#Black Rock Shooter 2012 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wlwcatalogue · 1 year

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Yuri Subtext (?) Anime List

A supplement to my earlier yuri anime masterlist, this list covers anime which aren’t marketed as yuri but which prominently feature F/F pairs, whether canonical or subtext! Since subtext is so subjective, this post only includes series which I’ve actually watched, and so is by no means intended to be comprehensive.

Also, since the above description would not cover certain series with well-known yuri pairings, I've also included a few "bonus rounds" for the curious (although these are still limited to series I have watched).

At-a-glance list:

Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997)

NOIR (26 episodes, 2001)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (12 episodes, 2011)

Haibane Renmei (13 episodes, 2002)

.hack//SIGN (26 episodes, 2002)

Read or Die / R.O.D. the TV (26 episodes, 2003)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (24 episodes, 2022)

Black Rock Shooter (8 episodes, 2010)

Izetta: The Last Witch (12 episodes, 2016)

Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (movie, 2019)

Canaan (13 episodes, 2009)

Ga-Rei: Zero (12 episodes, 2008)

Bonus rounds:

Sailor Moon S3 (38 episodes, 1994) (subtext)

Mai-Hime (26 episodes, 2004) (canon)

Psycho-Pass (41 episodes + 3 movies, 2012) (canon)

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (24 episodes + movie, 2020) (canon)

Summaries under the cut!

1. Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

(Copied from the Yuri Anime Masterlist post, since technically it wasn’t marketed as yuri)

When she was a child, Tenjou Utena (Kawakami Tomoko) was saved by a passerby prince, so she decided that she too wanted to become a prince as an adult. Fast forward to high school, and she hasn’t forgotten that conviction: Utena gets sucked into a series of duels while trying to protect her best friend’s honour. After winning the first duel, she becomes ‘engaged’ to the eccentric “Rose Bride” Himemiya Anthy (Fuchizaki Yuriko), and the two start living together in the same dormitory.

First things first: there are a million content warnings for this series, including implied rape, sexual assault, incest, and homophobia. Although the issues are handled well (in my opinion), it does go to very dark places, so those wanting a light, fun anime to unwind to should look elsewhere. Second, this series is very much a psychological drama utilising the episodic duels as a way of hone in on Utena’s opponents and their stories, so Utena and Anthy’s relationship – though important – is definitely not the focus of the anime. Third, the TV series is limited to hinting at the romantic relationship between Utena and Anthy, not to mention that they spend most of the series being little more than acquaintances rather than actual friends. The movie Adolescence (which can be taken as a retelling or sequel, depending on your perspective) is much more explicit on this front, but also suffers from a significantly shorter runtime and a much more opaque approach to storytelling.

That being said! If you’re okay with all of the above, this series is pretty much essential. The simplistic premise belies a much more complex and nuanced story about gender roles, sexuality, and human relationships and remains one of the smartest anime ever made, over twenty years on.

2. NOIR (26 episodes, 2001) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

The first in anime studio Bee Train’s “girls with guns” trilogy, NOIR follows globetrotting assassin duo Mireille Bouquet (Mitsuishi Kotono) and Yuumura Kirika (Kuwashima Houko) as they partner up to search for Kirika’s missing memories and the truth behind Mireille’s parents’ deaths. The series is pleasingly restrained despite the sensational premise, alternating between “business trips” to far-flung locations and snapshots of the pair’s domestic life in Mireille’s Paris apartment, and devoting more time to the unfolding of the relationship between the prickly Mireille and puppy-like Kirika than to action sequences. I won't say too much due to spoilers, but their relationship numbers among my favorites due to how naturally it is developed throughout and how it is very much at the heart of the series both narratively and thematically.

This is also the first anime soundtrack entirely composed by the legendary Kajiura Yuki, heralding a long collaboration with director Mashimo Kouichi, and her mix of classical and modern sounds provides the perfect accompaniment to NOIR’s atmospheric cityscapes. Also, for fans of Mitsuishi’s work (Sailor Moon! Utena! Evangelion!), I’d say NOIR is a must-watch for her performance alone; her Mireille is brittle and proud, and she brings so much humanity and nuance to the role. In fact, I don’t care if you’re a fan of Mitsuishi or Kajiura or assassins or whatever, please just try the first episode— this anime deserves way more love!

3. Puella Magi Madoka Magica (12 episodes, 2011) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Puella Magi Madoka Magica opens with ordinary middle school girl Kaname Madoka (Yuuki Aoi) standing in the ruins of her hometown, watching as a lone girl struggles to defend what remains of the city against a much more powerful enemy. A little rabbit-like creature informs Madoka that the girl is sure to lose without her help, and so Madoka decides to become a magical girl right then and there— at which point she wakes up and dismisses it as a strange nightmare. But then that very day, her school receives a new transfer student who looks just like that mysterious girl, and she also finds a hurt animal that closely resembles the rabbit-like creature from her dream. Madoka is then faced with certain questions: do magical girls actually exist, and will she become one herself?

Since Madoka Magica was all the rage back in the early 2010s, I don’t think it too much of a spoiler to say that the cheery first three episodes hide a dark, gritty story which uses the concept of magical girls to explore the tumultuousness of adolescence. The queer subtext only comes in at the end but tight plotting and inventive presentation make this show a quick watch— and if you’re the type who likes queerness in fiction to be intense, world-shakingly significant, and a wee bit problematic, the payoff should be more than enough. A word of warning: there is a movie sequel called Rebellion, but if you’re happy with the ending of the anime, it’s best not to watch it (although I love the movie, myself).

Side note: I won’t go into it too much due to spoilers but if you liked Madoka Magica you might want to check out Serial Experiments Lain – even if most of it is utterly incomprehensible (as it was to me), it’s worth watching until the very end (wink). Also, for the rare fan of Rebellion, Adolescence of Utena is a must-watch if you haven’t checked it out already; so much can be said about its conceptual and aesthetic influences on Rebellion!

4. Haibane Renmei (13 episodes, 2002) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

(Note: slight spoilers about the tone and overall themes of the show – but I think it’s necessary for the purpose of writing a more representative summary.)

Written by ABe Yoshitoshi – character designer of cult classic anime Serial Experiments Lain and author of the very unfinished manga which this show adapts and significantly develops – Haibane Renmei starts off as a light-fantasy slice-of-life anime following freshly-arrived Rakka (Hirohashi Ryou) as she searches for a suitable job in the town of Glie, before transforming into a nuanced exploration of grief and depression about halfway through. To say more would be really too spoilery, but I just want to say that this has probably the most grounded and sensitive depiction of depression I have seen in an anime; it shows that sometimes people struggle even if everyone around them is kind and supportive, but remains hopeful about the healing power of time and understanding. The subtext is between the protagonist and Reki (Noda Junko), the first person she meets, who also helps her get acclimatised to her new life in Glie. Again, I won’t say more, but their relationship really is wonderful. That being said, this show does touch upon suicide and suicidal ideation in the course of discussing these themes, so please steer clear if that is something you are wary of.

5. .hack//SIGN (26 episodes, 2002) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A standalone spinoff of the .hack PS2 games, this show was the most well-known anime about players getting trapped inside a multiplayer game before Sword Art Online’s arrival in 2012 (ironically, Kajiura Yuki composed the music for both). Rather than being an action-adventure story about a heroic protagonist trying to find a way back to the real world, SIGN stands out as an introspective piece, far more interested in the psychology of those who play online games and the issues of human connection and identity. In fact, the female protagonist is all too happy to remain within the MMORPG as male player-avatar Tsukasa (Saiga Mitsuki) after becoming unable to log out; the story is more about how the player grows to accept the real world with the help of the other players she meets, rather than about figuring out the exit route.

On the F/F side, some way into the series, Tsukasa makes an instant connection with fellow player-character Subaru (Nazuka Kaori) and they soon start spending a lot of time together. I really love their scenes together; the series' masterful use of body language, framing, and music all comes together to create these beautifully tender moments of intimacy. Although there’s no kiss scene nor explicit discussion of dating etc., a lot of the other characters talk about their relationship and perceive it as being romantic, to the point where one gets homophobically “worried” about Subaru when they find out that the player controlling male avatar Tsukasa is female. Tsukasa and Subaru's relationship becomes a lynchpin for both characters' development, and in general is used to illustrate the series' underlying themes in a thoughtful and heartwarming way.

6. Read or Die / R.O.D. the TV (26 episodes, 2003) Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A spinoff of the Read or Die series which takes more from espionage thrillers and Hong Kong action flicks than shounen anime, R.O.D. the TV takes the unusual approach of starting with its main character - elite paper-maniuplating superspy Yomiko Readman (Miura Rieko) - being nowhere to be seen after burning down the British Library in a dramatic resignation announcement. Instead of focusing on her, or the spy agencies clashing in her absence, the story instead follows her friend Sumiregawa Nenene (Yukino Satsuki), who joins up with a trio of sisters with paper-manipulating powers and criminal connections in her quest to find out what happened to Yomiko. The queerness is mainly implied through Nenene's focus on Yomiko, which is unrequited and sadly fizzles out narratively speaking in the back half. Unfortunately, this is coupled with an increased focus on more heteronormative topics, such as Yomiko's grief over her dead male lover, and the child one of the characters had with the villain of the OVA. That being said, I also want to shout out this series' surprisingly earnest depiction of budding queerness in a young (like, elementary-school young) side character - something that is rare in fiction even now.

7. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (24 episodes, 2022) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

The most recent entry on this list by far (the final episode aired just a day ago at time of writing), The Witch from Mercury initially seems to forgo the Gundam franchise’s usual grand scale, being set in an academy run by the corporate giant Benerit Group. Main character and new student Suletta Mercury (Ichinose Kana) - the franchise’s first female protagonist since its beginnings in 1979 - accidentally bumbles her way into fighting a mecha duel, and, when she wins, is shocked to find that she is now engaged to the sole heiress of that self-same corporate giant, her classmate Miorine Rembran (Lynn). So far so Utena, but after the first episode, things start to diverge significantly: though the duels continue, the focus shifts to how big-picture tensions such as the manoeuvring within the Benerit Group and the conflict between the space colonisers and people on Earth play out within the student body, and how the arrival of Suletta and her mysteriously cutting-edge mecha start to shake up the status quo… until things come to an explosive head.

For those who curious about G-Witch due to Suletta and Miorine, but who wouldn’t normally be interested in Gundam or space operas, I’ll just say that if the hype has led you to expect a big queer romance where Suletta and Miorine shout their love from the rooftops, well, that’s not how it goes. It’s a mecha anime first and foremost, after all! But lower your expectations and you may be pleasantly surprised. Season 1 offers plenty to enjoy in terms of Suletta’s earnest attempts to be a good “bridegroom” and the tsundere Miorine’s bouts of jealousy over Suletta. And while their relationship takes a bit of a back seat in Season 2 due to there being So Much going on, it remains one of the key elements of the series and their scenes together are the emotional peaks of the season.

Side note: Some might criticise Gundam for taking so long to have a female main character, but let’s not forget about how the even older Ultraman (1966), Kamen Rider (1971), and Super Sentai (1975) franchises still have not had a single mainline series featuring a female protagonist… Come on guys, I’m dying for a female-led Kamen Rider over here!

8. Black Rock Shooter (8 episodes, 2010) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

One of the two anime inspired by the Hatsune Miku song of the same name, this Okada Mari-penned series hones in on the passionate friendships and jealousies of a group of middle-school girls. In a twist that feels informed by the psychological allegory of the popular Persona games, this interpersonal drama plays out in the surreal battle world of the music video, with the titular Black Rock Shooter being the main character’s alter-ego. Of particular interest is the first half’s focus on the blossoming friendship between protagonist Kuroi Mato (Hanazawa Kana) and her shy classmate Takanashi Yomi (Sawashiro Miyuki), which has strong overtones of two girls developing crushes on each other – it doesn’t go smoothly, but hey, that’s life.

9. Izetta: The Last Witch (12 episodes, 2016) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Set during what is basically World War 2, Izetta: The Last Witch asks the daring question of “What if a small European country about to be invaded by alternate-history Nazi Germany could fight back with magic… and what if it was (subtextually) yuri?” The show follows politically-minded princess Finé as she and her best friend (read: girlfriend) Izetta think up ways to leverage the latter’s witchy gifts to save the country from invasion – a rare case of a military anime where female characters are significantly involved at the strategic stage. Those who enjoy the classic princess-and-knight trope may find something to like as long as they are fine with Finé and Izetta not having much relationship development (as their dynamic is established from the start) and them not having many one-on-one scenes together (as the series’ main focus is on the political manoeuvring). Note that this show is also pretty heavy on the fanservice – IIRC there was at least one moment of egregious sexualisation per episode.

Side note: those who like Izetta may also want to check out Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing, a female-focused dieselpunk anime with a lot of military strategizing and a very cool world setting, though Izetta is better-paced and the main relationship is much more plot-significant. (That being said I do like the relationship between Fam side characters Tatiana and Alistair… Tatiana is probably the adult character with the most screentime in Fam, being the main characters’ commanding officer, and although it’s very background, she has this cutely settled dynamic with former piloting partner turned wife right-hand woman Alistair.)

10. Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (movie, 2019) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

(Note: this entry’s a slightly weird one, it only covers the first 40 minutes of this movie due to it being basically two episodic stories smushed together into a single package, and only the earlier story is relevant to this list.)

In this standalone spinoff of the Violet Evergarden anime series – itself an adaptation of the light novel series by Akatsuki Kana – the titular protagonist Violet (Ishikawa Yui) takes a break from ghostwriting letters to serve as companion to aloof young noblewoman Isabella York (Kotobuki Minako) in her last months of finishing school. The story is a quiet coming-of-age tale focusing on how the kind (and rather dashing!) Violet helps Isabella to open up, or, in simpler terms, it’s fodder for butler-and-lady fans. Don’t get your hopes up too much, though: Violet learning about her romantic feelings for her deceased male superior is one of the main throughlines of the anime, and this (half of the) movie also ends with a heterosexual arranged marriage for Isabella. That being said, this movie is really a feast for the eyes, its historical-fantasy setting being brought out with beautiful backgrounds and detailed linework, so it’s worth checking out if you don’t mind the very Class S narrative.

Side note: if you want F/F butler-and-lady or princess-and-knight vibes I would really recommend watching Fate/Zero for Saber and Irisviel – yes Irisviel is already married to one of the (male) main characters and yes Saber is absolutely the main love interest for the famously-straight Fate/stay night, but their dynamic is really good and Saber gets to wear a stylish suit and be all chivalrous to a woman… Please watch the third episode of season 1 at least…

11. Canaan (13 episodes, 2009) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

There’s quite a lot going on in Canaan – perhaps unsurprisingly so for a spinoff of the FMV visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which is famous for its intertwined storylines – but in true action-movie blockbuster style, all you really need to know is that the titular mercenary Canaan (Sawashiro Miyuki) is on a hunt for her mentor’s protégé-turned-murderer, and a lot of flashy fighting is involved. Also, there's no need to worry if you haven't played the original game, as Canaan is pretty much a standalone work and all of the significant characters are original to the anime. Yuri-minded viewers may enjoy her clashes with the villain Alphard (Sakamoto Maaya), but the main source of F/F subtext is her relationship with the young photographer Maria (Nanjo Yoshino), for whom she cares deeply and must rescue on multiple occasions. However, do be warned that the one canonically queer character in the show – Alphard’s subordinate Liang Qi (Tanaka Rie), who is fixated on her boss – is handled very badly, being portrayed as a raving predatory lesbian who is mocked, rejected, and finally killed by the object of her affections. Canaan and Maria’s relationship is also framed very definitively as friendship by the end of the series, although they don’t get paired off with male characters. IIRC there’s also some fanservice but I can’t remember the details as it was a long time ago, sorry.

12. Ga-Rei: Zero (12 episodes, 2008) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Back in the old days, I had heard this show talked about in the same breath as yuri classics such as Kannazuki no Miko and Mai-Hime, and, well, like those series it comes with significant caveats (though thankfully there is no sexual assault). Although it’s a prequel to the Ga-Rei manga by Segawa Hajime, the anime is basically standalone and focuses on original characters Kagura (Chihara Minori) and Yomi (Mizuhara Kaoru), the latter of whom welcomes protagonist Kagura into her family and demon-hunting squad, only to leave the team in a devastating betrayal. After the explosive opening, the series jumps back to explore the events leading up to that point; fans of director Aoki Ei’s work on Fate/Zero should note that the dark tone disappears in the third episode and never quite comes back even when things get serious. Viewers should also keep their F/F expectations in check, since despite the premise I would say the series is more plot- than character-focused, and on top of that a significant amount of time is devoted to Yomi’s relationship with her male fiancé (Yomi and Kagura have more screentime together, but there’s not much development whereas Yomi and her fiancé are given a whole romantic arc). There is one very fanservicey scene between Kagura and Yomi in a car early on (in episode 3?) which viewers may want to skip, but IIRC it’s an outlier and the rest of the series is nowhere near as bad.

Bonus Rounds

1. Sailor Moon S / Season 3 (38 episodes, 1994) (subtext) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Possibly the most widely-known F/F couple in anime, Haruka and Michiru (Ogata Megumi and Katsuki Masako, respectively), make their first appearance in episode 3 of the third season as mysterious newcomers who refuse to work alongside the Sailor Senshi. Apart from being consistently framed as an ideal couple throughout (they practically cruise to victory in a couple’s contest in episode 5 of S3), they also get some juicy narrative moments, being the main subject of the excellent episodes 17 and 21 – the latter being the mid-season climax. They return in S5 but I haven’t watched that season yet.

Side note: Utena fans may be particularly interested to hear that the aforementioned Haruka-and-Michiru-centric episodes 17 and 21 are helmed by key Utena creatives. Both were written by Enokido Yoji, Utena's lead scriptwriter, while episode 17 was directed by Igarashi Takuya (who storyboarded 5 Utena episodes) and episode 21 was directed by Utena director Ikuhara Kunihiko himself.

2. Mai-Hime (26 episodes, 2004) (canon) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Way back when, Mai-Hime was very popular among yuri fans for including a canonically queer female character who was in love with another female character… even though, like in Kannazuki no Miko which was broadcast the same year, she commits sexual assault against her. For those still curious, Mai-Hime starts out as a quirky fighting-monsters-and-going to school anime but turns into a battle royale where characters fight each other using robots – the twist being that the robots symbolise their love for the person most precious to them, and if destroyed, that person will die. The queer storyline comes in only in the last quarter or so, but is compellingly told and at least the queer character isn’t quite as maniacal or otherwise demonised compared to some others (looking at you, Liang Qi in Canaan). It's a fun reveal, so I won't spoil it here even if you're likely to have heard of it already.

3. Psycho-Pass (41 episodes + 3 movies, 2012) (canon) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Psycho-Pass is set in a dystopian world where people are rated on their criminal tendencies; the main characters’ job as police officers is to arrest those whose tendencies exceed a certain level. The F/F is canon but very, very background; one of the surprise twists of the finale is that forensics expert Karanomori Shion (Sawashiro Miyuki), whose appearance screams “sexy doctor character” but is played with surprising warmth by Sawashiro, is actually in a relationship with seemingly aloof field officer Kunizuka Yayoi (Itou Shizuka). I only watched the first season and so can’t comment on the rest, but apparently they are still in a relationship in the third season.

4. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (24 episodes + movie, 2020) (canon) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

An adaptation of Yamaguchi Satoru’s popular light novel series, this show headed the wave of reincarnated-villainess isekai, focusing on the bumbling Catarina Claes (Uchida Maaya) – in actuality an otaku who has been reincarnated into an otome game – as she tries desperately to remove her character’s image as a villainess and thereby inadvertently attracts the attentions of many a suitor. Among this reverse harem are three female characters Maria Campbell (Hayami Saori), Mary Hunt (Okasaki Miho), and Sophia Ascart (Minase Inori).

While the female suitors’ romantic interest in Catarina is generally not undermined or played as a joke, they are not necessarily treated as equally valid options compared to the male suitors - it doesn't feel like Catarina has a real chance of ending up with any of the female characters. I've heard this starts becoming more obvious in S2 (which I haven't watched), which apparently focuses on Catarina's relationship development with one particular male suitor compared to the others. Also, the VN spinoff had 6 routes in total (all 4 male suitors + 2 original male characters) but did not include a single female route, despite being non-canon in nature.

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caffeinated-chaos-bean · 9 months

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Black★Rock Shooter Lore

The Hollow World

The Hollow World (虚の世界, kyo no sekai) is the main setting of huke's artwork, and the secondary setting of the story of the Black★Rock Shooter OVA and Black★Rock Shooter 2012 anime. Black★Rock Shooter and other characters live in this realm, and the bizarre landscape is a witness to constant fighting between its denizens.

The world depicted in the 2012 TV Anime has several known names:

"Another World", "Other World" // (裏世界, ura sekai)

"Imaginary World" // (虚の世界, kyo no sekai)

Sky Gates

Black★Rock Shooter starts here at the beginning of the anime. The area matches the decor of the Otherworld in general and has pointed, deserted stones everywhere.

Black★Rock Shooter was attacked by a huge King Saw that shot out of the ground from Black Gold Saw's giant eye, which was shortly defeated by Black★Rock Shooter.

Chariot’s Land

Chariot seems to reside here. The pink-tinted area (rather than yellow-tinted) is full of robotic, toy-like creatures that have claws and drills. The background resembles a toy area with baby doll faces and colored blocks.

Inside is a house that floats in the air, suspended by strange string-like objects. Dead Master was dragged here by what were presumably Chariot's minion bugs and chained. Only a single doll covered this up.

Chariot and Black★Rock Shooter fought here until Black Gold Saw intervened and made a fissure, separating Dead Master from Black★Rock Shooter.

Black Gold Saw’s Battlefield

A gray-tinted area (rather than red-tinted), which seems to have ruined Greek-style columns, and multiple chains spread around.

Black★Gold Saw created the strange hooded figures here, and later fought Insane Black★Rock Shooter here using the same hooded figures.

Grey Area

A separate, gray-tinted area which is a vast expanse of land with chains in the sky, and a large hole leading to an abyss where many bodies of dead other selves lay in.

Strength was shown dragging the beheaded body and head of Chariot here, then throwing her into the abyss. She later dragged the body of Dead Master away from Insane Black★Rock Shooter and Black★Gold Saw's fight, presumably to bring her to this area.

Dead Master’s Lair

The strange, green-tinted place where Dead Master was chained might be her lair. In that place, there lies a hidden throne where the Dead Master sits for the duration of time while Black★Rock Shooter fought her skeletal minions. Skeletal columns and Greek-style pillars are scattered about and the entire battlefield has a green tinge.

Covering the floor of some parts of the battlefield is a strange, greenish liquid.

Unknown Battlefield

Until Dead Master was killed by Black★Rock Shooter, this area was Dead Master's lair. The trauma of killing Dead Master transformed Black★Rock Shooter into Insane Black★Rock Shooter, as well as transforming the area into a purple-tinted area filled with spikes and cannon-like objects, possibly meaning this area belongs to Insane Black★Rock Shooter. This is supported by the fact that the area bears an uncanny resemblance to the normal Black★Rock Shooter's realm.

Black★Gold Saw is shown fighting with Insane Black★Rock Shooter here, eventually moving their fight to Black★Gold Saw's own battlefield.

Strength’s Battlefield

Strength's field is like that of an orange rubix cube surrounded in gigantic barbed wire. She can easily change her position on the cube by slamming her fists in one of the blocks. She can easily move through the field from jumping or climbing from block to block. It also seems to react to her emotions for when she starts to go insane the field is engulfed in flames.

After saving Black Gold Saw in her own battlefield, Strength fought Insane Black★Rock Shooter here.

Black★Rock Shooter’s Battlefield

According to Mato and Insane Black★Rock Shooter, this is Black★Rock Shooter's world. However, she is never shown to actually reside here. The world is a wide, empty space with some ruins embedded in the floor. The ground has the typical checkerboard pattern of most locations in the Otherworld, but with a bluish tint. The entire battlefield seems to be surrounded by a black-blue rocky material that prevents those inside it from seeing the outside world. This battlefield resembles a cavern or a large hall. Unlike most of the other battlefields, it is practically empty except for some large, spiky objects stuck in the ground.

Mato Kuroi (as Black★Rock Shooter) fights Insane Black★Rock Shooter here. During the battle, stars begin to appear in the "sky" of the battlefield and eventually the worlds of all the different "other selves" combine with the battlefield, allowing Mato to summon a giant ★Rock Cannon, which she uses to defeat Insane Black★Rock Shooter, and destroy the wall of the battlefield, revealing white space behind it.

The Other Selves

An other self (思念体, shinentai) is an alternate counterpart to a human character that resides in the Hollow World. They are generally described as solitary beings who have the ability to defend themselves using their own weapons, seemingly reflecting the portrayal of the Hollow World as a place filled with dangers. As alternate counterparts, they possess an invisible connection with their respective human counterparts in the real world. The concept of other selves are prominently featured in the Black★Rock Shooter OVA, where they were first introduced, and Black★Rock Shooter 2012 anime. The concept of other selves in the Black★Rock Shooter TV Anime series is similar to that of the OVA's, carrying over the idea of other selves as "otherworldly beings that possess a connection with a human being". However, the anime portrays the connection between the two in a more evident way and expands upon the concept.

Other selves are alternate versions of their human counterparts, born of the Otherworld. They spend their entire lives fighting while bearing their human counterparts' darkest thoughts and fears for them until the bitter end, where upon the other self's death, their human counterpart forgets their pain and what was causing them to suffer, along with the feelings and memories associated with their pain. Other selves do not have emotions of their own, and their actions reflect the feelings of their human counterparts. Strength was no exception until she connected with Yuu Koutari for the first time, allowing her to feel emotions and sense how badly Yuu was suffering in the real world. Strength would come to understand why the other selves fight for their human counterparts, but also sympathized with how the other selves were suffering themselves in the face of constant battle, and agreed with Mato Kuroi disapproving of someone else "having to die for [her] to solve all [her] problems", saying that differences should be resolved directly by talking.

Saya Irino implied the existence of Mato's other self to her by explaining that there is someone out there who takes a person's pain from their hearts so that they will never feel physical pain when they are hurt. That someone is Black★Rock Shooter, who is particularly notable because she reflects Mato's self-sacrificing nature to an extreme, stopping at nothing to destroy other peoples' worst feelings, carried by other selves, without mercy. This resulted in her being as powerful as she is. As stated above, the death of the other self causes their human counterpart to forget their pain and the feelings and memories associated with it. This has been shown three times in the anime: the first was Kagari Izuriha forgetting her past feelings towards Yomi after Chariot's death; the second was Arata Kohata forgetting her memories of Taku Katsuchi after her other self was beheaded; and the third was Yomi Takanashi forgetting all about Mato after Dead Master was killed. All three of their other selves' deaths were at the hands of Black★Rock Shooter.

Since the other selves' actions reflect the feelings of their human counterparts, the battles between other selves also often reflect the experiences of their human counterparts in real time, as shown when Black★Rock Shooter fights Chariot at the same time that Mato and Kagari conflict with each other with Yomi at the center of their conflict. The outcome of these battles, as with the strength of the other selves involved, would also reflect the resolution of that conflict in the real world. At times, the real world can sometimes influence the Otherworld; the voices of human counterparts can be heard in the Otherworld, while a human's physical status may reflect in the Hollow World as well (for example, Chariot's wheeled legs reflecting Kagari's use of the wheelchair and the heart-shaped scar on Yomi's and Dead Master's chests).

It is later shown that human counterparts can enter the Hollow World by transferring their consciousnesses into the bodies of their respective other selves. How this is done exactly is unknown, but Yuu and Saya are capable of doing so, with Yuu even being able to transfer Mato's consciousness into Black★Rock Shooter. Under normal conditions, the human counterpart can return to the real world by waking up, but Mato became trapped within Black★Rock Shooter after her trauma caused the latter to transform into Insane Black★Rock Shooter. She was able to separate herself from Black★Rock Shooter (but still remain in the Otherworld) and Strength from Yuu by pleading to protect Yuu from Insane Black★Rock Shooter.

Despite the fact that other selves do not have emotions of their own, they have their own free will, and rather than being forced to, they choose to fight out of love for their human counterparts. Strength says that this is the reason the other selves could never fight for someone they hate, because regardless of their individual personalities, all the other selves have a deep and unconditional love for their human counterparts, whom they regard as the most precious person to each of them.

All the known other selves are distinguished by their shared characteristics: they have a concentric circle pattern in their eyes, a signature color theme, and blood that is both black and their respective signature color (for example, Black★Rock Shooter's blood is black and blue). They also each have a realm that belongs to them within the Hollow World.

Canon Characters

Black★Rock Shooter

Black★Rock Shooter (ブラック★ロックシューター, Burakku★Rokku Shūtā) is the other self of Mato Kuroi.

Black★Rock Shooter has blue eyes and long dark blue hair tied into spiky asymmetrical high twintails (the right being shorter than the left). She wears a hooded black trench coat adorned with single white stripes down the sleeves, a small white star in the front, and a larger star on the back. The tails of her coat are attached by three zippers, two horizontal around the waistline and one vertical down the lower half of her coat. Her open coat reveals a bikini top and a pair of hot pants with a black and white belt worn in a cross-shaped manner over another belt. She also wears knee-high boots with white soles, the underside of which has a star on the footprint.

As Mato's other self, Black★Rock Shooter represents her self-sacrificial personality to the extreme in the form of someone who takes the worst feelings of other people and strikes them down in cold blood. Whereas Mato sets aside her own feelings to help other people, Black★Rock Shooter stops at nothing to destroy the other selves of the people Mato comes into contact with, effectively ending the pain that those people and their other selves feel. Initially, Black★Rock Shooter reflects Mato's desire to help Yomi Takanashi become independent of her relationship with Kagari Izuriha by saving Dead Master from Chariot, though later she treats Dead Master the same as the other selves whom she stops at nothing to destroy.

Black★Rock Shooter understands her purpose as an other self very well. She believes Mato wanting to feel her own pain or claiming not to hurt people is hypocritical, because by hurting Mato to show her the pain that Black★Rock Shooter goes through on her behalf, she's only hurting herself. Nevertheless, Black★Rock Shooter has the same love for her human counterpart that all the other selves have for their human counterparts, and she vows to continue fighting and bearing pain in the Hollow World.

Dead Master

Dead Master (デッドマスター, Deddo Masutā) is the other self of Yomi Takanashi.

As Yomi's other self, Dead Master reflects her personal struggles in the real world, often wearing a melancholic expression on her face. In her first appearance, she is shown helping Chariot in battle by preventing Black★Rock Shooter from attacking her, but it is later revealed that she is forcefully bound by Chariot and kept away from Black★Rock Shooter's attempt to save her, representing Yomi's strained relationship with Kagari Izuriha and how she hesitates to truly be friends with Mato Kuroi because of it. Once Yomi manages to stand up to Kagari with Mato's encouragement, Dead Master breaks free from the literal chains that bound her then. Later, when Yomi's darker feelings begin to grow in the real world, Dead Master represents this by descending into a vortex of chains that gradually amasses, and emerging from the chains after her human counterpart snaps and breaks down.

Dead Master has the same love for her human counterpart that all the other selves have for their human counterparts.

Chariot

Chariot (チャリオット, Chariotto) is the other self of Kagari Izuriha.

As Kagari's other self, Chariot reflects many of her mannerisms, especially Kagari's initial hatred for Mato Kuroi in the real world. She has a cold gaze, is determinedly stubborn to keep things the way she wants them to be, and displays sadistic joy in brutally beating Black★Rock Shooter, but is also shown to panic when she starts losing control. Chariot also displays a silent yet apparent possessiveness over Dead Master, and even some control over her: the latter defended her and attacked Black★Rock Shooter for her, took her away to a house in the sky, and violently intercepted just before Black★Rock Shooter could reach out to Dead Master there.

She seems to be skeptical and untrusting of anyone willing to help her, though she takes advantage of the opening created by Black★Gold Saw as a last-ditch effort to stab Black★Rock Shooter. Chariot has the same love for her human counterpart that all the other selves have for their counterparts.

Black Gold Saw

Black Gold Saw (ブラックゴールドソー, Burakku Gōrudo Sō) is the other self of Saya Irino.

Throughout her appearances, Black Gold Saw is shown to be very dubious. Whereas most other selves fight each other on instinct for their human counterparts, Black Gold Saw does not actively participate in battles, preferring to keep a close eye from afar on activity in the Hollow World, especially on Black★Rock Shooter in particular. Whenever Black Gold Saw does make a physical appearance, she tends to disappear soon after. Her overall behavior is likely a reflection of the purpose given to her and her human counterpart, Saya, to protect the Hollow World for Yuu Koutari's sake, who had taken Strength's place there. Black Gold Saw's only direct standoff was against Insane Black★Rock Shooter, who was capable of threatening the Hollow World and even destroying it.

Black Gold Saw has the same love for her human counterpart that all the other selves have for their human counterparts. She has the closest bond with her human counterpart, acting almost entirely according to Saya's will to protect Yuu in the Hollow World.

Strength

Strength (ストレングス, Sutorengusu) is the other self of Yuu Koutari.

In the past, Strength was no different from any of the other selves who fought each other purely on instinct, without any emotions of their own. When Yuu connected with Strength for the first time, she sensed how much her human counterpart was suffering, and it terrified Strength to the point that it forced her to feel emotions. Overwhelmed by the sadness she felt from this, Strength wanted to let herself die so she could take Yuu's pain with her, but was instead made to switch places with Yuu in the real world.

Strength's personality in the present time, as seen while she has taken Yuu's place, is that of a cheerful and supportive friend, especially to Mato Kuroi, whom she has been close friends with ever since kindergarten (according to Mato's memories). She teases her from time to time, especially poking fun about her friendship with "her tiny bird" at the beginning of the series. Mato was Strength's first and best friend, and the one who had taught her how beautiful the real world could be. She agreed with how Mato saw what the other selves go through for the sake of their human counterparts as wrong, which also showed how empathetic Strength was to the other selves suffering in their constant fighting. It was for this reason that she sent Mato's consciousness to the Hollow World to help her save Yomi. Strength is also close with Saya Irino, who was friends with Yuu in her youth and the only person in the real world who knew that Yuu and Strength had switched places.

Strength has the same love for her human counterpart that all the other selves have for their human counterparts. She has demonstrated this love the most with Yuu, whom she comforts and reassures that she would find friends and be supported by Saya and Mato in the real world, which she knew was wonderful. She tells Yuu this because she would never lie to someone she loves.

Insane Black★Rock Shooter

Insane Black★Rock Shooter (インセインブラック★ロックシューター, Insein Burakku Rokku Shūtā) is an incarnation of Black★Rock Shooter after having gone insane from being affected by Mato Kuroi's mental trauma.

Insane Black★Rock Shooter retains the personality of her normal state, but due to the immense power she has gained from going insane, she is much less affected by the pain afflicted to her, and even disregards the injuries she gives to herself, such as when she tears her arm off during her fight with Black Gold Saw and when she shoots herself in the leg to prevent Mato from hindering her. Even sustaining such severe injuries cannot stop Insane Black★Rock Shooter from pressing her assault against her enemies.

Insane Black★Rock Shooter is also notably more expressive than her normal state. She grins when she is about to strike Strength, when Mato stands up to her and brings out the ★Rock Cannon in its gatling gun incarnation, and shows surprise and fear when faced with the massive ★Rock Cannon that Mato summons. At the same time, when the battle is not particularly challenging for her, Insane Black★Rock Shooter maintains a blank expression.

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