Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2 – Quick Summary
In Amagi Brilliant Park episode 2, “Not Enough Time!”, Sento forced Kanie to attend a business meeting – at gunpoint, of course. There, he met Takaya Kurisu, a representative of Amagi Development. Sento referred to Kurisu as “the enemy.” With good reason, too. He said if Amagi Brilliant Park didn’t bring in 250,000 visitors by August, it would have to close. And it was May. Is there anything Sento can do to convince Kanie to help them? Even if he agreed, what could he possibly do? And why does Kurisu think he recognized Kanie?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Amazon Merchandise
Favorite Quote from Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2
Sento gets points for self awareness. She also pulls off the professional look with style and grace. Capture from the Blu Ray.
Thinking back to the first time I watched this, I think the scene where Sento tried to negotiate with Kurisu showed me Sento was someone I could emphasize with. She was in way over her head. She knew it; Kurisu knew it. Kanie soon realized it, even if he didn’t already suspect it.
The cool part? Sento tried anyway. She loves Princess Latifa, so she tried to do something very much outside her skillset.
That’s commendable. I like that about Sento. But even I have to admit: she’s terrible at working with humans. I offer my favorite quote as proof.
At the end of the business meeting, Kanie asked Sento why she hadn’t hired a professional manager. “We did, but they all quit,” she said (10:33). When he asked why, she answered, “Perhaps because I threatened them with my gun. I feel responsible for it.”
Did I mention I also respect her for her honesty?
Favorite Moment from Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2
Kanie knew how those assembled would react to him. In fact, he provoked them on purpose. Capture from the Blu Ray.
Leadership is Hard
The older I get, the more I appreciate my favorite moment – and the more I respect Kanie for what he tried to do. It carried a cost, and he knew it. Yet, like Sento, he chose to do what he thought he had to.
We’re so used to stories about bad management that we forget there are good leaders and good managers out there. That’s not surprising, given the kind of “management” that captures headlines. From “leading” businessmen who declare that lying to banks of not only fine, but medal worthy, to managers who prioritize their own financial profits over the health and well-being of the people working for them, we have a plethora of examples of the wrong kind.
Sometimes, the world seems filled with selfish, short-sighted leaders. Capture from the Blu Ray.
That’s a shame. It’s a shame because it’s happening, and it’s a shame because it makes life harder for leaders who are trying to do the right thing. Further complicating matters are perceptions of leaders who are trying to do the right thing, but that thing hurts some workers in the short term.
Setup: My Experience and Kanie
I used to be an Assistant Vice President. At one point, I had to fire someone. I hate it. So, I asked my younger brother for advice. In our family, I got the computer smarts, and he got the people smarts (okay, he got the people smarts and computer smarts, but cut me some slack here). I lamented having to fire someone. I’ll never forget what he told me. “The only thing worse than having to fire someone is not firing someone who needs to be fired.” He went on to remind me that a worker whose performance isn’t contributing to the team brings down the entire team. Ultimately, retaining too many workers like that could tank the entire company.
Those words didn’t make what I had to do any easier. But it gave me a context. I could better empathize with the worker. I could put the events into context in a way he no doubt didn’t appreciate at the time. But I hope it helped him later, when emotions had cooled down.
What Kanie had done shocked the princess and Sento. Capture from the Blu Ray.
I did what I had to do. I wasn’t there to make friends, and I wasn’t there to make myself feel good. My responsibilities included making sure my team succeeded so the company could succeed. I needed years of experience to understand that.
Kanie understood it at a much younger age. He stood at the back of the audience as Princess Latifa broke the bad news to the crew: they would have to close in a few months. Wanipi lost his composure, the terror of fading away – literally – overwhelming him. Kanie didn’t want to help. But between Kurisu’s needling, Sento’s misguided but heart-felt attempts to win him over, and some kind of feelings for the princess, Kanie decided to throw his lot in with them.
Delivery: Kanie Did What he Had To
He knew a blubbering crew had no chance of attracting patrons. So he drew on a knowledge of leadership that I found impressive. He gave them a common enemy. He gave them a target for their fury so they’d have the motivation to win.
Who was this enemy? Kanie himself.
“Look at you! This many of you and you’re completely useless!” he told them under the astonished gazes of Sento and the princess (16:57). “You can’t attract customers or raise funds, and you’re about to let yourselves go unemployed!”
That got them riled up. He pushed harder, saying (17:04), “You know what the man from Amagi Development said earlier? He said that any customer coming to this park is a huge idiot.”
Kanie speaking of the customers in such a way struck a nerve. Capture from the Blu Ray.
He told Sento and the princess later that their vocal anger at him for that statement gave him hope. It meant they cared for the customers. He could work with that.
But he hadn’t finished with the crew yet. He laid it out for them when he said (18:10), “Aren’t you put off? Aren’t you pissed? Good.”
The first time I watched this, I admit I didn’t know what he was doing. I thought he was an idiot. The older me not only realized what he tried to do. I’ve seen my colleagues have to do something similar at work. Sometimes, leadership means pulling in the right direction even if it makes people loathe you. And sometimes, it means you have to make them loathe you. Being a leader isn’t fun, and it isn’t for the faint of heart. But it’s worth it if you’re working for the common good. That’s something far too many people seem to have forgotten. But not Kanie.
What did you think of meeting Tiramie and Macaron? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!
Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: [Spoilers] Amagi Brilliant Park – Episode 2 [Discussion]
- Chikorita157’s Anime Blog: Amagi Brilliant Park – Episode 2 – Glimmer of Hope
- The GlorioBlog: Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 1: Not Enough Visitors!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 2: Not Enough Time!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 3: Not Enough of a Boost!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 4: Not Enough Secretary Competence!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 5: Not Enough Money!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 6: Not Enough Staff!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 7: Not Enough Pool Safety!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 8: Not Enough Love Appeal!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 9: Not Enough Teamwork!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 10: Nothing Can Be Done!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 11: Nothing to Worry About!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 12: Nobody Knows What the Future Holds!
- Amagi Brilliant Park Episode 13: Not a Good Promo!
