Anime Review: C – The Money of Soul and Possibility Control Episode 4

Posted on November 12, 2011 by matthigh

Anime Review:
C – The Money of Soul and Possibility Control Episode 4

What this is about: Watching all of the anime shows so you don’t have to! For more information about me and my reviews, click here for details on what I am reviewing.

Series Premise: [C]: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control is a weekly televised anime series started in April 2011, an original story aired as part of Fuji TV’s Noitamina animation block. Kimimaro can only dream of a financially-stable life, when he is offered the opportunity by a mysterious trickster to enter the fabled Financial District, mortgaging his future as collateral to compete in tournaments where his very future is on the line.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the picture in full size in a new window:

ep. tl;dr review: More exposition as Kimimaro learns about the consequences of winning or losing a Deal, and how to game the system.

Episode Summary: During his second Deal battle in the Financial District, Kimimaro finds himself up against one of his professors. The next day in class, he learns what going bankrupt in a Deal truly means, when he discovers that his teacher’s future has been taken from him: his children are gone as if they never existed. Kimimaro also learns about the Starling Guild, a large faction within the Japanese Financial District controlled by Mikuni. Kimimaro watches one of his Deals, and discovers his strategy of defeating his enemy by the slimmest of margins, thus ensuring financial stability in the real world.

My Impressions: Okay, now we have a strategy for moving forward, and I can see the larger picture coming in to play. Currently the Starling Guild only controls about a third of the players in the Financial District, and is steadily trying to gain more influence so it can take over the game. By being able to keep everyone winning and losing by small margins, the fragile stability in the real world continues. However, I wonder who the “enemy” is, if there is an actual group or person in opposition to this plan, or if it is just battling the cumulative greed of individuals who are clawing for power.

Somewhat lost in the Big Picture is the tiny piece of the puzzle, Kimimaro, who is simply another cog in the giant machine. As the world of the Financial District has been expanded, the smaller world of Kimimaro himself has fallen into the background of this series, which is a bit of a shame. I would think the truly interesting story is to see how becoming and Entre affects him on a personal level as he leads a double life, trying to avoid his newfound wealth (or rather, his mortgaged future) turn him. I think I’d like to see more of that, please.

Oh, and the power of the Financial District is absolute, making me wonder if the “real world” is real or not, or just some sort of virtual reality. The ability to change the world so that the professor never had two children, and his pregnant wife is no longer pregnant, all overnight with no one remembering anything different — that implies worldwide mind control or bending of reality itself. Just what *is* this Financial District and how did it come into being, anyway?

The verdict:

For more information:

Sampling of Online Reviews:

  • “It’s here where this series really shows that it’s more than just another pokemon clone. At least, until Pokemon starts turning into a series about economics.” – Star Crossed Anime Blog
  • “[C] certainly is trying to build up to something grand. You could just see how the story is trying to build up both it’s characters, while at the same time adding layers of mystery and intrigue to the setting itself. The stuff going on in this episode doesn’t mince words either, with some rather interesting action sequences to boot. ” – Emory Anime Club
  • “[C] starts proving that there was a reason people were drawn to it in the first place. This episode was ridiculously good. The opening was intense. The juxtaposition between the quiet and calm world of reality to the chaotic and violent world of the financial district was brilliant. Three episodes back I found the use of CG in certain places obtrusive. Consider that sentiment gone in episode 4.” – Hachimitsu
  • “I suppose this episode was decent, but I’m still underwhelmed by this show. The characters are just boring. Let’s face it: the teacher from this episode, who will probably never appear again, and even the convenience store manager are more interesting than Kimimaro, Souichiro, and Mashu combined.” – Draggle’s Anime Blog

ROUND FOUR RESULTS FOR SPRING 2011 SHOWS:

Thumbs-up for Round Four: Steins;Gate, Deadman Wonderland, Hanasaku Iroha, Ano Hana, Tiger and Bunny, Nichijou, Yondemasu-yo Azazel-san, C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control

Thumbs-down for Round Four: None yet

Coming up next (in this order): Blue Exorcist, Kaiji Season 2, Hyouge Mono

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