While watching this episode, I had some serious flashback towards Youkoso’s premiere episode, where the plot likewise just drifted around the sea until that final reveal kicked in. It’s basically a set up episode but it’s rather astonishing that they manage to bring very little to the table, while cramming up its bad tendencies: the unnecessary fanservice; its ridiculous settings (a luxurious cruise ship, full-on service for free? But; of course) and its even more ridiculous characters, most notably The Perfect Specimen Kouenji. Nah, I don’t want to sound like a broken record either so let’s just roll with what Youkoso offered in this episode, and I’ll try to humor myself because this thing sure knows how to embrace its absurdness to the fullest.
The end of this episode promises a Lord of the Flies style, where all the kids are left on their own on a deserted island, form groups and try to survive, without any actual killing and death counts of course. Personally, I consider it more akin to Battle Royale, here as a group rather than an individual, try to cancel each other out. They haven’t announced the full rules yet, so it’s hard to speculate more what are the conditions to survive, but I found one interesting aspect nonetheless. “Form a group”, it could be any member from different class, right? It’s a given that these kids will pick out their classmates to form the group because of trust issues, but if the rules don’t specify that condition – where they have no utter motive to go against each other; should they form a collective group from different class rather than stick on the same class? I know for sure that Class-C Ryuen will use this opportunity to backstab Horikita, and I know that Perfect Specimen will be involved somehow (otherwise he wouldn’t have showed up that consistency in this episode). I’m rather curious to see how Ichinose from class B will use her networking to advance in this particular test.
Otherwise, we have more struggles from Class-D, them being the lowest class not only in term of their academic ability, but in their social status as well. I don’t like the fact that the show indeed paints them like one. Keep babbling meaninglessly about their favorite girls’ first name is one thing, straight out behaving like “low-life” dudes who have no idea about the name of the food and restaurant manner is an entirely other thing. Why does Youkoso need to try so hard on that front and not even try at all in other aspects? It feels rather obvious as well that the “one person who couldn’t join the test due to illness” will show his/her identity in the upcoming test because it smells fishy like a fish sauce. Also the girl from Class C who opposed Ryuen, Ibuki would potentially team up with our leads because she has an agenda now and isn’t enemy of an enemy is a dear best friend?
Ayanokouji basically does nothing in this episode except being threatened by his homeroom teacher (that message the school received from “certain man” was… really straightforward). I’m still amazed that despite he’s trying his best to become a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Invisible Phoenix or whatever, PEOPLE STILL NOTICES HIM, so what is the point of hiding his true nature then? I do like the fact that he considers his time studying here a “freedom”, so I guess his time before getting into this school was hellish at best. Kushida again shows her true face (you know it when that girl suddenly speaks in different voice and all that shit, like she’s being possessed), just to makes damn sure to let Ayanokouji know that she doesn’t want to be left alone right after she come in. You gotta be patient, Ayanokouji, don’t run so fast. I like it that she reveals her true face from time to time but this revealing is rather… useless. If something like this can make her showing her true color then it won’t be long before the rest of the class have a real taste of her evilness. She really wants to get everyone’s approval though, so she’d try harder to get close to Horikita and Ayanokouji. Not that I particularly give a damn anymore. Whatever floats this sinking boat, mate.
