And that’s all folks!! (Black Rock Shooter episodic: Episode 8 – Finale)

Kawaii desu~?

I almost stayed up till early in the morning to wait for the episode to air until I remembered it’ll be in Japanese anyway so it’ll be useless. I was really looking forward to it. Thank goodness today is a E-learning day for my school (When we stay at home and do worksheets the teachers email to us) so I had time to watch Black Rock Shooter and the other anime that ends today, Guilty Crown.

Smack that BRS

Of the two, I really can’t pick which I’m more upset over due to the fact they’ve ended. But Black Rock Shooter’s ending was slightly better than Guilty Crown’s in my opinion.

So now, let the final episodic begin.

I sympathize

The episode starts with Yuu (In Strength’s body) still pounding Insane BRS to the ground. Yuu speaks off her pains, grievances and despairs, on how she is ignored, has no place to return to and so forth. Mato is screaming in pain in BRS’s mind as she feels the blows until she hears Strength’s voice, telling her that it was now impossible to save her from within BRS. She continues saying that she can’t let Mato die by her own hands and jumps down into the Pit (I’m assuming the pit where all the dead bodies are) despite Mato’s protests.

I'm reminded of that scene in 300

Strength’s body begins to cracks. She speaks of how Yuu would be saved from her pain if she died as she was Yuu’s soul. Yuu suddenly feels the impact of Strength dying and she protests, declaring that she has no wish to return to reality.

As Yuu is weakened, Insane BRS takes control of the opportunity to retrieve her weapon before preparing to kill Yuu. But Mato rebels in her mind, demanding that BRS does not kill her friend. Huge flames erupt out of the ground and Yuu is absorbed by the light.

Black Rocks, blue glow. Hmmmmmmmmm

Mato awakens from that, stuck in a bleak world where ruins lay all about. Quickly realizing she is in Black Rock Shooter’s world, she turns around to see Insane BRS. She looks down and finds out she is in the guise of BRS. Insane BRS speaks to Mato, asking her how it felt to be hurt.

we haven't seen her in a while~

Inception!!!

Insane BRS continues, telling Mato that she doesn’t mind shouldering all of Mato’s emotions as it is her nature to do so but Mato opposes that idea, saying she wants to feel the full force of all her emotions. She says that she won’t look away, like the little bird from her favorite book. Insane BRS tells her that then she will hurt her, and assaults Mato.

I was laughing so hard when I took these 2 screenshots

As Mato is hurt in BRS’s body, Insane BRS informs her that her wounds won’t heal as fast as the “other” selves and inquires why she won’t use BRS’s cannon to fight back. Mato says she doesn’t do it as she has no wish to hurt anyone. Insane BRS tells her that it’s unfair to only feel pain and yet give any to others. Mato swings BRS’s cannon and accidentally wounds Insane BRS and feels the pain of hurting someone. However, Insane BRS just breaks the cannon and beats Mato to the ground.

Look of disapproval!!!

As Mato lies on the ground trying to recover, she remembers the Little Bird and how it had died and yet, it persisted trying to see the colours like the other birds. She imagines the Little Bird recovering from the brink of death and flying off. The light cast by it’s recovery creates another cannon for Mato to wield in the “other” world.

Mett Natasha. She is special

Now, Insane BRS and Mato duel with their respective weapons but Mato’s weapon is destroyed by Insane BRS’s bullets.

In the real world, Kagari sits at her desk, next to Yomi’s and silently cries. Kohata sits on a chair during basketball practise and starts into space and she tears up. Yomi runs down the street in her search for Mato but suddenly trips and she also begins crying. She begins talking to herself, saying she liked Mato because she wanted to share her pain and sadness with someone. Just then, she looks up to the sky.

crying moe everywhere

I'm sure we had that feeling at one point in time

In the “other” world, the “other” selves begin resurrecting and their realms dissolve around them. As all the other realms begin breaking apart, Strength carries Yuu into a shaft in her realm to escape.

In the real world, all the girls stare at the sky, at a bright star as they all feel the presence of their “other” selves. Kagari smiles and decides that she does love Yomi after all.

In Black Rock Shooter’s realm, bright pinpricks of various colours begin appearing before they change into spears of colours upon which the “other” selves stood. Mato gains courage from their appearance and tell Insane BRS that she will hurt her, even if she hurts herself as she wishes to reach BRS’s heart within Insane BRS.

First to run out of ammo loses?

Too much cocaine perhaps

The “colour” of the “other” selves form together in front of Mato, transforming into a cannon of immense size. Mato fires and blows Insane BRS away, destorying Black Rock Shooter’s realm in the process in an explosion of colours.

Chariot's back!

Black Gold Saw ain't dead after all

Hey, Dead Master's back too

By the power of the elements, I summon Captain Earth!!!

FML

KAMENAMEHAAAAAAAAAA

Once again, Mato wakes up, dressed in Black Rock Shooter’s clothes in a huge expanse of desert, made of white sand. She looks around and finds Yuu and Strength nearby. As Mato calls out to her, Strengths asks Mato to call her by her real name and not “Yuu”. Yuu crawls up to Strength and pleads her not to die as she can’t handle reality. Strength comforts Yuu as she begins crying.

Indeed it is

They turn to see the “other” selves and Strength tells Yuu that Mato and Saya were both looking out for her. She tells Yuu and Mato that all the realms of the “other” world had merged as one, showing that hearts could also merge as one (Cheesy stuff here). Yuu still is uncertain and says that no one would like her in the other world but Strength comforts her again, telling that the “other” selves only fight for them as they love the girl they protect.

Mato turns to see Black Rock Shooter standing on a rock, who repeats the same sentiment as Strength.

Strength continues, telling Yuu that reality is a beautiful place before she begins fragmenting again, showing that  she is drawing closer to death. Strength turns to Mato and thanks her for showing her the beauty of the real world and asks that they should always be friends before disintegrating into dust.

Nooooooooooooo

Colours spew forth from skies where Strength was scattered by the wind and paints the sky of the “other” world. Mato sees the desert fading away and knows she is being returned to reality.

Yuu wakes up in her own body to see Saya crying, who hugs her.

Mato slowly walks home from Saya’s house where she meets Yomi. Yomi approaches Mato and tells her that she has many things she wishes to speak with Mato about. Mato interrupts her by hugging her and apologizes for hurting Yomi.

normally, this would be weird

The episodes ends with a montage of the 4 girls, Mato, Yomi, Kagari and Yuu heading to school and enjoying their school life. Yomi has also made for each of them their own bracelet. As they walk home in the sunset, Mato says that they will grow up together in this beautiful world.

True sign of friendship. Matching bracelets

In the “other” world, Strength re-forms back in her own body and declares that would continue fighting for eternity. As she turns around, she finds Black Rock Shooter perched on a rock, who also says she won’t stop fighting. And with that, the episode and the show ends.

Strength's back!

Like a Boss

With the playing of the original song, Black Rock Shooter, thus ends one of the most anticipated shows of this season. And what a ride it has been.

As a treat, I have decided to turn this episodic into a group post with the overall impressions of all 4 of our writers here on InterestSOAP

my fetish of garterbelts X3

Cyborg:

This was the show I was looking forward to the most this season and although it was a slight disappointment in the middle where I got really confused at the plot, it picked back up again at the end to deliver a smashing ending.

The graphics for this anime was definitely one of the best I’ve seen. Every week, I had Black Rock Shooter and Guilty Crown to look forward to for eye-candy and epic action scenes so I’m a bit sad that both had ended on the same day. Overall, I loved Black Rock Shooter. It’s just my type of show. It’s kinda dark, highly psychological and has plenty of action. The plot is kinda predictable but done really well. It’s great the characters were all dynamic and none of them annoyed me.

A lil ero never hurt anyone~

Selcouth:

I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t impressive. Forget about the story, one might say, and just watch in awe the visual effects that come into play. BRS is very well known about it’s effects after all. I got a little confused somewhere in between the series but the last few episodes sum it up decently, despite it being just 8 episodes.

8 episodes is so far the shortest that I’ve ever seen for an anime series, but they managed to pull it off, and with some style as well. Effects were simply amazing. I for one, would drop an anime if it was just plain fighting, coupled with very long list of episodes and dull characters. BRS certainly had plenty of fighting and pretty dull characters, but it has it’s own main plot to it, which isn’t about fighting. And the more I watch it, I seem to understand much about the story just like that.

All in all a good story, with Visual Effects aplenty.

SleepySlacker:

Ok, what can I say? BRS is not THE most fantastic anime, but it is good enough for me to remember it fondly. That part with STRength is just ;_; (seriously it was ;_;) But the main focus for BSR is not the stunning visuals and all, it is the little literature things they add here and there. Using things like symbolism and metaphors to represent the ongoings in the real world with what happens in the “other world”. Somehow noticing things like that gives pleasure to me and I rather thankful for the producers for adding this little nuggets of fun.

In short, I can just sum up everything with this. BRS has a average plot, but with stunning visuals and very likeable characters (STRength), it has led me to give it an 8/10.

LessThanFree:

I think this post might have just a little too many screenshots. Nonetheless, Cyboss has asked me to write my feels for this anime, and so I shall.

Past its stunning visuals, BRS’s strength is also in its engaging plot structure. At first Kagari was the villan, then it looked like it was Saya. Then it looked like Black Rock Shooter was the antagonist. The constant change in character relationships kept me on my toes. Considering that it was only 8 episodes, I felt like the plot was very well paced, though I’d liked to have seen more development for Kohata (the basketball captain). Only problem I had was the confusing bits in the middle about Saya “awakening” Dead Master and her motives behind breaking Kohata’s spirit.

That face XD

For once, the blood is not in funny colours like purple or green

Black Rock Portal? Either way, it's here to destroy your realm (^.^)/

Fanservice :3

Now, we can finally see them without the whole damn place being dark

A recap of all the epic battle scenes :O

And that’s all folks!!! Black Rock Shooter: The Anime has ended!!