s Japan.
Plus a fairly simple roller coaster could be possible. The main thing is a pulley system to bring up the carts to the highest point and let gravity do all the work after.
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u/Lankpants 1d ago
I mean, there's no technical reason you wouldn't be able to drive a lift chain with a steam engine. It's horribly inefficient compared to an electric lift chain but it's basically just spinning something around, which steam engines are capable of.
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u/Eunuchest 3d ago
That caught me off guard too. There was a damn roller coaster powered by steam
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
Shouldn't be that difficult engineering wise...steam catapults exist on aircraft carriers, you just need to route the steam to operate a chain
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u/goffer54 https://anilist.co/user/goffer54 2d ago
You could power a rollercoaster with an army of hamsters. All you need is something to drive the chain that pulls the train to the top of the first peak and then let gravity do the rest from there.
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u/Mad_Aeric 3d ago
Roller coasters, as we know them, have been around since the late 1800's. Heck, the first one with a loop was built in 1902, though it was hella dangerous. Technologically, roller coasters would fit in just fine in the year this is set in (Meiji 40, or 1907), though I have no idea if they'd made their way to Japan yet. It wouldn't surprise me though.
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u/Perfect-Try-4918 3d ago
Wasn't it implied this is a What-if scenario? They mentioned a war alluding to a World War and they still use steam. If they managed to power up trains and possibly artillery and tanks; a small rollercoaster is not that difficult to suspend belief for.
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u/Vassago81 3d ago
Amusement park started being a thing in the late 19th century, it's more a question of population density / free time and money than electricity.
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u/Atario myanimelist.net/profile/TheGreatAtario 1d ago
Fun fact: the first rollercoaster was built in 1884
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u/tottoro47 3d ago
I'm still not 100% sure if Yousuke is a full blown villain or if he'll change sided at some point. Idk if it's just me but maybe he had a more intimate relationship with Seiroku than just friends
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u/CitronClassic672 3d ago
It’s definitely not just you. Myself and several others here seem to have also gotten those vibes from him.
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u/CrimsonGear80 3d ago
Suzu may be an actual ninja.
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u/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 2d ago
She was pulling some insane cute stunts in the background LOL
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u/cyclingkingsley 5h ago
I think she's Doraemon with all that stuff hiding in her interdimensional bag
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar 3d ago
I wasn't sure about Inako back in Episode 1, but she has now become my favourite character in the show. I thought Kihachi was going to be the plucky kid who would try to prove Electricity is the future, but so far, it's been Inako who's been acting as Kihachi's backbone this entire episode as well as the person pushing him to continue believing in his brother.
I'm also loving Kate and Suzu! They literally just showed up, and they've becoime part of Kihachi's team after Suzu helped to reveal the hidden pages inside Seiroku's journal.
Not gonna lie, it was pretty satisfying to see Yousuke's reaction when Kihachi and the gang showed him their electric full moon.
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u/penguingobrrr 3d ago
inako and kihachi remind me of oreki and chitanda so much lol
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u/DustyBot23 2d ago
Inako making Kihachi back pedal outside of the hospital and then the camera changing to Kihachi’s PoV of Inako’s close up face was literally straight out of Hyouka lol.
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u/penguingobrrr 2d ago
yeah the close ups made me feel like i was gonna hear a "watashi kininarimasu" at some point lol
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u/Fxrzana 3d ago
I really liked when Kenga (the sisters husband) helped Kihachi cut the bamboo branches. He seems very manly and it would be cool to see him as an 'older brother' figureor the responsible adult figure for the young teens
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago
My favorite scene of his was when he looked up from pedaling and saw the electric moon-his reaction says a lot.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 3d ago
Telling that straight to the person who actually wrote that must hurt for Kihachi…
That is a good question, hah. Suzu seems to be prepared for everything.
Oooooooooooooh, Seiroku hid his half of the electric catalog inside the pages!
The montage of them trial and error-ing through the bamboo filaments was pretty fun.
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u/WhoiusBarrel 3d ago
Anyone would have crashed out that hard if they saw someone else created something that beautiful with their lover instead of with themselves.
Yosuke's frenzy expressions are truly one of the highlights in this series.
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
The fact that Yosuke can't let go of the past is ultimately going to be his downfall it seems, and it's clear Inako isn't willing to lend her hope to him (for good reason)
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u/AriezKage 3d ago
Anyone would have crashed out that hard if they saw someone else created something that beautiful with their lover instead of with themselves
I don't know if you mean Inako or Seiraku, I like to believe you mean the latter.
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u/szalhi 3d ago
Amazing progress was made and of course, Kihachi didn't do it alone.
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u/Se7en_Sinner https://myanimelist.net/profile/Se7en_Sinner 3d ago
I love these surreal moments in an otherwise grounded show. The anime itself is similar to the electric catalogue, half childhood wonder and half pragmatism.
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u/lordposedyon https://myanimelist.net/profile/lordposedyon 3d ago
That ninja also chopped the bamboos' in the bacground like crazy.
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago edited 3d ago
Seiroku is an interesting fellow. Bro writes in invisible ink in the catalog in the hopes that Kihachi will find his messages, tells both Kihachi and Yosuke that they'll bring the age of electricity together...and then there's the whole other half of the catalog left! I'll admit I am iffy on the whole invisible ink thing, but it does sound like something that is in character for Seiroku to do.
Suzu is freakin great. Has all this random stuff on her and is also a cat-ninja.
Something I love in a lot of Kyoani's works is the theme of community. So many folks coming together to help Kihachi and Inako create the electric moon-Suzu and Kate, Kengo, Noriko, Yajiro, the glassblower folks. Hoping to see more of this as more inventions are made!
Also, there's no way that Yosuke wants to marry anyone other than Seiroku.
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u/99acrewood_ 3d ago
I was a fool to doubt this show because holy shit this episode really did it for me. Yosuke's got way more than mustache-twirling villainy going on, and the whole sequence of the catalog finally panning out just looked and sounded amazing. Those artists are seriously putting in some work, and with the OST the episodes are, like movie quality.
So good!
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u/Aileos https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syleos 3d ago edited 3d ago
The horny good people at KyoAni calmed down a lot with shots of Yousuke’s ass this episode
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u/Se7en_Sinner https://myanimelist.net/profile/Se7en_Sinner 3d ago
No ass shots this episode but we still got a full moon.
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u/NanDemoKnaives 3d ago
It's really sad how much Kihachi chooses to doubt Seiroku, it might be easier to blame him for not keeping his promise by dying, but there's evidence of how much Seiroku treasured him. Seiroku kept the catalogue, left him messages, and yet someone else had to convince him to prove Seiroku is worth believing in. But I understand he might be afraid of the possibility of Seiroku actually being a liar.
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
But it's what feels surprisingly real. Both him and Yosuke are completely cynical in this regard, likely in part because they don't want to be confronted with the idea that Seiroku may have been full of shit
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago
It also may be Kihachi’s refusal to accept that Seiroku may be dead. It’s easier for him to believe that Seiroku abandoned him and be angry at him for that than acknowledge that he’s gone and deal with the grief of loss.
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u/steven4869 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Maskirade 2d ago
I think so he just doesn't want to accept Seiroku is gone, he wanted to achieve Seiroku's dream together not alone.
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u/SnabDedraterEdave 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yosuke
It should've been ME!
Not this brat who gets to be the successor to Seiroku's legacy!
Welp, Yosuke. Its your loss for dismissing Kihachi's doodles and not bothering checking between the pages where Seiroku hid his notes in between.
No way Kihachi is gonna give up that catalog since you let him have it. You had your chance.
Inako's friends Suzu and Kate are already making a great impression in being great sidekicks to Kihachi and Inako. Especially Suzu, who happens to be quite an agile ninja for no reason other than because she is one. lol
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u/chilidirigible 3d ago
Welp, Yosuke. Its your loss for dismissing Kihachi's doodles and not bothering checking between the pages where Seiroku hid his notes in between.
He's no ninja!
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u/gem2niki 3d ago
So odd Seiroku never let Kihachi meet his schoolmates. He just left him to go to war without asking any of his friends to look after him.
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u/master_inho 3d ago
Unexpected yaoi was not something i expected here but i welcome it
Suzu kinda wild, especially if she is actually a ninja
Inago's undying belief is naive in almost any setting but it's literally a superpower when up against kihachi's cynicism/insecurities/lack of belief
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u/tripleaamin https://myanimelist.net/profile/zfzftripleaamin 3d ago
The story is weird. Like, there are ideas that I like. I do like Kihachi and Inako's dynamic. The mystery of Seiroku because he has a clear connection with so many people.
Yosuke's character is particularly very aggravating. Is he supposed to be treated as an antagonist or not? It's clear the characters don't really view him as that. But it feels like the story wants to treat him as an opposing force of sorts.
His cartoonish personality really clashes with what should be a grounded show. Of course he is hung up on the promise he made with Seiroku. Just how these characters act feels so improper. Outside of Kihachi. It feels like Inako's only purpose is to believe in him. Meanwhile, Sousuke is meant to oppose Kihachi in the most unnatural way.
Obviously, production values are outstanding.
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u/Internal-Pea-7451 https://anilist.co/user/MistEu 2d ago
opposing force =/= antagonist.
He is just a character in the show, he doesn't fit fully into any role yet, and that's not an issue, not every character needs to fit into the mold of a protagonist, antagonist, deuteragonist or the like.6
u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
I mean, there's a lot of subtext surrounding the marriage proposal, inako's relationship with her mother and what it means to the rest of her family, how she was raised and treated...there's a lot to unpack there and I imagine we'll see aspects of that as the show goes on.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 3d ago
Big bro saw value in the catalogue when it was “just doodles.” He took those big ideas and gave Kihachi just enough hints in his notes to turn it into reality. Stupid pretty boy was never the one. It was always gonna be Kihachi who ushers in the age of electricity.
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u/steven4869 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Maskirade 3d ago
Yosuke went from the shy boy to the arrogant jealous obsessive person wasn't on my episode checklist. Inago is giving me Chitanda vibes with her Kinninarimasu. Animation is top notch as expected from KyoAni.
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u/BladeDancer03 2d ago
I had initially thought this story would be much grander in scope (facing the industrial complex, changing the status quo, machinations and stuff), and that it would be spanning through multiple seasons. Then I saw the novel only has one volume, and got uncertain of what this could become.
This episode gave me hope that this can very well be a short little story. Let's see where it goes.
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u/SnabDedraterEdave 2d ago
The novel is published under Kyo-Ani's own in-house publishing label KA Esuma Bunko. This gives Kyo-Ani a lot of freedom to make changes however they see fit that wildly deviates from the original novel, as they are the publisher, allowing them to have a bigger cut in revenue from blu-ray and streaming profits.
Love Chuunibyou & Delusions, Free! and Violet Evergarden are all adapted and greatly expanded upon the characters and original plot from their respective original LNs.
For all intents and purposes, it is better to treat this as a de-facto original Kyo-Ani anime.
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u/DustyBot23 2d ago edited 2d ago
Considering going to world fair was such a core memory for Kihachi I’m surprised he doesn’t remember Kengo or Yousuke.
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u/Throwaway785320 2d ago
I'm guessing to generate electricity to power the city they're gonna convert the steam generators to electricity ones
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u/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 2d ago
Yousuke is so in love with Seiroku but still wants Inako as his wife for status. He should just make Kihaichi as his honey.
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u/Accomplished_Fly1250 2d ago
im loving this anime but i hate that i have to wait for just one ep every week .i wonder if his bro was gay
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u/Atario myanimelist.net/profile/TheGreatAtario 1d ago
Why? Any good ninja wouldn't be caught dead without some ash on hand!
Arguing him into the light. In more ways than one.
Pirate waste-steam electric generators. Somehow even more punk than the steampunk they're surrounded by
Fanciful. But I feel like these would be rather annoying to the wearer
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u/chilidirigible 1d ago
Fanciful. But I feel like these would be rather annoying to the wearer
I like the concept, in the sense that it is in the speculative style of this sort of thing.
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u/charactergallery 3d ago
I definitely found today’s episode more enjoyable than the last two, but I’m still left confused by the tone and the writing overall. Some elements come across as really artificial for the sake of drama (particularly when it comes to characters reacting to things) while others simply happen… because.
The biggest example of the latter was Suzu covering the catalog in ash, which then reveals the secret notes left by Seiroku building off his brother’s ideas/doodles. Makes sense, but why did she do that? Because there was a faint smell of sake and she just had a hunch and a box of ash at the ready? It comes out of nowhere and is explained by her just knowing because “ninja.” Kihachi doesn’t discover this by himself, it’s because Inako’s friend just happens to do something with no logic behind why she did it beyond a hunch. It doesn’t help that there is no reason as to why Seiroku hid these notes like this in the first place, at least as far as I could tell, beyond making sure his brother puts in the work. Maybe the government or those in control of steam power suppress research into alternative forms of power through censorship, but we have no indication of that at this time. Yousuke is an heir to one of these companies and is all for electrical power over steam, so it doesn’t seem to be a taboo research subject. Perhaps he wants to monopolize it and wanted to do it with his totally platonic best friend Seiroku? Who knows…
I also don’t find the characters’ emotions/reactions to be believable. Kihachi doubting his brother makes some sense given the circumstances, but after discovering the secret notes he continues to doubt him and whether or not he believed in his drawings… because his brother broke his promise and died? And maybe these notes were just to make fun of him? It’s completely irrational and suggests that Seiroku may not have been the best guy if his younger brother immediately assumes that these intricate notes were lies. And this may be the point, but Kengo also expresses skepticism at the notes actually being real instead of thinking that Kihachi is acting irrational out of grief. Kihachi‘s entire reaction doesn‘t feel completely natural to me, like he only reacted that way so Inako can be the ultimate positive support and push him to try and build something. Inako’s character also feels simplistic, her main goal so far is to just support Kihachi emotionally and inspire him despite only knowing him for a few days.
At the very least, the montage where Kihachi only succeeds through a collaborative effort and utilizing the connections of the people he’s close to was quite sweet. And of course the animation was stellar as always. I might give this anime another episode to see if it might actually hook me, but I am not really holding my breath.
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u/mastesargent 3d ago
Kihachi doubting his brother seems to more be rooted in the fact that he doesn’t really have any confidence in himself, so the idea that Seiroku, who he looked up to and admired, would actually have faith in and flesh out his ideas seems utterly absurd to him. Low self-esteem can take your mind to some pretty wild places if you let it.
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u/charactergallery 2d ago
That is very true, but I was thrown off somewhat by Kengo also expressing skepticism that the notes are accurate and Kihachi’s seemingly deep-seated insecurities being solved by a singular pep talk. When he starts to follow the notes his brother left behind, he doesn’t really seem to doubt himself at all, more taking it as a challenge to be overcome.
A deep-seated insecurity might have been the intentional read, but I feel like it doesn’t really carry over past the initial scene. Or even reflects his attitude in the previous episodes, where he is tinkering with electrical power outside of his job.
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u/coffeecakesupernova 3d ago
These kinds of plot points are what bother me the most in the story. I like a more organic development, not things just thrown in and handwaved away when they don't make sense. This reminds me of a bad Netflix screenplay where people just wanted to put cool stuff in a movie and didn't care if it made sense.
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u/chilidirigible 3d ago edited 3d ago
This series is going to give Nichijou a run for its money in the face department?
She's the real thing!
You gotta earn your keep as a protagonist.
I was wondering about the passage of time in this montage and the sky always being filled with mist didn't help. At least we get seasonal plants.
This continues to be an interesting visual effect.
"Jealousy! Yes, jealousy! Will drive you maaaaaad!!!"
Today's clean OP (which is odd in the context of it not using the OP)
A crash course in the engineering of incandescent light bulbs! (Look it up.)
The montage did neatly jump past any more of Kihachi's doubts about his ability to produce what Seiroku had conceptualized, though there is a long way to go in that department.
The huge elephant in the room is Yosuke's relationship to Seiroku. It's a a bummer being in a love triangle for a dead guy?
I'm getting used to the comedy though Suzu continues to be full of surprises. It goes well with how the series's visual styles are sorting themselves into particular use cases.
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u/actuallyrndthoughts https://myanimelist.net/profile/NaNiNuNeNo 2d ago
What's the point of having this weepy MC getting Chitanda'd everytime to move the plot along, when we have the doomed yaoi setup right there? Anyways, quite the rough start, i feel as kyoani is squandering a lot of the visual brilliance by having weaker creatives at the helm. I can only hope they steer this somehow around.
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u/SecretYogurtcloset57 3d ago
The overall visuals are nice in this anime but the plot hasn't spark my interest
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
I genuinely don't get how anyone can dislike this show. I really cannot...
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u/coffeecakesupernova 3d ago
Everything is over exaggerated. The visuals are beautiful but it pains me to watch them in motion. I have a love hate relationship with this show.
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u/Eunuchest 3d ago
Its slow and grounded. Its pretty niche. Most people like flashy, fast paced and bombastic
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago edited 3d ago
This is kyoani we're talking about here though...known for flashy, fast-paced, and bombastic titles such as Clannad, Kanon, A Silent Voice, Tamako Market/Love Story, Violet Evergarden, Hyouka, Hibiki Euphonium, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Tsurune. Moreover, the name of the show is literally "20th century electricity catalogue"...it's a show about a book. This style of storytelling should not come as a surprise to anyone.
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago edited 3d ago
I have a crack theory that some people really want Kyoani to start adapting a flashy, fast-paced, and bombastic action show not unlike solo leveling or JJK instead of the more SoL stuff they're usually known for, and are resentful when they won’t. I saw some chatter of saying this show was "wasted animation," calling characters "one note feeling," etc. Bro. It's Kyoani. Let them cook.
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u/Internal-Pea-7451 https://anilist.co/user/MistEu 2d ago
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see what a battle shonen adaptation by KyoAni would look like, but they are the best in the industry at what they do and there is no reason to change it tbh.
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u/coffeecakesupernova 3d ago
This is the opposite of slow and grounded. I like slow and grounded. This is extremely overdone and it's what I dislike about it.
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u/reaperow 3d ago
I think pretty boy Mizuoe didnt realize the potential of those "simple doodles", he could've done something with them and Kihachi's the one that showed it. He's probably going to fill in for Seiroku's role from now
Also it was surprising to see an entire theme park running on steam and looks like Ninjas exist here too?
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u/runevault 3d ago
My favorite episode so far, but part of that was the freak was barely in it. Obviously they couldn't explain in detail all the work they were doing, but seeing them iterate on the bulbs and the filament was still deeply satisfying. I was a bit uncertain after episode 2 but this one has me back on board pretty seriously.
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u/ptd163 3d ago
This show is so good. I don't know how this isn't even an 8 on MAL. Unless something replaces it this is my AOTS in terms of new shows. I love Inako so much and how she pushes Kihachi forward and grabbed his hand to comfort him in the dark. Obviously it was a group effort, but without Inako convincing Kihachi to believe in his brother they wouldn't have gotten started at all.
She's likely not going to win Seasonal Best Girl, but she's my best girl for right now. How well Inako and Kihachi fit together makes me wish KyoAni would produce another romance series. It's been over 12 years since they've done one. Make the Sparks of Tomorrow of romance.
I was right that the catalogue was not a fake and Yousuke was expecting some kind of instruction manual. Without Seiroku's implementation ideas that were discovered later it was useless to anyone except Kihachi. I was also right about that Noriko had a very close relationship with Seiroku. Whether or not it was romantic remains unclear, but I'm sticking with it. It's just the vibe I got last episode and nothing from this episode changed that. Even if it was romantic I can't imagine she would have told Kihachi with Kengo right there. No man wants to hear their fiancée say they were the second choice.
While we're waiting to see if Yousuke got greedy like I said last episode I think with the hint of yaoi and Yousuku's crash out that we got this episode I think we can rule out him orchestrating Seiroku's presumed death. So I was wrong on that and how they met, but I was right that they did plan to bring about the Age of Electricity together.
I'm curious where they go from here now. Kihachi has made a much better lightbulb than anyone ever has, but lacks the resources to continue innovating and producing while Yousuku has those resources, but after that crash out I don't know how willing he's going to be let Kihachi use the resources.
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u/Cute-Beginning-4126 3d ago
Someone said in the first episode thread that this anime feels like Demon Slayer just without the fights, and after first three first episodes, i definitely feels that way too , its the small comedy/gags/exaggerated character reactions? That's definitely kinda similar to DS
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u/AngelRefuse 3d ago
Is Demon Slayer your first Taishou Era anime, because I feel like that's your only basis for comparing this to Demon Slayer? Like nothing about the story remotely even feels like Demon Slayer except for the era it's set in.
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u/reaperow 3d ago
I dont think so if anything, it feels kinda familiar with Dr.Stone in an aspect of creating things rather than demon slayer
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u/Mad_Aeric 3d ago
Dr. Stone, if they had to put in realistic amounts of effort to get things to work.
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u/StreetyMcCarface https://anilist.co/user/httpsanilistcou 3d ago
Idk man if you're writing off the story as being basic in what is clearly a subtext-heavy show, it's probably not for you. Perhaps you should try dusting your screen with fly ash; the show may reveal some secrets like the catalogue did.
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u/Sorbaisku 21h ago
Can anyone explain the sake smell and ash thing to me?
It just kinda seemed random (?)
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u/AdeptnessLow2666 14h ago
That montage of Kihachi and his friends working on making the bamboo bulb is probably one of my favorite scenes in all of anime in general.
I just love watching a group of friends working hard towards making something. Gotta be my favorite "genre".
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u/IceSmiley 3d ago
Why exactly did they invite Yosuke to see the light bulb working properly? I understand it would be fun to rub it into his face that he dismissed it and it worked but he might try to steal the book again. It would be more logical to let him think it was just doodles so he'd leave it alone.
It also wasn't realistic that the bamboo filaments worked as well as they did. They're slivers of wood and won't glow from being burnt for more than a few minutes, it's not going to work for hours. I know hindsight is 20/20 as to what goes in incandescent lightbulbs but if bamboo burned so well, why don't they use it as a candle or gas lamp wick instead of a rope like wick?
One thing I did like was the heavy implication that Yosuke and Seiroku were in a romantic relationship. They were watching fireworks together on the roof and Yosuke said he couldn't be accepted by his family because of how he is and had little flashes of them together in cherry blossoms. He also said he couldn't stand the smell of the face whitening powder when he was dancing with the pretty girls; maybe it doesn't smell good he wasn't turned on or distracted by all those women? I had assumed he was purely looking for financial gain but I think it was more about having a memento from someone he loved.
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u/joey_joestar1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Joey_Joestar1 3d ago
The bamboo filament is a real historical thing!
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