We here at oprainfall don’t just love video games: we’re big fans of anime, too. So in celebration of the medium, we’re here to give you our thoughts on what we’ve been watching each week as we watch it. Old, new – anything goes.
Currently Airing:
Mob Psycho 100 III
This is it, the penultimate episode. Season 3 has been working its way through character arcs with amazingly satisfying (and sometimes also devastating) conclusions, and that holds true here as well, as both Toichiro Suzuki and Ritsu finally confront their pasts as they face off against Mob. For Suzuki, his whole life was a selfish pursuit to do as he wished, to always put himself first even at the expense of his own family. He even comes to confront Mob on his own rather than work with the team he was originally sent in with. He isn’t prepared and Sho ends up saving him, reuniting father and son on the same side for the first time. Realizing he can’t stop Shigeo as he is now, Suzuki proposes a suicide run, where he will absorb as much of Mob’s powers as possible in an attempt to stop him, and it’s only the realization that he’s once again thinking of himself and leaving Sho behind again that stops him. They limp away in defeat as Mob continues his inexorable trek toward Tsubomi-chan. Meanwhile, Ritsu has found the unconscious Teru and resolves to stop his older brother, who he fears is doing this because he was rejected. For Ritsu, this is a nightmare he’s feared for years, a trauma that’s haunted both himself and Shigeo since the day Mob accidentally hurt him when they were children. For years Mob has suppressed his emotions in fear of this other side of himself, has locked away an integral, inextricable part of his being. But Mob shouldn’t have to exist under the weight of trauma, and Ritsu resolves to accept this side of his big brother, to accept that it doesn’t have to be a scary “other;” he wants to be the brother Shigeo can always talk to, finally unlocking his 100% power. It’s not enough. Mob continues walking, now encased in a tornado, as he confronts himself: The real Shigeo, who will finally do as he wants to do, who will act on his desires rather than suppress them; and Mob, the boy who tries so hard to be like everyone else. When Mob finally wakes up, which one will he be? – Leah
– You can watch Mob Psycho 100 on Crunchyroll.
SPY x Family
In the aftermath of her tennis match with Fiona, Yor is still depressed at the thought that she’s lost her value to Loid. She’s convinced herself he wants to replace her. Loid doesn’t quite understand what’s going on, but he hears gossip about him being a cheat and so takes Yor out in an attempt to nip these rumors in the bud. In the process, he discovers that Yor is actually jealous of Fiona, but unfortunately by this time Yor is well and truly sloshed and beats the crap out of him. They eventually have a heartfelt talk on a park bench where Loid affirms he wants Yor to continue being his wife and Anya’s mother, and it’s honestly the sweetest thing. We get some real insight into Loid’s past and his motivations, as well as a tender moment between the two that feels genuine rather than part of the Strix farce. Yor’s face is just way too adorable the entire time, and I love that she sings him a lullaby. It’s just too bad Yor can’t remember any of it the next day. Afterward, Anya goes on a shopping date with Becky to find the perfect outfit to wear to an upcoming social event so she can catch Damian’s eye. Anya tries to tell Becky she doesn’t actually like the Second Son, but we all know that’s a lie. Anya and Becky trying on outfits is super cute, and seeing them just being kids and having fun is precious. I also like the little bit of backstory we get on Becky and how Anya’s friendship has chipped away at her loneliness. They end up buying matching bag charms, which are adorable. Next week is the big social event and I can’t wait. – Leah
– You can watch SPY x Family on Crunchyroll.
Chainsaw Man
Public Safety has lost the vast majority of its members in Divisions I-IV, including almost everyone Denji has met up until now. Only Hayakawa and Kobeni remain, and Aki is struggling with the loss of Himeno. Division I members brought in from Kyoto are charged with getting the survivors of Division IV up to snuff, which includes finding Hayakawa a new contract since he pissed off the Fox Devil to the point she won’t answer him. To this end, they propose he make a contract with the Future Devil, even though Hayakawa doesn’t have much of a future left at this point. Power and Denji are up against Teacher, a complete and utter drunk, and also the strongest devil hunter in Public Safety, whom Makima has requested train them in order to be more useful in the future. The two are roundly whooped multiple times, even when they attempt to put their single brain cell together to come up with a sneak attack. I love these idiots. They are just so dumb. The status quo is changing at Public Safety and the stakes are ramping up. I’m curious to see how Hayakawa’s contract will go and all the new and fun ways Teacher can kill Denji and Power. – Leah
– You can watch Chainsaw Man on Crunchyroll.
Akiba Maid War
We start off with some fake-outs, such as a seemingly killed Okachimachi. The panda survived, though we do not see much of her the rest of the episode, which is disappointing since I wanted to hear her get more lines in now that she spoke. It’s shown that the café has been disowned by the group and the members are to be killed. Ranko finally reveals her connection to Nagi. Ranko and Nagomi head to the group’s headquarters to face Nagi while the others try to distract the rest of the group. This of course is in a grand fashion with them taking a hostage and having a shoot out. The moment the two meet with Nagi is tense, and we see they came not to kill her but, convince her to stop. Something which seems daunting with how vicious she is. It was sad to see how Ranko begs and is tortured as she asks for forgiveness for the café. Nagi meanwhile tries to convince her to kill Nagomi and the others. That’s also not to mention how she goes after Nagomi herself. Surprisingly, Nagi is seemingly convinced and the café is saved. The others having barely been able to survive, and it only ends with one accidental killing which the manager attempts to smooth over. While things seem to finally be looking up, the ending comes quick and brutally. That ending is something I wasn’t expecting, but with the way the series is, it isn’t hard to see no one is safe. While the identity of the maid at the end might not be the hardest to guess, the main thing I think should be wondered about is what happens next. The episode ends in a way that’s sort of similar to the opening of the series. While I have no idea how the final episode will go, I would think that it asks the question of what Nagomi will do. It goes back to what happened with Nerula’s death and I think we’ll see if she will make a new path or follow the one Ranko had and seek vengeance. I’ve enjoyed the series but, the last move they made was quite bold. I’m hoping they can make an ending that will feel right. – Walter
– You can watch Akiba Maid War on HIDIVE.
Bocchi the Rock!
The school festival starts up and the band ends up having to search for Bocchi who disappeared. She ran after being forced to partake in a maid café for her class but, she is tracked down by Kita who has learned Bocchi’s patterns. The gang has some fun but eventually make sure Bocchi gets back to help. She of course is not the best at her role, and the others end up joining to assist. There are a lot of good comedic moments like always. The different styles make an appearance such as a short but, always amusing live action sequence. The others dress up for the maid café and they of course are better suited at it than Bocchi. Ryo gets some good scenes such as when she “serves” some delinquent types. The band gets ready for their concert the next day and we unfortunately get cut off before they actually perform. It was nice to see Bocchi feel supported as they get ready to start, with her family, classmates and her fans showing up. Hiroi and Seika showing up was also nice to see. Hiroi of course is drunk, which is something that leads to Seika having to keep her in line. With the last episode coming up, I feel they will do a good job with the concert like they have previously. – Walter
– You can watch Bocchi the Rock! on Crunchyroll.
What anime are you watching? Let us know in the comments!
You can read previous Week in Anime entries here!
