This episode was quite interesting as compared to the previous ones. In this episode, Mio Arc pairs up Eriko and Takuya and this could be a complete disaster. I guess the storyline in the previous episodes had mentally prepared us for this to some extent. I’m glad that the buildup of the story has been used in a fascinating way. So it turns out that Mio Arc did have a point after all and we should congratulate him for that.
On a serious note, this was a stimulating episode which shows that once YU-NO stops dragging its feet, it can be quite fetching. Firstly, in this new arc there are some humorous mechanics. Like Takuya, after doing this numerous times, fast forwards through the information and dialogues that he has heard already. Similar to pressing the forward button on a remote. Apart from the teasers that were mainly a waste of time, it was pleasant to see that in this episode we were not taken through all the trivial details for the 3rd time. Although, it’s surprising that the show gives us new information at quite a fast pace. Mitsuki is informed about Ryuzoji by Takuya and after a short while, Eriko confesses that she is aware of the time travel by Takuya and she might even celebrate a Groundhog Day by herself.
I should confess that I have always found Eriko more interesting than Mio, or maybe I am prejudiced towards Eriko and her arc. The mystery of why Eriko’s clothes were on that bed is solved in this episode straight away. It wasn’t much of a riddle though as we find out that she slept on the floor in the same way as Ryuzoji and kept mumbling to herself what seem to be mysterious clues. The fact of the matter is that majority of the show has not delivered as much as this particular episode as it has a lot going on.
Another plus point is that in the plot Eriko has a direct connection to the much of the paranormal stuff that is going on. Although Takuya does not use time travel in most of this episode, but this aspect is kept relevant by Eriko as she know about it. By the end of this episode, we get to see some real action. Dressed up in Ghost Sweeper Mikami cosplay, Eriko make her way into the backyard of Ryuzoji with help on some pretty impressive ninja moves. This is the kind of action that gives an edge to an anime that is inspired by a visual novel. Rather than copying the descriptions and script of the novel in an exact way, the anime makes it look much more fun and thrilling.
However, this is still a YU-NO episode besides the stuff of Eriko. There seems to be strange repetition in the way the story is depicted. Each time we see a conversation take place between Ryuzoji and Kaori, there are very few new parts that seem to be new. It looks like poor Mitsuki is still not getting her share that she deserves. Takyua informs Mitsuki about the Niarb, but Mitsuki is not able to protect herself from it. As a result we get to see Ryuzoi gaslighting her in a magical way and I found this scene to be quite creepy. In the final part of the episode we see Mitsuki driving a car and getting into an accident. The scenes that are supposed to be the most thrilling psychologically, lose their potency as a result of the asides about Eriko’s breasts and Takuya’s hard on. Distractions like these may be preferable to order to add some entertainment to the show.
In my opinion the rest of the episode is better off as compared to these irritating distractions that I pointed out. They just add more frustration to a story that is already boring. It is just a matter of how much buildup of the story you have the patience to watch before it actually unfolds. Credit should be given to this episode for making some progress in the story, as the last couple of week’s story was going at snail’s pace. The mood of this episode was mostly light, as the story was not too serious or deep. The direction that this new storyline has taken, has made me anxious as to what will happen next.
