The saga continues.

I was actually planning to do three episodes again, but it looks like I have to leave episode 6 for the next time around, considering the present number of pictures.

Episode 4

CHECK!Flags: Moe, I Know What You Mean

Konata complains about having a sore throat, and Tsukasa asks if Konata breathes through her mouth. Turns out that Tsukasa believes that if you breathe through your mouth, viruses have a higher chance of entering through there and causing said sore throat, while if you breathe through your nose, you get a runny nose. Konata decides that it would probably be better to rely on Miyuki for actual, yanno, facts.

I've been in Tsukasa's situation before, although not so much nowadays. This is not due to being any smarter, but mainly because I find having to explain things a bit tiresome, and so remain silent.

CHECK!Flags: Punchline

Konata: Kagami, want to do the birthday party at my place? It's too hot to go out.
Kagami: Hm, really? I'm baking cookies at my place right now, though.
Konata:
Konata:
Konata: I'm going.
Kagami: Okay, see you soon.

For all that Konata knows how to press Kagami's buttons, Kagami can hold her own pretty well when it comes down to it.

CHECK!Flags: Punchline

Konata: Happy birthday, Tsukasa and the other one.

Still, Konata gets the upper hand most of the time, apparently.

CHECK!Flags: That's So Them

Miyuki's present is a pair of earrings, presented with almost a formal speech of humility and self-deprecation. Konata's gift… well, Kagami appears rather suspicious, at least.

CHECK!Flags: Punchline

As well she should be. Kagami gets a Brigade Chief armband, and Tsukasa gets a To Heart uniform.

Kagami: Don't make us sisters cosplay as you like!

CHECK!Flags: Moe

Well, I do. I don't know why Kagami making errors like cutting the cake incorrectly makes her seem more moe, but it just does.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

In this case, it's more that I kind of understand Kagami's point of view from the other side: like Miyuki, when I was little, I used to go overseas every school holiday. This was largely because my extended family all lived in Indonesia (primarily, at least), and it was more like visiting relatives than being tourists. Besides, it's not like you can travel around much of Singapore before finding yourself "overseas" in one way or another.

Tsukasa's incomprehension of "bourgeoisie" ("Is it a type of yoghurt?") is just icing.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Small breasts are a sign of rarity… or so Konata learned from a ero-game.

Personally I don't really care what size breasts an attractive character has, which I suppose puts me in roughly the same camp, or at least the side of Not Caring About Big Boobs.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

YES. YES, I DO.

This is generally why I tend to go on cleaning sprees when faced with something I Do Not Want To Do. The dishes will get washed and the vacuuming done pretty much on the eve a major assignment is due. Conversely, when the dishes are piled high and I can't see the floor, that is usually when I start earnestly working on my projects.

I'm not sure if this is a universal human trait, but it's pretty common, I should think.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Konata wonders why the school doesn't have swimming classes, and Miyuki comments that this is a Good Thing for her. Personally, I can't swim either, although in this case it's because I can't float. Swimming classes back in high school (well, junior college) were a pain, especially since the girls tended to be excused due to what is euphemistically called That Time Of The Month. For every swim lesson every week for three months straight. Then they laughed at us boys floundering in the water.

Yeah, I'm a little bitter.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Kagami can't sleep at night, so she tries reading a book. This continues until she finally feels sleepy, which is, unfortunately, the same time she's supposed to get up.

This happens to me fairly often. In fact, this happened to me last night, and every night for the past four weeks or so.

I feel exactly the same way Kagami does.

CHECK!Flags: Moe, Punchline

Kagami was supposed to be on a diet, but since she found herself to be slightly lighter due to exams, she started eating snacks again. You can probably see where this is going.

I'm probably only amused by Konata's poem because of its inherently geeky nature. I've managed to engage in conversations with my friends entirely in haiku, due to a chance remark which happened to fit the 5-7-5 form. I suppose we just like wordplay that much.

Episode 5

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Konata describes how she teams with Kuroi-sensei every time they log onto their MMOG. Having played Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, and obviously City of Heroes, I have to say that I understood every word she said, unlike Kagami and Tsukasa.

Well, I primarily play CoH because it's particularly solo-friendly. I'm not sure how I'd feel if my teacher played the same online game as I do. Also, group dynamics means that no one archetype (ie class) is all that essential for a good team.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Tsukasa wants to turn on the air-conditioning, and Kagami suggests that she just use a fan for the time being. Tsukasa gamely tries, and then complains (accurately) that fanning oneself makes one even more tired, so when one stops, one feels hotter.

I have to admit a weakness for air-conditioning (or, more precisely, climate control) myself. I can usually endure the heat, but given a choice, I turn on the AC. Besides, the tropical heat of Singapore means that without some sort of climate control, even with plenty of fans and heat sinks, the moment I start playing a graphics-intensive game like City of Heroes, my computer bakes itself and dies.

CHECK!Flags: Punchline

The four meet at the local festival, and the conversation turns to their obi knots. The Hiiragi twins have clip-on versions, and Miyuki had the storekeeper tie hers. Konata proudly says that her father tied hers.

I'm assuming that this is not considered normal. It's mostly Tsukasa's expression which makes it for me.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Konata asks Kagami, then Miyuki, what the drink flavour "Blue Hawaii" stands for. Miyuki grapples with this problem for a while, before admitting that she doesn't know (raising my respect for her, already sky-high, into orbit). Surprisingly, Tsukasa has the answer: it comes from the name of a similarly-coloured cocktail, presumably also blue, and that cocktail takes its name from a movie. (Checking the Wikipedia links, this is technically incorrect: the movie takes its name and its title song from another movie's song, which the drink takes its name from.)

I had the exact same question when I bought a bottle of Ramune of that flavour. The shop clerk was also unsure about the source or, more importantly, the taste. We decided that it "tasted blue", and left it at that.

And Now You Know.

CHECK!Flags: Moe

Tsukasa discovers that she spent too much already at the festival, and gets scolded by Kagami. Her expression here is priceless.

CHECK!Flags: Moe

Kagami cleans off a bit of cotton candy from Tsukasa's nose, and Konata complains that it's not that interesting when two girls do it together. Personally, I think it's rather sweet. (Pun unintended.)

CHECK!Flags: Punchline

Kagami attempts goldfish-scooping, and gets irritated that they move away from her before she even tries scooping any. Konata sees this as the fish sensing Kagami's violent aura. Kagami fails to rebut this.

CHECK!Flags: Moe

Kagami manages to catch a goldfish, and goes into full dere-dere mode. I don't think there's much more I need to add.

Well, apart from mild surprise that the goldfish will still be alive several episodes from now, considering what happened with Rokugou-san in Pani Poni Dash.

CHECK!Flags: Moe

Tsukasa: Balsamic vinegar!

I haven't a clue why she does it, but it's oddly amusing.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

Kuroi-sensei logs onto the MMOG, and nags at Konata about her homework.

I know they mean well, but I can completely sympathize with Konata right now.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean

For some reason it's fascinating to play with the voice distortion from speaking directly into an electric fan. I did it, my sister did it, everyone I know (when this topic comes up) has done it at one time or another.

Once I tried speaking into it the other way, and was surprised that it didn't work. I suppose there's some easily-explained reason for that.

CHECK!Flags: I Know What You Mean, Reference

Konata decides to take a break from studying, and logs onto her MMOG. Within minutes, she obtains a Rare Drop, and decides to invite all her online friends to celebrate.

Let's just say that I've taken to humming along to Konata's version of "Bouken Desho Desho" when I play City of Heroes, since this has happened to me So Many Damned Times. MMOGs are dangerous to play with when one is supposed to be doing something else. (Oddly, team-centric MMOGs are worse, since much of the time spent is waiting for the party to Do Stuff, rather than actually playing the game. I've spent four hours in Final Fantasy XI once simply waiting for a WHM to show up so the team is "properly formed".)

And the two main time-eaters are "just that last bit of experience", as well as the shown "OMG RARE DROP I have to show this off!" It's gamer nature.

Next episode is when I consider the actual "switch" in tone from the low-key conversations to references with a great deal more impact; from Azumanga Daioh to Pani Poni Dash, so to speak. Until then, have another example of Soujirou Izumi's Amazing Obi-Tying Mad Skillz.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 12:06 am and is filed under lucky star. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.