Little Busters!

So happy I could do the “Muscles yay-yay” dance.

Plan on keeping that crying towel I suggested having for the first season. Episode 3 comes on pretty rough. Then again I rather like Kurugaya so…

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What the heck happened to my sweet little anime? Now, it’s all weird and freaky!

But I like it!

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 2 (Sub), is live at ANO

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 3 (Sub), is live at ANO

Episode 6…

Kengo, after the baseball challenge ends. Not sure I have words. But I get how he feels.

1st Little Busters! EX Episode Previewed in Ad

posted on 2013-11-25 17:45 EST
1st episode featuring Saya to ship with 1st Little Busters! Refrain DVD/BD on January 29

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 4 (Sub), is live at ANO

This season is just getting stranger, and stranger. I am beginning to wonder if this is all someone’s dream.

I just watched Ep. 04 and I’m beginning to think the same thing.

Specifically Kyōsuke, since he’s been acting strange these past few episodes.

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There is definitely some kind of manipulation going on, other than the obvious (the “missions” that the cat brings). I just haven’t quite figured it out yet.

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 5 (Sub), is live at ANO

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 6 (Sub), is live at ANO

It should start to become clear in the next few episodes.

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 7 (Sub), is live at ANO

Episode 10 –

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I don’t think this is quite the dream I was thinking of. Maybe a time loop? Kyousuke keeps saying something about a “cruel reality”. And those flashes of pictures – some kind of accident? – makes me wonder. Kyousuke also says that everything began on May thirteen, saying that he turned back time and created a world. He says that he needed for Riki and Rin to become stronger or they will fall into despair when they find out about the “cruel reality”.

Kyousuke also says that Lennon the cat is his alter ego. It does sound more and more like a time loop since Kyousuke keeps saying that he turned back time. Oh geez! Are they all dead? Kyousuke says that he’s now losing the power to keep the world going. I guess he turned back time one too many times. The final test was to send Rin away to that other school to see if she was strong enough. Well, we know how that turned out.

Now, Kyousuke is covered in blood and smells gasoline. Crawling around on the ground, he says it’s time to give up – that he knew it wouldn’t work. But he decides not to give up – he still has to save Riki and Rin. In the end, it looks like there was an accident and everyone died, but maybe just Riki and Rin survived? And this is why Kyousuke wants to make them strong enough to face the “cruel reality”? This mystery is beginning to unravel!

As I rewatch the first season on FVOD, certain things that happened there start to make more sense.

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For instance, when Kud is debating to leave and attempts to throw away all her dreams in the box, Riki is watching when a girl gives him paperwork for the upcoming class trip. Then you see a quickie flashback of scenes, and he ends up by the incinerator and without the papers. Apparently that was a re-set and do over. There are lots of other little hints here and there to what’s actually going on, particularly in things Kyousuke says. Even Komari’s “route” suddenly has a larger meaning to it.

By the way, Wikipedia has English dub VAs posted for this series; well, it’s not clear if for just LB, or LB:Refrain, or both. They know something I missed over here?

Well, how many of those VA’s are single season only?

Wiki makes no notation of how many seasons.

Episode 11 will make a lot of things become clear. You may want a towel handy.

Little Busters! Refrain, Ep 8 (Sub), is live at ANO

Episode 11 –

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No other students are in the school anymore and the sky is frozen. The Little Busters are together again and play one last game. Kyousuke is confident that he can leave Rin in Riki’s care now.

Masato confuses Riki by bidding him farewell. Then he disappears. When Riki runs to Kyousuke, he tells Riki that he’s about to enter the real world, and only he and Rin survive. Riki is still confused, so Kyousuke tells him what happened. But Riki already heard about that bus accident at the other school. However, Kyousuke sets him straight – it was their accident and they didn’t survive. Only Riki and Rin did. Kyousuke tells Riki everything now.

With some final words of encouragement from Kyousuke, Riki promises to be strong for both himself and Rin. Kengo is the next to disappear. This episode is such a tearjerker! The world begins to come apart as Kyousuke tells Riki to take Rin through the school gate and not to look back. Riki and Rin make it just in time, but Riki does look back to bid a silent farewell to Kyousuke and the Little Busters. This was just a heartbreaking episode.