ANIME TUESDAY: Kill la Kill – “I’m Not Your Cute Woman” Review


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Previously on Kill la Kill:

Ryuko is 2-0 in her fight against the Elite Four after beating Gamagori and Inamuta. Seeking no rest Ryuko jumps right into her third fight as she faces off against Nonon. After being taken to the limit, Nonon destroys the fighting arena and takes the fight to the air. Spoilers Ahead!

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Ryuko and Nonon continue their aerial battle high in the skies above Honnouji Academy. Ryuko gains the upper hand by destroying Nonon’s airship, but she soon catches her second wind and attacks full force. Eventually Ryuko defeats Nonon and readies herself for her final fight against Sanageyama, but a mysterious girl shows up and brings with her an earth shattering revelation.

This episode of Kill la Kill is a game changer in more ways than one as things start to fall into place (and break apart) for the next half of the story.

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The episode begins where last weeks left off with Nonon and Ryuko continuing their battle in the air. Thanks to her Senketsu Shippu Ryuko is able to outmaneuver Nonon’s attacks and is eventually able to take the music master down by taking her down with one of her own missiles. Ryuko tries to finish her off but Senketsu senses that he hasn’t down enough damage to land the finishing blow. True to form, Nonon rises from the ground and performs her “encore” in her uniform’s second form: Symphony Regalia Da Capo.

Here is where Ryuko gets to be creative. In her Da Capo form, Nonon is able to use music to disrupt the life fibers of her opponents uniforms, which puts Ryuko at a very huge disadvantage as it screws with her connection to Senketsu. Ryuko focuses and matches Nonon’s frequency with her own, allowing her to counter attack and defeat Nonon. We also check in on Aikuro after the fight when Tsumugu arrives to give him a bullet that loosens Life Fibers, ready to use it on Ryuko if the need arrives.

Symphony Regalia Da Capo

Symphony Regalia Da Capo

Ryuko & Sanageyama begin their long awaited rematch, but their fight is over before it even begins when a mysterious girl falls from the sky. At the top of the episode we follow a young girl through the streets of the city as she makes her way to Honnouji Academy. Her name is Nui Harmie, and she is the Grand Courier of the Kiryuin family.

Speaking of the Kiryuin family, here is where we get our first glimpse of Satsuki’s mother, the ever imposing, ever glowing, Ragyo Kiryuin. She meets with her assistant Hououmaru and the two make plans to head to Honnouji Academy.

Ragyo

Ragyo

Back to the fight. Yui interrupts Ryuko & Sanageyama’s fight much to the latter’s chagrin. Despite Satsuki’s adamant warning Sanageyama attacks Yui but things soon go awry when Yui destroys Sanageyama’s uniform with her finger nail by severing its Banshi (the fiber that holds the entire uniform together). Yui then expresses her desire to fight Ryuko, much to Satsuki’s slight surprise, and pulls out a purple scissor blade. When Ryuko asks where she obtained it, Yui replies she took it out of Isshin’s corpse claiming that she is the one who killed Ryuko’s father! (Although things may not be what they seem)

Yui

Yui

“I’m Not Your Cute Woman” shakes things the series to its core with fast paced action, new characters, and stunning revelations. Yui is clearly a force to be reckoned with and the coming of Ragyo can only spell trouble. Aikuro and Tsumugu have their insurance policy, Satsuki shows a breif sign of fear and genuine concern for Ryuko, and Ryuko herself loses herself in her quest for vengeance. The battle continues next week when Ryuko finally confronts her father’s killer.

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4.5/5

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