Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Cat Planet Cuties Episode 8 – Quick Summary
In Cat Planet Cuties episode 8, “We Had a Duel,” Eris tried to work with Antonia to start the long process of turning The Underside of the Kitten’s Paw into a fan-club instead of a cult. It looked like it will be an uphill battle. Meanwhile, Aoi and Manami clashed over Kio, and they started a field exercise to decide the winner. Which is to say, they dueled. What made them so angry? Will a duel actually help? And is Kio really as dense as Manami makes him out to be?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Cat Planet Cuties Episode 8
Kio wanted to protect the people important to him. Capture from the Blu Ray.
The internet gives us tons of opportunities to communicate. Unfortunately, it also gives some folks unprecedented abilities to obscure communication. For example, what do you think of when I mention “toxic masculinity?”
There are probably as many answers as there are readers. And in the case of those of you who are veterans of on-line battles, you might have multiple answers! I know I do. Context matters, and I have different definitions of that phrase based on the context in which I’m using it – or the context I’m reading it.
I prefer to just describe what I’m talking about. Instead of toxic masculinity, I’d prefer to say a set of cliched male traits, often exaggerations, that result in harm. The risk is in painting with too broad a brush. As evidence, I present my favorite quote.
Not all cliched male traits (and yes, it’s a cliche to only associate it with males) are negative. Aoi asked Kio why he asked her to teach him fighting skills.
“Since I’m a guy,” he said (08:10), “ I feel that I have to be able to defend everyone when the time comes.”
Wanting to be the strong one can be misused. In Kio’s case, he wants to protect, as he said, everyone! So I’m going to use him as a counter example to toxic masculinity. It’s to justify why I like that quote so much. That feels more important than just saying it was cool!
Favorite Moment from Cat Planet Cuties Episode 8
Apparently, Manami does her best thinking alone, in the field, in full battle garb. I can respect that! Capture from the Blu Ray.
Setup: Manami and Aoi at Loggerheads
A bullet that destroys clothing but doesn’t hurt skin at all. Have you ever seen a more anime invention? Well, there may be others, but this one is right up there.
Now I feel like making a joke that Aoi was a good shot, but that was because Manami offered bigger targets to hit.
It’s been a long week. Can you tell?
This episode maintained a steady level of excitement. Nothing jumped out as “OMG that’s my favorite moment ever!” On the other hand, I never felt bored or disengaged. I enjoyed learning more about Manami and how she felt about Kio. And apparently, so did she!
The episode didn’t have a lot of highs and lows, but it felt consistently entertaining. Capture from the Blu Ray.
She and Aoi couldn’t agree on how to approach Kio, so they decided on a field exercise to see who was better. Eris, being the product of a sophisticated civilization, correctly asked (12:05), “By any chance, is this what’s called a duel?” It’s hard to get anything past Eris!
Aoi and Manami entered the remote forest from different angles. The goal was to use Catian clothes-eating bullets to settle their differences. It was fun to see each analyzing the other’s probable tactics, then coming up with counter measures.
Delivery: Manami Opens Up – to Herself
Manami had been thinking how angry she was with Aoi for not understanding Manami’s goal: to get her and Kio together. But she was really angry with herself, and she accidentally realized it when she thought (14:46), “It’s too late for me, anyhow.”
It started to rain. Still holding her submachine gun at the ready, Manami leaned back against a tree and thought (15:13), “I can’t make my move anymore, huh?”
Manami was honest with herself. Capture from the Blu Ray.
After thinking about it for a few moments, she thought (15:29), “I wonder why I didn’t realize it sooner. That I… love Kio…”
She only admitted it to herself. But it’s a start! Haruka Tomatsu, Manami’s voice actor, gave Manami’s thoughts a melancholy, lyrical grace that set the mood. The rain helped, too. Giving characters a moment to breath really elevates a series, doesn’t it?
What did you think of Antonia’s efforts to convert her cult to a fan-club? What were your favorite moments in this episode? Feel free to share in the comments!
Cat Planet Cuties Episode 8: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 1: The Cat Who Fell to Earth
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 2: I Dropped By
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 3: We’ve Come to Stay
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 4: We’ve Come to Kidnap You
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 5: We’ve Come to Rescue You
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 6: I’ve Practiced
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 7: We’ve Come to Swim
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 8: We Had a Duel
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 9: The Grand First Assisteroid?
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 10: We Came After You
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 11: I Came Looking for You
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 12: I Came to Find You
- Cat Planet Cuties Episode 13: Come Drop By
