Summary:
22-year-old Kasahara Iku (170 cm) is a trainee in the Kanto Library Force, under the stern instruction of 27-year-old Dojo Atsushi (165 cm). Japan is in a sort of Civil War with the central government using the Media Betterment Act to censor tons of books. However, local governments have fought back by forming their own Library Defense Force units under the Library Freedom Act. Iku was strongly motivated in the past when she was saved by a mysterious Prince of a man who got her a children’s book she had been waiting 10 years for.
While Iku gets along well with her informant roomie Shibasaki Asako (157 cm) and Atsushi’s logician buddy Komaki Mikihisa (175 cm), Iku cannot understand why Atsushi is so strict on her. Of course it is because he sees a lot of promise in her, especially after she intercepts a vandal and steps in to stop a Media Cleansing Force raid on a bookstore. Although Iku is hot-headed and kinda book-dumb (ironically), Library Supervisor Third Class Genda Ryusuke recognizes her talents, and recommends her to the elite Library Task Force unit.
Reaction:
Per Usagijen’s recommendations, this episode did not disappoint! I enjoyed the military action, even if it was against the backdrop of boring library activity. The art style is really nice, and I especially like the lineart style used. Naturally I enjoyed the training exercises, especially when Iku drop-kicked Atsushi, only to get tapped by a deep arm-bar seconds later. I thought the knife defense was cool too, but I would have just thrown the book to take the loser down at range. BTW, if I was MCF and I knew Iku was around, I’d hit and run on all the pompous over-priced bookstores to bankrupt the LDF in an easy economic victory.
I imagine a lot of the mystery will be over who Iku’s Prince is, but I found it strange that Atsushi was drinking some Prince drink while chatting with her. This makes me think the Prince is Atsushi’s older brother or something, considering how Atsushi was referring to the Prince. In spite of the hero worship, I feel like Iku and Atsushi will eventually be all over each other, considering how tsundere they were both acting. Oh just make up and then make out, you two!
Related posts:
This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1938 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
LOL, don’t you find it difficult to write the summaries?
Damn right! I liked this episode too!
The military action is superb with the proper implementation of current urban assault tactics. The only nitpick i have is that those assault rifles seem to be an amalgam of G3, FN FAL, and FN SCAR.
In any case welcome to the war comrade Kabitzin!
Welcome to the Library War
Iku and Dojo should not make up and make out just yet! Save that for the ending! These tsunderes make the show exciting XD
I like the urban assault, and I think the library thing is kinda a flimsy cover for it. I mean, wouldn’t the MBA forces be better served by hitting the printers or the warehouses?
I don’t know enough about rifles to say what exact design they were using, but wouldn’t it make more sense for them to be working SMGs or at least shorter bullpup-type rifles?
I guess Iku and Atsushi have to keep up their smoldering tension for a few more episodes. Love is a battlefield!
They use SMGs in the form of what I think are modified Uzis and their opponents favor MP-5s. I think the full on assault rifles are for when things turn to shit as you are going to need greater stopping power if you want to consistently penetrate body armor at range.
how in the world do they make a anime about books, libraries and book bans and leave out za Paper.
Those rifles?
Those were actually Howa Type 64s, chambered for a reduced-charge 7.62x51mm NATO; they’ve been mostly phased out of front-line service with the Self-Defense Forces, but seem to continue on in a variety of secondary roles like training (especially due to their heavier weight and somewhat sturdier construction than the current standard 5.56mm Howa Type 89).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howa_Type_64
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as88-e.htm
Did anyone else notice the Minebea PM-9s? Obscure Japanese Mini-Uzi clones FTW!
http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg102-e.htm