Black★Rock Shooter – 06 Review

Black★Rock Shooter – 06 Review

I must say I am shocked at the level of complexity the series has suddenly developed, the unforseen and completely unexpected true nature of Saya and unfolding of events pertaining to the Otherworld made for a great episode, kind of.

Review:

It’s a bitter sweet dish this week which seems to have a heap of sugar on top of the mixed-bag-nature that Black★Rock Shooter usually exhibits. This isn’t some poncey serving a mug would get at a large restaurant though, this is a jolly big heaping pile placed on top of gritty, disgusting grime.

Before all that though, the surprise – and what a surprise it was. Saya is actually the good guy! After all of the suspicious goings about and her pretending to kill Mato, and even commenting that to herself she turns out to be a loving, caring and dedicated individual whose involvement in the series stems from her friendship with Yuu and the creation (?) of the Otherworld itself.

The Otherworld seems to have been created because of Yuu’s depression, the result of many shortcomings in her life, and shortly (?) after it was Saya promised to protect Yuu. I take it this meant depressing people to awaken their other selves in the Otherworld which would in turn shoulder their emotions but I don’t really see what that has to do with the real world, specifically, and by extension, protecting Yuu. If anything isn’t she more vulnerable to shouldering all this pain herself if her other self is killed by the newly introduced members courtesy of Saya? Let alone Insane Black★Rock Shooter roaming around destroying every opponent now that she has been “unlinked” or whatever. I shall guess, however. I think Yuu benefits because of the side effects in the other self dying. Namely, the void of emotional attachment and memory created towards the person who inflicted it. This cannot always be good though since Yomi now knows nothing of her past relationship with Mato, who was her first (?) and true friend. I think it will be interesting watching their relationship build up again, if it does.

I didn’t really feel anything when I was learning about Yuu’s past story, given the previous “drama” in the series. It all felt a bit too shallow, aside from the obvious: “too late” factor. Not to mention my initial doubts, again given the previous nature of the series so far. The real beauty of this episode came from the ever developing beautiful cinematics and choreography in the Otherworld and the big one: the plot twists.

Learning that Yuu created the Otherworld (?), during her more ominous years, was a bit shocking because it has never been hinted at before. Saya has always been the scapegoat for much of the nature of this world up until now, both because of her interaction in the “real world” and the Otherworld, namely circling people’s names in the student list and “watering” beings to life in the Otherworld. I do want to know how old Saya is now, since she appears to have made friends with Yuu when they were both in school. Although Saya was probably in high while Yuu was in middle.

When I implied that this series might die before it reaches its official end:

What will happen after the Yomi saga?

I was clearly wrong, and I am very glad to be. There seems to be content to discuss (in the anime) now, some essence. Not just gripping Otherworld fights coupled with trivial “real world” drama. If things keep on progressing this way it would be more along the lines of: “Gripping Otherworld fights coupled with gripping “real world” drama”. I am interested to see more of Yuu’s past and the transition between her evil state to the Yuu we, now,  love and care about today. I want to see what is going to happen after the Yomi saga, in a good way, and I want more in general.

This surprise burst of content has come as a real shock, and that’s truly amazing.

Episode rating: 9/10

GIFs: 21

Links: [ download ]

BGS Running Through Gunfire - http://sadpanda.us/images/875891-MH54YYG.gif
BGS Sheltering - http://sadpanda.us/images/875892-TI44O9R.gif
BRS Arm Cut - http://sadpanda.us/images/875893-KR2WAH0.gif
BRS Eyes - http://sadpanda.us/images/875896-HABM16A.gif
BRS Flung Back - http://sadpanda.us/images/875897-VNRL0Y4.gif
BRS Flying Through White - http://sadpanda.us/images/875898-0L5WZG8.gif
BRS Spear Shooting 2 - http://sadpanda.us/images/875900-I6G5FSS.gif
BRS Spear Shooting - http://sadpanda.us/images/875901-XHWXV73.gif
Saya Flailing Arms - http://sadpanda.us/images/875902-8Z8AHSO.gif
Saya's Eyes - http://sadpanda.us/images/875904-2YT001Z.gif
Water On Yuu's House 2 [B & W] - http://sadpanda.us/images/875903-TUIVPNI.gif
Water On Yuu's House 2 - http://sadpanda.us/images/875905-HZG4JDX.gif
Water On Yuu's House [B & W] - http://sadpanda.us/images/875906-OIEHL4B.gif
Water On Yuu's House - http://sadpanda.us/images/875908-9ZHRRX7.gif
Yuu In Fire [B & W] - http://sadpanda.us/images/875910-W5PICO2.gif
Yuu In Fire - http://sadpanda.us/images/875911-IPGAH2C.gif
Yuu Slapping Mato - http://sadpanda.us/images/875912-2S8QL7P.gif
Yuu's House On Fire 2 [B & W] - http://sadpanda.us/images/875913-C48R541.gif
Yuu's House On Fire 2 - http://sadpanda.us/images/875914-DGCQD8J.gif
Yuu's House On Fire [B & W] - http://sadpanda.us/images/875915-V632WZW.gif
Yuu's House On Fire - http://sadpanda.us/images/875916-JTCJFBL.gif