Absolute Duo

Most harems do have a "preferred girl" as far as the story is concerned, but few have the male lead settling on one early on and sticking with her.

Well, most harem protagonist spend most of the story just kind of fumbling around and acting like getting a girlfriend would spell their death (BTW, still not convinced that Tooru won't keep insisting that she's not his girlfriend) but it usually rather obvious that there's one girl they is special for them. You got a point about not settling though.

"Your soul will be damaged for one full day!"

...doesn't sound too threatening to me.

I'm disappointed in how Julie actually honored Tooru's condition of only allowing her to sleep next to him for that time.

Also wow dat fight scene budget.

edited 19th Jan '15 3:31:21 PM by YuukiAsuna

I have to agree on that the lack of a budget was really noticeable here, which is a shame as the series is entertaining.

The New opening was good though.

I love the opening. Especially when they start to dance. It's fabulous.

I really like that Toor and Juile have actual, honest to god compatibility as a team.

Holy cow, didn't expect the twist with Usagi-sensei... is what I would say if they didn't telegraph it last week. I'm going to miss her, I bet the next teacher won't be nearly as entertaining.

Not really a fan of avenger stories. They are dime a dozen.

So Is Julie somehow the girl who took the sword for Tor? The scars match, but her hair doesn't

Julie and Tor have good chemistry. I like that. Also, the way Julies hair reacts is amusing.

The best thing that could possible happen is if Usagi-Sensai came back in a catgirl costume as Neko-Sensi.

It's been a least a week. Julie couldn't unpack her pajamas? I guess I can't really blame Tor for not mentioning it though.

Tor is boring, but the Julie avernger could be interesting, if it comes up.

Does she have pajamas?

There's a part of me hoping that Tooru gets to manifest a mace or something somehow. The shield only thing might be less common, but I really just find the way he does things in battle awkward. Even when tanking, since it isn't that big.

Yeah, a tiny shield isn't much to work with. It's funny how no one tries to hit his legs, considering that they're wide open.

Julie's nightshirt IS her pajamas. She said so in episode 1, and really doesn't seem to know what effect that has on a healthy heterosexual guy.

The stinger was a nice touch.

So, there's some organization that's not only going around killing people, but sabotaging the "Duo" program? Interesting. Strange that a school dedicated to training them doesn't screen its teachers better.

Tor, it would be a good idea to tell Julie about your dark and troubled past. Your duo could meet the guy(s) that killed your family.

All in all, this story seems like a lighter and softer version of Unbreakable Machine doll without the stupid harem and yandere antics.

I like it.

Good riddance to that awful rabbit-eared teacher, I say.

Episode 3:

When a girl sneaks into a guys be, it's apparently his fault if they touch. This is simply oppression.

Okay, what does it take to get fired from this school? Apparently a lot since Usagi-sensei is back! I'm happy they didn't remove her since she's hilarious, especially now that she switches between "kawaii" and "psycho for hire" at the drop of a hat. This is Sparta, indeed.

Oh god, not another Ojoju with more privilege than she knows what to do with. Thankfully Toru shut her down cold.

Silly Toru, since when promising a girl to take her shopping made her not want to sleep with you?

Natural mall hazards: waves of kindergarten kids can sweep away unwary shoppers. Better hold hands.

Julie has such straightforward criteria for clothes. And yeah, she looks cute in all of them.

This is actually a really nice date, I like stuff like that in anime, it should happen more often. Of course no date is complete without it's set of Date Peepers.

That's some low alcohol tolerance.

Okay, I have to ask, does girls in Japan really can't seem to go anywhere without being pestered by some suspicious looking guys? This shit is so cliche it hurts.

Miss Priss shows up to save them from.... random stupid teenagers who were no threat in the first place. Thanks, I guess?

Next episode: Level Up!

I like this anime, it's a good anime.

And in the first place, if they really pissed him off, Tooru could do that charged punch of his to blast them into next week with no real repercussions (since it isn't a Blaze).

Actually, he still might, it looks like a punch, and there's probably rules about fighting off school grounds. A shot from a "rifle" blazer from a distance is far easier to conceal.

Julie just continues to be Cuteness Proximity Overload for poor Toru. She is COMPLETELY genre blind regarding courting customs in whatever country the story takes place in. It's certainly refreshing to have a male lead be in a cohabitation setting with a girl who is innocence personified rather than the embodiment of random, pointless violence (both physical and verbal) upon his person without cause or provocation. (Rationalization of a cause happens after the fact, and the male is made to apologize for it.)

As for those delinquents, yes, it is a sad cultural norm in Japan, where the writer hails from. Girls in a public place without male escorts, especially adult male escorts WILL get approached by guys like those, and they don't take "no" for an answer.

You REALLY don't want to get into a discussion on public transport in Japan. Suffice to say, female only trains exist, and are very popular for a reason.

I applaud Toru for walking away from Miss Elizabeth. Really. Just what in sam blazes gives her the right to go and yank someone away from his partner? And why should he join with her? He knows nothing about her personality, her origins, background, or fighting style, and she knows nothing about him except that he's "irregular." How could she possibly think that was going to go well? Granted, if she had been in the school from the beginning and they got to know each other, he might have chosen her, but suddenly showing up out of the blue and expecting everything to go her way... ARGH! Also, her blaze and ambush/sniper style of fighting would not have helped in the fight with Usagi sensei.

And yes, just what kind of standards does this school have? A teacher working for some enemy agency tries to kill the students, gets exposed, and the dean applauds her for it?! Then justifies it by "whatever gets the results I want is ok?"

CRAZY!

edited 27th Jan '15 10:20:43 AM by Harem-author

Honestly, the headmasters Insane Troll Logic was great. How do you argue with results?

Julie is like if you stuffed Nyarko full of Prozac.

She seems like the type who never head no in their entire life. I really liked that Toru just rejected her completely like this.

This is Sparta!

edited 30th Jan '15 4:56:16 AM by Shlugo_the_great

No, not quite. Nyarko fully understood what the customs of Japan, and the taboos were. She just didn't care. Julie, although she understands the language, clearly does not know which way is up, culturally speaking.

Several tropes I've come across reading the light novel for this series.

Academy of adventure.

Adaptation Distillation: Much of the content from the Light Novel is missing in the anime adaptation. In fact, the light novel seems far more harem-ish while the anime looks like Julie and Tor are One True Pair.

Can't have sex, ever: One of the few reasonable things about this battle school. Tsukimi sensei rather explicitly explains it in the light novel. The anime skips the explanation entirely.

Does This Remind You of Anything: The Duo oath: "For richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health until death do us part."

Harem Genre: Subverted in the anime, for now. While there are various girls showing interest in Tor, he makes his preference for Julie quite clear, and he will not stray. The Light novel has him showing far more interest in other girls.

Reasonable authority figure: Subverted to hell and back.

Run the Gauntlet: The Duo "Mock battle" in episode 2 works like this for Julie and Tor. Mostly.

Super Power Lottery: The "Blaze" system works like this. Nobody who uses the "Lucifer" system knows how his or her "Blaze" will manifest until it does.

The Spartan Way: Lampshaded.

Tokyo is the center of the universe: The academy seems to be the only school in the world that teaches the "Duo" combat style or has anything to do with "Blazers." It's justified in the light novels that people who can use blazers number less than 1 in a 1000.

X Meets Y: YMMV, but it seems like Unbreakable Machine Doll meets The Blue Exorcist as of episode 4.

For individual characters:

Julie Sigtuna:

A-cup angst: Downplayed. Julie once pressed Tor's hand to her chest and asked him if her breasts were okay.(Note that this was when he woke up and found his hand on her chest then tried to pull away.) He happily praised their softness before he realized what he was saying.

Adorably Precocious Child: If what she says about her parents is true, she used to be this, and apparently still is.

Accidental Innuendo: Although what she says about her activities with Tor is technically accurate, the way she says it comes across as having a far more erotic meaning than intended. For example, in episode 1, she mentions "cuddling" with Tor. Although it was perfectly innocent, it would be as if Julie said she "slept with Tor" in the US.

Battle Couple: With Tor.

Char Clone: Subverted with extreme prejudice. Her character's creator thinks this trope needs to die a horrible death. She's only too happy to oblige.

Dark and Troubled Past: The anime strongly implies that her parents are dead, and she barely survived an assault by a swordsman. The light novel confirms that her father is dead, at least.

Duel Wielding: Her "Blaze" manifests as twin swords.

If It's You, It's Ok: Says this word for word when talking about sharing Tor's bed. She will not share a bed with any other guy, but really wants to sleep beside Tor because his mannerisms remind her of her father.

Innocent Fanservice Girl: Julie sees nothing wrong with sleeping in only a nightshirt and panties, while sharing a room (not to mention a bed) with a healthy, heterosexual teenage boy. "I wear this to sleep. This is my pajamas."

Innocent Cohabitation: With Tor. Both will get expelled if it doesn't stay that way.

Kuudere: She shows absolutely no emotion in public. Behind closed doors with Tor, she shows her vulnerable side, and reveals her Dark and Troubled Past without hesitation.

Magic Skirt: She manages to pull this off without even wearing a skirt. We don't even know if she wears panties under that nightshirt until late in episode 2 when she's sitting down at a table next to Tor drinking apple tea.

Ms. Fanservice: To date, all the fanservice in the show, whether it's Imagine spots, accidental pervert, thanks for the mammary, or naked first impression, (even attempted bathtub bonding in the light novel) is all centered on Julie. Not that she knows or cares. (The light novel includes Lilith later as she's hunting deer with her blaze while swimming naked in her rather large private estate).

Official Couple: Seems to be going this way with Tor.

Scars are forever/ good scars, evil scars: She has a particularly nasty one from her left shoulder to her right buttock across her back, indicating being cut by a sword.

Thanks for the Mammary: After sneaking into Tor's bed, he found his hand on her chest the next morning. She didn't want to let him pull away.

Kokone Tooru:

Adorkable: Tor has his moments.

Battle couple: With Julie

Casual Danger Dialogue: In the "Opening Ceremony," He and Imari have a nice chat while the other students are engaged in live combat. Slightly subverted in that his fight with her was already settled at that point. Still, either of them could have been hit by debris or a stray blow.

Dark and Troubled past: His entire dojo, including his younger sister, were killed horribly, right in front of him by an, as yet, unnamed assailant, for "being weak." His sister died protecting him.

Dulcinea Effect: Justified. He couldn't protect his little sister, so he protects the girls in his life, even if he has no romantic interest. Partially averted as he also comes to Tora's aid in Episode 2.

Innocent Cohabitation: With Julie. Both will get expelled if it doesn't stay this way.

Luckily My Shield will protect me: His "Blaze" is a shield.

Official Couple: Seems to be going this way with Julie.

Spell my name with an S: Is it Touru, Tor, Thor? Different characters all say his name differently, and he responds to them all in an identical manner.

This isn't what it looks like/ That came out wrong: Poor Tor, he gets hit with this trope, HARD thanks to his partner being an Innocent fanservice girl who truly does not seem to comprehend anything about Japanese dating norms or taboos.

Wrong Genre Savy: Poor Tor thinks he's got a Char Clone. Granted, she's a loli, and they've been forced into an Innocent Cohabitation, but she couldn't be farther from the trope if she tried. He'd like to keep it that way.

• He DOES have to worry if his classmates come to the wrong conclusions regarding his relationship with Julie, however. Of special note are the reactions of Hotoka Miyabi, and Tachibane Tomoe.

Tachibana Tomoe:

Covert Pervert: In the anime, she's the first one in the story to imagine Julie in the most erotic pose possible whenever she thinks about Tor's Innocent Cohabitation, or Julie's and Tor's official Battle Couple status, or just about any time Julie opens her mouth to speak, really.

Date Peeper: With Hotoka in episode 4 watching Tor and Julie clothes shopping.

Tsundere: A strong Type B, disciplinarian type. Tor is the one who sets off her Tsun side.

Whip it good: Her "Blaze" manifests as a variable length chain.

Hotoka Miyabi:

Blessed with Suck: Her "Blaze" is a cavalry lance which would be very effective in both offense and defense except that she has neither the strength nor the stamina to wield it properly for any length of time. The Light novel explains that the only reason she made it into the academy is that her opponent ran away.

D-Cup distress: Downplayed. When a table can effectively double as a push-up bra, your breasts might be a bit too big.

Gainaxing: She's VERY bouncy.

Glass Cannon: She can output a LOT of damage with her blaze, but she can't wield it very long or very effectively and is completely helpless without it.

Male Gaze: Light Novel only. Tor notices Hotoka's impressive assets the first time they have breakfast together along with Julie and Tachibana (and every time they meet thereafter). The anime omits this entirely.

Tora:

Blade below the shoulder: His "Blaze" is a dagger that is worn like a brass knuckle.

Jerk With a Heart of Gold: His attitude and speech are very rough, but he's been Tor's best friend and sparring partner since childhood.

Tatsuya:

The Big Guy: Clearly at least a head above everyone else at the school, teachers included.

The Voiceless: He doesn't talk, but instead makes martial arts motions to communicate. For some reason, Tsukumi Rito understands him perfectly.

Tsukumi Rito:

Ax Crazy: Her blaze is a bastard sword, but otherwise fits the trope perfectly.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: At first, she seems a bit odd, but harmless, and quite competent as a teacher, then the "mock battle" begins...

Bunny Ears Lawyer: Bunny Ears Teacher in this case, but otherwise played as straight as they come.

Cloud Cookoolander: Enters the classroom through the window, (and several hallways in the light novel) can interpret Tatsuya's martial arts poses as dialog, says and does all sorts of random and silly things through her lectures.

Cute and Psycho: As of episode 3, since she doesn't have to pretend to be a nice person with the main cast anymore, she bounces back and forth between the two traits at the drop of a hat.

Drill Sargent Nasty: She has her students run a marathon on their first day in the light novel. (10 4km laps around the school with many large hills in the path.) Note: This is her being NICE. She does this to Tora, at night, after she gives permission for Elizabeth to pull him out of class in episode 3 of the anime. "I can't punish Ms. Priss, but I can punish YOU for skipping class!"

Reasonable Authority Figure: Averted with extreme prejudice. "You are at a school with an opening ceremony that involves live combat. Does THAT seem reasonable to you?"

Mikuni:

Adapted Out: Makes absolutely no appearance in the anime.

Cloudcookoolander's Minder: "Don't frighten the new students."

Otoha:

Death by Origin story: Her death starts the plot.

Posthumous Character:

Sakuya:

Dystopia Justifies the Means: Discussed. "As long as it serves my goals, I will do anything!"

Insane Troll Logic: A teacher tries to kill the students? BEST TEACHER EVER! Because "Who can argue with results?"

Lilith Bristol (Elizabeth Bristol in the Anime):

BFG: Her Blaze is a rapid reload sniper rifle.

Catchphrase: "Don't make me say it twice!"

The Ojou:

Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: She has a maid, she lives in a rather vast estate, in another country, travels by private helicopter and she expected Tor, a complete stranger, to completely abandon his partner, Julie without hesitation, or notice, simply because she thought that his "irregular" shield blaze and her "exception" rifle blaze were a perfect match without knowing anything else about him, or his partner. She was quite shocked when he turned her down flat.

Screw the Rules, I have Money/Connections, Screw the Rules, I'm beautiful: For one or more of these reasons, none of the school rules apply to her. She can skip classes/ training, she did not attend the opening ceremony or pass the exam, and she can manifest her Blaze in public, yet she receives no punishment or discipline for her actions.

There are probably more, but that's all I could gather from the first four episodes.

edited 31st Jan '15 12:59:02 AM by Harem-author

Episode 4:

So the sublimation is simply more drugs. Well at least it provides a hefty boost.

Oh god no, Toru don't go there... he went there. As a protagonist Toru has a pathological need to stick his nose in other people business. She was just drinking tea, this is not an situation that requires intervention.

And then of course he let's himself get dragged around so we can waste like a third of the episode on this. Oh we find out why Elizabeth has a rifle as her Blaze. She likes guns. That's it. Not impressed.

And since she couldn't get a clue the first time around Toru has to reject her a second time. Which earns him a slap in the face. What a bitch.

Well next we get a cute scene with Toru and Julie. Well I guess that matter is over now and...

... It isn't, since Miss Priss hijacks a school event like a sore loser she is. On the upside this means she's getting her ass kicked next episode. I look forward to that.

What's so great about Toru's Blaze anyway? It's a tiny, tiny shield for christ sake! It's less useful than pretty much every other Blaze we've seen.

Anyone else starting to suspect that the headmasters Title Drop is actually gonna be an Absolute Trio?

I like Elizabeth. Well, that's not quite right. I find her amusing in the same way as Usa Sensi. And she got style. I'll give her that.

It was late, I was tired. :(

edited 3rd Feb '15 5:58:44 AM by kiukiuclk

You mean Trio.

Nothing's great about it. She just feels that since they both have unique Blazes, they should be together.

Is it me or does Usa-sensei remind you of Tabane Shinonono from Inifinte Stratos?

It's not just you. Couldn't remember her name though.

Episode 5:

YMMV but Tor approaching Lilith at the veranda was probably wiser than waiting for Lilith to approach him at a time of her choosing. He simply invited her to class, which is where she SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Lilith (Elizabeth) Is both a spoiled brat and sore loser. We get that. Theoretically, a shield bearer is a good tactical match for her rifle, but if she would just stop and think for a minute, she'd realize that STRATEGICALLY it would not be a good idea to team up with a guy who drops his partner the instant a new (and better in her mind) model comes along. She wouldn't be able to trust him in a situation where she didn't have absolute advantage.

As to why she's fascinated with Tor. Two reasons. His shield is UNIQUE. Nobody else has ever manifested a shield before. Everyone has manifested weapons. Second, he's probably the first person EVER to tell her "no" especially TWICE.

Frankly, I believe that if he had said "yes," she'd dump him like a hot potato the moment she got bored, which wouldn't have been very long.

Don't expect her to get beaten next episode (at least not easily). Remember, some of the second years were level 3, that's the same rank as Tsukimi-sensei, and she beat EIGHT of them, alone, and without injury.

Now after episode 5 we can add a few tropes to Lilith's and Julie's rosters.

Lilith:

Disproportionate Retribution: Get rejected by a guy who ALREADY has a partner, a partner who has proven to not only be an exceptional teammate, but can be given absolute trust in everything including his life? Slap him, and then proceed to challenge his entire class to a deathmatch.

Genki Girl: She wears you out just looking at her.

Shout Out: Those dolls and that theme park look suspiciously like something out of Kampfer.

Julie:

Cannot hold her liquor: Anime Only. Really. One BITE of "Rum Raisin" ice-cream and she gets tipsy? Enough to slur her speech and have her collapse at the slightest effort?

Clingy jealous girl: She's very, VERY clingy, but she's not jealous, YET. It helps that Tor has explicitly proven himself loyal to her, and her alone, despite his Dulcinea effect problem.

Expressive hair: That lock gets pretty excited when she's happy.

Idiot Hair:

Tsukimi:

Expressive hair decs: Those rabbit ears get rather twitchy when she's upset.

edited 6th Feb '15 1:11:31 PM by Harem-author

Lilith is...genki? What.

Wow. Lilith just can't take no for an answer, huh?

I don't expect her to lose next episode, to be honest.

I think the person said Lilith was genki because of how excited she acted at that amusement park. Though, I have to admit, that's not quite accurate. I'd say she's more of The Pollyanna than anything.

edited 9th Feb '15 5:44:53 PM by erazor0707

Episode 6:

"I'm sorry for turning down your Duo request" - ಠ_ಠ

This is such bullshit. Toru would probably apologize if you stabbed him in the face.

And then he wants to be friends with her. I'd be nice if he had a personality beyond "generically nice and friendly protagonist" thing.

The battle was painful to watch. Using gun's range to her advantage is one thing, but then she goes and beats them up in close range. Why is she even so strong anyway? Because she like to hunt? smh

Lilith is definitely the most annoying character of the season and I find it a waste that we just spent 3 episode dealing with her being a spoiled brat and throwing a bitchfit after getting rejected. I would be so happy if she was just taken away by the generic evil mooks and not be heard of again. No such luck tho.

This anime sure is taking is sweet time to get somewhere interesting.