思い出は時の彼方なの。。。 Memories that Lies Beyond Time...
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Nanoha Episode 05: This is Like a Town of Hot Water, The Uminari Hot Springs!
Nanoha Episode 05: This is Like a Town of Hot Water, The Uminari Hot Springs!
Well, we've had our rival appear, and it looks like Nanoha-chan has her work cut out for her. I don't think she feels much like a 'normal third grader' anymore. At least, with her (usual) optimism and all-around niceness, she has folks like me cheering for her ^_^...
As we begin this episode Nanoha-chan is dreaming, or at least deep in thought. She believes that everyone has many paths in front of them, and that they just end up following one at random (or by choice?). She obviously is not a believer in predestiny..which could become important later on since it looks like her rival is pretty set in her ways.
Well, enough of that pondering. It's Golden Week! And everyone's off to enjoy their week off at an onsen (except for some of their lowly peons employees, who stay behind to tend their shop).
It's a pretty big vacation for them, as not only are Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan coming along, but so is Shinobu-san, and the Tsukimura family's maids, whom we met last episode.
Yuuno-kun cautions her to relax and enjoy herself, which she really needs after the stress of her last battle..er, loss.
Well, time to relax, then! This being a hot spring, there's lots of bathing, and towels, and ... stuff. Now, Yuuno-kun may be a guy and all, but remember that cute lil' ferrets get exclusive admission to female baths. He's not taking it too easy. Even though it's predictable, it's still funny. These are the least fanservice-y pics I could take out of the whole scene.
So despite Yuuno-kun's pleas, he of course ends up in the women's bath along with Nanoha-chan.
Short scene here with Nanoha-chan's parents. Enough to signify that there's more to their past than they're letting on. To wit, Shiro-san (the father):
Well..you and the kids don't need to worry about me anymore.
How many times have I said that mahou shoujo's magic is inherited more often than not? How many times? Well, here's one more.
Well, baths are over for the kids, and so Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan, and Nanoha-chan are wandering around, deciding where to go next..
A rather cunning-looking lady (as in evil cunning) spots the three of them and walks up to Nanoha-chan, asking if she's the one 'that she was talking about'. If the odd jewel in her forehead doesn't mark her as strange (probably not, with what 'normal' teenagers do nowadays..), then her not-so-subtle remarks about Nanoha-chan definitely should.
Having a Yankee friend does come in handy as Arisa-chan uses her Gaijin Smash ability to fend off this annoying woman.
Under that pressure, the lady feigns innocence and remarks that she must have the wrong person. Nanoha-chan, of course, immediately falls for it, but Arisa-chan looks a little wiser..
Nanoha-chan gets an abrupt call back to reality as the lady telepathically calls out to her..and warns her to stay out of other people's business. Given hair colour (and the OP), and all that's gone on, I think I'm allowed to safely conclude she's Rival Girl's partner by now (I've already seen up to Episode 6, but I'm trying to keep from saying things too early... ^_^).
Arisa-chan's all in a huff about 'that woman'. Especially ironic is her comment that she should should observe 'moderation', when Arisa-chan herself is rather...lacking, in that department.
The lady engages telepathic contact with Rival Girl, aka Fayt-chan (the subbers translate her name as 'Fate', but I'll stick to the more literal writing here). The lady herself is Arf, suitable I suppose for a fox/dog-like being. Status update, blah, blah, but we hear that Fayt-chan has found the location of a jewel seed, and is closing in. She's going for it tonight. And we see Arf's animal nature manifest itself, too :) Any kitsune-mimi fans out there?
Time passes for the our heroine and her friend, until the aforementioned night happens to arrive. Nanoha-chan chats a bit with Yuuno-kun..he doesn't want her involved it in any more, but she ain't hearing none of it.
Hmm..a suspicious blue glow by the riverside. Wonder what that could be? Seed number 17 activates, and both Nanoha-chan and Fayt-chan notice it.
Fayt-chan and Arf are watching the seed activate, while Nanoha-chan is rushing towards the scene (we skip her transformation sequence, thankfully, giving us another minute of plot). Most important out of the conversation between Fayt-chan and Arf is that we see Fayt-chan doesn't know herself why her mother wants them, but is simply following her mother's orders.
After a rather long and involved transformation, Bardiche seals the jewel seed (note that that transformation scene is for the staff, not one of the mahou shoujo themselves. Nanoha-chan arrives just in time just a bit too late.
Boo-yeah. Arf goes into Wild Mode and faces off against Nanoha-chan and Yuuno-kun. We learn that Arf is actually a familiar - created by Fayt-chan herself. And devoted to her master/mistress.
Yuuno-kun shows his mettle as he, a wittle tiny ferret, blocks Arf off, telling Nanoha-chan to go for Fayt-chan. Arf doesn't seem too willing, but Yuuno-kun manages to teleport her somewhere. Probably up the creek without a paddle (har har). Yuuno-kun also disappears, of apparently to the same place.
Fayt-chan is somewhat impressed by Nanoha-chan's familiar. But he's not a familiar, he's her friend! (How cliché is that?)
Nanoha-chan tries to negotiate with Fayt-chan.
Fayt: Simply talking ... nothing will change through words alone.
Well, that sort of puts a damper into Nanoha-chan's efforts.
Fayt-chan challenges her to a duel. The loser gives one jewel seed to the victor. Nanoha-chan doesn't agree or anything, but it's not like she can just stand around.
And so the fight goes on (with a short cut to Yuuno-kun and Arf, who seem to be more or less evenly matched).
I know these intelligent devices talk in English, but even so:
Bardiche: 'Thunder Smasher.'
Raging Heart: 'Divine Buster.'
*evenly matched blasts*
Nanoha-chan: ライジング ハート、 お願い！
Raging Heart: 'All right.'
Too funny. This sort of stuff makes the show for me. If you didn't quite get the 'joke' here, I guess you have to try watching it. I'll just note here that quotes I wrote in English are in fact, spoken in (native) English during the show (the credits include two Americans).
Anyway, looks like Nanoha-chan pulled it off, there..her strength is superior to Fayt-chan's. However, as Arf point out, she's still too 甘い. Fayt-chan comes right back and points her scythe at her throat (it's written 'Size Slash', heh)..with no other choice, Raging Heart releases a seed and gives it to Fayt-chan. Nanoha-chan might not be too happy about it, but she keeps her life.
Fayt-chan leaves, but not before giving Nanoha-chan a final warning (i.e. don't mess with me). We also learn her full name: TESTAROSSA Fayt. However, Fayt-chan takes off before Nanoha-chan has a chance to give hers. (Since learning someone's name makes it that much harder to kill them...)
Well, doesn't this vacation just suck so far.
Looks like the next episode focuses on the conflict between Nanoha-chan and Fayt-chan, as well as the relationship Nanoha-chan has with her friends. Since I've already seen this episode a while ago, I won't speculate on anything here :)
Look forward to next time!
Labels: Nanoha