Shigofumi Does Yuri

So, yeah. Best episode of Shigofumi yet, on the mere basis that they tantalized us (me) with tasty yuri. They even had finger sucking, which just made me flip out hardcore.

On the less pandering side of things, Shigofumi is somewhat as I expected it to be, and somewhat not. The baseless prediction I made (reminder: the story would be told through a series of interrelated deaths leading to a chain of stories) isn’t actually there, although in episode 4 we find out that the entire series takes place in one city, which means that we’re going to get some overlap. I think the detective character has popped up more than once in the series. And it’s also a lot like Shinigami no Ballad (which, by the way, has its first light novel coming out in the States at the end of March, if Seven Seas keeps up with it; everyone’s going to buy it, right? Right?), except I think Shigofumi is less afraid of being twisted. Asuna basically being molested by her father via proxy was Bokurano levels of twisted, and, although the series hasn’t been quite that bad since that episode, it shows they’re not afraid to show the grittier side of human life.

Comparisons with Shinigami no Ballad are, of course, a good thing, and what Shigofumi lacks in soft, warmth it makes up for it with style. In spades. Fumika isn’t afraid to resort to violence to get her way (as Sen-chan’s father found out rather frighteningly) and, although no one’s actually been shot with the existence-destroying gun yet there’s this lingering ominous feeling that it’s going to be used at some point. The series is confidently and tightly written. The non-recurring characters are largely flat, which isn’t really that much of a problem–there’s only so much you can do with a character in the space of 24 minutes. What it does do well is give you a good snapshot of that character at that particular moment surrounding the receipt of a Shigofumi–conflicting emotions and all.

Also, something else I’ve just noticed: the delightfully bizarre Nanase Hikaru is doing music. You know, the one who did the excellent music for Zettai Shounen and whose real name is Itou Masumi, who composed the similarly bizarre Azumanga Daioh opening song. Yeah. Her. Need soundtrack now.