The more Teru dominates the table in recent Saki episodes, the more does Toki act like a main character, pushing the Achiga representative Kuro ever deeper into the shadows… Which reminds me of a different sickly (up to a point), time-manipulating girl who went to steal the spotlight of her own series late into the show.
If you guessed Homura from Madoka Magica, you guessed it right (if you guessed something else, share in the comments). And if you remember, the coup de grace of Homura’s takeover was the reveal that the opening theme of the show was written from her perspective to begin with, only pretending to be a song about Madoka’s worries.
But Toki wouldn’t do something like this. Or would she?
(Towards the promised place, over the future)
Imagine
Within the accelerating future
A miracle takes form
If I am holding your hand
How could I ever give up?
In my palm,
The countless wounds
From our battles
Come, let us go, the road awaits
Add one more move to the memories the world gave us
The overflowing sound becomes a rhythm and sets dreams abloom
I will fill the field with my song, a futuristic player
Our feelings overlap and reach towards the next smile
And, yes, a certain victory
Our intertwined fingers will give us strength
One day we’ll reach it, over the future
[Futuristic Player]
Hot damn. I never even considered paying attention to the lyrics of Futuristic Player (even if it is the best Saki theme yet)
Personally, I quite like Zankoku na Negai no Naka de. Futuristic Player would probably be second – the ‘dramatic’ EDs bring to mind epic scenes, so they have more impact, don’t they? But Saki wouldn’t be the same without the silly themes, either.
Zankoku na Negai no Naka de is, of course, also fantastic, but Futuristic Player has that extra…verve to it, lets say.
Any show that goes the extra mile to have a special ED song when the regular one would be massively in appropriate certainly deserves praise, too many shows have dramatic moments ruined by overly cheery ED songs *cough*ClannadAfterStory*cough*
As much as I love Kanon 2006, having Shiori’s dramatic farewell followed up with a cheery ED always leaves me like this: 0_0. The OP and ED there are taken directly from the original visual novel, but of course the ED in the novel only plays after all the problems have already been resolved, so there’s no problem there.
It was amazing enough when Connect turned out to be about Homura the first time…then it paradigm shifts AGAIN after episode 12. In either world, her promise with Madoka is the driving force behind her existence – but in the new world, it’s a new promise.
As for Futuristic Player, the title alone is enough for me: the “Futuristic Player” couldn’t really be anyone else. Now that I know this match is the core of the season, the OP and ED sequences look very different (well, except Square Panic Serenade, of course). I feel like if I’d been paying more attention, I would have known Toki was important – especially since her falling silhouette is the most powerful part of the OP for me. I’d assumed it was Arata, but it comes right after a shot of Toki collapsing into Ryuuka’s arms.
While I don’t mention it in the post above, “Miracle Rush”, the op this season, is sung by Stylips, whose members voice the five Senriyama characters in the show itself… It’s hard to believe that Achiga are the main characters here, and I’d be pleasantly surprised if it were Senriyama that proceeds to the final, with the Achiga girls proving to Akado that you can fail and still get up, ready for another challenge.
I don’t think Toki can physically play Teru again. Just this is almost killing her.
I’m not even watching Saki and I find the unconventional-ness of this review attractive.
Interesting blog.
Thanks, I try ;P.
[…] こんな旬なネタや 二次創作SSの感想や 英語圏の知人との会話のキッカケに 咲-Saki-の話題をしていきましょうね! […]