Not a lot happens in this episode, but it is more enjoyable than most, since it isn’t so obsessed with repeating itself like other episodes, and it has a few good gags. There’s a semi-emotional scene between Shiro and Jiyu where Shiro challenges her to a duel, but since the entire series trades more on irony and irreverence than character, the scene doesn’t carry a whole lot of poignance.
But who cares about that? This has one of my favorite scenes in any anime, when the new assassin challenges Jiyu to a duel. First, he introduces himself at Jiyu’s house, and she makes him whisper his threat, so her dad doesn’t hear. Then, before they fight, she makes him answer all the questions she has about the ridiculous situation. Eventually the two of them sit down and try to hash out the plot, both admitting it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
This self-reflection isn’t necessarily a strong tendency in the show, which depends more on outrageousness for its humor, but it makes for a nice sophisticated change in the style of humor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last into the next episode, but at least it makes this episode worth the twenty minutes it consumes.
However, look at this guide: the only element I found really worth writing about (implying, thus, the part of the show that struck me on any level beyond a chuckle) is this one drawn-out funny scene. The episode itself isn’t structurally interesting, and so little happens in that half-an-hour that you wonder why this series couldn’t have been pruned by a couple of episodes. Picking up the pace would have been a welcome change over the decidedly languid shuffle that the show has taken up.
Rating :B
