Soul Eatober - Episode 14-15

"The Super Written Exam"

Huh. So they still have "Resonance" as the opener but changed the ending theme to "Style" by Kana Nishino. More calm and fluffy than "I Wanna Be" (understatement), but still it's a nice song, and I especially needed a nice, calming song after this episode.

Basically, it's a filler episode in which we see the characters study for a big exam. I like most of this episode because we get to see more of the characters as themselves when there's no imminent threat.

I said I liked "most" of this episode, because it ends with a telegraphed bullshit joke. The set-up is that Maka was looking through an old photo album that had pictures of her younger self with her dad. She explained that he used to read to her all the time, and Soul makes the observation that maybe she loved reading because of her dad. I remind you, this heartwarming display is a SET-UP TO A JOKE. Because then, Spirit asks Blair to buy Maka a book and give a letter he wrote as a celebration present for her high score on the exam. Blair spends the money on a piece of clothing for herself, feels guilty, uses her magic to shrink it, and then gives the present to Maka saying it was from her dad, not explaining anything else. So Maka thought that her dad bought her sexy lingerie, making her think he's even more creepy.

This may be out of line of me to say, but. FUCK. THAT. NOISE! FUCK IT! If it ended with that nice moment of Maka thinking over good memories of her father, that would've been fine, or maybe ending it with someone else. The only reason they brought up Spirit was because he was doing weird rituals to send her "good vibes" anyway. I don't care if this was in the manga, FUCK IT! IT IMPEDES THE PROGRESS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! I don't find this funny! Not even in embarrassment towards Spirit! THIS JOKE CAN GO FUCK ITSELF!

Once again, I don't know if they want me to sympathize with Spirit or not. I'm actually writing this before I watch the next episode I'm so pissed. GODDAMMIT! Such a good, enjoyable episode, and it fucking fumbles at the end!

*seufz*

"The Soul Eating Black Dragon"

The episode opens with the FUCKING SUN LAUGHING AT MY IRRITATED PAIN FUCK YOU SUN!!!!

*24 minutes*

Oh my god this episode is fucking awesome!

Death the Kid, Liz, and Patty go to investigate a ghost ship called the Nidhogg in the Baltic Sea (this show is an excellent case for tangential learning, meaning that people will learn stuff 'cause they looked up something they mentioned on this show. I did.). It's mostly centered around the comedy of errors with the trio: Kid's obsessive compulsiveness, Patty's sugar-high craziness, and Liz's scaredy cat tendencies. Among this, they manage to work in the team origin story through quick flashbacks over quick exposition. A fascinating way of doing things. And it ends with Ragnarok and Crona making a show stopping appearance, leaving the team to prepare for battle.

Interestingly, Kid spends half the episode in a cloak with a mask, which makes him look like his father, Lord Death. Since Kid is a Grim Reaper, I wonder if the cloak is the uniform of a Reaper. Which makes me wonder if Lord Death is just always in uniform.

Very interesting and well done episode, especially since it didn't FUCK UP IN THE LAST THREE MINUTES!!!