- There! I said it!
- …And why do I say that? Well, it’s because now that we’ve gotten to know Mai a little more, as opposed to the martial art-loving hard girl who just so happens to have a big bosom. We’re shown visions of her as an introverted child, and how it was her father who encouraged her to stand up and take up self-defense. As for her relations with the rest of the cast, well, they haven’t changed so much when it comes to Reina. But despite seeing a lot of faults in Haruhiko, she is beginning to accept the facts that he genuinely does care about the others in the little bubble, and that he’s not some empty-headed punching bag. Especially when, out of the blue, two completely contrasting things come together. A date and The Matrix.
- Episode 1 brought us bizarre limbo dancing, Episode 2 brought us headphones girl (who I hope I see more of soon), and thus Episode 3 gives us the first filler episode: the obligatory date episode. That’s one crossed off the list; we’re just waiting for the beach/pool one, the Christmas one, and the episode that’s even more lewd than even the first one. But I don’t know what the purpose of ‘copying memories’ was for, aside from more filler. Mai and Haruhiko could have gone on their own terms and not effectively been set up by Sensei. Even the first few scenes or so (the usual Sunday scene where we see the three not in school uniform), it’s already implied that Haruhiko and Reina are already an item.
- This week has been a very mixed bag. As Mai is incapable of defeating two strong fighting Phantoms, Haruhiko presents the idea of copying memories, so he can be some kind of support to her. In order for this to ‘manifest’ though, Sensei proposes that the two of them need to retrace back to places Mai remembered as a child… Something which, in effect, becomes a trip to an amusement park, a climbing center, a Chinese buffet, and a good long stare into the sunset…all of which pretty much equate to a date. I don’t ever see the two of them genuinely taking things that far; something that’s much to Reina’s relief, because it’s just too obvious that she wants him all to herself.
- This show isn’t really getting any better, and yet I’m still clinging onto some kind of hope that the actual science-fiction in the show might get interesting soon. There is a back-story, which makes me wonder a lot. Even Sensei is starting to get all intelligent and brings up the idea that what humans see and perceive, their memories, and what Phantoms really are not so different after all. In the preview we are promised some more story, and that Mai, Haruhiko and Reina (and quite possibly the other girls who feature in the show) learn more about the world they live in, and about the ‘virus’ that made them see Phantoms in the first place. In the mean time though, as I say, I accept that the relationship between Mai and Haruhiko is getting so much better than I originally thought, and it’s this week’s events that have done it. After somehow remembering that there was another side of Mai that she has totally forgotten about, she (and therefore we) see that Haruhiko does play the fool, but at least he goes out of his way to make the group happy…something that Mai is now starting to see. After acting all tough, mean and tomboy-ish, she realizes that she needs to be a better senpai to both Haruhiko and Reina. She is the one who has brought the group together and made them closer, and so she can’t put on the tough face anymore.
- The only thing that isn’t needed in the group is Ruru, who is only there to annoy the others. She is there purely for the sake of comedy, which is needed in a KyoAni show like this, but Haruhiko can provide enough on his own. So do I really want this show to get better? To be honest, I’m not sure if I really care anymore. It hasn’t become the complete laughing stock I was expecting it to be (just yet); I am prepared to give it more time until I make a proper balanced decision. I mean, the artwork is colorful even by KyoAni standards and any action comes thick and fast; I just think that we were all too quick to judge in terms of the opening episode. All of these characters have the capability to develop further in the show, and I think the back-story will come and present itself around halfway through and present us with something that may even be quite solid.
- Mai may have a huge bosom, but it could just be that that’s the reason why we judge this show so much. I believe next week we learn more about Reina, as all we seem to know of her is that she’s a Phantom Eater, she comes from a rich family, she greatly admires Mai and she has a massive crush on Haruhiko. Last week’s finger-licking showed us that she can do much more than sealing Phantoms… She’s someone I’m quite interested in. I mean how can you resist that pout?!