#kikuemon and setsuko

[lunawings]

King of Prism SSS Episode 2 commentary (Yukinojo)

Watched this episode live with you guys at 1am, stream froze right at the ending. That was the tipping point I needed to stay up to watch it again as soon as it was released on Crunchyroll at 3am, with the few folks who stayed in the chat. And of course after all that extended King of Prism woke me up, now look who can’t sleep and is watching it a 3rd time tonight at... 5am... aha ha... ha...... don’t look at me like that I don’t have work until 4pm it’s fine

So like most folks in Japan I experienced this episode as part of a three pack bundled with the prologue and Taiga’s episode, which makes up the theatrical SSS Part 1. 

While the theater experience is great, it’s also kinda bizarre since the tone in this episode is drastically different from the other two. After the dinner scene ends there is no basically cheering until the end of this episode. What can we say! I just kinda fall into a prism coma until the Prism One show when I am suddenly like wha... WHAAA OH YEAH knocking my concert lights on the floor trying to quickly grab them in time and all that. 

But not because this episode is bad or anything. Quite the opposite. It’s just....

Mesmerizing.... 

Anyway.

ITS ABOUT FRIKKIN TIME 

Renjishi is a pretty famous Kabuki show, and I think “Two Lions” is an accepted English translation so I don’t know why they didn’t bother to translate it? 

 This translator couldn’t figure out what to do with the “18″ either... I would definitely be confused why there is so much 18 this and that in this episode if I hadn’t looked it up for my own translations. It’s a reference to a certain collection of best kabuki plays.

And if you’re wondering why Yukinojo is the 7th generation while his father is the 3rd.... well... hell if I know, because that actually not a mistranslation. 

*throws hands in the air* If someone can explain it to me let me know.

In the theaters sometimes people will hold up two red lights and break them apart here and I always want to do it but I ALWAYS FORGET AHHH. My brain just isn’t in cheering mode during this episode. 

Also it took me like eight viewings before I noticed there is a continuity error where Shin’s chopsticks fix themselves ahah.

FACE

(Also someone in the livestream pointed out his earrings. Not sure if we have seen Yu with earrings yet.)

One of the many things that makes SSS so amazing is how much it changes the first two movies. Just when you thought you were done with them, all of a sudden you want to watch them all over again to see them in a new light. While the movies largely follow Shin’s perspective, for the first time we finally get to see things through the perspectives of other characters and it just adds layer upon layer upon layer and it’s just.... ahh..... 

THE PRISM

THE ONE SPECIFIC PRISM

The way the translator phrased this I imagine them all worshiping a giant stone in the back somewhere. ALL HAIL.... THE BRILLIANT PRISM....... 

This line is super weird out of context. When I translate King of Prism stuff I put in “prism jump” just to add context when it’s not there. But that’s.... just.... m...eee..............

This is my favorite damn Kakeru line in SSS and he doesn’t even say anything. 

Eeeeyaah... ....

Taiga is amazing in this scene too. BE TRUE TO YOUR EMOTIONS YOU’RE  RUINING DINNER DAMMIT 

I thought when I paused on this scene I’d be able to read some of these posters but not really. Wonder if these are a reference to Yukinojo getting into Japanese rock like he did during the curry event on Prism Rush? Maybe they just wanted to show he has typical teenage boy stuff in his room too. Also, of course, cameo from Andy! 

A translation I actually liked. This is basically exactly what he says ahha... the old men group of Edel Rose (2nd year high schoolers).

For anyone who read my shitty out of context spoilers during the first weekend and thought I was kidding when I said Kakeru almost got murdered by Yukinojo but he kinda deserved it.

I’m still reeling from how fucking real Kakeru gets here...... damn........

Someone in the livestream pointed this out, but we almost never hear Kakeru call Yukinojo “Tachibana” do we?

I jumped an inch in my seat when I saw this at the midnight showing. It was the moment where I was like holy moly we’re not in Kansas anymore and started to realize exactly what we were getting into in SSS. This is a whole new King of Prism. 

When you watch the episodes all strung together in the theater, the first episode runs at the same pace as the movies (in my mind I kinda of think of it as a shorter 3rd movie in itself), so it’s not until you get about here where things first start to slow and deepen and it’s you realize wow.... this really is an anime now..... 

I thought Nikkanen mentioned this superhero on Prism Rush, but he said Yossha-Man haha. Well they are both parodying the same series. (Yattaman/Yattawan?)

I really like Yukinojo’s grandpa. He just has the best old man voice. 

WHOOOOOOSH

This scene is foreshadowed in the first episode of SSS. While Shin is introducing everyone you see Yukinojo’s mother look down at her wrist. 

So it was kind of weird to be like is that gonna be a thing--OH THATS A THING right after haha. The theater experience is great, but these episodes are probably better paced week-to-week like this instead of in odd chunks the way they show them in theaters. 

I think this was foreshadowed in Pride the Hero too isn’t it? (His hairpin shines when he looks at his Mom?)

Perhaps something more shocking happened in the next scene though.

At least to me anyway. 

So ages ago, maybe first movie era, I was reading a profile of Yu in a magazine. Specifically this one:

It mentioned that Yu wears Bell Rose pajamas. 

And I always remembered that. Because hey that’s pretty hilarious. 

YEARS PASS

King of Prism SSS episode 2.

Yukinojo just had a breakdown 

AND THERE’S YU

IN HIS GODDAMN BELL ROSE PAJAMAS

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Seriously my mouth fucking dropped open when I saw this. If only I was at cheering I really would have shrieked and ruined this serious scene ahah.

AND THEN THERES THIS 

This scene just gives me goosebumps everywhere. Yukinojo’s first prism jump. The way Shin screams. AHHHHHHHH--

This scene actually gives me goosebumps too. It’s such a mood. This whole episode is such a mood. 

Kakeru and Yukinojo really have a lot in common. I understand now why they made such good duo partners on Prism Rush. Not only do they both have a lot of weight on their shoulders from their families, but the both inherited it from their mother’s side. Just like Yukinojo’s father married into kabuki, as we learned in Young of Prism it was Kakeru’s father who married into the Juuouin group. Don’t mind my random fact, I just thought it was super interesting.

So. This line kind of confused me a bit. Because I thought a major theme in this episode was about how Yukinojo couldn’t escape his blood. Yukinojo’s mother made that clear.

But then again Yukinojo’s mother also knew his father had this experience where he learned his fate wasn’t controlled by blood at all. 

Maybe that just served for a reason as to why she can see Yukinojo’s soul is in prism shows? I don’t know. 

I’m also really confused by how differently she treats Yukinojo in this scene compared with the flashback. I’m glad she came around, but I feel like we missed something in between. 

I don’t need to say how awesome Yukinojo’s prism show was. It just keeps building more and more tension as it goes on and just ahhhh....

I was really sad the stream froze before you guys found out Yukinojo beat Shin’s score (in sparking). 

Also I feel super dumb because I said something about Yukinojo being only the second male star to do four jumps in a row. I FORGOT ABOUT HIRO

So Louis -> Hiro -> Yukinojo, the first three male stars to successfully do four consecutive jumps. The top male stars by pure skill. 

So this ending.... is NOT the ending we see in the theater. The song and visuals were all new. (Well except for assets reused from the episode well you know what I mean.)

I’m a bit town about this. On the one hand I was REALLY REALLY REALLY looking forward to hearing 366 Love Diary.... But on the other hand it’s cool that they are doing something so special for the TV showing by having different endings every week. And after all, the CD for 366 Love Diary is coming out literally tomorrow.... but....

Okay so clearly I loved this episode but part of me is just really glad it’s over because next week is TAAAIGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and I cannot fucking wait to share it with you guys. 

(My favorite episode of the show.)

(I don’t even know if I can fit all my thoughts on it in a post how long is the limit on Tumblr srsly)

[lunawings]

Young of Prism #06 Yukinojo

Read the original Japanese: http://www.pashplus.jp/anime/106552/ Previous: Alexander

Translator’s notes: I only know this from context, but it seems  “Kunitachiya” (国立屋) is the kabuki stage name passed down through Yukinojo’s family. Kabuki actors are traditionally men, so it was passed from Yukinojo’s grandfather to his father, and will be passed to him. I don’t really know much else about kabuki, but the kabuki play they discuss is this one and “kumadori” is this.  There is also a phrase Yukinojo says in here while he’s practicing, which is apparently an old timey phrase for introduction to kabuki shows or something? But googling that the first hit I got was people, in Japanese, trying to figure out what it meant... So... uh... yeeeeeah.... I did what I could. I’m really glad there was furigana for Yukinojo’s father and grandfather’s names. 

<#06: Yukinojo>

“I’m... Kunitachiya!” 

Young Yukinojo shouted this out as his eyes sparkled.

“Ahaha. And you are the seventh generation.”

Yukiou, Yukinojo’s grandfather, scooped him up and laughed heartily. 

“But first you have to make your official debut. Can you do it, number seven?”

Yukinojo took a deep breath.

“Yes, I can!”

“Mmhm. That’s the spirit.”

This praise from his beloved grandfather made Yukinojo overjoyed. 

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, come one come all! Tonight you are in for quite a show!”

Even after his lessons had finished, Yukinojo continued to practice feverishly. 

“Andy, how was that?”

Yukinojo turned to his stuffed bear. It was a present from his mother, Setsuko, and it was his loyal audience. 

“I wonder if I can really become the next Kunitachiya...”

“Yukinojo? You’re still up?”

“Mom!”

Yukinojo’s mother began to carry her pajama-clad son to his bed. 

“No! I’m not ready for bed yet! I still have to practice...”

“You’ll have lessons tomorrow too.”

Yukinojo tried to free himself his mother’s grasp by kicking around, but it was no use. 

“But...!”

“Yukinojo, if you don’t get your sleep you won’t become a great performer.”

“Huh?”

“Your father and grandfather are only able to perform such brilliant kabuki shows because when they were your age, they got their proper rest.”

“Whaaaat?”

“No kids who stay up late can perform like that.”

Yukinojo was speechless. He blinked his eyes silently as he allowed this information to sink in. Then, he quickly jumped into bed.

“I’m going to sleep now Mom! Good night!”

“Okay. Good night!”

“And I’ll be OK sleeping all by myself! I’m a Kunitachiya!”

“Eheh, that’s right.”

“Ah!”

“Hm? What is it?”

Suddenly Yukinojo sat up. There was something he had forgotten. 

“.....Yukinojo.”

“B.. But if Andy doesn’t sleep with me, he’ll be lonely...”

“....Well alright then. I’m turning out the lights.”

“Okay.”

Hugging Andy tightly, Yukinojo closed his eyes. 

* * *

“Mommy...”

It was the middle of the night. Dragging Andy behind him, Yukinojo was searching for his mother. 

“Oh!”

He was able to locate the next room by the glow of light leaking through the partially open door. He could hear voices whispering also.

“For Yukinojo’s first appearance on stage...”

Peeking into the room, Yukinojo could see the figure of Kikuemon, his father.

“How about at this month’s Two Lions dance...”

“Hmm.”

“Lions!!”

All of a sudden, Yukinojo was wide awake.

“Yukinojo! What are you doing up at this hour...”

Turning a deaf ear to his mother, Yukinojo bounded straight for his father.

“Dad! I wanna be a lion!”

“Oh ho ho, I see. Well you’ll be our lion then.”

“Hmm... Don’t you think it’s a bit soon...”

“It will just be for one day! He can make an appearance in the finale, on stage with the two of us.”

“I wanna do it! With Daddy and Grandpa!”

“Hahaha. Well okay then. Three generations of Kunitachiya on stage together.”

Kikuemon lifted Yukinojo up into the air.

“Wheee!”

“Oh you... You’ll do your best, won’t you?”

“I will! Ahah higher Daddy, higher!” 

* * *

The next morning. 

“Yukinojo, it’s time to get up... Oh what now?”

Yukinojo was in front of the mirror, concentrating deeply on something.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah! Mom!”

Stage makeup kits were spread all around him.

“I’m practicing kumadori!”

In his hand was Andy, all smudged in white and red.

And so, the years passed by...

“Yuki-sama! I brought your laundry!”

“Ah, Leo. Thank you.”

“What’s happened here?”

“I was just tidying my room.”

Yukinojo’s room was in quite a state of disarray.

“Oh! This stuffed bear...!”

“Ah. It looks a bit out of place in this room, doesn’t it?”

A smile spread across Yukinojo’s face as he picked up Andy in both arms.

“But he was my very first audience.”

Next: Minato