mayoraasei | Catch up post on Black Cat

Episode 11 Fake Cat
As the name suggests, this is the episode where Woodney appears. He's been around scaring people into surrendering.

Creed pisses Durham (the Apostles gunman) off by telling him that Train's much better than him.

Janus approaches Rinslet and tells her to let off the job (of getting shinkitou), but she refuses.

A guy fools Woodney into going to a brothel with him, and Eve, out buying med for Sven, overhears and follows him. Just as Eve tells him that he's being targeted, he gets surrounded by the local gangster. They're going to have a match and Eve sighs, and beats them with her hair. Woodney thinks that he's the one who managed to knock them all out, and invites her for dinner.

Rins grabs Sven and they go off to find Shinkitou, leaving a perfectly written English note for Train and Eve.

The gangsters wake up to see Durham, who demands to know where Black Cat is. Durham goes off and finds Woodney, of course, and everyone starts screaming and running when the shooting starts. Durham spots Eve and demands to know where Black Cat is. Woodney tries to act the hero by standing in front of her. Train saunters past singing a song about milk and immediately gets attacked by Durham. After swapping a number of shots, Train demands to know whether it was Creed who sent him. Durham didn't reply and opens his "caged mouth" to shoot, and gets punched in the face.

Durham is then tied to Woodney's bike and dragged along as Sven drives the rest of them in his car, so that Durham could show them where the hideout for the Apostles are. Woodney wants to be Train's disciple, but Train is deep in thought.

Episode 12 Fighting Cat
Number V (Naizer), VII (Janus) and XI (Belze) are introduced as Cereberus. Their newest objective is to kill Creed. Shiki (bug guy) watches them approach and asks what to do, but Creed, languidly lying in a bathtub of blood-red rose petals, says he's not interested in trash.

Train wakes up to a nightmare about Saya, and the next morning, he's run off after forcing the Apostles' location out of Durham. Sven is pissed off that Train didn't get their message last time (do you think you're living for yourself).

Cerberus crashes into the castle to confront Kyouko, Leon (air guy) and Maru (sumo guy). They fight, Janus cuts down the pillars and the Apostles are knocked out. Cerberus keeps running up. The next to come out are Ekidona, Shiki and Charden.

Eve finds Leo amongst the rubble and pulls him out. Creed suddenly gets out of the bath and slashes his sword. The window to the room is smashed, and Train abruptly appears outside.

Train and Creed clash in a myriad of blazing colours. Ends with Train's pistol at Creed's face and Creed's sword besides Train's neck. Creed tells Train why he holds him in high respect.

Doctor presents Sven and Rins tied down. Creed tells Train to forfeit everything and shoot him (Creed). Train shoots past Creed. Cereberus rushes into the scene, Creed gets pissed off and destroys the building, part of which nearly falls on Rins, who gets saved by Janus, who in turn falls off the 30-floor high building himself, yelling, "Rins-chan~~~~ I love you~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Creed goes berserk and cuts apart the building so that "no one would come between us". Creed goads Train to shoot his head, and Train's pupils contract. Train hits the wall and the castle bit holding Rins and Sven collapses. Eve, holding Leo in her arms, grabs them with her hair but struggles to keep afloat. Some rocks crash down behind them, and Train runs down on them. Creed is feeling the power of rejection.

Large explosion in the castle, Leon wakes up.

Sven et co drives off, Sven saying that "I know at least that Train isn't Chronos' Eraser any more" and Train smiles. Sven then probes further, asking if Saya is Train's significant other, and Train replies, "No, just a best friend." Eve remarks smartly, "Huh, so you were rejected."

Episode 13 LOVE Cat
They've changed parts of the opening sequence, and they have changed the ending song and sequence (the old ending was so much cuter ToT The new one is kind of typical, the song's not bad though).

Durham is summoned in front of the Apostles and "trialled". Durham shouts that he won't let his guard down again, and gets killed by Creed.

Charden acts a little disgruntled about Creed's complete lack of sympathy for his underlings. He decides to quit. Kyouko goes with him because she "doesn't want to fight against Kuro-sama". Shiki monitors their escape. Doctor and Leon goes to get rid of them, Doctor bringing with him the bullet containing Lucifer (the mutating nanomachines). He wants to target Kyouko first.

It's Valentines, and Kyouko makes some chocolate for Train. She writes some stuff in her diary - interestingly, it's in code this time (Sven's letter to Train had been in English). Train goes to the Sweeper's shops and Kyouko crashes in, trying to hand him her chocolate. Some big fat guy attacks her and steps on the chocolate. She gets pissed off and blows fire at him, but Train saves the guy and tells her to stop using her powers if she's quit the Apostles. Train, who's hungry, eats some of Kyouko's chocolates, and nearly dies because she put chili in it >__>;;;;;;

The building explodes and she sees Doctor with the gun pointed at her. Train jumps in front of her and takes the bullet. Doctor and Leon both leave, but not before Leon swaps a curious look with Eve.

Train et co go back to their hideout, and Train turns into little Train.

(Next week "Chibi Neko")

Shall I even bother making a comment on all of it? Well, firstly I'm unhappy with the way Durham's defeat was done -
1) Train was supposed to have a really hard time with Durham, suggesting that the Apostles were on par with Chronos.
2) Train was supposed to have gone and found Durham to avenge and protect Eve. It was arguably the first time he had approached a duel to protect someone else.
That was what was so sweet about Train and Eve's relationship in the manga. Where Sven pampered Eve like a father, Train pampered Eve by understanding her and allowing her to make her own decisions, but also always being there to protect her.

Secondly I don't like the way Train ran off to confront Creed. It's...just not Train. The manga Train pulled Rinslet and ran, and it was probably a greater injury to Creed to see that Train didn't even care about his existence.

Thirdly I'm annoyed at the way Kyouko's intelligence has been erased. She made an insightful choice in the manga to quit because she didn't feel safe in an organisation where the leader kills his comrades on a whim, and they're not allowed to have any individual thought. The manga had done it in a way that didn't destroy her naivety.

It also struck me as odd that Kyouko seemed to have several fairly good friends. I've always thought Kyouko had somehow been a loner, and that was why she could join the Apostles, because she didn't have anything to hold onto.

I love Leon's voice ^^;

The ending song is quite nice (slow), but I still can't figure out if it's a girl or a guy who sings it ==;