BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER: INNOCENT SOUL
STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
3
RELEASE
May 4, 2012
CHAPTERS
12
DESCRIPTION
The story follows a girl in the "Threshold" (狭間, Hazama), a world beween Heaven and Earth. "Impure souls"—those that could not ascend to Heaven with the burden of their own weight—have drifted to this world of constant warfare.
(Source: Anime News Network)
CAST
Black★Rock Shooter
Dead Master
Ron
Ram
CHAPTERS
RELATED TO BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER: INNOCENT SOUL
REVIEWS
Essbee
Far better than Black★Rock Shooter the Game the Manga, but not without it's own issues.Continue on AniList"It's time you stop. In truth it actually was all... a lie. It is true that this world has the power to grant your wishes. But something like resurrection is a bit of an exaggeration; regardless, of whether or not the plate is big or full, water that flows out of the plate will not return to it. And that is why __YOU'RE DEAD__." 
So in my last review I noted why Black★Rock Shooter the Game the Manga failed as a story. And how the pedophilic elements made me deeply uncomfortable. So that leaves the question how is this execution of a Black★Rock Shooter story? Well Black★Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul is pretty good. I'll first give out a recap and explain what I like about this manga, and some of the stuff I dislike. The Following Story Sections have spoilers each part covers six chapters each, do please avoid spoilers.
Story Part 1:
We see a teenager scrounging around in ruins when he sees a black haired girl, when the two meet he reveals himself as Ren and she reveals herself as Rock. (How many names does this character have?), so Ren's sister: Io shows up and tells him about how tonight is a full moon and they need to go back home all because of someone or something known as Jack.
Rock / Stella (B★RS:tGtM) / Gray (B★RS:tGtM) / Black★Rock Shooter is oblivious to this information. Ren explains that there's a serial killer known as Jack who kills on every full moon night, no one has been able to catch him and he taunts the police by leaving his body count, inscribed in blood. Everyone save for the elderly and poor were able to move and flee the city.
After spending some time at Ren and Io's abode. Outside of Ren's home, Ron (Rock's living belt?) and Rock have a conversation about making their move against Jack. As Ren is about to sleep he comes to find Io has left in pursuit of making a flower crown for Rock. Before Ren and Rock could make it to her, Jack kills her and then Ren. Jack and Rock then fight only for Jack to find out that Rock is actually someone called "Black Star".
So Black Star / Rock / Stella (B★RS:tGtM) / Gray (B★RS:tGtM) / Black★Rock Shooter uses her second amendment rights on Jack. All the while Ren is in denial believing this to be a dream, that idea is shattered when his reality crumbles. It turns out Jack was a serial killer known as Jack Olie who followed what we know, he was fascinated with death, a serial killer and killed on the full moon.
However, it turns out Jack Olie was caught and given the death penalty. His soul didn't ascend to Heaven or Hell. He was sent to the afterlife between: Hazama. Where the souls of the lost are consumed by delusion. And Jack Olie created a phantom city in which he can continue his slaughter of his past victims. It gets clarified later on that Rock's duty is to slay those who create the realities (Known as Stagnated Souls) and return them so that they may be purified and ascend to heaven.
The next chapter involves a Stagnant Soul known as Nakamura Hanako, who created the illusion of an empty school so she can enjoy it all for herself. Free from the constant struggle and torture her bullies put her through in life. She is bitter when she died in an accident when no one mourned her death. The two then fight when the truth is revealed and Nakamura recognizes Rock as Black Shooter. Ron figures out that Nakamura at some point shut herself off from the rest of the world in order to avoid being hurt any further.
So when it comes down to it Black Star / Rock / Stella (B★RS:tGtM) / Gray (B★RS:tGtM) / Black★Rock Shooter / Black Shooter puts an end to Nakamura, and allows for her soul to rest in peace; however, things go awry when her actual soul when someone snatches the soul and eats it. She is known as Dead / Dead Master. And she just caresses Rock's naked body while drooling (ew). And then returns Rock back to their world while both are half naked in bed (what?)?
Moving on the two having returned back to their world it is revealed of their duty and that there are multiple Black Shooters, Rock being Numer 01451. Like I mentioned before they are supposed to gather stagnant souls from Hazama so that they could be purified and avoid dragging other innocent souls into their delusions. The ones that are unable to are held in reserves. It is also revealed that Dead is a Black Shooter, number 012370 (which is for some reason one digit more than Rock, even though both start with 0s).
Dead also happens to have a companion known as Skull-chan. (I also forgot to mention this but Dead / Dead Master shows up in other Black★Rock Shooter manga and anime, which is interesting). She also happens to be a senior among the Black Shooters. The two stumble upon the people who are purifying the stagnant souls gathered by other Black Shooters and the process is explain. Dead feels disgusted at the sight and concept of purifying souls, has Skull-chan fuck up the process, run off with one of the stagnant souls in her mouth.
Some guards show up and assume Rock done it, but the two clear up that they didn't do anything wrong and proceed to chase after Dead. Dead then happened to trap the two, leading to the Vault of Souls where the Stagnant Souls that can't be purified are held, which I assume are held in individual cages. She asks if Rock also wants to consume the souls as well, but before she can't answer Dead just breaks the cage as the soul then forms into the shape of a monster.
It turns out that Rock sees this monster for who they were Nakamura who then sees visions of Nakamura's painful memories, eventually ending up crying. Dead then says that Rock's face is cute which makes me question if the Black Shooters have a form of HR due to how gross Dead is towards Rock. She then goes up to the monster and just commands it to scream. Ron reveals that this monster is the soul's memory of it's regret, and its regret is the reason it cannot be purified.
Then Dead stabs the monster, and eats the Stagnant Soul we literally seen her eat a few minutes ago. Next chapter the leaders of the Black Shooter organization say that they have two million troops and billion Stagnant Souls left to go. The two discuss what to do and one suggests increasing the ranks to 10 million, but Ouro (the creator of the Black Shooters) disagrees as to not burden them. It's also revealed that Black Shooters are mostly corrupted. The others say that emotions are clouding his judgement, a parallel to what we've seen in Rock.
We cut to Rock, Ron and another Shooter and weird sidekick thing: Acta and Nico. Ron is concerned about Rock's performance due to her hesitations as of late. It turns out the Stagnant Soul the two are facing is a goddamn tiger due it's heavy resolve to survive. Then a bunch of hunters come to fight the tiger, it's revealed this a memory of when it was imprison. The Tiger then just murders Acta, Rock finishes off aforementioned tiger. She is then mocked by Acta's partner, but it is told to shut up by someone.
Who tells them that all Black Shooters expendable. Next chapter we see Ron Rock, and Nico in the place of Rock's birth, where all Black Shooters are made. Nico is here to be assigned a new Black Shooter. The process of which is they break down a Stagnant Soul's ego, they "dispose of the trash while we retain the souls." Rock is left justifiably shook, Nico says that Ron should replace his own Black Shooter. Ron is pissed, leaves leaving Nico to catch a glimpse of someone who has been in the background of the previous chapter.
We cut to Rock in some ruins, listening to someone sing. Turns out it was a trap as Ron goes to save her. It turns out this woman is another Stagnated Soul. The same woman in white Nico saw earlier comes to Rock's aid, who reveals herself as Ram. Rock is told to slay the Stagnated Soul, she refuses, but is told that Black Shooters and Stagnated Souls are similar enough that Rock could turn. She fails in doing so, leaving Ram to finish the job.
But Rock gets in the way tryng to protect the Stagnant Soul. She does this as she wants to hear her song. This leaving the Stagnant Soul to move on in peace. Ram remarks how "those who hears the siren's song and live will cause the siren itself to be destroyed", calling back to the Greek references I failed to mention; however, it is revealed whoever hears the siren's song uninterrupted are immune to the mind control. (I guess this was a test for Rock if Ram knew this from the start).
Rock remembers how "it made her laugh, it felt bad, it burned, but she laughed" and how she wants to regain herself. Next chapter Ron and Rock are in a cold illusion. The two are having a hard time as there's an entire town's of people. Rock goes back to the previous chapter with Ram saying her resolve will lead to despair.
Back to the present an old woman is scolding her daughter for failing to clean up the streets. She apologizes so naturally her mother is about to beat her, when Rock intervenes. The girl (Cecil) is told to go set up shop, before she does, she talks to Rock, saying that her mother's allegedly kind; however, Cecil notices Ron. Ron fumbles and makes up a backstory that they're a ventriloquist duo.
Cecil is scolded, before quickly tending to tables. Rock asks why she smiles in spite of her mother's hatred, she says "if she smiles, even while feeling down the contagious feeling will overpower her heart. That's why she smiles and is kind to others." Rock wants to smile and Cecil's mother backhands her child. Cecil says she loves her, and is thus beaten with a cane. Cecil dies as her mother laughs.
And then the clock goes backwards, the world is locked in an eternal loop. This time loop is brought about due the mother's eternal hatred of her daughter. Rock stops the first beating again and the fights the Stagnant Soul. As Rock is about land the killing blow, Cecil's cries distract her hand is cut off. When it is revealed that Cecil is actually the soul (huh? This is a bit confusing). Cecil reveals that her mother was kind, until her father's death and that Cecil just wants to return to that.
Thus resulting in a self imposed time loop in the hopes that her mother would go back to the ways she was. Rock then tells Cecil her mother won't love her again if she does nothing to initiate the change she wants, she must hug her mother to transfer her warmth to her. And so... she does. The two then pass on with Cecil hoping that Rock can someday smile, as both souls are at peace.
That was the first half, my god that took a while. How about we break this up about something else.
Intermission:
So I want to take the time to talk about the art, I love the art style. Every page just looks great. One of my compliments towards Black★Rock Shooter the Game the Manga was the art and how despite everything else it was really pretty to look at. It's like reading All Star Batman and the Boy Wonder. You get edgy edgelord Batman abusing a 12 year old boy and laughing like a jackass. All laced with horrible writing, but the art looks so pretty to look at. Which is a shame there and for Black★Rock Shooter the Game the Manga; because, despite being really pretty art it's associated with some of the worst storytelling I've ever seen.
But here I can appreciate the pretty good story with the amazing art. Now there is an aspect of the art direction I do want to touch on at a later date. That being Black★Rock Shooter's design. Because I think in some stories it works and others it doesn't, but I have some mixed thoughts here. Anyways back to the story.
Story Part 2:
We cut to Dead looming above another soul in a heavily sexually charged position ready to gobble another Stagnant Soul. Only for Rock to stop her when she's caught she tries fleeing, using Skull-chan as a distraction, this fails. Also side note Dead is called a "drooling woman" which makes the things she did with Rock far more concerning at the start of chapter 3. The soul (Kaede) has a conversation with Rock, he is told what the hell is going on. Kaede remarks on how she's cute (how sweet) and how she has a big rack and knowing what he does now he wants to be eaten, (What the hell?)
And Kaede wants to confess his feelings, Ron says "wait, what the fuck are you doing" as Rock decides to help him prepare for the confession (I mean I'm all for this funny idea, but what is going on here?). The three meet up with Dead, Kaede confesses and Dead receives so much second hand embarrassment she decides to leave. Rock asks for Dead to listen to Kaede, how his face changed because of love. Dead finds out Kaede was a girl.
But then Kaede breaks down saying this won't work because she's a girl. It turns out Kaede in life was rejected leading to this mindset. (Also Kaede's crush in life has a striking resemblance to Dead). Dead then gets the treatment of an anime figurine when jars are involved. Kaede forces Dead to say that she loves her if she wants to be saved. Dead struggles to breathe in what I want to believe is water, before escaping. Rock says "hey this isn't right" and Kaede the "nice guy, (or gal in this instance)" says "Rock is getting in the way of their love fights.
Dead gets defensive of "her rock" (who may I remind you is a teenager and Dead is not). Dead then lectures Kaede saying "look dude it's not that I'm homophobic or anything, you've just been kind of one-sided in this whole thing without giving me time to think it over". Which in hindsight despite Dead being gross to Rock, this chapter is kind of... good? Like as a lesson to why "nice guys", incels and femcels are gross and why they are wrong.
Kaede then realizes what she did was wrong and wants to get to know Dead better and that she truly does love Dead. Dead laughs, she says "she's never gotten around to answer your feelings towards me", thanks Kaede for putting in so much thought for her and they kiss.
So anyways Dead eats Kaede's soul. Ron gets rightfully pissed as Rock is like "man I wonder if anyone loves me that way too." Next chapter Ron and Rock get a briefing. Ron notices something is up with Rock, before they two stumble across Ram. Ram tells Rock that Black Shooters are usually dolls which don't have souls; however, Rock seems to be nurturing her own ego and the she has high expectations of her. Later on Rock wants to remember who she was before, but Ron scolds her as hopes and dreams don't matter in Hazama, their job doesn't allow for this, Ron ends the conversation there.
The two enter a mansion and a voice tells Rock "wow you're cute, you must be 15 years old" (which makes Dead's treatment of Rock even more creepy). The voice keeps measuring and documenting features of Rock. Rock calls them out as a fucking pervert, but the voice offers Rock what she wants most. Rock requests to recall who she was and the voice obliges.Turns out this is an attempt at hypnosis which Ron tries to stop, but to no avail.
As the duo are dragged into Rock's memories. And Rock recalled every. Single. Thing. The school she went to, the store she would buy melon bread and dried sardines. Lily, the cat she would feed her food. All of it is clear, save for her name. She is then revealed to have been bullied, as she can't escape. She has been hospitalized, but no one, not even her parents have hope for her. It turns out all of those memories were fake.
And in real world she's struggling and as a pair of hands belonging to voice take her, Ram shows up. The story cuts to a star cracking with a whole wall of stars with a simple message "We're getting minimal response from Black Shooter No. 01451, soul region in crisis." Back to Ram and Rock she ends the chapter saying "How does it feel to have your heart crushed by the truth?" the same thing said to Acta by that mysterious voice, now revealed to have been Ram.
In the next chapter we go back to that wall of stars and inscriptions. With countless messages of various Black Shooter's soul regions being in crisis. Ram requests that the Black Shooters should be reinforced, dolls without a heart are weak, but those with hearts will always be fragile. We see the imagery of a galleries of countless Black Shooters adorned in filly outfits with chained chokers. All with the centerpiece Rock placed on a throne.
There's also a kind of weird and gross image of a naked Rock on the ceiling? (Gross). Then Ram on a whim decides nah you're too weak get destroyed, lemayo. As Rock falls she has self doubts about her identity, but Ron comforts Rock and appears in human form. The two go back to the previously seen hospital bed and it is indeed Rock, and Rock affirms that she is indeed herself and will always be Rock. Ram attacks Rock back in the real world, confused at why Rock wasn't destroyed like the others.
Rock calls on Ron (in his much more friendly noodle form), and Rock answers Ram's question; because, she wants to live. As Ram, Rock and Ron are about to fight Dead shows up calls Rock ripe for some reason making my question if the Black Shooters can hold restraining orders against each other and now she wants to eat Rock as the chapter ends.
We see a man being comforted by a random lady which feels more distracting than a Family Guy cutaway gag. Back to the fight it turns out Ram set this up for Dead and lets Dead have her meal, (manga's words not mine). Rock and Dead fight as one of the Black Shooter creators ask "what they fuck those two dinguses doing down there?", Rock asks why Dead eats souls and Dead answers by saying that "in Hazama that if one clings to their dreams hard enough they become reality, souls are powered by strong emotions and said emotions turn into energy. Once upon a time Dead... wasn't dead, but like alive until she was dead.
She died very suddenly and didn't get to say farewell and lost her ring. Ram then appeared before her told her 'if you eat people who are emotional your dreams will come true', so she's been doing just that in the hopes that Dead is reborn." Ram goes outside of her newly made ruins and the Black Shooter creator from before asks "Ram what the fuck is this? What the fuck is going on? WHY HAVEN'T YOU PAID YOUR GODDAMN TAXES!!!"
Back to the fight Dead and Rock continue fighting, Rock tells Dead to give up cause she doesn't want to be eaten. Dead has flashes of that random man from the start of the chapter. Who can be presumed to be her grieving father? (I think?) Dead charges in a blind rage, and is just... stopped... Ram tells the grown woman to stop trying to eat a 15 year old like a box of crackers, and then she says something truly heinous...
Honestly this is my favorite part in the whole section and I want to dedicate it's own section.
Ram's Truth of Dead:
Ram: "It's time you stop. In truth it actually was all... a lie. It is true that this world has the power to grant your wishes. But something like resurrection is a bit of an exaggeration; regardless, of whether or not the plate is big or full, water that flows out of the plate will not return to it. And that is why YOU'RE DEAD."
Dead prior to this point was an antagonist, who abused her position of power to exploit the system she worked for. In which causing the suffering of countless souls, not just the ones that cannot be purified any Stagnant Souls she can get her hands on aren't free from being consumed. So seeing Ram, this master manipulator be revealed to having been pulling the strings all along to convincing Dead that there is a way to being reborn.
Why? All for the purpose of watching her reality crumble? What does she gain from this? Nothing else but pure sinister delight. She delights watching Dead realize that all of her efforts were in vain and all of the Stagnant Souls lost to her will never reach Heaven. Dead's efforts, Dead's pursuits of resurrection, Dead's pursuit of reuniting with the people she loved, every Stagnant Souls chance at ascending? All of that is dead.
I never felt Singlove offered anything substantial to her story. She was just a recolor of Stella, but here Ram succeeds where Singlove failed. Ram actually is able to pull the strings and make an impact on not just the lives of her enemies, but also the people she manipulates. Singlove barely shows up at the end and barely does anything, we only hear what she's done instead of seeing it.
This is the moment that made me truly enjoy this story. If it weren't for the uncomfortable choices made in this manga that felt heavily unnecessary this would be a 9.6/10, but I'll settle for an 8.6.
Anyways back to the story.
Back to the Story:
Dead falls off the bridge everyone is on. Rock tries holding on, but Dead's hand with the rest of her body transforms. She has became a Stagnated Soul. Rock is told despair is the extreme end of hope, and that stagnation is the residue of greed. She is given a choice to save Dead, or to leave her be. She says "no", but is ordered to terminate Dead. Ram and the others are forced to gather their forces to terminate the Stagnated Soul.
Dead happens to get past most of the Black Shooters, and when Rock shows resistance in a near instance Dead bites Rock's neck. During all of this Dead's body fights in the hopes of a "key" to a "house" possibly being her freedom. When Rock speaks to her once Dead realizes she hasn't found this "key" she tells Dead that despite being forceful, noisy and selfish she doesn't want her to disappear.
The stagnation of Dead partially reverts and regains her senses, as she recalls her morning routine in life. Spending her days with "him", but now she can't go back. She could never go back. She explains that if she acknowledges that fact and her emotions. She will have truly died, a life without her wishes being granted isn't a life at all. She charges to Rock, only to embrace in a hug, knowing fully well Rock's blade will have stabbed Dead. She accepts her fate, to Rock's dismay.
She's ready to move on, to finally see "him" again. When Rock gets worried Dead tells her she isn't going anywhere, she will always be with Rock. Dead finally passes on, leaving only her Stagnant Soul, in which Rock consumes. Crying tears not from her own, but rather Dead's tears (that's a bit dumb, but everything else is good). Ram appears to say that emotions are like flowers never meant to bloom.
She came to the realization that she was in truth the very first Black Shooter, the very first Black Star. What I failed to mention earlier all of this took place in a crevice in which it is "contrary to life itself" and once in, no one can get out. Back to the present Ram says she's also... "In this place without time the one who continues to stand above those who come to this foolish world, and the one who return this crevice into nothingness." Rock fully realizing Ram's intentions to stand above those she finds foolish and weak refuses to allow her to toy with the emotions of others.
And then tears up her outfit to resemble her main design, (It is indeed absolute cinema and very cool, but kind of out of nowhere, but I digress, I'll let the hype moment be).
Final chapter time, we're in the end game now. The Threshold the final place of battle, between Heaven and Earth. Having been weighed down of desires of those who left Earth, a world of illusion and desire. A desecrated place, drenched in greed Ram hopes for this threshold, Hazama to be destroyed, she hopes Rock agrees with her.
The two begin to fight, Ram didn't want Rock to repair herself, she wants both her and the filth of the world to be gone. Rock fails at taking down the nigh endless black orbs, before one captures her. Ram intended to kill Rock without resorting to her suffering all for Ram's experiment. Rock asks what said experiment and Ram explains that she awoke in the threshold.
Everything had been sealed off, when she died the weight of her karma was greater, she asked herself questions. In this world what does it mean to hope, to dream? From there she created the Black Stars from Stagnant Souls, she her herself had been bound to her desires hunting similar souls to her. All of this a process to figure out what was laid out at the end of everyone's prayers, could hopes and desires bring change to the threshold?
At the end of all of this Ram figured out that the threshold would not yield, it was static. In the end this philosophy, the queries, the Black Stars and the hunting of Stagnant Souls was all worthless, this experiment was worthless. Ram concluded that hope was a force of habit, she believes hope leads to despair: a stench of death filling up the world. "To hope is impudent," and Rock disagrees.
Ram disregards this notion stating that Rock is dead. Rock declares her hopes live on as she escapes and strikes Ram's head. Rock then gets a full direct view of Ram's thoughts and mind. With Ram saying "vanish" over and over with a lone figure wanting to be found, but before Rock can do that Ram forces her out of her head, and is about to finish off Rock, but then Ron sacrifices himself. Ram takes delight in Rock's suffering enacting her demise.
Ron, injured, laments on how ironic it is that in a world where hope turns into strength, it be destroyed by the strength in hope. Rock denies this notion, believing Ram's hope (the lone figure in Ram's mind), her true desire isn't to destroy the threshold. She states everyone may be self-centered, but that is due to them being alone, a desire to have someone by their side. That's why Rock wants to become a star nestled to Ron's soul, that's what she desires and asks Ron.
Ron gets his hopes back and seems to recover. The two go back to face off against Ram. (I guess Ram left the two on their own, knowing their efforts are futile? I think that's what I'm supposed to takeaway). Rock using the power of all of the souls in her journey, and all of their unique aspects, including her own hope to protect the threshold.
Ram gets shot by the big fucking guns and is confused as to why Rock would protect a world with brazen desires. Rock answers saying that the Threshold is a world that can grant unfulfilled wishes, such being the province of the flawed Stagnant Souls. On one hand they are selfish, truthful, pure and dishonest, but their desires are anything but "Stagnant". Whether black, white or spotted they are an innocent soul. Rock asks if Ram's hopes are innocent.
Ram denies the concept citing her hope is the destruction of the threshold. Rock gives a counterpoint: in the depths of her heart, is her true desire. She created the Black Stars and gave Dead a call to action because she wanted to find egotistic people who would pay attention to Ram. Ram denies it, Rock asks if she's lonely and Ram hesitates. Rock says she'll find someone for Ram and that they don't need to fight.
The fight ends with Rock asking for Ram's desire. We cut to Rock and Ron finding a firefly and seeing the figure within Ram from before saying their desire "is to glow". Rock reassure the figure that they will be able to as the whole area glows with the light of many other fireflies. The figure thanks them, as the two are enveloped by Ram's glow.
The only thing left is the Threshold, it becomes filled with the hopes and desires of the incoming souls. Now becoming a place where their hopes can be realized, Fin.
Now with the story concluded time for my thoughts.
Final Thoughts:
So Imma make this brief. I've been experimenting with this format of review and I don't think I've been liking how I've presented these. Moving on I enjoyed the story, the pace took some time to getting used to, but I got around to it eventually until the ending. Prior the pace was brisk, but it was somewhat of a blitz by the end. It took me a while to get caught up on what's going on. Although I still think it's far better than what I experienced in my review of Black★Rock Shooter: The Game The Manga.
I found the characters to be pretty strong. Even Ram who while I didn't quite grasp as a tangible villain, I still very much preferred her to Singlove. The gross aspects this time around were better, not good, not okay, just... better. I mean it's not better by a wide margin, but I am more grossed out by the sexualization of a little girl than a teenager, but that line is very thin. Speaking of which I felt Dead's character suffered a bit from her being a bit gross towards Rock, when she's clearly an adult.
I mean it is better than the translator nicknaming a character Lolicol, but I digress. I already mentioned how the art is great, but let me go back to what I promised way back when. I'll probably go more in-depth in a later review of Black★Rock Shooter, but I find Rock/ Black★Rock Shooter / Stella / (we're not doing this bit again), I find each instance of Black★Rock Shooter to have very differently executions of the design.
Now to you who is reading this review, you may be asking "like how my dude it's the same design save for the dress in Innocent Soul", and you would be right, except for the storytelling in the design. So far my least favorite interpretation of the design was in The Manga The Game; because, bit coat, bikini top and shorts don't tell me about a little girl robot soldier. And it just continues making me uncomfortable. Now while the dress in Innocent Soul does solve this issue, I'm just not big with the style of dress, but that's more of my taste in dresses.
Then we have the 2012 anime, which I think is the best interpretation of the design from a story standpoint. Now I watched the show a long time ago, and only remember bits and pieces, but from what I remembered and from one of my buds who is an expert on the series I will explain why. From what I recall the other selves sexualized designs are moreso a result of what the girls envision themselves as adults from the beauty standards of society.
Now I don't want to be the guy who is like "actually Sandra-chan's boob hole actually symbolizes the milk of kindness in Shakespeare-", I would never be that stupid, but in concept I think that's actually kind of cool? I mean for a series that has been about the aspcets of humanity, from hopes, from dreams, to desires, to pursuits and various other parts of the heart, mind and soul. I really enjoy the idea that this is what kids envision beauty is a frail thin petite youthful girl who shows off her physique. It could be interpreted as a meta-commentary on real world beauty standards and how toxic the culture around beauty really can be.
Now I must confess that I cannot confirm the validity of this claim whether or not that is intentional or not, but I think that if that were the case it would be cool. Sure I don't think B★RS's design fully reflects that concept 100%, but I think it's an interesting thought; however, it does make it clear it could only really work in that concept; because, we would get a little girl or a teenager dressed like that for no real reason other than the writer's poorly disguised fetish.
Which that I can see being the original intention and the 2012's anime's explanation being a way to better justify it.
Moving on in this barely structured conclusion I know about how Sans Undertale's flaming blue eye was inspired by Black★Rock Shooter, I dunno if it was ever confirmed. I also found aspects and ideas that correlate to Undertale and Delatrune in this manga, but I feel those are coincidences if anything. I wanted to mention this somewhere, but didn't have a better place to say it so I'm saying it here.
I dunno, I really like this series, in spite of it's flaws. Black★Rock Shooter will always be the Shadow to Hatsune Miku's Sonic. (Sorry I don't know how else to end this),
Final score is 8.8/10.
Goodnight Hazama!
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SCORE
- (3.45/5)
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Ended inMay 4, 2012
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