Kyouran Kazoku Nikki #04 — That Old Black Magic…

May 3rd, 2008

   

Has me in its spell…

Impressions:

I dunno. There was something about this episode that just bored me. I think it was the heavy focus on travel consultant Sakurai. She was really really lame and boring and I want no part of that. I think the high point was Yuka randomly nuzzling Teika near the start. A fair number of other things also irritating the living hell out of me. I understand the desire to show the drone of Kyouka ranting through a phone, but when your background noise is as loud as the foreground noise, it’s just a mess. When Kyouka was leaping around the travel agency as they first arrived, there was also this really really REALLY irritating shriek being played every time she jumped. Kind of like YEEOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU if I had to vocalize it. Why they chose to assault my eardrums for that scene, I will never truly know, but I think I will hold a grudge.

It was mostly pretty predictible when it wasn’t being boring. Kyouka thought strange things were interesting, gave a couple FAMILY AND TRYING YOUR BEST ARE IMPORTANT speeches and then things ends with the Midarezaki family beating the hell out of everybody. I have no problem with the "solve problems through violence" approach, but this is getting a bit stale. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it a lot more than last week’s melodramatic sludge, but I think KKN needs to learn a new trick outside of "Kyouka beats people up, gives motivational speech." Next week looks like it’s a slight change of pace at least, with them all vacationing somewhere tropical. Although… I dread to see Hyouka or Teika in a bathing suit.

Hyouka ED

Chika does the laundry happily. Ginka says hello to her in the morning and asks how she’s adjusting. PINK FLUFFY CLOUDS. Ginka loses his mind and goes running off.

Chika laments Ginka being dense, but gets distracted by Hyouka watching TV and imagines herself and Ginka in the place of the lovebird vacationers. That’s the plan!

Ouka tries to deal with daily life. Kyouka is shrieking at someone on the phone and Chika is thumbing through the directory. He’s curious but she smiles at him and shakes him off. Yuka nozzles Teika. NOT IMPORTANT BUT IT WAS CUTE.

Kyouka and Chika shriek holy rage at Ouka about the holy plan to go on vacation Ginka. Ginka’s having a nightmare from the evil feelings he’s feeling.

Kyouka meets her match in the saleswoman Sakurai on the other end, but since they’ve gone through every other travel agency in the phone book, they’re stuck with her. Luckily, she’s apparently a goddess among travel consultants if her numbers are to be believed

Stop saying "itsumo niconico!"

Except… one of her coworkers, Ando, is jealous and starts invoking some kind of voodoo ceremony to curse the upcoming fun.

Back at the Midarezaki household, Kyouka’s been cooking again apparently. Ouka and Gekka poke at their… food. Even Teika and Hyouka can’t handle it. Yuka snarfs it down without an issue though. Ouka realizes that it’s to protect the world, and gives it a taste. Instant death!

Sakurai can’t find all her compatriots. She hears an evil laugh. It’s Kyouka et all… arrived to cause havoc.

Yuka looks cute, Chika flips through books, Ginka looks zonked. Everybody distracts them in various ways. Salesgirl tries to give her card to Chika, thinking that she’s the mother.

Meanwhile, the evil voodoo fumes spread and take the boss.

Sakurai tries to find a room to discuss things, but the possessed boss hangs up signs on all of them to prevent her. She finds a big door and opens it… then slams it back shut. Kyouka’s tired of this nonsense, so throws the door open… to find voodoo coworker in mid voo. Everybody’s stunned… except Kyouka. She’s amused. This is a pretty interesting place.

Ando throws Sakurai out to take them for himself. She rushes off to go get them tea. As she rushes back, a door almost knocks her over, but Ginka’s there to keep her upright. She comes back in, but gets thrown out again by her boss. She goes to gather notebooks they need from storage. Again, she’s tripped, but Ginka’s there to catch her and sends her rushing back.

Ando tries to send her off again, but Kyouka and Yuka want to talk to her instead. Ando talks them into a hands on demo and sends Sakurai off for YET MORE tea.

As she walks downstairs with YET MORE tea, she’s grabbed by her possessed coworkers. This time, Ginka and Chika were a moment too late.

Bossman shows Kyouka and Yuka to the virtual vacation center… complete with fake wind, heat, and male hula dancers. Then they virtually go to France. Kyouka is NOT AMUSED and snatches the remote and goes on a whirlwind tour around the world. As the actors scramble to keep up with costumes, the system overloads and explodes.

Ginka and Chika finally catch up. They’re curious what happened to Sakurai. Kyouka’s tired of this nonsense and tells him that they’re leaving.

Sakurai is tied up in some kind of horrible voodoo chamber. She protests that she just understands what the guests want in their hearts… but voodoo dude has decided to go the voodoo route in order to win. Blah blah blah. He hypnotizes her.

At home, the family has a conversation about how it was MYSTERIOUS there. You think? Ouka tries to talk them out of doing anything too stupid. Kyouka is ‘sad’ for a moment since she wanted to do something really fun… but at least now they will.

The voodoo sweeps through the travel agency as Ando takes complete control of everybody there. He suddenly gets laid out by a flying Kyouka kick. No matter POWER UP! Chika then stomps his head. NOT YET! A trap door opens under Chika. She and Kyouka (who tries to save her) fall in.

They get spit out into the VR chamber. Ando’ll make her accept a contract from him. They can do anything. Using his power he makes all the costumey folk form themselves into the shape of whatever she calls out. Now she’ll be forced to sign it. But Kyouka knows that’s not what they want. That’s not fun or good for love.

Guess they’re going to have to do things by force. Oops, bad move. Teika and Yuka bust in, as do Gekka and Hyouka.

Ouka comes in to explain the facts of life and arrest the doofus. Ginka has Sakurai with his, but she’s weird. She’s got a sharp piece of wood and suddenly holds him hostage. Ando tries to escape, but Kyouka chucks Gekka at him… oh right, Hyouka was attached.

Sakurai snaps out of it and apologizes for treating her precious guests like this. Kyouka gives her a peptalk and tells her to get up and keep fighting. For happiness! For… whatever. Didn’t you make a promise!? Blerg. It’s not like you were controlled by an evil voodoo freak or anything… ITSUMO NICONICO.

Preview:

Vacation on a deserted island.

Posted in Kyouran Kazoku Nikki | 2 Comments »

2 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • Part of the story on this one is that it’s suspected that someone amongst this lot is the reincarnation of a spirit of evil who vows to destroy everything, right?

    How much you want to bet it turns out to be the psychic investigator, the straight man, the “dad” in this disfunctional family?

  • LoliHat says:

    Love that ED! Kind of like Kraftwerk…in Japanese!