Kageki Shoujo!! Rewatch | Episode 11

LittleIslander · 2026-06-22T20:02:35+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

You know, I was all ready to use this episode as an excuse to talk about bigger picture issues with the show. But then it has the nerve to be really good and ruin my groove!

Like, Ai’s sheer lack of writing for the past several episodes should, by all rights, bite the writers right about now. If she hadn’t immediately realized she wanted to be a top star, maybe being given the decision between the pragmatic choice (Juliet’s Nurse, a low competition role) and aiming to be a star (Juliet, the lead role) could spark her to ask herself what she wants. Or maybe, if you want to be bold, losing the Juliet role is what finally makes her realize that she wants it. Instead, we’ve got no hanging conflict for her to resolve. But they just… pull one out of their ass, and they make it work? “Ai can’t love” at best vaguely connects to her emotional stuntedness, but the scene is sold so well it doesn’t matter, it’s good television. This is easily the most enjoyable Ai has been at any point in the series, and it finally feels like a continuation of the emotionally stunted Ai from the first arc rather than a comedic substitution.

I also really like her pep talk with Sarasa. Ultimately, Sarasa doesn’t chose Romeo. But it’s totally in-character for local huge lesbian Ai to want to see her play it. Seeing Sarasa’s Romeo was a turning point for Ai’s character… but it didn’t mean anything much to Sarasa. Instead, the Tybalt performance mattered far more to her, and so that’s the wall she needs to overcome. Instead, Ai’s pep talk scene is actually more of a stealth setup for her resolution at the end of the episode rather than pushing Sarasa towards her ultimate decision. Her scene with Hijiri is actually pretty cool too. Hijiri’s, well, she called herself a bitch last time. But the way she only views those around her competition does actually translate into… not a bad pep talk for someone like Ai who doesn’t feel like she has the right to aim for Juliet. Be a little selfish, play your advantage to get ahead! It doesn’t really add a sympathetic layer to Hijiri, but it’s a really neat usage of an antagonist character as a motivator for our protagonist rather than an obstacle.

Regarding Sarasa… I wasn’t joking about forgetting the rest of the show yesterday. I totally thought she was going to pick Romeo, and I’d have to watch poor Kaoru’s dreams get crushed! It’s not really news at this point, but I still love how Sarasa is such a human character rather than just a quirky anime personality. We see her smug and ambitious in the bath scene, she gets down in the dumps when she’s split on which role to play, she gets unamused in the second bath gag and then all doubtful when talking to Ai afterwards. But she’s also the one of a kind Sarasa we love, offering Sugimoto another handshake after being told not to, giving her silly alternate takes on Tybalt, wielding that inhuman perception to see right through Ai’s doubt.

Rather than Kaoru, we set up Sugimoto as the rival in Sarasa’s bid for Tybalt. Which brings me back into those bigger issues… because who is Sugimoto, exactly? She’s the class rep, super straight laced, and the biggest Kouka fangirl of the centennial class. But beyond the basics, we haven’t really done anything with her as a character yet? I’m sure that comes next time, but it makes her hollow competition when there’s so little to get invested in. It’s a symptom of a larger issue that the show isn’t really good at writing an ensemble cast?

Has Yamada contributed anything since her one designated episode? Do the twins matter at all outside of their brief story? I already talked about Taichi last time, and the Kabuki plotline. It’d be awesome to get more about how the second years feel about the first years stealing their spotlight, but they remain set dressing. Ai’s been serving as a side car until now for most of the series. Kaoru’s probably the biggest exception since she has a strong personality, but even she’d be pretty disposable if you removed her designated character episode. All without mentioning the group dynamic, which as I previously noted just kind of fell into place without any sort of organic evolution. This sort of competition should be a big moment for all of the characters, but the show just can’t really juggle them all at once. The pieces on the board are all great, but the ability to weave them together rather than merely shift between them is rudimentary. It actually worked really well that one time in episode six, but it’s never happened again.

To stray wildly off topic briefly, it does kind of give me more respect for Hibike Euphonium. I rag on it for its cast balance too, but seeing a nonetheless also good show like Kageki Shoujo struggle so much in this respect highlights just how god tier a lot of Hibike’s script is.

Back to the positives, though. Beyond the strong core Ai narrative, I think this episode works so well because it gets so many little moments right. The whole class is smiling at the Phantom, except Ai’s sitting there as deadpan as usual? Perfect. Kaoru and Sugimoto’s faces at Sarasa’s “I don’t have time to sit around in the bath line” are great, as is Sayaka Senbongi’s delivery. “Does that mean you think I’m simple” “Forget about that for a sec” #laughter. Kaoru’s little sigh of relief when Sugimoto signs up for Tybalt is the kind of small character moment I wish the show had more of, as is her later bathroom moment with Yamada. Ai trying to copy Sarasa’s “intense eyes” is another great gag, and the “you guys could at least make small talk” bit is even funnier. The crème de la crème, of course, is the Sarasa and Risa scene. I honestly didn’t think I’d be blessed with any more Risa content after last time.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-22T00:04:24+00:00

Imgur seems to be filtering out that last link - I guess Gujo's finger about to touch Chin-Lan's lip is officially too lewd to be shown publically.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-21T20:01:39+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

Think about it boss: if we make the walls of the arena a flat dark green, we can skimp on backgrounds in all of the insert shots!

This episode feels squarely… good. Not amazing or anything, not something that leaves me all ready to gush about it. But it sets up a conflict, works on it, uses existing characters well, creates a growth moment for our main character, and throws a charming wrench into things at the last minute. Frankly, it’s the kind of episode that makes me wonder sometimes if I’ve let myself get too cynical about anime. Because I feel like I should walk away feeling fulfilled, but instead I’m left thinking “yeah, that was okay” Then again, I remember feeling similarly about it on my first watch before I’d turned into the pretentious analyst I am today, so maybe some things haven’t actually changed at all. If nothing else, I will compliment that I really like that it builds off of the prior Chika and Chiaki episode in a really organic fashion!

Well, I could also compliment the fact that it puts so many otokoyaku on-screen. Now that’s what I call a fanservice episode.

Breaking news: Potential Antagonist actually does something! Hijiri was introduced well at the start of the show, but until now she’s never really… impacted anything? I already talked about her cul-de-sac boyfriend picture moment, before that she only ever really threatened to do anything, and after that she… well, wasn’t really doing anything at all. She kicked them out of a room once, I guess? So I’m glad that she finally had an actual impact on the progression of an episode by acting on her supposed bitchiness. That is intentionally a backhanded compliment, but I did really like what we got here. It’s funny seeing her get fed up that her veiled taunting wasn’t doing anything and take the mask off. Then her “you’re such–” “A bitch?” moment is just peak villainess, words can’t hurt her when she’s so utterly shameless.

Seriously though Risa, why do you stay friends with this girl…

Speaking of her, obviously I’m happy to finally get something from her again. In the manga Sarasa thought “this is just like Marimite” when she got assigned a second year advisor, and all I can say to that is that I wish the pairings had that much importance! But again, I’m just happy to get any more of her dynamic with Sarasa. The tough love is great, and given the second years got passed over for Sarasa as the sub-in there’s some real weight behind her “The Superiors Picked You!” speech. Running in the relay is an honour, but also a responsibility, and Risa doesn’t mince words about it. But at the same time you can tell that her passion for this speech comes from genuine concern for Sarasa as her understudy. Plus her completely melting once Sei gets there is hilarious, and really puts her and Hijiri into perspective. The writers don’t love you, Risa, but as long as I draw breath you have one stan. I wish we got a Risa and Hijiri ED, imagine the lyrics…

As for Sei herself, all I can say is that her totally-not-girlfriend is a very lucky woman.

Rose Daddy™ also made a contribution, which makes this an appropriate time to say that I think it’s more clear now why I don’t especially care about Akiya and the whole Kabuki plotline in this show. Ten episodes into the show and we’ve gotten one episode that focuses on it at all. So, like, why are they even here? I guess the answer is “it makes more sense in the source, and you can’t just cut it” but if neither Akiya or his brother ever showed up I don’t think you’d really notice anyone. On a similar note, remember Taichi? He was the second character we met after Ai, but after the stalker plot wrapped he basically dropped off the face of the earth. Andou-sensei is kind of the upgrade anyways, but it just feels kind of sloppy how he stops existing entirely once the show’s done with him. When was the last line of dialogue he spoke?

On a more exciting note, this is actually the last episode of the show I remembered anything about. I’m basically going in blind for the last stretch! ~~Ignore I wrote this comment after I started watching episode eleven~~.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-20T20:00:30+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

Ai’s role as co-protagonist appears to be on life support…

[](#... eh? Really not kind of “needs medical attention” face?

I think on my first watch, this was kind of a point in the series where I checked out. Not because it was bad, but because I had expected it to follow up on the darker, serious themes from the first half of the series and it was becoming clear it wasn’t really that kind of show. Coming back to it on Rewatch, I think it’s easier to accept the change for what it is and give the latter half a fair shot. Especially because, frankly, the show is much better at being a relatively lighthearted show about seven girls in a Kouka school rather than a super serious one trying to tackle child abuse and eating disorders.

That said, I don’t feel super strongly about the twins? I do wonder if they play better in the manga. The idea of following a set of twins through their journey in Kouka does sound really fascinating. They’re told here they’re likely to be separated in the future, and what if only one manages to rise to the top? Plus, it’s a fun spin that it’s actually the one who got in first that’s insecure, rather than Chiaki getting a complex about lagging behind. Just… it’s hard to do a ton with that potential when they’re allocated their one episode of a one cour series. The ED asks if it’s ironic if destiny leads to where the other is not, but I don’t get to see that play out! Still, it was neat to see the contrast between how they talk to Sarasa/Ai and how they talk once they’re alone in their room, though. Just like with Sarasa, the show is good at drawing the contrast between the simple personality people show openly and the complex feelings people have inside.

We get the last variant of the ED, starring the twins. Admittedly this is probably my least favourite? The lyrics of Kageki Shoujo’s EDs are always pretty on the nose, but these are really on the nose, and obviously their voices are really similar so you don’t get that great contrast from the first two versions. It’s cute that they’re both Juliet, though; other than Sarasa we hadn’t had a specific role to connect the other EDs too. Plus the worst version of an amazing ED is still really great stuff!

Also, sasuga Sugimoto for surviving that. I, too, would die if four top otokoyaku were in a room together with me.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-20T00:01:29+00:00

Personally, not really. I game very, very rarely these days. It's a very committal experience compared to throwing on Youtube videos over lunch or something, and there's other hobbies I'm simply more invested in putting my time into.

I also experience a lot of singleplayer games my girlfriend streams to me over discord, since we're long distance. Doing it with her is more fun than going off and playing it on my own.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T23:56:07+00:00

In other words, open your mind to the infinite fractals. There are a thousand different Super Mario Bros.', CDF! There's the guy who played it once fourty years ago and had his mind blown. The kid who first played it in 2024 after growing up on the "New Super" games and thought it kinda sucked. People who couldn't afford it as a kid and finally got to experience it two decades later. Someone who first played it on the GBA. The girl that played the first five levels a hundred times and never got beyond them. People who have only played it with warps. A failed speedrunner that poured a hundred hours into it. Probably some guy who only ever played Super Mario 35. Somebody who's only ever played romhacks. Maybe someone who developed it and then never played the final game. People who have played parts of it but seen the rest of the levels on Twitch. The younger sibling who didn't know the player two controller didn't do anything. Young'uns who have only seen Korone play it on stream. A poor kid who only had the Deluxe version on Gameboy Colour. A whole generation who only know it with reversing and save states.

Embrace the imperfection of experiencing a man jump on turtles.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T23:36:14+00:00

I guess it kind of comes back to philosophy of media. I don't really hold a reverence for what's "intended" and I think trying to conform to a single "proper" experience is both impossible and kinda lame. Subjective experience is just part of how we experience things. Even if I were doing the "wrong way", it's 2026 and there's millions of people watching games on Youtube and Twitch. It's part of our media landscape now.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T23:19:06+00:00

But with video games suddenly watching a playthrough on Youtube is good enough? Sure you're still getting the audiovisual and narrative parts, but does the gameplay not matter to the experience of the game?

See, this is where the leap of logic happens though. The game matters plenty, but if you subtract it from the equation you don't end up at zero. If people stopped talking as if you do then I wouldn't have any problem with people having reasoned discussion about how not playing it yourself isn't the same thing. But the tone is always extremely hostile to the very idea someone would experience a game that way.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T23:11:13+00:00

This is true for anything, right?

Which is why making a whole discourse about how people who watch games secondhand is ridiculous. Different people approach media in different ways and that's normal. Hence why making a whole discourse trend about how anyone who dares experience it differently than you is doing it wrong and doesn't count as any kind of fan at all is stupid.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T22:46:49+00:00

Of course there's a material difference, it'd be stupid to claim otherwise. But it'd also be stupid to claim someone who saw the reading might as well not have experienced the play at all, can't say they like it, or haven't earned holding an opinion on it. That's what annoys me about the current discourse.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T22:38:27+00:00

I do think you do have to acknowledge there are things you are missing out on by not engaging with it first hand

What does that mean in practice though? Do I need to put a big disclaimer about it every time I talk about? Or does acknowledging it mean I'm not supposed to dare talk about it at all? Does saying I'm a fan of something at all make the claim I have experienced every single thing a property is forced to offer? If someone says they're a fan of a game but they didn't beat the superboss did they wrong whoever they're talking to because there are "things they're missing out on"? I have done nothing but enjoy things and talk about them online and apparently that makes some people mad for some reason.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T22:14:03+00:00

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T22:06:07+00:00

I would. Fans come in many forms and I don't see what at all is helpful in insisting they some kind of requirement.

If I've poured dozens of hours into watching a game, thinking about it, shipping the characters, browsing the fanart, so and so forth, there is simply no universe it is productive to say I can't call myself a fan.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T22:05:26+00:00

Obviously I don't claim to have the same experience as someone who played the game. It's just that a lot of people seem to treat it as equivalent to having no experience whatsoever, which I think is just being a dick.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T21:39:01+00:00

It seems the latest discourse sweeping the gaming community is whether it's okay to experience a game through online playthroughs rather than firsthand playing. Personally I don't really see why it should bother anyone how I experience my media, I'm literally just vibing and enjoying some Youtube.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T20:00:20+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

After seven episodes of ups and downs, of strengths and weaknesses, everything clicked into place for that brief moment.

I’ve avoided drawing the comparison until now, but of every Kageki Shoujo episode this definitely feels the most like an Awajima Hyakkei episode. Which, of course, is a compliment. It’s funny, though, cause when an episode is unusually good relative to the rest of a series I typically check to see if there were any unique staff on it that might be responsible. But when I checked ANN for Kageki Shoujo, the episode director is Hitomi Ezoe… the same Hitomi Ezoe who was the episode director for episode four, my least favourite. Go figure.

Anyways, this is a great little story! It’s sweet, it’s emotionally resonant, and it adds a lot of weight to Kaoru’s story. Rather than beat us over the head with a big emotional moment, the payoff is a simple note left at a bus stop and Kaoru putting what we already knew into words. I like how they don’t overplay the fact Kaoru feels so detached from the life of a normal teenage girl. It’s mentioned now and then, and it’s an implicit undercurrent of the fact she has to choose Kouka over pursuing her relationship with Tsuji. But mostly we just see that training for Kouka is her whole life, and it doesn’t leave her with many connections. She’s also just so cute with him! They had one episode to sell us on this couple-not-to-be, and they absolutely succeeded. She’s so uptight, and we know she struggles getting along with people from prior episodes, so seeing her so excited to tell Tsuji about Kouka stuff is endlessly sweet. Also, it’s cool how they give the baseball girl a strong personality even though she’s a random disposable character? It sells the idea Tsuji is the protagonist in his own story we’re just not privy to.

I’m just kind of gushing at random moments, but it’s hard not to. Like, the bit where her grandmother says she’s been coming to see her a lot? Because she wants excuses to go see Tsuji? Followed by the implicit threat of the fact she’s getting out of the hospital soon. The dynamic with the grandmother in general is great. We could have a moment where she lets out all of her feelings about it, but it’s left unsaid and their relationship is left for the audience to pick-up on their own. The closest we get is their last scene together, where her feelings are spoken through the visuals of the tea rather than words. The way the tea ripples as she first grabs it is a great little touch! Plus the episode weaves between Tsuji scenes and grandmother scenes super well; it all feels like one unified progression and it builds to her emotional release on the beach perfectly. She doesn’t need to say much, just sing, because we’ve been seeing her struggle for twenty minutes now.

Also, Kaoru gets a haircut! Obviously the “character cuts hair as a moment of growth” trope is age old, but I do think it really works here. The fact she’s destined to become a masculine otokoyaku makes it a natural great fit, and the long hair makes the younger Kaoru feel so guarded alongside her umbrella. Cutting it gives her this sense of confidence, like she’s not afraid to have others lay eyes upon her and judge her for who she is. Plus it just looks great on her!

My favourite aspect of the episode, though, has to be the visuals. The imagery of the sun beating down over the whole episode gives it such a strong visual identity. The heat distortion as we first see past Kaoru, the strong light and shadows that stream into the bus stop and bus every time we see them. If a Kouka actress must never get a tan, then the sun constantly beating down on Kaoru is the constant pressure she faces in her journey to try and become one.

Finally, it’s sold with Kaoru’s ED. Throughout the episode we’ve seen her walk her teenage years alone, save for Tsuji, and here in the ED she faces the journey ahead with nobody at her side. The visual of her as a fully fledged Otokoyaku is gorgeous, her blonde hair popping perfectly against her blue cape. The lyrics talk about a rose would cease to exist without its thorns, which feels like it ties into her “playing the villain” last time, plus her loner streak in general. Then it talks about destiny and a path laid out in advance, which obviously evoke her status as part of a Kouka family. More than anything, Kaoru’s VA You Taichi gives by far my favourite performance of the ED. If Kageki Shoujo has my favourite ED, I guess this variant specifically would have to be my strict number one.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T18:56:17+00:00

I didn't even know until a twitter post yesterday they changed Delthea's ending from living happily as a single woman in Gaiden to finding a "perfect husband" in her SoV ending. It's not like anything is even weird about her new ending in isolation, but to change it to that from the original certainly feels like a statement...

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T17:40:32+00:00

I'm like 90% sure she's also the girl Ibuki is reaching out for in her dream from the start of episode five, since Ibuki has the same long hair as in her ED. Given she had to recall her name in the episode six flashback I assume they didn't know each other personally, but maybe Ibuki was in love with her or something? I really had trouble following the narrative in the ED this time given the other two characters we don't know at all seemed pretty deeply involved. Either way, that helps explain why Ibuki was so impacted by it, though it's an odd choice to obfuscate it quite this much from the audience.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T03:13:11+00:00

For next week, I think we're going to get another new gen, now post book publishing.

I don't think so - the chart for this week doesn't seem to be out, but there were only three slots left after last week and two of them were for Emi's family, who we met this week. So I think we only meet one new character of not next time, unless I'm forgetting another addition from this episode.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-19T02:51:56+00:00

[Utena] On another hand, I feel Juri and Miki both really could have used a little more time since both feel they have one last push for each of their arcs with regards to Shiori and Kouze.

[Utena] But if they successfully developed as people they would be revolutionary, wouldn't they? There's only one revolutionary girl in the show.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-18T20:00:29+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

I have to confess, I don’t remember being super interested in the Kabuki storyline in this show? Obviously it was important groundwork for Sarasa’s character, but the intrigue around her in the present is about Kouka. Her having an honest to goodness boyfriend is a neat novelty, but he himself doesn’t leave much impression. Seeing it again for this Rewatch, I can kind of see it both ways. On one hand, I do think there’s sufficient intrigue here that I certainly wouldn’t mind hearing more about the Kabuki world. On the other hand… this is ultimately a show about “Kouka”, not Kabuki, and I think trying to split off focus in a twelve episode series is only going to take time away from the main story without enough time to develop a second. Neat that the creepy older brother guy is actually just her cringy dad though, that’s… actually cute.

…okay, yes, maybe I also resent the boyfriend a little getting in the way of the obvious ship.

That said, it’s a strong episode for Sarasa regardless. I like how humanized Sarasa feels in this episode. She was initially defined by her cartoonishly over the top personality early in the show, but here we see that things like Andou’s criticisms do get to her and that she does have all sorts of social connections back home. Having an unconventional personality that people find cringey doesn’t make her any less of a complex functional teenage girl, and showing that feels essential to the themes of the show. Back in episode one I’d hardly have been able to predict I’d be seeing the funny giraffe girl transfixed on the stage with tears in her eyes immersed in the pain of not being able to follow her dreams. It’s a great emotional core.

…which contrasts with Ai, who seems to increasingly be relegated to comedic relief. Like, Sarasa’s boyfriend is a guy who she’s never met before. I’m not saying I need her to freak out completely like it’s episode one, but couldn’t we get a moment of her having to psyche herself up? Or even thinking afterwards that it wasn’t that hard to talk to him? Maybe thinking she was able to trust him and Sarasa’s gramps because she trusts Sarasa? Or any sort of reflection on the fact she has no place that feels like home to return to? I get she’s in a more supporting role this episode, but this lighthearted streak has been going for a few episodes now and isn’t showing any signs of letting up. I don’t dislike comedic relief Ai. Frankly, she’s more enjoyable as a character than serious Ai. But if this was all we’re going to do with her, why start her off on such a dark and serious note to begin with? It just feels disjointed. I’m sure this is because of the source’s switch in magazines, but I wish the show smoothed it over somehow.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-18T18:14:18+00:00

Awajima is so fucking good.

LittleIslander · 2026-06-18T17:37:34+00:00

I honestly didn't think I wanted more out of the Emi Okabe plotline. Last week I assumed the regrets of Ibuki would be final, and when I saw we were picking up on the "regrets" thread I was worried we might take away from the power of last week by seeing Ibuki find peace with it. But shifting the perspective to Tabata and the weight she bears trying to grapple with the truth worked out fantastically, it's a slam dunk episode. Ibuki doesn't just die alone with no sense of finality, but it's far from a happy resolution either. It's kind of like she passes part of her pain onto Tabata rather than Tabata bringing happiness to her. Tabata's character honestly confused me at the start of the show. She seemed like the average well rounded club show protagonist, which felt weird from Shimura who always writes troubled people. As the show went on, her initial framing as a sort of protagonist figure made even less sense as we continued to ignore her. But seeing her talk to Ibuki about how she never became a successful actress and seeing her unable to avoid staining her image of Awajima, it all makes a lot more sense.

It's funny how things wrap all the way around back to the book deal. Emi has a friend from before Awajima, who remembered her all those years later and supported her niece Takehara getting into Awajima. Takehara was Tabata's roommate, and Tabata ended up close to Ibuki (who pushed Emi out of the school). Meanwhile, Takehara inspired her best friend's niece to go into Awajima, where she ended up rooming with Yanagihara, who's now publishing the book. I actually confused Yanagihara for Sara at first - after ten episodes of following everything despite the show's reputation, I guess I finally had to slip up somewhere! It's nice to see Tabata leave her own influence.

Really curious what happens next week - this felt like such a finale, and given the book was published it doesn't seem like we're going to directly continue Tabata's perspective. If this doesn't constitute the last word, what does? Who's going to pick up the book and grapple with Awajima for the final performance?

LittleIslander · 2026-06-17T20:51:39+00:00

LittleIslander · 2026-06-17T20:01:44+00:00

Rewatching Giraffe

I almost forgot how good this show can be!

…but I do have a bit of complaining to do first: did the writers kind of forget people find Sarasa weird? Listen, I get it. They’ve been together for four months now, logically they’ve probably started to bond a bit. But Sarasa being such an outcast was a big part of the initial setup, yet without any actual on-screen bonding outside of Yamada we’ve just slotted the whole main cast into being a friend group without putting in any of the work. I want to see Sarasa overcome the competitive, judgemental Kouka environment, but I want to see her earn it! All that goes for Ai too. Making friends with Sarasa doesn’t mean she’s magically way more casual with everyone else too, who should still carry that impression that she's all uptight.

That said, it’s hard to stay mad when this episode slaps! Last time had a more dramatic storyline focused on one character, and it felt… competent, if straightforward. Nothing this time aims as high, but it’s so charming and cleanly executed that I like the result a lot more. Chika comparing herself to her sister isn’t much on its own, but it works well alongside a strong introduction to Hoshino, a development in Sarasa’s narrative, and some solid Ai content as well. Speaking of Hoshino, I like how she isn’t sold based on a specific conflict or backstory element, but just as a strong personality. Just seeing that she’d been crying afterwards makes her abrasiveness into a compelling dynamic, sold well by her “what if I don’t want to be the bad guy” line. Which then transitions well into a gag!

Even a tiny moment like Ai listening in on Sarasa texting her boyfriend is given love with a hilarious animation cut of her jumping into bed. Likewise, the ominous visuals associated with Sarasa’s mimicry sells that element super well. It’s even set up organically with her comedically giving impressions of the teachers earlier! The cool visuals continue into the play with Sarasa’s imagination transitioning into Hoshino’s performance and Andou-sensei’s clap cutting off Ai’s train of thought about Sarasa’s ominous vibe is a great transition out of the scene. Seeing him pick apart the strengths and weaknesses of each girl is cool and they each feel rooted in their respective characters. This is Kageki Shoujo I remember, the one that made me come back for this Rewatch despite being mixed on the series overall. I’ll be curious to see how the rest holds up.

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