Binbougami-ga! episode 5- Hanging on within an inch...

Oh man, I’m really struggling to find anything to say about Binbougami-ga! now- it feels like I’ve already said anything that’s worth saying (several times over) about it, and even though there has been a slight development plot-wise, how much in-depth, detailed analysis can I do of Tsuwabuki falling down a cliff? Hmm, I wonder…

Tsuwabuki falling down a cliff is a very interesting development that could be said to represent a number of things. It could be a visual metaphor for the downfall all those around Ichiko will inevitably meet due to her tendency to absorb others’ fortune- because of Ichiko, Tsuwabuki may have literally hit rock bottom… ho, ho… Simply having Momiji come out and warn her of such a thing will only ever be of limited success, much more effective is it to make an example of a character viewers may have begun to attach themselves to (it is unlikely this will have been the case for Suwano back in episode 1- we hardly knew him and, let’s face it, he’s a lot less pretty and, sadly, that’s how fan-girls work!) Interesting that the show choose to have Tsuwabuki fall down a cliff due to his poor fortune (that being a result of Ichiko’s aforementioned ability) right as Ichiko’s starting to become more likeable, undoing all of the show’s efforts to make her such. Possibly this is all a ploy, possibly, in order to redeem herself, Ichiko will also have to descend the cliff, in other words, experience the hell she forces others to experience, to save Tsuwabuki, raising our esteem of her higher than ever before.

However, one could argue that viewers’ opinion of Ichiko is unlikely to change as a result of Tsuwabuki falling down a cliff as she didn’t physically push him herself, he just fell. Having a villain (accidentally) plunge to their death is a phenomenon that occurs quite regularly in various media- such a death rids the main character of any responsibility (especially if they attempted to save the villain beforehand), leaving us free to continue to like them without feeling a twinge of guilt, e.g. almost every single Disney villain’s death (thanks for pointing that out TV Tropes!) Binbougami-ga- being a show that has shown an acute awareness of and has successfully used the tropes that plague various media- is unlikely to have overlooked this, so whilst Tsuwabuki is not a villain, the same principles can be applied- it was an accident, and were she there Ichiko probably would have attempted to save him, therefore, we can’t blame her for it. So, what is the true purpose of having Tsuwabuki fall down a cliff if not to negatively influence our opinion of Ichiko? Perhaps it is merely to give Momiji a chance to shine? Perhaps it is Momiji who’ll save Tsuwabuki, enabling her and Ichiko to bond, fanboys to continue to pair them up and the producers a chance to feed off of that and profit on a vast array of MomIchiko-related merchandise? We’re through the looking-glass here people…

Something else I found interesting about the scene where Tsuwabuki fell down a cliff was its use of colour. According to a reliable source (Wiki Answers), in some Middle-Eastern countries the colour black represents unfairness. Perhaps the director wanted to suggest that this turn of events was unfair, in other words, that it was caused by Tsuwabuki’s ill fortune, which, in turn, is caused by Ichiko’s ability? Perhaps Ichiko really does beg to be hated? On the other hand, black also represents evil, so perhaps a darker force is at work here? Perhaps Tsuwabuki’s fall was no accident, perhaps it was caused by the final boss who will emerge from the shadows and reveal their dastardly plan shortly? *shrug* Who’s to say?

Tsuwabuki falling down a cliff could also be one of the show’s more subtle attempts at a joke. Somewhat ironic that the episode’s cliff-hanger involves a cliff, possibly one that Tsuwabuki is hanging off of in order to survive… Oh, how droll…

So there you go, four paragraphs on the possible meanings behind a character falling down a cliff- not bad, huh? Though in retrospect, it was more of a ravine than a cliff… Hmm…

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