Kanon 12 - Do the time warp?

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Yes, that cheesy title, as always, is in both senses of the word. First of all we get chronological time warp, as in Double Ayu Ayu Flashback Bonus. Secondly, the pop-culture Time Warp, as in 007 agent Yuuichi and Mai dance. And it's damn awesome.

You want me to say it? I'll say it.


Wai for Mai~

Carrying on, the halfway mark for Kanon contains a lot of important plot points, plot hints, or plot omissions, not just for Mai's arc, but for many others as well. The storytelling's picking up a bit with the intertwining of many character's stories; or at least the parallel exposition of them.

Uh, you know the drill, spoilers through Kanon 24 (end of series) after the jump, so, uh, be forewarned or something. Also, lots of Mai after the jump. Be forewarned for cute^infinity.

The episode starts with a deceiving amount of Ayu-ness.

The dream sequence kicks off the episode as always, with Ayu^2 talking about being ignored and all, not being noticed, etc etc. This time I believe is the first time we really see the character in the dream sequence, which, as most can figure out, is Ayu Ayu. It's beginning to be apparent that something happened to Ayu - but what? Keep waiting...


We then cut straight into the flashback sequence with Lolichi and Ayu^2. She's fixated on the Plot Device angel doll, which is important beyond belief to Ayu's arc. Yuuichi promises to get it, bragging about how he can pick up two or three dolls like nothing. I think he was talking about dolls. With his pimping skills, he could be talking about haremettes. Let's count them from the loli era: Ayu, Nayuki, Mai, Fox Makoto...yup, two or three.


The dream/flashback ends, and Yuuichi wakes up and finds Ayu in the hallway at the same time. This is a subtle hint to the fact (which I believe is shown more obviously later) that they both are experiencing the dreams at the same time, waking up at the same time.


We get some fluff as Ayu, to me at least, channels some brilliant Sakura Kinomoto and her fear of ghosts. Note that she's talking about ghosts when mentioning how talking about ghosts causes ghosts to appear.

...Well, I'll sleep with the lights on tonight.


During the same scene, Ayu also worries about waking Nayuki up, to which Yuuichi has only one thing to say: A sleeping Nayuki is fine too. (I think I stole that from AoMM or somewhere. Copyright, props, whatever) Why is she blushing though? Somehow I imagine that's not Keropi in the dream.


Yuuichi and Ayu go out to the balcony to stare at the disturbingly accurate skyline, and they begin conversing about random stuff. In the midst of it we learn that both of them dislike heights, which quite likely stems from the fact that one of them fell off a tree and into a coma with the other person watching. Hint: the person who fell wasn't Yuuichi; although that would be strangely interesting...



Ayu also, for all the fanboys out there, does some Nayuki shipping, since Yuuichi is too dense to pay attention to his cousin. She also talks about 'when she grows up' (hint: never) and 'being like Nayuki', which implies an age difference. Yuuichi corrects her, saying that they are all the same age. Technically.


This was one of the funnier Sleepy Nayuki scene. I'm spinning~ woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhCLUNK.


When Yuuichi and Nayuki leave for school, Ayu talks trash about her awesome school, which allows for much circumventing of the rules. Of course, if this school sounds implausible, it's because it's not really a school. But even if it doesn't exist, it is important!


Shiori MISAKA's next in line for the token scene. We get more ice-creaming and Yuuichi gets a head freeze, which prompts Shiori MISAKA's summoning of a gigantic pile of medicine from her hammerspace (or something). Is all that medicine for her 'cold'? You bet. Also, is there really medicine for a head freeze?


Shiori MISAKA also talks more poetry about the ball and everything, relating herself to Cinderella, which is true in more than one way. The prohibitive sister (Kaori MISAKA, although she doesn't mean it), and the significance of midnight...

I'm pretty sure Cinderella didn't die at midnight, though.


Why am I screaming MISAKA at every opportunity now? Because so is the anime. This is the first time Shiori MISAKA's last name is really revealed from its veil of secrecy (thanks to Generic But Also Very Cute Underclassman. Love the flower in the hair). Now, they could just leave it as that, and let the viewers make the connection, but Yuuichi has to 1) spend a few minutes going "Holy shit, MISAKA?" -


And then 2) Asking Kaori MISAKA about her sister, Shiori MISAKA. She says she doesn't have one, but, come on, this is an anime. You know better by now. The hell she doesn't.


Commercial break: now for obligatory screenshot entendre interpreted for yuri. Nayuki x Kaori? Nayuki would never sign off on anyone but Yuuichi anyway, if she's waited for seven years already. And no, Jun has no guts to ask about threesomes.


Oh yeah, and Jun also notices that Kaori's being very emo lately, due to all this talk about MISAKA. Keep ignoring us, sure...


Yuuichi falls asleep while waiting for the dance to arrive, and we get launched into a rare second flashback in the episode. Does this mean Ayu is taking a nap somewhere as well? This time, we get the Very Very Very Very Important transfer of the angel doll, pictured almost exactly the same as in the intro. The part about the wishes isn't mentioned yet.


Ayu Ayu also talks very strangely about the 'rest of her life', which, technically speaking, is pretty short; or at least, I wouldn't really call 'being in a coma' that much of alive.


Nayu Nayu with pigtails. Fine too? Whatever, lolicons. By the way, Yuuichi can so have everything. First Ayu, then Nayu, then Mai and ZE WORLD! (is that stolen from AoMM too? or is it a more widespread meme? I need more internet culture.)


Finally, dance scene! Aizawa, Yuuichi Aizawa in his James Bond tux meets Mai in her dress and a full body pan and is completely floored. I'm inclined to agree. Wai for Mai~


In response to Yuuichi's witty remarks about her being a princess, Mai blushes extremely subtly (yet, of course, cutely), and then begins the cute head-chopping scene. Violence? Cute? It's more likely than you think.

In other news, an American male was arrested today at school for violently and abusively head-chopping students in a move authorities believe was inspired by a popular television show in Japan. Jack Thompson was quoted as blaming Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar, Sony, America, the Northern Hemisphere, and your mom.


It comes for the people at the dance to do what people do at dances, make love dance. Jun gets his status as Harem Runner-Up confirmed as the world shuns him. Yuuichi gets some negative harem points with his suggestion of Mai dancing with Jun (and, uh, not himself).


He also mentions the monkey dance, which causes Mai to brighten up with the mention of the word monkey. This is probably a jab at Mai's fascination with animals - remember, she's the one that wants to be a Yuki clone veterinarian.


Great line out of context? Great line of context. Now if you excuse me I'll be mopping myself up off the floor, that line simply melted me.

And they dance in the biggest, most actiony scene Kanon has had yet! If it weren't for the rest of Mai's arc it probably would be the iconic "action" scene of Kanon.

They say they can't dance, but who believes that? Suspension of disbelief a bit with the whole "they're the only ones dancing" thing, but it's sort of cute with the way they stand out from everyone else (whether they're looking like a couple or a pair of fools is omitted). Also note that I've described pretty much this whole episode as 'cute'. Pardon my fanboyism.


Gah, I'm going to need the mop again. Mai's happy! (as goes for Mai standards)


And Sayuri's dead! Oshi~

OK, she's not dead, but her circumstances aren't exactly the best, especially given this is only the first concussion Sayuri's going to get...


Mai goes crazy, beating the crap out of the already crap-beaten (by demons. they're real, duh) room. There's a surprising lack of collateral damage, with Sayuri being the only person injured really. Perhaps this is due to Mai's power; the demons that she creates (but not controls) goes for the people close to her - the same reason the demons are after Yuuichi.


Battle-torn Mai in dress. Still awesomely cute? Your call. Was the cross always that big?

And, uh, yeah, end episode. Fun stuff and, yes, action scenes await Mai, Yuuichi, and co. in the next Kanon. Halfway to home, Ayu fans!

-CCY