[Anime] Kill la Kill

[color=#006FFF]HOLY. FUCKING. HELL.
Not only am I loving Ragyou's new fabulous outfit (anyone else getting some slight Kefka vibes?) but the twist at the end was goddamn glorious. I can hardly describe how much I love these characters and how excited I am to see the two Kiryuin women face off.





ALSO!
I hope they manage to do some real damage to this adorable bitch.

[color=#006FFF]She knew Ragyou's plan--as we saw from her reaction to hearing her say that she would be initiating the Cultural & Sports Grand Festival. Meanwhile, Satsuki has was building up Honnouji Academy as a fortress to overthrow Ragyou and REVOCS/COVERS (and therefore, the life fibers) once and for all--something of a coup d'etat. How this will work in with her using Junketsu--a creature of 100% LF--we can only guess at.

I knew it. I've expected a twist like that for a while now but just didn't know when it'd happen. Noticed a couple of things which hinted towards it;

• Satsuki's motivations were left vague throughout the series, so I had a feeling that she being portrayed as the main villian was a red herring. The big giveaway was that she and the Elite Four were given backstory and all were recruited for a higher unknown purpose which just had to get revealed eventually, and each had a strong sense of loyalty. If they were generic villians with a plot to take over the world they'd be the bad guys, so why would you want to get to know them?

• And Satsuki had opportunities to kill Ryuko - like when Senketsu got slashed by Nui and she was left unconscious on the ground. If she really intended to kill her, she could've. But she didn't.

Now Satsuki openly defies her mother and makes her intentions known, so we can expect some kind of climactic battle.

Might even get more twists, like Senketsu actually having Isshin's consciousness, but because he suffers from Amnesia he doesn't know who he really is. It'd make sense given that the episode also revealed how and why only Ryuko is able to speak to him. Isshin wasn't in contact with his daughter when he made Senketsu so the closest to her DNA he'll get is his own. It could also explain the hunched back and why Senketsu was made to look like him, eyepatch and all.

DAT TWIST. I mean, it was pretty obvious that Satsuki was going to betray her mom, but the way she did it was beyond awesome.

Satsuki's attempted matricide

To be frank I hated Satsuki. She sold the unstoppable conqueror play poorly because she rarely did anything early on and in a world where there are mechs being ridden by nudist rebels she uses a katana. Then she crucified her mother. Everyone got excited over that bathing scene, but to me watching Satsuki ruthlessly butcher and reject her mother was wonderful. A true show of how Satsuki does the job her way, no matter the cost.

Satsuki's character, right from the start, you can just tell she doesn't play second fiddle to anyone, anyone.. All the things she was doing and for the greater good of her mothers plan?? yeah... like she'd really go along with that...

[color=#006FFF]I think most people--myself included--are less surprised with the fact that the "betrayal" happened so much as being surprised and taken aback by the execution of it. I'm sure nearly everyone suspected this very early on but I don't think many people expected Satsuki to flat out impale her mother, literally backstabbing her, at such a critical moment in Ragyou's plans. That's what took me by surprise anyway; just how sudden and well done it was, timing and all.

And I think the people behind it knew that it was pretty obvious Satsuki was going to do something like this sooner or later, so I can't really see someone justly saying "What a terrible twist--I saw that coming from a mile away." It's less about what happened and more about how it happened.

But... Isn't it typical to figuratively and literally, stab someone in the back when they're at the peak/are about to achieve said goal?? The timing, the execution of said betrayal, all of it just seemed so fluid and predictable. Kinda felt like I was watching a typical Hollywood movie... no I am not saying this series is one, just this episodes pacing was.

[color=#006FFF]Granted, it usually is done in such a way but that doesn't make it any less impactful. Maybe it's because I would think of it more in the vein of an "Et tu, Brute" moment instead of a "Hollywood movie" moment, it feels like more of a twist in a play than any given modern movie in my eyes. The way it was done--that is to say, the impaling, followed by throwing her onto a throne used as a makeshift crucifix in this situation where she then declares war--makes the predictability of it moot as it was done in a way that felt impactful and meaningful in a way other than just to establish a betrayal.

It's similar to how you have an idea of how a Shakespearean play is going to end, in some way or another, but when it actually happens, it's still interesting and exciting because it's not in a typical or often-seen way. Of course we know Claudius is going to die somehow but that doesn't make the scene of Hamlet forcing poison down his throat any less enticing.

It also helps that Satsuki didn't show her betrayal just by saying "Oh btw, I'm not helping you here" but instead went full-force and did, what would be considered to any normal person, a very vital blow.