Kurenai - Episode 5

Every time I come to the assumption that Kurenai has reached its peak and will probably start to drop off with regards to its quality, it manages to surprise me by becoming even better still. It doesn't quite seem like the right word for it, but the best I can come up with is that episode five of Kurenai is beautiful.

For starters, Murasaki once again provides the right balance of normal kid who gets excited over toys (while also demonstrating ably how to destroy a Nintendo DS), has childish arguments with other kids and becomes fascinated by the simplest things that could only truly delight a child, matched up against the wannabe mature, controlling Murasaki who tries to hold her own in adult conversation using things she's learned from TV. It's really both delightful and adorable, while also proving to be absolutely hilarious at times, with some fantastically timed and worded outbursts that had me in stitches.

However, Murasaki doesn't manage to steal the show entirely - With this episode focusing on Shinkuro visiting Yuuko to get in some practice at whatever kind of crazy martial art it is they're good at, we learn some more about that blade that he seems to have hidden away in his body as well as some more about Yuuko's family and family history. This somewhat pales into comparison to the training fight sequence between Shinkuro and Yuuko, which is a beautiful (there I go with that word again) juxtaposition of love and violence. It's a really rather odd scene to watch in many ways, with Yuuko going all out against her opponent and certainly not pulling any punches, but in such a way that you're half-expecting her to wrestle him to the floor to smother him with kisses any second. Such is the genius of this show that every scene is frequently dripping with meaning beyond the obvious points of what you're seeing.

Coming from a Code Geass fanboy who was self-assured that nothing would top it for the Spring season, I have a confession - I was wrong. As of now, Kurenai is officially my favourite show of the season, bar none, it's more terrific than my poor wordsmanship can put across here. So, now I've said that, I just hope it's going to continue in the same vain and not let me down.