Ok, so, one of the biggest, the BIGGEST problems with this show is its pacing. It feels more and more like they’re trying to stretch out content from one chapter to fit a 20 minute episode, and pad it out in the laziest ways possible. One technique is to literally slow down the action and even the animation for the sake of “drama” when really all it does is make the audience say “GET ON WITH IT!”
So, first off, Wet-Blanket discusses Chika’s backstory with Yuma, most of it we already knew, and the rest we didn’t need a flashback to hear. This was one of the times when you tell, don’t show, because it doesn’t feel warranted to have this flashback with her brother, and then also have flashbacks in those flashbacks of her friend being taken. By the way, what is even up with that? This was before the Neighbors made their big attack, and they took Chika’s best friend..but why? We know that Chika is a high priority for them, why not take her? Why take her best friend who likely has less Trion? Because….we need to give angst to Chika’s backstory, I guess?
And oh yeah, we do get to know why the Neighbors are attacking earth. Apparently, earth is rich in Trion producing creatures, humans. And apparently, there is so much violence and war, the Neighbors decided to outsource and use earth for Trion, either stealing people with high trion of be soldiers, or removing the gland from weaker people.
We also get introduced to her brother…who, based on Wet Blanket’s reactions went under the “died tragically so I have a desire to protect her” thing for Wet-Blanket. He’s just there to be shown and honestly, didn’t even make a big enough impression for any pathos to what I assume will be his death revealed later.
This is all a shame because I like Chika. She’s cute enough, with a sad enough backstory (nonsensical as it is) and honestly…the story would be way more interesting if she was the main character rather than Wet Blanket. Though at this point, the random bullies might make better protagonists.
After that, we get a long sequence of them measuring her Trion ability, since its likely that is why Neighbors decide to hunt her down. This would have suspense if we didn’t see in the opening she’d have such incredible power.
Then the second half of the episode is when finally, the black wearing squad guys show up. Being professional trained soldiers, they immediately leap to conclusions on who the Neighbor is, thinking its Chika, till Duck-face pretty much confesses..and gets shot immediately.
Duck-face begins to fight them, and OH MY GOD HE’S ACTUALLY INJURED. Has his tenure as being the unbeatable super garystu alien ended? No, but hey, he’s bleeding…from his false Trion body which doesn’t actually affect his physical body at all….man, this show is a master at sucking out tension.
How do they top that? Well, when Wet Blanket calls Jin for help, he says he’s here, but he doesn’t need to get involved, because Duck-Face has it. I will remind you that Jin can SEE THE FUTURE, so yeah..there goes that tension too.
So, we know Duck-Face is going to win, and even if he didn’t, he’d get damaged in a fake Trion body that wouldn’t even cause him bodily harm. Yeah…no suspense here. Not to mention the episode cliffhanger, of him being shot by snipers, is undermined by the fact he said he noticed them, and likely will reveal some bullcrap defense he made.
Overall, this episode has only made more clear a lot of the big problems with this show. There remains….some potential, but it needs to give us consequences, interesting characters, and stuff we can actually give a crap about. It doesn’t matter how detailed out your world is if it can’t draw the audience in with likable characters or make us care about their struggles. Hideki will soldier on beside me though, and we will see how much better/more mediocre this show can get.
PS. Duck-face count-15 this episode.