Surname Poker is awesome

Now I would like to see Surname Rummy, Surname Pinochle, and Surname Uno. Just because.

So I think this (by “this” I mean “episodes 5 and 6”) was the best arc of Hatenkou Yuugi yet, but I’m having trouble expressing why. This won’t stop me from trying, though!

I think what it is is the general strength of Hatenkou Tuugi itself: somewhat strange and unconventional plots abound. I think that in many other series, the same plot would have been handled a bit differently; i.e., we wouldn’t have Jean-Foup killing himself in a rather grotesque and exaggerated method, and neither would Lalawel be…well, Lalawel. It’s like every other story in Hatenkou Yuugi: it’s a standard-fare setup with some kind of strange twist that shakes things up. In this case, it’s the fact that Lalawel is a murderous and almost apathetic serial killer, which probably only improves her moe point status with certain groups of people.

It’s blatantly obvious (Baroqueheat even points out how obvious it is) that Lalawel’s behavior resonates with Rahzel’s past somewhat, in some kind of twisted, bizarre way. I don’t know what it has to do with the “don’t cross this line” flashback that keeps getting repeated, or her mother going insane, but there’s something there. It almost seems like all three of the main cast have some kind of terrible secret that they’re hiding from each other. I would probably know this if I actually read the manga (I have bought the first volume, by the way; it’s sitting on my shelf softly cooing “Read me! Read me!”), which is apparently better anyway (the anime apparently excises a lot of the snappy dialogue, and Baroqueheat is much less of a womanizer), but I haven’t so I’m stuck with the anime.

Other best thing about this arc: Baroqueheat getting kneed in the stomach. That was amazing. Thank you, Rahzel, for being the voice of reason. I think.