Boogiepop wa Warawanai Episode 7: Chasing after everyone
Published on February 11, 2019
After the events of this week's episode, I feel like I at least have a good sense of what's going with Aya, but that's about it. It looks like the first arc in this series was just a teaser, since this arc seems to be a lot more drawn out. I'm actually kind of glad that it's the case, though. If the series had started with this current arc, I probably would have been less willing to wait for the payoff. That being said, I'm still worried that the inevitable conclusion won't feel worth it.
Was it ever explicitly stated that Masaki was under Spooky E's control? Based on what I've seen so far, it seems like he's acting of his own free will. However, I get this weird sense from the things Aya and Spooky E say about him. Maybe Spooky E let him roam free because Aya agreed to manipulate him into being Boogiepop.
Looks like Jin has a bit of a mysterious past. There's no way that his father's death is a coincidence. Also, I'm curious about the idea that Jin was a talented artist in the past. Did his father's death mess up his art career? I thought he was just a counselor.
I'm getting tired of Spooky E's influence on everyone. It feels like he just pops up everywhere to grab faces and zap people. It's starting to feel like Jin's own power is meant to counter that in some way, which makes me wonder if they're related somehow.
I did think it was interesting that Kotoe's shift after being attacked by Spooky E was much different than previous ones. It's later explained that she's a copy, rather than a terminal (whatever that means). However, the series does a good job of suggesting that fact early. Here, we see her wearing red and black clothes similar to the ones Spooky E wears. It's also kind of ironic that he fully takes over someone who clearly knows Jin, which blocks him out from taking advantage of that memory.
So, it looks like Aya truly is a separate being from Spooky E, rather than just another terminal. It sounds like they're both experimental subjects for the Towa Organization...or Axis, I suppose. Has Axis come up before this episode? Were they related to Echoes somehow? That would be cool, but it seems really unlikely.
I don't think it's been explored too much yet, but Aya's mental struggles seem interesting to me. She's so obsessed with not being hated by anyone that she doesn't notice that she treats Masaki differently. It's almost like she has to admit that she likes him to get over that.
Wait, Spooky E is trying to get Masaki killed as Boogiepop? What exactly does that gain him?