RDG: Red Data Girl - 9

"The First Unveiling"

The more I watch this series, the more captivated I become.

Every week I grieve at the poor quality of the NicoNico pre-airs; it's almost as if this series is being cheated of its gorgeous animation in enticing bloggers and impatient viewers to follow it two whole weeks early, but there's just no point in following it fourteen days after it first airs. As such, I have a rather melancholy reaction when there are scenes I know should be breathtakingly beautiful. If they're this gorgeous without the HD quality, what must they look like otherwise? Beauty, however, is only the surface of what has made this series so enticing to watch; as I said way back when the series first began, RDG is an anime that wallows in its atmosphere. It lives and breathes mysticism in a way we western viewers can only vaguely comprehend, and perhaps that's why it's so little known and appreciated within the crop of shows this season.

To say that the plot thickens this week is a gross understatement. With the arrival of the school festival also comes the enigmatic "World Heritage" judging that Takayanagi and Mayura have been fighting tooth and nail to win. There's still much we don't know about this whole affair, but it does become apparent that Izumiko is very much a candidate despite all she's done to try and hide the existence of the Himegami. Mayura even goes so far as to suggest that getting Izumiko to replace a model during the festival is a trap for the sake of bringing out the goddess, and though the effect isn't immediate and Izumiko retains her senses throughout the event and afterward, it's clear that the Himegami is not to be trifled with.

In fact, this is the first time we get a really good look at this woman, and it's almost surprising how different she is from her initial impression. This is a haughty goddess, one who isn't bothered in the least by trivialities such as Izumiko's wellbeing and who seems downright angry at the world on occasion. She admits to having been a human once who gained the power to destroy other humans, and I can't but think immediately to the story Izumiko heard about the women at the castle who killed themselves when their land was invaded. Whether or not this is relevant, the fact remains that this time-traveling spirit seems to be on the verge of destroying the world for the final and irreversible time. For Miyuki, however, Izumiko comes first, and his heartfelt plea for her to return is as much an indicator of his growth as anything else this season.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for the caps! I know things have been slow and painful on LoQ lately, but exams end tomorrow, so things should pick up once I make it home on Monday.