The Tatami Galaxy 5

Best screen of the episode.

Where………………….was Akashi this episode? She appeared for like twenty seconds at the end……. I don’t want The Tatami Galaxy if she isn’t in it……… I have come to the conclusion that Sakamoto Maaya makes and breaks shows. Arakawa would not be anywhere near as good without her, same thing for Kara no Kyoukai and Escaflowne. As such, this was the worst episode so far of The Tatami Galaxy. So far this been the worst week of the anime season for me, which is too bad considering that Angel Beats! was so good.

Needs moar Akashi!

Summary:

This time around Watashi joins a softball circle, however they don’t really play much softball, in fact they don’t seem to do much of anything. Everyone in the club is creepily nice; everyone is smiling and always talking about nice, naïve things. Watashi is an outcast of the club because he has differing opinions to the mass. While everyone thinks that healthy food is the only option Watashi enjoys oily ramen here and there, as such he is ignored.

Really reminiscent of Welcome to the NHK.

Watashi works very hard for two years because of a girl he meets in the club who is the daughter of the president of a certain health food company that (runs?) sponsors the circle. Apparently the only way to meet her is to buy a lot of the food until you get invited to a certain retreat. Watashi, being an idiot, does this and wastes two years eating this food and working multiple jobs in order to afford the food. Eventually he gets an invite to what appears to be a cult; they are preparing for an apocalypse in 2012 and even have a dirigible for a new Noah’s arc.

I still don't think that two of EVERY animal could fit on that.

Watashi escapes with the help of Ozu who is hinted to have hijacked and crashed the arc. They stow-away with the help of the owner of Neko Ramen and eventually re-enter the city. Watashi returns to his room where Akashi brings him a cake from Kamotake (called Higuchi by everyone else.) and then disappears (;A;). Kamotake returns a book and globe to Watashi and leaves. Watashi remembers the whole thing with the Mochiguman but it’s too late, he wasted his life again. <<REWIND<<

Need a ride?

Thoughts:

*sob* Akashi *sob* she’s the reason I started blogging this show and without her in it the show feels like it is missing its soul. This episode probably had the biggest two year waste of any of the episodes so far. At least with the bike he had an aspiration, this time he was working so hard to buy health food in order to meet a woman that he had never even spoken to. Watashi is starting to get on my nerves. There wasn’t even any Jougasaki or Hanuki this episode to spice things up. Thankfully we had some more aged Digimon trainer to serve our protagonist some ramen.

And this isn't even the weirdest screenshot!

Alright, so what the hell was up with the random bearded Watashi at the end THAT WAS WALKING THROUGH SOLID WALLS!! What the hell was going on? Not only didn’t they explain it, but they didn’t even acknowledge it as being bat-shit crazy. They’re gonna have to explain that one to me soon. One of the characters from the OP also randomly appeared but was left unexplained, though that is maybe a hint towards next episode. If that weird cowboy and horse combo ever shows up I think that my brain is going to explode.

What is this I don't even...

This episode hinted at the idea that maybe there is more than one dimension rather than just rewinding. Considering that there was that weird other Watashi at the end. Maybe a talk with himself will get him on the right track to finally returning that Mochiguman to Akashi. I still really love the OP; ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION has done a great job with that song and I’ve been listening to the full version quite a lot. This episode felt like the episode of Bakemonogatari that was missing Hitagi, except not as good since it still had Kanbaru. I really hope that next week has more Akashi, I miss episode three when she was such an important character.

/ 3 Commentsleave a comment /

• Hellomotto says:

  May 29, 2010

  You're right, the lack of Akashi was absolutely no good! How dare they, those creators…
  .-= Hellomotto´s last blog ..K-ON!! 08 =-.

  Reply
• Kyokai says:

  May 30, 2010

  *nods* How dare they, indeed?

  I had the impression of working bees buzzing about from this episode. One of the most random of all the aired episodes. Mystery deepens around the Ramen-stand owner, while the bearded Watashi gives me an idea of wormhole time traveling in a loop. Weird and mad, as expected of Madhouse.
  .-= Kyokai´s last blog ..Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood – 58 =-.

  Reply
• chudleycannonfodder says:

  June 11, 2010

  That last picture made me think of "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!"

  Reply