aloe, dream

I’d be lying if I were to say that Touka Gettan does not entrance me with each watch. In fact, I’m quite spark with the 720p raws, though only a couple eps are out in that format. Seriously, what is it about this Spring series? The first episode I picked up in the raw and was engulfed by the OP. The story was confusing as hell, even without the language competency. I didn’t think much of it until the end, when Touka and Momoka met at the station, and they felt the past connection. So what if its a bit sterotypical and fantastical, it rang. Then the ED, that mysical thing, so dreamy… little girl bouncing a ball in slow-mo to the sound of a Pipa. I was in. Three words: confusing [ as hell ] - lustrous [ oh gawd! yes ] - captivating [ ... what? ].

Okay, the most notable of all the complexities of Touka Gettan has to be Touka. For more insight let’s look at a graph of Touka’s gender vs time.

Right, there’s no explaining it at this point. I feel its best to “get over it”; weird and strange, but the story must go on. Its like the side attractions at a Western circus, mingling up the senses, yielding that “off” feeling, and the main attraction is then like bedazzlement; psychological molestation, circuses, whoa.

Truthfully, I can’t begin to delve into the story or theories, but the complexities leave room for insight and confusion. Being confused is not a bother, I enjoy it this run. At 13 episodes, a rewatch would be a good afternoon, no?

I’ll pause for a moment on this confusion spell, and get it off my chest that the character design sparkles. I use the word lustrous. Lustrous eyes, lustrous bodies, lustrous hair; 99% win and 1% Touka, right. The multitude of hawt characters isn’t enough to keep a watch on, but it does help with that dreamy feeling that sucks up the viewer.

Back to confusion. One tie-in with the haze about Touka’s gender must be the flashbacks (Mama’s dreams may be another). The flashbacks are not simple or from present life, but ancient-vibed, past-life issues. Confusion spikes with the toss-in of little boy/girl memories, the indirect notion of Touka’s gender, and the fact that Momoka (or her spirit) also has some past life recurrence.

The Triplets

Another confusion, is the story flow. Episode 1: Let’s jump in without explaining anything. Unknown ritual A. Whats your reaction to the grown yuri reunion, super-swexy sacred spirit sacrifice remembrance ceremony, which somehow involved mystic butterfly triplets [who are implicitly appeasing, because they're triplets and its anime; tautology proven]. Aside from a big “WTF is going on”, all was well. Following episodes only showered a bit more understanding, but the order of events, needs a declaration. I’ve read the story is reversed in telling, but even a straight telling would still leave some issues.

The Mikos/Goddesses/… Miko ‘Ranger’ Squad!

So events and setup are confusing as hell, but character interaction has perks. Who *hearts* who? Spiritually, Touka and Momoka have some deep dwindling, but is it their present states or the reincarnats? Momoka (as Momoka), is also special to the group of miko-goddesses. It all leads back to who is who, and what is what? *sighs* There’s also some human side characters, but how they tie in isn’t completely clear, though their importance in events looks strong from the flashbacks and ceremony. Also, a note on Touka and Momoka’s names. 桃, tou can also be momo depending on the reading. There’s probably a bit about this on AnimeSuki or something, but I’ve not looked into it.

Baah! Finito. Touka Gettan is climbing on my priorities of Spring, though it wont make the top spot. Sure, most of the episodes are WTF occurrences but its totally gorgeous and interesting. Go time! I’ll be paying attention to hashihime’s wiki, but I feel a rewatch is needed for a stronger understanding.

Ryan A

note: Delay between posts from exam week then a vacation to New Orleans Jazz Fest.