This episode was a typical building-up episode, but it definitely added some extra intrigue to this series. Most of the episode was about Saki’s first interview, but we also get to see two more of the Selecao: Number One and a strange woman whose number we don’t get to see and who seems to be a bit too full of herself. That Number one really baffles me, though. There are lots of hints pointing at how he’s the supporter, he seems to have a lot of connections to the Selecao, and yet he didn’t just kill off pre-mindwipe Akira like he did with the other two.
Speaking of which, if you take a look at the OP, at one point you see connections being made between certain numbers of the Selecao: One is linked to all of them, while Nine (Akira) is linked to Four (Kondou), One is linked to Two and Ten once more, and Three is linked to Twelve. There are three numbers that disappear: Four, Five (as shown in the previous episodes) and Ten, who I guess would be that woman of this episode. What’s also interesting is that apart from them, it is suggested that nobody dies… or that might be saved for the movie.
In any case, it also gets revealed that Akira didn’t kill off the NEETs at all: he just dropped them in the middle of Dubai and had Juiz made it look like he killed them so that others wouldn’t start searching for them, allowing the NEETs to finally have to do something for themselves. And that was his way of trying to make the world better.
Saki was also great in this episode, with her first job interview and all. Her depressed look after seeing the interview failed felt really genuine to me.
Rating: * (Good)
Just building up, but still a very nice episode.
Whoa! I never would have noticed those connections of the numbers in the OP if you hadn’t mentioned it! Haha!
I wish subs will be out soon. The raw seemed enjoyable. Hehe.
Hmm. My hypothesis might be correct. In the OP number 1 is connected to ALL of them. then pay closer attention. After it shows that connection IV dissapears then V then X. Meaning theres a good chance I is the supporter snuffing out everyone else.
My guess as to why he hasn’t killed off Akira is that Akira’s methods for ‘saving the country’ is just plain weird… So weird that the supporter has problems understanding heads or tails as to whether he’s complying with the game or just doing things for personal gain. Case in point is the NEET’s rehabilitation, while yes that is a growing concern of Japan (even worse that none of them even plan to get married and just leech off their families) and it really is good for the country to rehabilitate the NEETS. Its still strikingly odd XD. Now I guess the supporters new issue is figuring out whether to kill the mind-wiped Akira or not, seeing as it just baffles people whether erasing his memory is part of his tactics in his strategy to ‘save the country’.
I would be kind of surprised if all of the NEETs were sent to Dubai. Akira had 500 shipping containers and no need to send them all to the same place. Did he arrange something in particular for them all to work on once they arrived, motivated by a lack of money or other prospects? The one guy we saw in this episode must surely count as a success, given that he earned his way out and back to Tokyo starting from nothing in just a few months. But how the heck did he so quickly also acquire a girlfriend and a marriage already scheduled for next month? Pretty fast mover, eh?
Anyhow, since we don’t know what the NEETs are doing, we don’t know if Akira’s plan was deeper than just getting them out of the country and back on their feet. Maybe some large fraction of them are now working on some distributed infrastructure project?
One odd note: seems it’s far more expensive to have Selecao locate your girlfriend, who is after all carrying a cell phone with known ID, than it is to order up an instant assassination team. That seems backwards, if Juiz is really an AI or otherwise deeply tied in to the net.
And the fact that it cost only 60yen to make the Prime Minister say “Uncle”? Juiz sure has to revise her price list.
And the fact that it cost only 60yen to make the Prime Minister say “Uncle”? Juiz sure has to revise her price list.
funny thing about that is the next scene said his approval ratings jumped 10% after he said that HAHA that was hilarious.
I woudnt wanne work for a company like that anyway
The blue-hair big boobs serial killer is #11.
I think the OP sequence has been analysed to the death on other sites and I’m still not convinced it mean anything. Maybe a red herring from the producers?
r3dking, Kendo spend roughly less than 500,000 yen to order the killing (1,499,346 Yen to be precise for the 3 killings). So no it was not cheaper to order an assassination than to track Saki down.
I have a thought as to why it so cheap to make the PM say Uncle. What if he was one of the Selecao too?? #1 looks to be a politician though.
Well it does seem the Selecao come from quite a varied background so that does seem to play a factor in ‘saving the country. So far we’ve got a doctor, detective, fashion something (agent or designer?), and Akira who seems to be your everyday low-income guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if #1 is a politician, though he could be a CEO of some company or something.
On a sidenote with #1, if he indeed is the supporter, wouldn’t he technically have the advantage over all the other Selecao. I mean with the idea of ‘Save the country’ when trying to instill change or whatever its the long term plans that work. Considering that he can implement long term plans without fear of being knocked off, seeing as if he is the supporter he wouldn’t have to worry about his pace being too slow or his actions being misunderstood as against the rules. Second, in relation to him never having to worry about being bumped off for idling he also has the advantage of picking up what other bumped off Selecao have already started and created ground work for, if he wanted to be opportunistic I mean you’d have more impact on change by working on existing projects and it does seem that is allowed in the game considering that all players have access to the history of other players actions.
Well there are other reasons but those two do stand out for the game being in favor of the supporter. So my guess is by the end it will be Akira and the supporter as the last two standing, and based on what the lady said it does seem appropriate ‘the idealist vs. the realist’.
Looks like Saki’s friend is going to die…
I think the OP is just a red herring cause Akira’s number was never connected to the doctor’s number even though they met in the previous episode.
Anyways,the blue haired woman is number 11 according to one of the seiyuu focused blogs.She is the president of a modeling agency if I remember right.I’m wondering what has she done for the country that’s keeping her from being killed by the Supporter cause judging by what we saw of her in this episode,she doesn’t look like a a person who cares much for society..