Tasogare Otome×Amnesia

[Buffalobiian]

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7012/79569.jpg

Alternative title:
Dusk maiden of Amnesia (Japanese)
黄昏乙女×アムネジア (Japanese)

Genres: drama, mystery, romance, supernatural
Themes: Ghosts, school

Plot Summary: At the Private Seikyou Academy, there is a legend that all students have heard. 60 years ago, there was a girl who for some reason, was left behind in the old, abandoned school building to die. Teiichi Niiya one day meets a beautiful, mysterious girl named Yūko Kanoe at the old school building and gets a surprise- She's the ghost of the girl who died 60 years ago, but does not remember her past or how she died. Teiichi becomes determined to help her remember, and together, they seek the truth behind the gruesome legend. -ANN

UTW-Underwater - Episode 01 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=303239)



--------------------------





That opening text sounds dark, but the episode was anything but. In fact, the show reminded me most of Natsu no Arashi with a little more main-char assaulting. It doesn't matter which direction they head in though, since I'll look forward to them regardless.

[NeoCybercoin]

I liked the first episode. Gives a funny angle when 2 people can see her but the third one can't.

[kanavazk]

I thought the first episode was decent, but the repetition of the first 8 minutes seemed kinda unnecessary. There wasn't anything in the repetition that really added to the beginning of the episode and they were pretty much telling the same jokes twice. Though I guess the repetition was required in order to introduce Yuuko properly. Haven't read any of the manga so I'm looking forward to how/if the anime will develop.

[Buffalobiian]

I thought the first episode was decent, but the repetition of the first 8 minutes seemed kinda unnecessary. There wasn't anything in the repetition that really added to the beginning of the episode and they were pretty much telling the same jokes twice. Though I guess the repetition was required in order to introduce Yuuko properly. Haven't read any of the manga so I'm looking forward to how/if the anime will develop.

For the first 15 seconds or so of the repetition I wondered at whether it was really necessary to run everything through twice. But then I realised just how much fun everything was, so I had no complaints. The phone scene in particular with the "eye contact" and all.. :)

[Archangel]

Hmmm... I'm not sure. I'll give the second episode a chance but if it doesn't charm my socks off then i'll probably drop it.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 02 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=305303)





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I like all the boob-grabbing. Keeps things light hearted. Too bad it doesn't work IRL.

[Ryllharu]

I like how this series is drawn like a horror, but it's not one thus far, and Sankarea is drawn like a comedy, but it isn't one.

It's not so much that Yuuko doesn't mind the boob grabs, it that the fact that the two of them can touch (and that he can feel Yuuko) that overwhelms all of that. She really likes that. Love at first touch?

That, or she's gotten rather weird after being dead so long. After all, she's not embarrassed about undressing in front of him (no-bra too), but doesn't like her bones to be seen.

[Buffalobiian]

7

That, or she's gotten rather weird after being dead so long. After all, she's not embarrassed about undressing in front of him (no-bra too), but doesn't like her bones to be seen.

I think being a ghost has something to do with it. When you're free from human/social chains combined with only having rare guests, I can totally see the "I don't give a shit" mentality kick in.

Plus, she seems to think her ghost self is not her real body. I really can't relate to any out-of-body experiences though so I can't comment much on that. xD

Amnesia hasn't been focused on horror so far as you've said, but those flashbacks of Yuuko's death were pretty horrific enough.. I can see this getting dark (or at least 50% dark).

[Ryllharu]

I'm seeing it have more of an Occult Academy feel to it. Light-hearted, and then dark in the final quarter.

They somewhat implied that she had gotten stuck in there, not that she was forcibly thrown in and locked inside. Like a hide and seek game gone wrong, rather than a punishment taken too far. On the hand, she has amnesia, so she's certainly not going to remember the traumatic bits, yet, those were Teiichi's visions of Yuuko's past. She was crying for help, not forgiveness. It really could go either way.

[Buffalobiian]

Yeah, I can't see any sort of punishment going on. She either wandered in there herself, or someone tricked her, but I don't think anyone "locked" her in intentionally per se.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 03 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=308224)

[Buffalobiian]

[Shin-S] Tasogare Otome x Amnesia OP Single - CHOIR JAIL [Suzuki Konomi].zip (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=308392)

Charm, Suspense, Fanservice. This show has it all. I actually believed Yuko was an evil spirit at first too (not really when her relative "saved" the MC since that kinda gave it away that it wasn't, but right when Yuko hugged him in her seductive form with all the figurative spider webs extending from her back.) At that point, a "save Yuko from her hidden evil side" plotline was still available.

[Archangel]

This is boring.

[NeoCybercoin]

So far....kinda yeah.

[Buffalobiian]

...

You guys don't know how to enjoy a delicious ghost when you see one. >_>

[NeoCybercoin]

Oh I do it's just that so far it has been mostly that. Not that I am not enjoying that it's just that I was expecting more actual story regarding Yuuko. In these 3 eps we found out that she fell down some stairs, broke her leg and there is some kind of shrine down there as well. So let's hope the story actually picks up since they found that.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 04 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=309935)

[Ryllharu]

It makes me wonder if there is more than one Yuuko, like a split. The Yuuko we see remembers very little before she died, and has always either been lonely, or playful. Even when she's annoyed at Teiichi, the worst she gets is a bit of a teasing pout. Annoyed, never angry.

Perhaps the other spirit is Yuuko's memories and all the anger. Her grudge. Why she would be interested in taking it out on Kirie is beyond me right now, and would only be speculation. But the shrine below the room has got to be a big part of it, and what really happened to Yuuko.

[Buffalobiian]

But the shrine below the room has got to be a big part of it, and what really happened to Yuuko.

Perhaps the shrine banished the evil side of Yuuko from her? It's supposed to be able to ward off evil spirits or something. I'm currently not sure whether Yuuko's able to ignore physical rules and walk through walls, floors or fly. She's a ghost after all.. but she had to knock to get someone to open the door for her. The only example that suggests she can defy the laws of nature is that she appeared behind Teiichi when they first met, but he had to smash the mirror to access her body.

Perhaps Yuuko placed the mirror there herself.. who knows. It seemed awfully well built compared to her makeshift trespass barrier right now.

I really like the fantasy setting of the school with such unbelievable planning/construction, as well as the colours used in depicting the night sky. Combining that with the use of flashes and silhouette, it really does give off a Shaft feel that is more refined and less abstract.

[vejita613]

[Shin-S] Tasogare Otome x Amnesia OP Single - CHOIR JAIL [Suzuki Konomi].zip (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=308392)

Thanks for this. This song is getting stuck in my head.



. Why she would be interested in taking it out on Kirie is beyond me right now, and would only be speculation.

My guess it has something to do with Kiries' grandmother. We never really heard anything about their relationship. Perhaps her grandmother may have been involved in her getting stuck down there? Or maybe it's something as simple as the fact that they are blood related.

[Buffalobiian]

Thanks for this. This song is getting stuck in my head.



Lossless (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=309658) if you're interested. ;)



My guess it has something to do with Kiries' grandmother. We never really heard anything about their relationship. Perhaps her grandmother may have been involved in her getting stuck down there? Or maybe it's something as simple as the fact that they are blood related.

Kirie said that she could get permission if she asked her grandmother. I took that to mean that her grandmother held some sort of power over the school - perhaps chairwoman or something... Dunno if that point matters.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 05 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=312526)

[vejita613]

Lossless (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=309658) if you're interested. ;)


Much appreciated. I tried to give you some rep, but it wouldn't let me...


So, did Kyrie go up on anyone else's list this episode or what it just me?

[Buffalobiian]

Much appreciated. I tried to give you some rep, but it wouldn't let me...


So, did Kyrie go up on anyone else's list this episode or what it just me?

Hmm.. she was already pretty high up there already, so I don't think it changed too much overall for me. I rather like her cool demeanour to begin with.

Yuuko's still way up there, so she kinda overshadows everything else. I hope we get a few more students coming in with cases for the Paranormal Investigation Club soon. Different settings help keep things fresh.

[shinta|hikari]

Yuuko is way too hot. If only ghosts could get tanned...

[Buffalobiian]

Yuuko is way too hot. If only ghosts could get tanned...

I think I would like her snow white still. Urabe's different. She looks way better tanned.

Yuuko is playful and childish, but her appearance is still your refined type, while I've found the tanned complexion to suit the slightly "wilder" looking types well.

[shinta|hikari]

Sora no iro, mizu no iro is a good preview of what could happen if ghosts could get tanned.

[Buffalobiian]

Sora no iro, mizu no iro is a good preview of what could happen if ghosts could get tanned.

She was only slightly tanned from memory. That could work.. maybe. I was going the extreme of thinking chocolate tanned. That one didn't work for Azu-nyan, for example.

Edit: Kirie tanned would be a good experiment IMO.

[Kraco]

I'll drop Jormungand in favour of this show. This is much better and actually makes me want to watch the next episode. Initially I wasn't overly interested in this, because the setting of one person seeing a ghost and the next not seeing and any ensuing comedy isn't really my type of humour. However, I gave it a chance now, and this show quite pleases me. The characters aren't bad, especially the skeleton and anatomy model are awesome Yuuko is very interesting, the atmosphere is really good, and the story so far hasn't failed. Mystery is kind of fluttering in the background most of time, but never forgotten. The hidden shrine and the possible existence of a second ghost are ensuring that, if nothing else.

I'm not yet sure what to think of the second ghost. Either it's an aspect of Yuuko (or her curse, if she was cursed) or it could also be a much older entity and the real culprit of Yuuko's demise and many of the darker rumours. If it's a part of the original shrine and not something erected in a school's basement later (doesn't sound overly likely), it's obviously much older than the school.

[Buffalobiian]

. If it's a part of the original shrine and not something erected in a school's basement later (doesn't sound overly likely), it's obviously much older than the school.

Does "it" refer to the ghost or the shrine in the basement? I thought that shrine WAS the original shrine that the school got built on top of.

[Kraco]

In that quote, it refers to the shrine. However, unless the other ghost is a dualistic second aspect of Yuuko, both the shrine and the ghost should be older than the school. After all, that part of the shrine seemed to be sealing something. I say a part of the shrine because we didn't see anything so big that it would have claimed the whole hilltop, so I assumed there could have been more. Though now that you said it, it's of course possible that's all there ever was and the school was built around it. In that case it was quite an ominous place, if the whole hill was claimed by a small shrine sealing away some demon...

[Buffalobiian]

I wandered at what the presence of the shine meant myself when it was shown back in its respective episode. I read an opinion that stated the presence of the shrine and the warding talismans that surrounded it and its proximity with Yuuko's body was the big reason Kirie concluded that Yuuko was not an evil spirit - because one such being wouldn't survive(?) or stay there without ill effects.

Is it common for (or even the definition of) a shrine in Japan to contain some sealed entity? I know they're a place of worship.. but not sure if they had to trap (or at least be the residence of) the respective spirit.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 06 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=314331)

[Archangel]

Ok enough, this episode just went full frontal retard. Dropped.

[NeoCybercoin]

Talk about a zerg rush of students.

[Ryllharu]

Ok enough, this episode just went full frontal retard.
That was kind of the point. It was a good look at mob mentality.

Kirishima took the three dumbest girls in school ("Hur, Hur. Her name's da same...") who were teasing her and rolled them into her mob as revenge. This is why she's able to convince them so easily about the Red Woman, because they are full blown retards.

But as with all mobs, spin them up enough, and they go berserk. Kirishima did a good enough job, and those three girls are dumb enough, that they'll believe anything if they think it will solve their problems. That's what we saw when the mob members started going on a rant about random stupid shit that's personally bothering them (Killing her will mean I can take my test well tomorrow!).

As they ran out the door, we see that the other students really don't give a shit about the whole thing. Only the morons got caught up in Kirishima's plan.


Poor Kirie. All the other girls in school have bigger boobs than her, she's being harassed by ghosts (not Yuuko), and her deceased great-aunt stole the boy she liked.

[Kraco]

Even if they were the dumbest picks, it still was unbelievable in this day and age. Something like that would have seemed plausible a couple of hundreds of years ago, but hardly today. Still, I suppose it did fit the general atmosphere of this show, however stupid it looked.

Yes, poor Kirie indeed. I wonder why the dark ghost is haunting her so specifically. Is it because she's Yuuko's relative?

[shinta|hikari]

It's the (lack of) breasts.

[Ryllharu]

Even if they were the dumbest picks, it still was unbelievable in this day and age. Something like that would have seemed plausible a couple of hundreds of years ago, but hardly today.
That's exactly what mob mentality does to normally rational people. That's how groups of people see UFOs, leprechauns in Alabama trees, and all other kinds of fairly recent herd mentality displays (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_hysteria).

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - Agent K.

[Kraco]

I probably worded poorly what I intended to say. I'm not denying mob mentality, which is unfortunately true, but the fact they were ready to lynch Kirishima. That would have still easily happened a couple of hundreds of years ago, but not today (at least not in the first world). There's a huge difference between believing you saw a UFO when the crowd around you say they saw one and being ready to actually slay someone, with all the dire consequences it would carry in a civilized society.

But then again, they were stupid.

[Buffalobiian]

Japan is a hugely superstitious country. If you put a shoe in their washing machine, they'll have to get a new washing machine because it's "dirty". No amount of immunoassay tests or disinfecting could tell them otherwise - and that's not to say they don't have faith in technology.

Throw herd mentality (DUMB herd mentality) in there, and I see this as something that can really happen. Don't forget that we do have a real ghost stirring things up in the first place.

I can't ever imagine myself being a dumb-ass herd person, partially because I'm so detached with everything that I actually won't give a shit enough to tip me over the edge. Another big part is my fatalist mentality (or perhaps it's just a glorified form of laziness) where I just say something can't be helped instead of deciding there must be a way out of something (and then imagining or coming up with a BS way).

I will go ahead with herd mentality if I see it though, assuming that it's as powerful as the one we saw. The reason there is because there's nothing you can do to stop it (I'm not as optimistic as Teichi, or resourceful fortunate enough to have a barely-dressed Yuuko with me). If you kept insisting that they're wrong, they'll just come up with a BS reason to get rid of you.

"You're her comrade, aren't you?" /kill

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 07 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=315978)

[Ryllharu]

So the story is finally making a move. I also have to gloat by saying that I was right (http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread.php/20537-Tasogare-Otome×Amnesia?p=512025&viewfull=1#post512025). I'm not sure Kirie is correct though, since there are actually two Yuukos, not a split personality within the primary.

I do like that the price Grudge Yuuko takes is her memories. She's allowed to keep being playful and happy, but at the cost of any memories associated with the negative emotions she finds ugly in herself. Yuuko wasn't too happy about giving up her jealously, because she realized what it would cost her, but by the time she did, it was already too late. Grudge Yuuko was inside her, stealing the memories and taking control.

I would think the correct approach would be to merge the two once they force Genki-Yuuko to remember what really happened to her. Make Yuuko whole again. But I'm afraid they're going to spend time making Yuuko fall in love with Teiichi again. Kirie should be doing a lot of the legwork though, she's the one who should be able to get the most information from her family.

I kinda wish Okonogi could see Yuuko though. That joke is starting to get a bit stale. But it's a nice touch, for someone so constantly wound up about thinking there are ghosts everywhere, subconsciously she firmly believes they can't possibly exist.

Lastly, I love Yuuko's eyes when they glow pink.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't think Yuuko actually forgot him. She's faking it.

Normally one can't claim that they forgot something unless they know they once remembered it in the first place. She wasn't all that cheerful like her past self anyway.

[Ryllharu]

She said that because he knew her name, but she had no recollection, and she didn't want to be rude.

[Buffalobiian]

She said that because he knew her name, but she had no recollection, and she didn't want to be rude.

I considered that too, but still had my doubts - especially how the animation had her eyes covered by shadows.

I'm thinking Teiichi's broken the cycle A-Tale-Of-Memories style.

[Kraco]

If Yuuko's denying herself so much she actually managed to create a separate second aspect of herself to host the denied feelings and memories, it wouldn't be too far out there for her to simply be afraid of admitting to recognize Teiichi, since she wouldn't know why she recognizes him. For a master of rejecting feelings and memories, it must be a ghastly feeling to realise she does in fact know someone without any threads attached to explain why. In that situation the natural reaction would be to deny everything, like Bill said, to strenghten her unfortunate habit.

Although I'm not saying I share that belief. Time will tell.

We are only 7 eps in out of 12, which makes me wonder how conclusive at all this can be. If this is supposed to be a mystery series, it'd be strange if we already knew or guessed correctly everything. Teiichi's deduction was grim and plausible enough, also explaining the huge burden of negative emotions, but to reveal that so soon makes me suspect it. It would be disappointing if rest of the show is only healing Yuuko and filling some details.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 08 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=317966)

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Solving the amnesia in one episode feels a bit easy, but I wouldn't have wanted it dragging on either, so I guess this is for the best.

[Buffalobiian]

[ASL]_Okui_Aki_-_Dusk_maiden_of_Amnesia_ED_-_Calendrier_[FLAC]_[w_Scans].rar (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=318444)
[ASL]_Okui_Aki_-_Dusk_maiden_of_Amnesia_ED_-_Calendrier_[MP3]_[w_Scans].rar (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=318445)

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 09 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=320108)

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 10 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=322020)

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 11 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=323929)

[Buffalobiian]

UTW-Underwater - Episode 12 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=325666)

[Archangel]

Decided to marathon this to the end, the shitty cop out ending made me wish i hadn't.

I felt trolled as fuck, here i was thinking they'd end it with class... but no LOL ALL IS WELL CAN WE HAZ SEASON 2???! xD

[Buffalobiian]

I jumped on this show initially because of the promise of mystery behind it, but that became secondary. It was mainly Juicy-Yuuko-weekly that made me like the show more than anything else. The mystery was nice, but once we had the first memory wipe, I sort of tuned out.. it just wasn't as interesting anymore since it became redundant.. though arguably necessary.

So I really couldn't ask for me when all's over and Yuuko was being juicy and cheery and sexy again. Then I teared up. I like it when things make me tear up. Just like the time another disappearing Yuuko did. (except that time was probably more intense, from memory).

The "cop out" cheapened it more or less, but I'll still say it was nice to end on a happy note. Now Yuuko's liberated from her school-based regrets and must follow Teiichi around everywhere, just like how the first memory-wipe was required to offset the memories of Teiichi onto Shadow Yuuko so that Teiichi and her would be more connected later.

Perhaps an alternative would have been a fast-forward where a 30 year old Teiichi walks around somewhere and meets a 16yo reincarnated Yuuko. Of the two endings, I'd prefer the one we just got.

Can't see a second season.

[Ryllharu]

I'm kinda tired of bittersweet endings to these kinds of series. It's gotten to the point where one expects an unhappy ending. I can't say I even got misty-eyed during the rather drawn out goodbye scene poolside or in the club room. I've become rather bored with those kinds of endings.

It's not like Teiichi was going to get with Kirie as a replacement for Yuuko. That would be a disservice to them both.

Happy ending works fine for me.

[Archangel]

Bulshit! If you're going happy ending then go happy ending, don't have us all feel bad for the characters and then cop out at literally the last minute.

[Uchiha Barles]

Just finished watching this, I teared up on that last episode. And yeah, I generally hate cop out endings, but I didn't hate this one so much because it was so short and non-integral to anything that I could simply excise it from my mind, which I'm choosing to do now. Her staying as a school bound ghost isn't a happy ending either in my book.

[Buffalobiian]

Her staying as a school bound ghost isn't a happy ending either in my book.

That's what I was referring to when I posted this:


Now Yuuko's liberated from her school-based regrets and must follow Teiichi around everywhere, just like how the first memory-wipe was required to offset the memories of Teiichi onto Shadow Yuuko so that Teiichi and her would be more connected later.

I speculated that Yuuko (who was freed from her regret-bound self) returned because she desired to stay with Teiichi - and that differing reason meant she could step outside the bounds of the school.

One could argue that she has to stay at school because that's where she died, but ^ was an idea that I had anyway.. since she wouldn't otherwise be able to stay with Teiichi "forever and ever" unless Teiichi chose to become a teacher there.

-----------------------------------------



Explanation of the my previous post (for those interested) since it was poorly expressed:

I rationalised that Yuuko leaving wasn't entirely wasted given that it was needed to release her school-bound status, in the same way that Yuuko's first memory loss of Teiichi wasn't completely useless because we needed to place memories of Teiichi into Shadow Yuuko in order to have more of an effect on her.

In both cases, the story couldn't have gone through with skipping the "intermediate" step and have Yuuko:

1) Final ep: stay around
2) Ghost Fusions: convince Shadow Yuuko

[shinta|hikari]

I would have changed the final part of the ending to make it less of a cop out. In the final scene when Teiichi was saying that he will forget Yuuko, he could have cried out that he will never forget her and that he will never be happy without her after she disappears. Yuuko, after a few tense moments, reappears. surprised at how it happened herself. Then she realizes that she just gained another "regret" that won't let her rest in peace, which is simply that she is unable to let Teiichi suffer like he will.

That would have been very similar to the ending we got, but feels less like a random resurrection.

[Uchiha Barles]

My particular issue with this being a happy ending at all is that my vision of how ghost stories should be is colored by the ghost stories I know. Basically, if there's a ghost, something is horribly wrong, and the ghost is suffering. I do like Shinta's version of an ending though because it does come across as a bit less of a cop-out...but still a cop out. But whatever, I'm not too hung up on it. I just found out that there's a manga that seems to go beyond the story presented in the anime, and I welcome a second season just for the characters. I'd just have to adjust my thinking a bit: a little less tragedy, a little more Casper the Friendly Ghost.

[Buffalobiian]

[Shin-S] Tasogare Otome x Amnesia Insert Song Single - Requiem [Hiiragi Nao].zip (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=335749)
[Shin-S] Tasogare Otome x Amnesia Insert Song Single - Requiem (FLAC) [Hiiragi Nao].zip (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=335755)

Awesome song. The voice-less version is great on its own too thanks to the vocal backing. It's a pity the recording has some technical issues in having some spots "break".

[Buffalobiian]

Commie - Episode 13 (http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=download&tid=385103)

[Uchiha Barles]

Oh nice! Fanservice in loli-goth atmosphere is always welcomed back. Rofl @ Kirie's chuunibyou. Best thing I got out of the episode though was a reminder of how much I love the ED song.

[vejita613]

Actually, I was expecting for Kirie to steal the ED as well. Also, I didn't realize that Okonogi was freakin stacked (or maybe I just don't remember).

[Buffalobiian]

Yuuko>Kirie>Okonogi for me.

I didn't realise that Kirie actually had something there. Thank you fanservice ep.