Anime Review: BTOOOM!
Sunday evening, I caught this tweet in my feed:
BTOOOM! obviously needs a 2nd season. I suppose the last fight was okay, but outcome of the entire last ep. was so predictable it’s sad.
— Alex Ninamori(@RamuneAmai) December 24, 2012
Up until that time, I had been trying to find the time to watch the season finale; after reading it, I no longer felt the desire to bother with it. Last night, once the house had grown so cold that cuddling with my boyfriend seemed to be the only form of relief from the plummeting temperature, we finally decided to power on the Roku and watch the final episode of BTOOOM!
In my opinion, the episode was rushed. Sure, it had more action than the final episode of Sword Art Online, but as far as substance goes, both were lacking. In fact, I feel that there’s not really much to actually talk about in regards to the final episode. Initially, I was all about watching BTOOOM! Why? Because I’m a gamer. Of course, I had a rather harsh opinion of Sakamoto Ryouta – an opinion that, despite his tears in episode twelve and the sweet words he had for Himiko, hasn’t changed in the least bit.
Image © Madhouse; Source: Crunchyroll.
I knew from the moment that I started watching BTOOOM! that it would not only appeal to my nerdy side, but that it would also cater to that twisted side of me that absolutely adores gore-ridden content – Battle Royale is amazing, after all. In that regard, the only disappointment I faced was indiscreet censorship. (On the bright side, it’s not as bad as what viewers are face with when watching So, I Can’t Play H! ) I suppose I should have finished the manga, to sate that bloodthirsty side of myself.
Senseless killing doesn’t bother me. Survival games don’t bother me. Forced romances between two unlikely characters defining an entire show, with little to no display of affection, does. All of my boyish aspects aside, I am a bit of a romantic. I’ve also been through my fair share of online romances made real life. There is nothing realistic about Sakamoto and Himiko. Sakamoto is an asshole. He does what he wants and doesn’t give a damn about anyone else. Except Himiko, whom clearly lacks a brain. He’s the sort of guy who, in the real world, will always put himself first. On top of that, he is an elitist. You know, that sort of gamer who thinks they are better than everyone? That they are the absolute best? Himiko is the exact opposite. She sucks at the game, and in reality, wouldn’t be given the time of day by most elitists. That, and girls don’t play video games. Really, she’s an innocent girl. Unless there’s some lines I missed, I’m fairly certain she didn’t know what was going to happen to her friends. Her only mistake was what? Running away? Getting help? Somehow escaping being raped?
Yet somehow, in a cruel and probably very near impossible twist of fate, Sakamoto and Himiko, who at some point got married in game, both end up on the island. Himiko hides her identity once the two meet, at which point I admittedly facepalmed. I cannot even begin to understand how Sakamoto could not identify her. After spending so much time talking to her through voice communication, despite the fact that their avatars (though once more unrealistic) look exactly like one another, he still couldn’t see through her lies? How can you care for someone so deeply, yet remain so oblivious?
Image © Madhouse; Source: Crunchyroll.
Murasaki and Date, on the other hand, are a very intriguing duo. Admittedly, Date really did a number to his partner when they were on the island during the last game — his betrayal is among the worst I’ve seen. At least she’s still alive though, right? And yet, after all that pain, after having her arm blown off, after being strung along, Murasaki still lacks the balls to finish the job; she aids the man who used her the most. The worst part is, that she actually took the time to tell Himiko the story, warn her against trusting her teammates, and not only did she go against her own advice, but Himiko failed to heed it as well, when Date shows up on the island for a second game session.
Aside from these two little plots, and the story behind Kira (which is even more disgusting if you’ve read the manga,) there’s really little else to rant about. Sure, I find Taira’s sudden madness to be a bit desperate, but it’s something I kind of expected from the beginning. They didn’t even bother to shine a good light on him, after all. That is, if you didn’t buy the whole family man bull. Obviously, all of the characters represented in the series are corrupt in some form or manner. That fact alone dispels any possibility of surprise from their actions. After all, someone hated them enough to send them to the island, right?
Image © Madhouse; Source: Crunchyroll.
To add a bit of salt to the wound left after the last episode, we’re left with a hint of a second season, but no definite word. The manga itself is still on-going (and I intend to fish reading it), so maybe there will be more. Either way, we were certainly trolled with the classic 8-bit game over screen. Personally, I want to see what happens with Tyrannos Japan.
I like how the “lesson” of #btooom is mainly “don’t treat other people like shit.”
— Symphozoid (@zoid9000) December 24, 2012
And that pretty much sums it all up. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Image © Madhouse; Source: Crunchyroll.
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