Chrome Shelled Regios #08 — Torturing Cat Girls

February 28th, 2009

  

The only use for them, really.

Impressions:

Very much of a setup episode, but very little of import actually happened. Everything was made a bit worse by flicking Nina’s trauma switch back on and introducing two relatively irritating new characters. I don’t even care about them enough to remember their names yet. Generic Big Stoic Dude, and Irritating Cat Girl will suffice for now. I am proud of Felli for sharing my instant dislike of Irritating Cat Girl and inflicting various physical violence on her. Making ICG look behind her in order to get her clocked in the back of the head by a steel girder? Genius, Felli. Genius. Flicking rocks into her face during the motorcycle ride was uninspired in comparison. Generic Big Stoic Dude didn’t do anything particularly interesting besides some geomancery, which Layfon trumped anyway by showing that he can make illusion clones of himself. The big cliffhanger of him knowing that Layfon was a Heaven’s Blade would have been interesting in… maybe… the first 15 seconds of episode 1, but it ceased being news a long time ago.

Most of the rest of the episode was about reviving Nina’s trauma. Layfon got all angsty and mopey over her having fun while fighting, which got her depressed and then when they checked out the ruined city, it ended up being the place where she screwed up in the previous competition, making her flip out even more. Layfon should have just let the giant cicada shell drop on her head. That’s twice now that she’s been almost killed in that exact spot. She should wise up already.

There were a few bits about the going-ons back in Grendan with Leerin, but I’m pretty sure they were there just to remind us that Grendan still exists since next week looks to be centered on it.

Preview:

Chaos at Grendan.

Posted in Chrome Regios | 19 Comments »

19 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • Yue says:
    February 28, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    I have a question for those who have read CSR’s manga or light novel. I’m just curious, “Does Layfon have personal Dite weapon/device [name?] when he was still ranked as one of the members of Heaven’s Blade?” ^_~

  • Irie says:
    February 28, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    Not sure if this helps but the weapon Layfon used was called Heavens Blade. The sword was able to handle his overwhelming kei. It was returned when he was expelled.

  • Memento says:
    February 28, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    no, It was called the “Sky Sword,”
    Heavens Blade is a title for the top 12 fighters.

  • Irie says:
    March 1, 2009 at 12:43 am

    I was aware the 12 warriors of Grendan are called Heaven Blades. I’ve seen bloggers interchange the term “sky sword” with “heaven blade”. I think the anime episode were Layfon was learning to create those webs, there was a reference to the word sky sword. I haven’t seen anyone who read the novels give a concrete name. This is alot more information out there but much of it is left to interpretation.

    By the way, there is another sword that Layfon used while at the orphonage. I won’t say much more since this may be a spoiler. I am just wondering if both the sword he used to train and the one with “heaven blades” team is the same.

  • Irie says:
    March 1, 2009 at 12:54 am

    I found this reference which may help clarify or confuse things further. The Japanese characters didn’t copy but the words referenced are from the novel.

    “The formal title for them is 天剣授受者 which literally means receivers of Heaven Blades. Heaven blades are 12 weapons made of special/mysterious material(白金錬金鋼), so 12 receivers at max (normally they can’t find enough members though).”

  • Nazarielle says:
    March 1, 2009 at 2:47 am

    Making ICG look behind her in order to get her clocked in the back of the head by a steel girder? Genius, Felli. Genius.

    I lost it when she did that. I thought she was actually being polite and pointing something out, but when it turned out Felli was doing that all to get her the slap upside the head she deserved, I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.

    I’m actually surprised I got most of the gist of this episode, but what I didn’t get was what all the fuss was at the end of the episode. Was all he doing saying, “hey Layfon’s a Heaven’s Blade and I hate him, grr!”? I sorta got the feeling it was all a setup to get Layfon and Generic Big Stoic Dude away from Zuellni so they could fight and not bother anyone.

    Well, anyway, the fact that the next episode shows the Queen and all her minions fighting has me excited. I’ve said from the beginning things would be way more interesting following them instead of Nina and co. Well, as long as Felli-chan came along for the ride.

  • anon says:
    March 1, 2009 at 2:48 am

    (白金錬金鋼)
    Reads like “White Gold Alchemical Steel” to me.

  • kearsie says:
    March 1, 2009 at 6:41 am

    白金 is actually an alloy, or rather, a type, if I remember right, not sure what the other material is, though, but it could be silver, since it’s refering to how the gold looks white after the process.

    so maybe Alchemized Gold-Silver Steel? to be honest..that sounds obnoxiously tedious, it’s already an alloy, so what’s the point D: just Alchemized Steel Alloy would work fine in English, but since the amount of information conveyed explicitly is different in Japanese…well, I don’t know ~_~

  • Anonymous says:
    March 1, 2009 at 8:13 am

    (白金)
    Is Platinum really.

  • Taki says:
    March 1, 2009 at 11:43 am

    I dont think this is a 12-13 epi series like I’ve been hearing. They r now just introduceing new characters and its epi 8.

  • Yue says:
    March 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    @Irie
    Thanks for the info!

  • Irie says:
    March 1, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    @Yue: I’m like you and getting as much info as possible. Have to rely on others to help with these transalation too.

    @Taki: The official website blog said the series is going 24. From what I’ve been reading, we are just beginning to get into the interesting stuff. Leerin will be joining the harem soon. The pairings are different between the novels and different mangas. So far, Layfon hasn’t really picked a favorite in this series.

  • æ½® says:
    March 1, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Layfon and Nina get existential towards the end. Ah, budding war romance :)

  • Aroduc says:
    March 1, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Just to be clear, 白金 (hakkin), usually means platinum, but it can also mean silver (shirogane). However, that’s an irregular usage. 銀 is what you’d normally use for silver. It might help to think of it as the difference between ‘blue ruby’ and ‘sapphire.’

    Thrown together with alchemy and MAGIC METAL, mithril, orichalcum, or your generic mysterious metal of choice is probably about as good a translation of 白金錬金鋼 as you’re going to get without sounding ridiculous.

  • dot says:
    March 2, 2009 at 1:17 am

    was gonna say this earlier but about the letter that people were bringing up b4in a previous epi and its contents did any1 consider that the letter leerin was writing at the end of epi1 and beginning of epi3 was wat it contained? since she did post it at the end of epi3

  • Irie says:
    March 2, 2009 at 4:27 pm

    I think the letters help demonstrate the relationship between Layfon and Leerin. From what I read, the letters help keep Layfon grounded during those times when he has no one to turn to. I was a bit surprised the letter wasn’t referenced in this episode.

    No sure it’s been mentioned but the big reveal this episode is Gorneo calling out Layfon about his past. Basically telling him he was a disgrace to the martial arts (tenken?). Let’s see how Layfon reacts.

  • Lollerman says:
    March 2, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    Just as a thought as to why Leefon left, in one of the (4! Count them 4) mangas that I read, it seems like a younger Leefon picked a fight with the queen. Isn’t it possible that he accepted a hit contract on the queen, and that’s why he had to leave Grendan? Seems like that to me

  • SDS says:
    March 4, 2009 at 12:14 am

    I actually quite enjoy CSR. Although things may have started out a little stereotypical but there’s so much manga/anime out there its very difficult to expect something 100% novel. Stereotypes, sadly, are best to introduce characters quickly so the audience can relate. What is important is how the characters are developed and portrayed.

  • Apathetic says:
    March 6, 2009 at 1:06 am

    Heh, Frankly…One thing that stood out for me this episode aside from Felli’s dislike for the red-haired loli was her subtle line with Fon-fon that goes something like “If you’re gonna use extra effort for something like that… *looks at him* …then you should lift me up more gently”. (Or maybe I’m just looking too much into it :P)

    Well, for a setup episode, it was still rather interesting.