Okay, so in the end the whole brainwashing subplot was all just a build-up. It wasn’t meant to give depth to the entire cast with its formula, but instead it was meant to show the Orpheus order as a formidable foe, explain what they were doing and why they were doing it. The fact that two side-characters got fleshed out was just a neat side-effect.
Instead this has very much the tendencies of a mystery story: inbetween the puzzles it really slowly continues to reveal a bit more about the Orpheus order. This episode was about Cubic again, who always struck me as the least interesting member of the cast. He’s genuine, but in comparison to the rest of the characters he lacks something. It probably has to do with how he is this series’ plot device: if something needs to be explained, he just goes “science!”, and things somehow become clear. This episode was about this too. The punchline of this episode was that he lost, yet he did manage to gather “data” which will somehow be of importance later. It’s all very vague, in a series that thrives on math.
In any case, this seems to be an arc in which the Orpheus order will show a bit more about their true characters; a way to flesh them out, in having a tournament-style match-up. I do wonder why Nonoha forced herself into the picture though, especially when Jikugawa would have been a much more sane choice to bring along. Right now she has no role in this series. Her role in the first searon was clear: support Kaito as he was having the living brains kicked out of him. Right now though.. Kaito doesn’t really need help… yet.
Rating: * (Good)
The brainwashing routine was such a bait-and-switch. No it’s about fighting the Order and Whist’s hidden agenda. The Order really admires Klondike, I wonder what’s up with him. We haven’t seen any shady character doing a puzzling speech in a dark room.
Cubic doesn’t have much going for him, so they gave him Melancholy as an interesting relationship. I think this episode was more about her than him, and she was great. I liked her voice change when she got serious.
Kaito did say Jikukawa would be a way better choice, but he stayed at the school because Cubic asked him to retrieve the data he would send, and he sent it to the POG in turn. Seems like the goons will have more role in this than simple bystanders. I don’t get why Nonoha got to tag along either. Kaito was upset when Freecell said his friends would betray him, and the OP & the END hint at Nonoha being sad. Something is definitively going to happen.
I can only say one thing about one series: Sword Art Online.
It is highly anticipated for a good reason. I disliked many parts of Accel World, but I’ve been reading the Japanese version of the first volume of Sword Art Online and I am highly impressed. Indeed, the world setting is glorious. I can’t wait to see it animated. But even the characters seem to have lots of potential for development. If the story wants to take its stakes seriously, the characters will have to grow and mature–to overcome dreadful hardship. I don’t see the same thing that happened to Accel World’s characters being possible here.
On that note, anything can happen, and it doesn’t mean the anime will live up to the hype. I certainly have high expectations for it now.
CRAP. Sorry. I thought I was commenting on the “Summer Season Preview” topic. PLEASE ignore the above.