RDG: Red Data Girl - 2

"The First Palm"

That's one of the prettiest hand holding scenes I've ever seen animated.

While the characters still leave a bit to be desired, the atmosphere has certainly won me out when it comes to this series. Everything feels mysterious and antiquated, in a good way, and the art remains as clean and detailed as during the premiere. Even when the shift from the country to the city occurs, that atmosphere persists, and it goes a long way to draw the viewers into this strange little world.

There's no question that this is a curious little premise. Izumiko seems to be a literal vessel for a goddess rather than the goddess herself, and from the moment she leaves the mountains and flies into Tokyo, she's overwhelmed by a series of "evil presences" who she claims are after her and Miyuki. Paranoid as she may seem to her protector, clearly something is wrong, as even Izumiko's mother and Yukimasa acknowledge these pursuers.

Despite the fact that the characters aren't quite up to scratch when compared to the narrative intrigue and immersive atmosphere, there is some subtle characterization at play this episode. Miyuki especially moves beyond the two-dimensionality established in the premiere. Whereas Izumiko remembers him as a bully and knows him to be completely furious about the arrangement, he nevertheless shows some interest in her wellbeing, physically as well as psychologically. He expresses angry concern at her reluctance to meet her mother and at the way in which she seems to isolate herself, and while he is skeptical about her fear at first, he still takes her requests seriously and doesn't scoff at them as much as it seems that he would. Perhaps all of this signifies that he's given up resistance to his destiny as a bad job (or that he's willing to cooperate if it means Izumiko's mother will absolve him of his duties), but Miyuki doesn't seem the type to go along with something without any fuss, and if he really did hate the situation as much as he professes to, he wouldn't have taken Izumiko's hand when she asked or offered to keep the presence away when he couldn't even feel it. His complexity is further established when Yukimasa dismisses him from the job; instead of being relieved that he no longer has to be a manservant, he's more upset that he's being let go because of Yukimasa's decision, not his own.

Izumiko, on the other hand, doesn't move too far beyond her stereotypical role this episode. She's still the quiet mystical girl she was before, afraid of confrontation and in love with the quiet, mysterious boy in her class (who seems to be far more sinister than Izumiko realizes). She requires Miyuki's protection and assurances, and she knows nothing about her own condition other than the fact that she destroys electronic devices whenever she touches them. Considering this is a novel adaptation, I do expect her to develop throughout the duration of the series, rather than show all her complexities at once, but it would be nice to see more of her beyond the timid and helpless girl she seems to be at the moment. At the very least, her connection to this goddess or spirit (which seems to possess only the women of Izumiko's family) should be interesting to explore; why is Izumiko the last vessel, and what reasoning is there for this possession in the first place? Just what are these "evil presences", and why was Izumiko terrified of Yukimasa before she knew it was him?

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for the beautiful screencaps!