#kage watches twewy

[actualaster]

TWEWY Anime Ep AND GAME 1 Spoilers Ahead, so treat cautiously

So now that the first episode is official out, have some screenshots of details I loved or am deeply curious about.

Got what looks like Ai and Mina!  AND Nao and Sota!  AND The tech for 777′s band!

LOVE them keeping the Day 1 Cameo of this asshole lol.  I see you there spying on Neku.

WHEN HANEKOMA IS TELLING NEKU ABOUT TRUSTING PARTNERS THE GATITO BRAND LOGO IN THE BACK

Check out who’s in the BG here on Day 3!  The Tin Pin Kids!

I like how they handle the syncing and fusion move it seems here.

THIS HAS ME VERY CURIOUS, HE’S GIVING THEM A LEVEL 2 KEYPIN.  Is this swapping stuff around instead of him giving the pin to Neku in W3?  (Also wait I thought it was a level 4 before, did I remember wrong or did they change from the special premier event?)

This was an interesting battle.  Also, fuckin’ sweet music playing, anybody know the name of the track?

[actualaster]

Impressions of Episode 2!  Spoilers not just for the episode, but for the game--including parts towards the end of the game.  Screenshot-heavy

Also, NTWEWY Release Date Trailer reference at one point.

First up!  Love the proper intro!  Shame about what happened with the original intro being swapped out, there’s some spots where this version of Twister doesn’t quite fit.  But it fits better than the use of Calling they used as as a last-second sub in the first episode.

(For those who don’t know, one of the band members for the group that did the original song was involved in a criminal scandal so the music was pulled, apparently that’s not uncommon.  I feel more bad for the poor bandmates who’ve had their reputation tarnished by association, y’know?)

so!  first up on visuals!  New Noise!!  Wonder if these will show up in NTWEWY?  They don’t look as much like Noise as most others, missing that tattoo component, but they remind me of the Bats and the Sprogs.  Curious to see if that happens

FORESHADOWING with MR. PRODUCER HIMSELF.

So, we get some interaction between Neku and Shiki right off the bat when the episode starts, which involves Neku’s whole “I don’t like people” thing, and we see Beat and Rhyme join ‘em and they have a discussion.  Get some of the talk of everyone’s values colliding, which IIRC is a W2 sort of convo w/ Asshole Jesus?  Can’t quite remember...  Either way, get some more insight into the characters.

RHYME IS TOO CUTE HERE THIS IS SO PRECIOUS

Ahaha...  This sequence hurts.  The framing makes it so clear what they’re getting at with these two being siblings.  Also this entire bit is good, helps establish details about the characters both overtly through conversation and subtly, like the framing of this shot.

This part also hurts, Shiki getting so excited she forgets, just for a moment, what’s going on.

Honestly the entire sequence with the Prince is funny, and helps give some good insight into the characters.

Also. Same, Neku, Same.  That’s exactly my face when people start losing their minds over some RL celeb that’s apparently sexy or something lol.  But also starts to work in the importance of fashion and trends in this sequence.

The description is different but ultimatley the idea seems roughly the same for Imprinting--though Shiki knows what it is rather than Rhyme explaining memes.

(shame we couldn’t get “what’s a meme?” animated lol, but that’s probably just a funny thing in the ENG fandom and it IS based of the JP original ver)

Interesting way they handled Eri here, with her wearing a different outfit.

Dude talking to Makoto’s a Reaper, I’m betting--since he’s lacking that sort of washed out look the RG folks have.  Specifically planted here to give the Players the idea for what their mission is, if they’re paying attention to their surroundings and/or in the right area at the start of the day.

Nao and Sota make another appearance after their Ep 1 cameo!  Good way to introduce them before W2!

[knee-jerk reaction of screeching because THE FUCKING MOST ANNOYING FUCKING PINS EVER]

Also the fact that the dude in Red who was talking to Makoto says his boss is pressuring him to spread them around makes me pretty confident, aside from the “lacking the washed out RG look” that he’s a Reaper.

This was very interesting--the Support Reaper let them through because Shiki was holding a Keypin.  Setting the precedent for “this pin caused a wall to be cleared for us” but at the same time...  Not opening the wall itself.  And I wonder why the Reaper didn’t seem to care that a Player was holding onto a Keypin?  I mean, the Reaper addressed it with “take care of that pin”, so I suppose they’ve acknowledged it but still feels odd.  Then again, might be a case of “Player with a Keypin?  Higher ups didn’t say anything about that.  Welp, not my problem then.” and just not wanting to deal with it lol

also look at the Support Reaper (guy in red w/ the facemask)’s outfit.  Compare it to what “Neku” in the end of the latest (as of this posting) NTWEWY trailer was wearing--it’s pretty much identical except “Neku” is wearing black instead of Read (Harrier Reapers wear Black), is this “Neku” in NTWEWY a Reaper now?  Or trying to blend in and appear similar to a Reaper for some reason?  Or is it just coincidence?

see how similar they look?  (I know it looks purple here but the boxart it’s black so I assume it’s just lighting)

Then again, since the art seems the same between game and anime (or very similar, the eyes are handled looking the same it seems to me) it could be something else...  (Of course, who even knows if this is the real Neku?)

Anyway...

AHAHAHAHAHAHA Oh shiki, if only you knew that the second player pin is because of the bullet that wasn’t stopped XD

Working trends in somewhat, interesting to see that.  Makes total sense they’d do it this way since the “trends change based on what Players use in battle” is a game mechanic that I can’t see being easily worked into the story in another format, so this swap makes plenty of sense.  Using Imprinting on the Prince to get him to plug the advert makes sense.

LMAO.  SAME NEKU, SAME.  THAT IS SUCH A RELATABLE FACE.

I gotta wonder, though--using the Prince this way instead of the Players making it work, seems like that might not make Makoto get a big head about “his” success which would alter things in...  W2, right?  The ramen shop stuff’s W2.

So.  We have a few interesting massive deviations here.

First up, a look at the influence of the Red Skull pin on people.

And second...

A Familiar Looking Noise Symbol, found on the Shibuya River...  Megumi’s Noise Symbol.

Obviously a massive deviation as Players start getting Erased--despite the Mission being cleared.  Neku and Shiki are on the chopping block when...

A familiar bit of hair reveals their savior who’s not about to let Megumi end their little Game early using some underhanded tactics like “Earsing Players after the Mission is cleared”

I’m very not sure how I feel on a personal level about this decision, but on a narrative level I fully get where they were going with this.

It establishes a very powerful Noise, and if they remain true to the game later it’s foreshadowing that Megumi’s involved heavily.  AND it establishes (through subtle implication you’d not necessarily get if this was your first time watching and didn’t catch the hair) that Joshua is a very powerful person.  Before being in the Game.

Shiki comments on the unsualness of it, too!

I do, however, think they did real justice to the Eri and Shiki revelation.  I still wanna know what that “accident” is that killed Shiki, though.

And here we see a person having his ENTIRE WORLD rocked by the revelation that he’s dead.

Also we got a slight flashback to the incident that killed him, too blurry to see much but a little bit of one.  We saw a little of that in Ep 1, too, IIRC.

AND THAT’S IT FOR THE EPISODE

Well.  Except for the title card for Episode 3

WHO’S READY TO HAVE THEIR HEARST SHATTERED LIKE GLASS OVER THAT SCENE?!

[actualaster]

Oops it’s been a damn month because my ability to watch anything dropped off the face of the planet but I’m trying to play catch-up on the anime now lol.

Don’t have the energy to go back over Ep 4 and do a proper look at it like I was doing, so I’ll just...  Maybe re-address that later, but for now just looking at Ep 5

I don’t have the energy to do the “watch then post” thing so I’ll be putting this together as I go, and probably will do that from now on.

First up Asshole Jesus starting things out being a little shit, just look at that smile, his face is so punchable.  (affectionate)

Yeah I see you on your phone, Asshole Jesus, texting Neku a fake mission and then acting like you weren’t doing anything lmao

Trying to advertise for Mr. H’s menu lol

I see you neatly dodging the answer to that question, Josh.

Does a really good job of conveying his whole “the Game is amusement for me” attitidue, though

The game pretty strongly implied it as well, but I feel like the anime goes even further to all but say that Joshua “I See Dead People” Kiryu killed himself to join the Reapers’ Game.

No, Neku, you haven’t, he’s Asshole Jesus for a reason

Mmm, more of that wording that makes it pretty blatant that Josh offed himself.

Nice callback to the game itself with the style of the error message!  It’s how, like, memes look when you get them and other various selectable options and stuff appear in-game.

Neat way they handle it being a smartphone now, using apps instead of a camera hardware upgrade.  Also that triple star app, that reminds me of the Fusion Pin for Shiki’s lvl 1 and 2 fusions in the game

Would it kill ya to be a less of a mysterious dick, Josh?  Yeah actually it probably would.

Lol sounds like Mr. H is speaking from experience.  He has known Asshole Jesus for a while so that makes sense.  

Heh.  They’re having an entirely different conversation than the one Neku is aware of.

Mmm, can’t have him going down that way until you’re good and ready, eh, Josh?

Heh.  Looks like Neku’s not entirely sure he trusts that “it’s because the signal from Scramble’s weirder” thing

Oh, that’s not ominous at all (/sarcasm)

Mmm, feels like this part was handled a little more...  Flatly than the game did, like it’s less of a big deal as a possible theory in the anime?

I see that Gatito brand logo in the BG with this convo, nice and subtle.

Oh!  They include the Mic Incident?

Something I noticed is interesting--you can sort of tell in the previous screenshot the lighting seems...  Not bright and sunny.

You can also see it here

I just think it’s interesting that it’s cloud and then we get to this shot, very dark in general, you can see the extremely dark clouds in the background, the lighting in general much more washed out the way you get on a very cloudy day...  And Players, fighting for their lives against the black-and-silver Taboo Noise.

I just think that’s a really neat visual thing.

askdjfjakdsf  THE SPEECH BUBBLE WITH THE IMAGE OF THE MIC!!  I’M!!  oh I love that so much lol

sad.fjasdlkf THEY KEPT THE LINE.  bless

Changed up the scene with Nao and Sota, misses the sweet “totally be an entry fee for each other/play the game as many times as needed” part but I did love the way Sota tried to stop Neku from going to the Taboo Noise infested area to keep him from getting killed.  Flow of the scene works well for the shift to anime, though, so makes sense they’d change things up a bit.  Speaking of...  They cut the Tin Pin stuff, didn’t they?  Shame but it makes sense because...  I can’t see that flowing well in the anime lol.  Maybe if they made a spin-off anime only about Tin Pin Slammer...  XD

sadjkflaksdjfas  LOOK AT HER GUN TIP LMAO THEY ACTUALLY SHOWED A REASON WHY HER ENERGY BULLETS ARE WEIRDLY SHAPED LMAO

okay that’s fantastic I love that so much

Fusion attack, nice

Josh just.  LOVES being a little shit, doesn’t he

Oh, this ENTIRE SCENE is so much more dramatic, it’s amazing to see it brought to life in animation.

No seriously this is a lot more what I’d expect from somebody who just discovered the dude they work with very probably murdered the fuck out of them

The way Neku stumbles back with that horrified gasp (seriously the sound he makes--props to the VA that conveyed the emotion of the scene so damn well), that terrified expression on his face, his entire body language of “person receiving a horrific shock” is so well executed here.

Plus, can’t really catch it with screenshots but the way the screen is shifting and sort of “shaky cam” really helps convey it 

That facial expression is so perfect, you can see him breaking.

Look, you can pinpoint the exact frame where he shatters!

Aaaaand then we got Asshole Jesus looking like a smug fuck, as usual lol.  Solid spot to end an ep, though.

[actualaster]

hm.

watched the latest ep, it’s in the Second Part now.

very brief, i have Thoughts but i’m also extremely tired so i’ll wait and do a bit of a deeper look at it tomorrow or something

not really spoilers just commentary on some of the pacing shift and im not sure i like it but i also should probably replay this segment in the game, too

mostly just feels like they cut some of the dancing around certain topics and hte “is this fucker toying with us?” stuff out so it feels a bit more...  in-your-face that there’s something real shady going on.

not sure if this will be the sort of format they use--speed up some aspects in the first section of an arc, then slow down a bit--or if they’re gearing up for even mroe changes in the back end of Part 2 and all of Part 3

(current theory is those are where we’ll see the greatest deviations--I’m expecting the overall resolution of the plot as well as Certain Aspects to be the same but there to be notable deviation in how they reach that resolution that will get more pronounced as the series continues)

[actualaster]

Alright Ep 6!

Fair warning, this one includes end-game spoilers/end of anime spoilers (at least, I assume--I dunno if they revealed it yet in the show?  If not it’ll be reveled next episode anyway I imagine seeing as...  Not including that would 100% completely change every aspect of the ending)

Lmao nice shift after that absolutely shit-eating grin you ended the last ep on, Asshole Jesus.

I want to punch him so bad.  So.  Bad.  I love him but I want to kick his ass.

Joshy-boy knows he’s untouchable lmao.

Oooooh, Neku broke Asshole Jesus’ phooooooone.

I do like how they had a bit of a sequence elaborating a bit more on the creating of a Taboo Noise Refinery Sigil

asdlkfjasd  Neku has been body slammed out of the way of danger like 3 times in the last like 2 minutes lmao.  Also the Delinquent Reaper is back!

That’s actually a really interesting translation for this part--I admit my knowledge of Japanese is beyond basic but I do know a few handfuls of words/concepts.

Beat specifically uses “sempai” here but his body language, facial expression, and the way he speaks as he says the word are very clearly derogatory so I think the use of “old timer” works well in English to convey the idea of “person with seniority (that I absolutely do NOT fucking respect)”  (Kariya, of course, Gives No Fucks in return)

sdajkhfasdjf  JUST.  JUST FUCKING LEVITED HIM RIGHT UP AND DRAGGED HIM OFF LMAO.  Also an interesting way to showcase him losing the pendant.

Ahhh, they shuffled the conversation a bit, here we have that happening, I was expecting it last episode when they met and Josh pointed out that winning doesn’t always mean getting brought back

Actually got 2 convos going on here.  First, it’s interesting--Neku wondering “Does Josh have a reason, too?  A reason he killed me?”  (Not in so many words but basically.

And then you contrast that serious point...  With Josh being like “lol not my fault the phone broke that was Neku’s doing” XD

Honestly, the washed out look of the RG people is working so well to contrast with the recurring Red Skull Pins, it really helps draw the eye to them immediately.  The RSPs are also a bit washed out, but not entirely--an excellent visual representation of the fact that they exist in the RG but very clearly (as was seen in an earlier episode as well as previous one with Josh’s tracker picking ‘em up) hold some connection to the UG as well. 

oh because THAT’S not an ominous facial expression at all.

sdzljfasdjlkf  I lost it at this, the just.  Delivery of hte lines is A+++, absolute perfection

Neku’s little freak out is so cute, he’s having his mind blown in a much better way than usual.

oooooooooh stars, oh sweet sky help me, his blush is so cute, this BOY IS SO PRECIOUS i want to give him a hug (he certainly deserves one)

HIS FACE IS JUST TOO CUTE

Mmmm, more RSPs being showcased.  They’re really going heavy on the washed out look for the people in the RG to emphasize the appearance of the RPSs.

Lmao Josh’s tired of Neku’s fanboying.  Well, shoulda thought of that before you told him the secret identity of his idol lmao.  You brought that on yourself, dude.

dksjfasdkf Neku sweetie you’re so cute

At least nobody is around to see your despair--well, aside from Prissy Boy anyway.

...So this is the second time this...  Red-washed concert or something has been shown, last time it was in the BG.  The fact that the shot zoomed in on it, and that it’s red feels significant for some reason.

Heh.  We’ve seen that Noise symbol before

Remember this, from episode 2?  (again, interesting to point out the significantly overcast appearance here which I mentioned in the last post)

JESUS BEAM JESUS BEAM JESUS BEAM JESUS BEAM JESUS BEAM JESUS BEAM JE--

this part is massive ending spoilers for the game/show.

Mmm, I know I mentioned last post that the anime (and game) were pretty implicative that Josh offed himself for the game, and then this episode (and slightly after that in the game) brings up that in this case he’s “playing while alive”, but I stand by my theory just as I’ve held that theory for absolute ages.

That entire conversation seemed to indicate it was about the more distant past--as in, before Josh’s current situation in the UG.  As in, back when he was alive.  We know he’s not technically alive-alive in the sense that the never dead or reborn players are due to what he is.  It feels like it’s being more clear about implying that, when he first entered the UG before the current situation, it was by intentional choice.

Of course, can’t fault Kariya for assuming Josh’s a living player that snuck into the game and all.  He’d have never had reason to come into contact with what Josh is before this, after all--he’d simply never have any reason to know the truth.

lol he tossed them treats Asshole Jesus wiped out the Taboo Noise for him

Neku’s entire thing where he loses it at Josh here is just wonderfully emotive, it really comes to life well in the anime.

f u c k, that was a low blow even for you dude.

Noooot helping your creepy stalker vibes Josh, noooot helping them lol.

Interesting take, J-boy.

Well, Pi-Face sure has been having fun making minions

And that’s a wrap for ep 6.

[actualaster]

Okay.  So.  TWEWY Episode 3.

This time I’m doing it different, instead of my usual “watch it once for fun then watch it again for detail” I’m going all in on one watch bc I know what the fuck is happening in this episode and I’m planning around “my heart can’t handle seeing that twice back to back” so.

Spoilers for both the anime so far AND the game.

let’s go.  screenshot heavy.  there’s.  a lot of screenshots of That One Scene

BTW.  this is a spoiler but 100% warned for character death here.  on-screen and everything.  you will be getting a screenshot or several of that.

Alright, first of all, anime DID swap around the days a bit--this incident should have happened last time but they swapped.  Basically they moved the events of W1D4 to W1D6.  So:

Game Day 4 --> Anime Day 6 Game Day 5 --> Anime Day 4 Game Day 6 --> Anime Day 5

I’m guessing that’s specifically to make the...  Tragedy in this episode more impactful.  The game itself did go by a bit fast in first third, but still gave us time to care about the cast.  Due to pacing shifts and the medium change I’m assuming building that same care in the audience is why it swapped to a later point.

So!  Anyway!  On to the episode!

I did laugh a little--the characters are just.  Standing there until they wake up for the day.  asdfkjhk

Setting things up for The Second Third!  We saw them in the last 2 episodes!  (They got a super brief cameo walking across the Scramble in Ep1, shown a bit in Ep2)  It’s Nao and Sota!  

Shiki discussing Entry Fees, her Fee and that was pretty well handled I think.  Discussing that Rhyme’s likely Fee and she brings up the possibility that Neku’s memories might have been his Fee.

I.  I had to pause the episode.  I’m.  I’m not ready.

(that said look at that, a tiny little fish Noise!)

I’M NOT FUCKING EADY LET’S NOT GOOOOO

YOU CAN SEE ON HER FUCKING FACE

YOU CAN SEE IT

SHE KNOWS

SHE K N O W S

EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENED

SHE KNOWS SHE’S FUCKED

YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE WAY HER FACE CHANGES 

IT HURTS SO BAD there’s a frame right between these that shows the change but i couldnt get a screenshot of it bc its too quiCK AND IT HURTS SO BAD THE SOUND EFFECT MAKES IT WORSE

FUCK IT’S SO MUCH WORSE THAN THE GAME

SHE’S SHE’S FUCKING CRYING

NO NO O NONONONONONOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

it was already too late but.  but they TRIED to save her

;__________;

//sobbing

IT FUCKING ATE HER I HATE THIS FUCKER SO GODDMAN MUCH

*gross sobbing*

*crying harder*

*sniffles*

l-look...  n-new Noise...  f-fishies...

*crying continues*

u-used the fishies...  to showcase the mechanic of...  shark Noise eating other Noise to get stronger...

clever...

Oooh, foreshadowing...

okay this was funny

TBH this convo feels flatter w/o the previous interaction between them like we had in the game.  but he still keeps up his food puns.  XD

REALLY did his Noise Form justice, tho.  Ram Crotch LOOKS the part of the boss to beat!

OOOHH!!  ONE OF MY FAVORITE PSYCHES!!!  I do prefer the evolved version tho.  Now I just need Sweet Talk Tether to show up~  XD

Ahhh, that “Walls” song from one of the early PVs is the music playing during this battle!  Was wondering about that!  Hm, I still desperately wanna know what the music was from Ep1′s boss fight against Vespertilio Canor was...  Is it different parts of the same song, maybe?  The vocals sound similar to me but it’s hard to tell through the battle noise and also I’m bad at that kind of thing...

Hm, wonder if that track will be on the anime OST??  BC I like the music but dunno...  If it’s called something different officially then I’ve got no idea, if it isn’t I don’t think I see it on the track list...?  IDK, this is for the episode not me speculating about music to distract from the pain...

LOOK LOOK LOOK!!!  LOOK AT THE CREATIVE USE OF ENTANGLEMENT, ONE OF MY OTHER FAVORITE PSYCHES!!!

AND GUESS WHAT IT WAS SWEET TALK TETHER!!  ONE OF MY FAVORITE PINS!!!!  FCK YEAH!!

Do feel kinda bad for him, tho.  I mean he’s just doin’ his job as GM, it’s how the Game is set up.  Still, that’s how it goes.  GM lost and that means Erasure.

Ah, this motherfucker (affectionate)

I think they handled the “Shiki gets to come back to life” bit well, though the wording on the subs makes it sound as if “one player resurrected per game” is a standard rather than “Composer decides per game how many, if any, players get resurrected”

Didn’t mention the “if you want we can also just Erase you” part, but did cover the “if you still wanna live play Round 2, wanna destroy shit join the Reapers” thing

Interestingly, we don’t see Beat in this scene in the anime, unlike the game.

Also...  Holy shit?!  She’s...  Not vanished when they drop the “by the way you value her most” bombshell?!

JESUS FUCK THIS SCENE IS HEARTBREAKING IN A TOTALLY NEW WAY!?!?!?

I THOUGHT RHYME DESTRYED ME I WAS NOT SIGNED UP FOR THIS, TWEWY ANIME

SHE SEEMS TO BE FUCKING AWARE THE ENTIRE TIME AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S FUCKING PAINFUL FOR HER TO BE TAKEN AS HIS FEE?!?!?!?!?!

WHO THE FUCK SAID SHATTERING MY HEART LIKE THIS WAS OKAY, TWEWY ANIME, I DID NOT CONSENT TO THIS!!!!  THIS IS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR

And as the episode ends they do a little bit of a flashback to the week with Shiki, overlayed with static sound and visual distortion the way they’ve been transitioning between days.

Wonder how different Week 2 is gonna be, with Asshole Jesus himself officially in the mix starting next episode?

Hm, if they keep up this rough pacing, that puts us at 3 episodes per week, which is only 9 episodes, unless they include Another Day and/or A New Day and use that for another 3 episodes.  My guess, personally, is they’ll stretch out something in weeks 2 or 3 to more than 3 episodes for that week, and include A New Day--might touch on Another Day in some form (that part with Hanekoma seeing a Noise Symbol in the AD world looks real similar to the pin Rindo’s grabbed in NTWEWY’s release date trailer)

it’s not the EXACT same but it’s really, really close in design--so I wonder if they’re related.  And I wonder how the anime might connect them, since NTWEWY is supposedly a sequel to the anime?

Hm, well, that’s speculation for future episodes I suppose.

Anyway I’m gonna go cry over Rhyme AND Shiki now.