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#14

I was wondering how they were going to overcome the Wall, i.e. Rip and his sidekick. Turns out it was everyone in the Union taskforce as well as Chikara all playing their roles for one big gamble to kill Rip. It must have worked because Fuuko isn't dead from shock by blood loss while Andy eventually regenerated his entire body. Yet Rip is back in a much smaller frame, so what gives? Next episode should explain how he's back from the dead, like Andy does multiple times in the series.

The teamwork segment is actually fun to watch, regardless of the unnecessarily long windup that precedes it. The narration just after Andy pulls off the shot is very useful for clueless casual viewers who have no idea where Andy pulled off the Deux Ex Machina shot; if it keeps all viewers regardless of prior knowledge on side then it's not useless. Too bad Rip got away, which rather spoiled the payoff slightly. Union stop the opposing side from killing or capturing another Denier, while Andy and Fuuko may acquire another recruit voluntarily if they've done enough to win him over. Sounds good, but Rip's untimely arrival means the show might have more surprises in store before the arc is formally closed.

#15

If the new OP and EDs weren't enough of a clue the series has started something major, this episode's content would have been obvious enough to casual viewers that this series is starting new arcs and content quite different from what has gone before. Quite the change from the impression given right at the start when Andy was just an exhibitionist pervert with a death wish.

So Rip die die, but his companions somehow transplanted his mind and abilities into a new "vessel" which will be changed again when he wants his old adult form back. No idea what process they used to pull off this miracle, but the organization they are a part of is directly opposed to Union and is the episode title. Their motives are also more complex than their initial encounter with Andy and company led us to believe: they know what Union are up against but instead of resisting they've decided to adapt and focus on surviving whatever destruction visits the world when Union fails their quests. They will oppose Union regardless, as it is easier for them to remove candidates to join Union's ranks and keep their own numbers small and manageable.

Chikara has a proper Japanese name, and that's not all he has in common with Izumo Fuuko. Turns out his backstory has too many similarities with Fuuko's, so she clearly empathises with his plight. He's more or less the same age as she is, so for her it's a good thing he's steeled his resolve to join them despite his innately timid nature. Despite not touching the "artifact" gifted to Andy and Fuuko, he's heard enough from Rip to realise he's in over his head. Despite his, and unlike Fuuko when faced with the same situation he hasn't given up on his two goals in life and joining Union will help him achieve both. He's deeply grateful to Andy and Fuuko for saving him and giving him a new purpose, and although his power isn't as dangerous as Rip (Andy's initial prospect for the empty table slot) his participation means the Union can embark on quests once again. He pays a heavy price for his participation, as he requested everyone who knew him to lose their memories of him for their own safety. Now that his ties to his previous life are all cut, he too can play his part in saving the world.

Plenty of material to chew on for the OP and ED visuals. Like the "first" season (which overran slightly in January), there's material which looks like spoilers for what's to come. For the time being, I'm going to enjoy whatever crazy escapades Andy and Fuuko will get themselves in, as well as wonder if Andy will fulfil his dream of getting Fuuko to fall in love with him, mating with her and then dying from the colossal level of misfortune that will befall him after the act.

#16

Because of the series penchant for spending time summarising events which have gone before, the airtime for each episode is much shorter than is advertised. Yet somehow this franchise has a way of squeezing out completely unexpected plotlines from the most unexpected directions, much like Billy's Unbelievable ability with bullet trajectories.

The start of the episode went as expected: Apocalypse throws out unreasonable quest demands with an almost impossible time limit and expects the Round Table members to succeed or suffer the penalties for failure. For whatever reason, it's the Four Seasons and every inhabitant on Earth can help (or hinder) the quests. It's Billy's interjection that literally flips the table over, just as Rip said Under would the previous episode.

It's a lot to take in, but it appears Billy lied to Tatiana to begin with. It's true he has his bullet trajectory ability, but what he really has is the ability to copy and possess any Denier abilities. We do not know the mechanism through which he achieves this, but the results are quite clear. Chen, Andy and the boss's abilities are effectively his and it's virtually impossible for the remaining members to restrain Billy as things stand. Andy has an idea to stop the Fire Golem running away with the Table, but that's literally the first of a long list of tasks the Table has now been set now that Under have shown their hand.

If Under do make off with the Table, the story ends there. So I'm expecting Andy to at least accomplish what he sets out to be even with the handicaps in his way. I'm not going to guess how he's going about it: the series has made a point of overturning expectations in the most outlandish ways possible. I'll just enjoy the ride and look forward to what's in store.

Well, I have to give it to the show, sixteen episodes in and it still manages to surprise me every time. With most shows you have a pretty clear idea of how the story will progress and how the next arc will probably start off. Undead Unluck is completely unpredictable and basically anything can and will happen. I do think a little bit more downtime to flesh out some of the characters would have been nice though, Billy's betrayal is a surprise, but we know so little of the dude that it is not a shocking revelation.

#17

I'm starting to notice a trend in this franchise: compromise and partial victories are more common than clear and decisive wins for Andy, Fuuko and everyone else working with them if Under is involved. Despite the inability of Union to prevent the Table from being seized from their grasp, Andy does indeed ensure that a stalemate is in play as neither faction can proceed with their plans while the other holds a bargaining chip.

As always, the action set pieces are as outrageous and unpredictable as ever when Fuuko and Andy get their combination act going. If it wasn't the UMA Burn who has to be immobilised, they might well have succeeded given the tools at Fuuko's disposal. Still, they did enough to stop Under getting their own way while figuring out what the traitor's true ability is. It wouldn't surprise me if his moniker ended up being Unoriginal or some such.

One question not answered by the show is from whom Billy copied the ability which Union initially hired him for. He used it effectively to save Anastasia, yet he is unable to copy her ability like he did for Andy, Chen and the others. He took has a limitation, but it'll be a while yet (if at all) until casual viewers are let in on his secret.

Billy did mention something which only the top echelons of Union are privy to, and next week looks like it's going to reveal that secret to the rest of the Union members. Since the Table is gone but the grimoire stays with Union, there's some time to work out the next course of action.

#18

After all the action from this week, this week swings the other way and is all dialogue and exposition. That doesn't mean it's not entertaining, since the episode answers a few questions which sharp casual viewers might have spotted but not thought about too much because of all the action on screen. For me, the biggest twist is right at the end as it answers my own question about the relevance of that skit in the pilot episode.

There were screenshot flashes of Victhor in Union uniform last episode when Fuuko touches the grimoire; now we know why. It also makes Andy's personal quest so much harder, since even the literal end of the world and its reformation can't give him what he craves despite multiple resets. It's a comical explanation as well for the abundance of meteors Fuuko can call upon as part of her deal package. If Fuuko's effect is limited to just meteors, then Andy charming the pants off her and then copulating won't kill him unless something even more lethal than meteors or world destruction can be derived from the environment they're in.

Now that Juize has come clean on the situation and the seasons are already marked for either elimination or capture, one would expect a race between Union and Under to clear the requirements. The show being what is, I'm not expecting anything straightforward. This could go any direction until the end of the quarter and it's the unpredictable as a recurring constant that makes the show so entertaining.

#19

It's no surprise the show is anything but predictable. Did any casual viewer expect what was going to happen for the majority of the airtime? I didn't, and it's sheer entertainment seeing the Union crew do an all-nighter to prepare Fuuko for an interview with the publishing agency as their entrance card to meet with the mysterious artist whom Fuuko idolises. As is expected from the show's tongue-in-cheek humour, the fiction within fiction is unsurprisingly named after our main pairing's call signs.

That strange segment where Fuuko read the 101st volume of the long-running franchise turns out to be a very delayed Chekhov's Gun. If THAT scene comes to fruition, how is that going to play out when Fuuko and Andy are transposed into the roles? If that proves to be a red herring, how significant will this author's use of an artifact to draw her stories prove to be? If Union are being played for a fool and she's a member of Under all this while, it's hard to see Andy and company overturn their massive handicap.

Union's powers for memory wipe can come in really useful, which is a good thing as I feel sorry for the editor who met Fuuko during her audition. I have no idea how Andy infiltrated the building so quickly and with such timing, but she won't have any lasting effects from the experience.

I wonder if this adaptation is going to finish at two quarters or will continue like other long-running adaptations. If they're stopping at two, how much storyline can they adapt before they run out of airtime?

#20

As always, the series trajectory never follows anything predictable. Fuuko and Andy head straight for Canada as instructed, only to meet the object of their quest who embodies just as many mysteries as she does published volumes. Off the top of my head:

1. She's possibly not a Denier, but is well aware of what they're capable of.
2. She can see several possible futures, all of them bad. Trying to avoid them is one of her objectives.
3. The artifact pen she has can materialise one object, but not permanently. Only one object active at any time.
4. She doesn't seem too bothered about losing a limb so long as she can still draw.
5. She has her own reasons training the main pairing in this timeline, and is well aware of Juiz's own problem with regards to multiple world destructions.

Provided Under leave them to their own devices, Fuuko should have ample time to go through a centuries-old immortal's very voluminous past without interruption. Perhaps they will find something in his past which will unlock more of his potential without resorting to awakening Victhor. Who knows, Fuuko might actually like Andy more having learnt more about him which will make future bout of bad luck more potent.

UMA Autumn is the only one of the Four Seasons with a capture order rather than elimination, which suggests it's the weakest since the other three are so strong capture is out of the question. Capturing rather than killing is a whole different kettle of fish though, and I very much doubt our main pairing can do it along even with training. There's also Under to contend with who for whatever reason are biding their time instead of going after Autumn themselves. The other Round Table members are somewhere else in the globe where it's hot and humid, so they're either after UMA Summer or doing reconnaissance work.

If this adaptation is going to end at two quarters, I'm not putting any bets on where it's going to stop. Pacing has always been very uneven and unpredictable for this franchise.

#21

This reminiscence arc is going to take longer than I expected. Andy's life is centuries long, and he's unsurprisingly not the same Andy Fuuko has come to know. His personality at the start of the flashback is closer to Victhor's, but less bloodthirsty and easier to reason with. He's also forged relationships over the long years and lost them almost as quickly given the lifestyle he leads, so it's a minor miracle Fuuko kept up with him all the way to the end. The combat training she had with Union certainly paying dividends.

Because she's in his memories, how much of her influences him and helps him get stronger? She's technically not changing his part but affecting his memories, which at the very least has an impact on his character in the present. He clearly doesn't remember who she was at the start of episode one, so what kind of ripple effect is this experience going to generate?

With next week going back to his oldest memory, it looks like the series won't waste too much time in flashbacks. Whether or not this is enough to get them strong enough to capture Autumn before airtime is also another matter altogether. Considering how unpredictable the show has been, I'm not counting anything out.

#22

This isn't the first time the franchise has turned expectations on their head, and it won't be the last. Casual viewers expecting to see if Andy was involved in an assassination get Victhor instead. That battle in the OP which should have been conceptually impossible? We get to see it and a lot more as part of this week's package.

The OP and ED movies give out more spoilers than casual viewers expect, although the context behind them never fails to surprise. Victhor and Juiz have known each other for long that if the former gets his way and regains control, he'd perform euthanasia straight away for the easy way out in the impossibly long and difficult journey both have set themselves up for. Although the duel between the two immortals is as outlandish as expected, Victhor makes a clever comment about how the element of misfortune Fuuko has introduced into Andy's life has also given rise to the wild card they really need to accomplish the great task set to everyone. If even deities can be affected by life-ending misfortune, then victory is no longer impossible as it was through human endeavour alone. Whether or not Fuuko has it in her to manipulate her misfortune in such a sophisticated way remains to be seen.

As for Andy, learning more about his powers by fighting himself(?) seems to work. Victhor never really played by the rules whereas Andy was subconsciously bound by them. Now that he's been shown the possibilities of playing outside the shackles of rules, he'll have a better chance both against UMA Autumn and Under, who appear to be making their move while the main pairing are still stuck inside Andy's memories. Not much airtime remaining, so if they somehow survive Under's onslaught and figure out a way to capture Autumn in the meantime, that's a stopping point as good as any.

#23

If this is the penultimate episode of this adaptation, then it's good that Anno Un (Unknown) has a background story which is properly exposited. Turns out he's a Denier too, and his power is a cruel one as it literally erased his life and that of his mother's through a twist of fate.

We probably won't know if he was marked to pick up the fountain pen, or if he was the random passerby who was first to pick it up. Having omniscience of everything going on in his current loop and learning the stories of our main pairing, he's certainly not going to see his muses succumb to their preordained fates. It probably means he saw his own fate as well, to lose everything even his alter ego provided to Under's attack. But his efforts have not been for nought, after all what happens after this is something he cannot see the outcome of, and a gamble that he is staking everything on to see it succeed as the House (the God Juiz and company are trying to destroy) will win otherwise and everything he's done with the G-Pen will be rendered null and void.

So Unseen joined Under in order to stay alive. And because Under got to him first, he ended up being the fated hand which slew Fuuko. Thanks to the warning, Andy could deploy his newly modified blood powers effectively to completely remove that fate by killing Unseen with a surprise attack. That leaves three of Under's squad against Andy and Fuuko, and because Autumn is the only one with the Capture objective, the two competing factions can do what they please against the target with the only concern being not to kill Autumn and to be the first one to capture and secure it away from their competition. Not a bad way to finish the adaptation, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the animators come up with for the finale.

#24 End

The episode was telegraphed to be the big showdown with UMA Autumn, and even if the result was not in doubt the process through which everyone got there is unpredictable as always, which is the series trademark. One last twist, with Anno Un really being more than just Unknown's Alter-Ego. I'm guessing the rules governing that fountain pen won't ever be explicitly revealed, and it's not like Unknown cared anyway because he'd made it his life's work to break the rules all Deniers supposedly play by.

For the first time this series, there is a foe Andy and Fuuko really couldn't beat even going at 110%. So Anno Un had insurance laid down by ensuring Under's expeditionary squad would be obliged to assist, despite Rip's personal animosity to the endeavour. Because the last episode is focused solely on taking Autumn out, we only get glimpses of what is driving him and his compatriots to seize Union's Ark for their own purposes. I'm expecting the big August announcement later this year to be a continuation of the adaptation, but with an air-date most likely in Q1 2025 rather than 2024.

Now that Unknown has played his part and can no longer influence proceedings, the obvious continuation would be Andy and Fuuko reporting back to Juiz regarding the books and their successful capture of Autumn. That's assuming Juiz survives her encounter with Under's leader, she can't reincarnate into the next loop if she's killed before using the Ark. Plenty more storyline to go, and this being Shonen Jump they'll have more of a gap between adaptation and source material by the second half of 2024 to select what story arcs to adapt for the next season.

The most unpredictable show of the two seasons it aired in, there's something for everyone provided viewers get past the flaws in running jokes and the emphasis on recaps for the majority of episodes. Definitely looking forward to future adaptations.

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