Review:
Both King’s Game and Black Clover decided to eat a lot of their second episode run time with extended flashback sequences. In the case of Black Clover it was to establish a relationship between the two main characters that had already more or less been established and could have been shown clearly in less than half the time they spent on it. In King’s Game we get to see the first King’s Game that Nobu was a part of.
The issue being, we already knew how that game ended. He’s the only survivor so we do not care nor plan to get invested in anyone we see in the flashback. We already know how the game works as we’ve seen it through the first episode and they’ve clearly established that you die as a consequence of failing an order. And we already knew Nobu was traumatised from the experience of the first game. So what were we actually supposed to get out of that?
Flashbacks need to expand on what we know about the character or the plot and all this one did was confirm that the King’s Game is real and it sucks and the audience already knew that. Actually, what this flashback really did was ensure the plot in the story we’re actually watching only progressed by a tiny little increment as we have Natsuko first pretending to be a damsel in distress and then showing that she’s totally psychotic and manages to get the whole class hating Nobu again.
While I’m still pretty into the idea here and wanting to see more of the story, the cracks in this narrative are showing up really quickly and they need to start filling some of them in or this is all just going to fall apart.
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Karandi James.
I was fine with the flashback, the bigger issue was that 180 on the girl. That came out of nowhere. Also, this group is so stupid. The girl tells him to sleep with her in front of everybody and then tries to play that he attempted to rape her? Events are a jumbled mess. Still going to watch but my enthusiasm that is lesser.
I gave up on this show after watching the second episode. It’s just a stupid series to make people hook up against their own will. It’s so pointless. I just wish the challenges were
Something like the movie Saw.
yeah, we didnt really learn anything we didnt already know in the flashback…it was a rare situation where the flashback is way more useful for the ppl in the show than it is for the audience. i really didnt think this series could do it, but these character are even more insufferable in this episode. i really just cant…
The characters aren’t bothering me as much as the plot screeching to a halt because of the flash back. Episode two seems like a weird time to do that.
they’ve been rubbing me the wrong way because they really dont feel like they’re thinking. like when the class turns on nobuaki when natsuko accuses him of rape right after she literally offered herself up to him in front of everyone
Stupid characters kind of go with the genre, though these ones are definitely carrying that to an extreme.
yeah, i just cant abide by that. there’s a certain point where i can no longer buy into it. small groups of people, i could accept, but a full class?
It kind of reminds me of that bus load of idiots in The Lost Village. But again, the characters being stupid could work but only if the plot gets going again.
that example doesnt inspire confidence
I agree that it ruined the pacing and we knew what would happen anyway but I can’t help but feel that the original story of him being the lone survivor is a whole lot more interesting than the current story which will take place. And that’s worrying considering neither seemed that good. The deaths should have a lot more meaning in the MC’s first game because he knows them a lot better and doesn’t know what to expect, the fact that the flashback didn’t develop the main character or introduce something new is kind of pathetic really in my opinion. I’ll still probably finish it though.
I am definitely seeing this through to the end. There aren’t enough horror anime for me to just dismiss it. Still, this one isn’t shaping up to be anything special yet (although maybe it is just taking its time).
I agree that this flashback was pretty pointless. In fact it could have been done in 2-3 minutes and that would have been enough. Though I do have to say that hanging scene was pretty disturbing. Still, the thing I did enjoy was the psychotic change coming over Natsuko. What the heck was up with that all of a sudden? Other than that, it’s been a show that’s far been okayish. Not great, but not really bad either 😊
Yeah, Natsuko has issues and hopefully the rest of the class will figure that out sooner rather than later.