To be completely honest, during the entire first half of the episode, I was more or less lost of what was being said and what was going on. It is clear to me that they deliberately choose to make it a confusing and complicated as they possibly could when it comes to the Alien showering information both the characters and the audience. The characters are just as lost as we are and just barely grasp what he is saying.
Yet despite the confusion, fanservice (why yes there was fanservice too today), I still managed to enjoy the episode. It was fun to have some creativity, clever lines and a change of pace by having the girls go for a dip into the ocean to retrieve the engine fragment that had fallen into the depths. I liked how they had them magically change into swimsuits (despite it being solely for the sake of fanservice) and make it part of the whole magical abilities, with limitations such as try not to talk at all or else you will run out of air. Dark Star’s sly slip into the group was a clever tactic and the girls managing to best him from time to time.
Speaking of the devil, I am puzzled and desire to get a better understanding of how he is different from Minato. They are almost identical, yet it appears as if the Dark Star has no idea of who Subaru is. So I am starting to wonder if they are two counterparts or perhaps even twins. Although as per usual, it is something we deal with in every magical girl series, regardless of the look-alike faces, most characters don’t make the connection or consider, “Oh X looks awfully alike Y.” But then again, I suppose it helps that Subaru’s character by default tends to be slow when processing things, so at least you could say we can cut her some slack.
But Subaru, Subaru, Subaru. She is a sweet charming character and all, yet it’s only episode three and I am slowly but surely growing irritated hearing about her self-doubts. I mean how should I to put it? It is not a bad thing for a character to have insecurities as it offers strong development as the story progresses. However, the one thing I have already specifically developed mixed opinions of are the scenes taking place in Minato’s garden. The first two times were cute, the third time- it was boring, and quite frankly already starting to get annoying. I dread this “Counseling Sessions with Minato” event becoming a routine. It only irks me because all three times Subaru showed up, it was when she was feeling down, Minato listens to her problems and gives her advice. Sure it’s sweet and all, and amusing to see that Minato look as though he could almost care less since he doesn’t get the whole “friendship” thing, but three times in a row is already enough. But whatever, I can suck it up and deal with it.
Next week, I am relieved to see the other girls will finally start having their turn in the spotlight, allowing us to learn more about them. Thank goodness they are starting next week and no later because I can’t even remember the other three girls names’. I am curious to see whether or not when the others cope with their inner conflicts and insecurities, whether or not they too will find themselves walking into Minato’s garden to participate in Counseling Sessions with Minato!
From the alien’s speech this time it sounds a lot more like the Many Worlds theory is correct. More, people who make… important decisions, choices that set their lives on specific paths that shape their future, it seems, are somehow expending some sort of energy that the alien finds useful. Our girls here are the versions of themselves who did not make those choices. In some universe, for instance, a version of Subaru chose to switch schools. That choice shaped her life, and expended some of her “potential” (and resulted in leaving our version of Aoi behind, because that version of Aoi did not make a choice, and did not expend her “potential”). Similarly, in another universe a version of Aoi chose to switch schools, leaving behind our version of Subaru who did not make a choice.
The alien gathered all these people, these people who had, for some reason or another, NOT made all the various life-shaping choices they could have made, and thus still had all the potential for their future that the alien found useful. Those people are our girls. They seem to have come from multiple different universes, but until Aoi and Subaru met here there was no way to confirm that because they hadn’t known each other before, so no one could check to see if anyone remembered anything differently than anyone else.
…Does all that make sense?
Anyway, looking forward to actually getting to know the other girls next week, because like you I can barely remember who they are.
Thank you, you explained it well. ^_^/ You have successfully cleared up my confusions!