「秘めたる想い」 (Himetaru omoi)
“Untold Feelings”

If there was any doubt as to which side of the isekai divide SnS would fall, this week should properly answer that question. While the standard array of tropes and clichés well-worn in other isekai adventures remain in all their glory, the show’s unique spin on the standard story is now well under way as the mystery is fleshed out, new and important elements are revealed, and that drama you just know and love is set to boil. It may not be a winning combination just yet, but SnS sure is flaunting its individuality.

As expected following that cliffhanger last time, little time was wasted in giving Asahi’s circumstances some detail. Besides being unable to log out, the girl currently possesses an unregistered account and lacks any and all memory beyond the moment of her death. Taken altogether it’s the perfect recipe for system glitch/bug as Haruto is quick (and right) to believe, but given those increasingly apparent .hack//Sign and AnoHana similarities mentioned last time you damn well know our spunky little cutie isn’t just some collection of electronic bits. There’s something ominous responsible for Asahi’s apparent death, and as one responsible boss’ continuing presence in SnS’s OP shows, the reason likely has to do with the actual objective Pleroma Industries has for Re’Union. Take the sudden rush of attempts to recruit or kidnap Asahi for example, everyone wants her unique Sense ability because it will help them obtain the status and rewards Re’Union’s developers have promised to certain players, but as Takanori states, how could they find out about her so quickly? If someone high up is leaking this information you have to wonder why they would and what they stand to gain from it. With only Sense players able to play this game guaranteed there’s something else at work here and with the SAO influence going strong who wants to bet Asahi’s situation is a little like Asuna’s birdcage experience. Has anyone even seen Asahi’s dead body? Didn’t think so.

Sinister corporate plots aren’t all SnS has to offer though as with Takanori’s reappearance we have the beginning of this show’s key romantic feud. To no one’s surprise (or at least you shouldn’t be) Takanori remains firmly smitten with Asahi and unable to properly question whether the girl before him actually exists. Thanks to his terminal case of oneitis the guy is certain to come to blows with Haruto sooner than later, particularly considering his thinly veiled game warnings and what as mentioned before are the repeated attempts to steal Asahi away. No matter the presence of one hella mature Satsuki helping to solve this mystery, someone will eventually manage to swipe Asahi away, and when that occurs you just know who’s going to be gunning for the clearly obvious perpetrator. With Takanori’s thinly veiled hate and Haruto’s apparent lack of Sense superpower, Asahi’s dream of reassembling Subaru is going to take more than a few words and pretty faces.

Considering a new and mysterious character in the empath Elicia (Anzai Chika) is warning of serious danger set to befall Asahi before too long, happy endings will just have to wait.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「Starlight」by Erii Yamazaka

Preview

16 Comments

  1. Honestly, it all seems like a isekai adaptation of Ano Hana. The premise is interesting in and of itself. But so far, that’s the only thing interesting about this. The animation and soundtrack is pretty blah. The story better start delivering soon – otherwise I’ll probably drop this. A unique premise can only get you so much mileage.

    Rathje
    1. I completely agree. It’s Anohana dressed in woman’s… wait, what I wanted to tell. Oh, ok, it’s Anohana mixed with SAO that so far doesn’t bring anyting oryginal to the table. It isn’t even particulary well made though second episode wasn’t as bad as the first one. I love the premise but not the show itself and it’s killing me.

      Urizithar
    2. Well I have been at pains to keep linking AnoHana to this for a reason 😛
      You’re completely right though, the story is going to make or break this, and that’s before considering the generic nature of everything else. I’m hopeful it’ll work out in the end, but yeah, crash and burn is a distinct possibility.

    1. Best girl means Satsuki is doomed in her romance aspirations. MC will go for the trophy-girl, like usual. Asahi has all the osananajime-killing attributes. Exotic with a back-from-the-dead mystery, the one all the background mooks are trying to claim (and are therefore going to feel super-jealous when the MC gets her), stupid cheery personality… it’s all there.

      And with Satsuki already playing the reserved embarrassed “gosh, don’t make me say it… baka” routine… Yup, Satsuki is doomed. Don’t emotionally invest. The writing is on the wall.

      Rathje
    2. Ah a fellow man of taste too I see 😛

      @Rathje
      Of course she’s going to lose, it’s been pre-ordained since the first episode and the ring exchanges, but that’s no reason not to identify a best girl when you see one.

    3. Hoping they don’t close the door on her too soon. Tease us with that 1% chance and I’ll keep on watching. XD

      Really thought of dropping this on the first episode. Accidentally watched the second and am glad Satsuki made an appearance. No regrets here.

      (Secretly hopes Takanori gets his way) XD

      theirs
  2. I agree with most of the negative sentiments expressed in these comments. It took me hours to watch the episode. It’s like a bad, less interesting copy of AnoHana (and I didn’t like that show).

    There are a lot of dumb things about the show, like how characters are always having their conversations interrupted (e.g. Haruto/Asahi at the entrance to the dungeon, those two again while with Satsuki on the bridge). And of course, too many sentences are left unfinished. And whether they’re finished or not, they’re usually cryptic.

    I’ll put aside some of the trivial dumb stuff, like when the gang of would-be abductors interrupted that conversation, they did the whole… “You can only summon two at a time!” garbage. Even had she summoned only two, Satsuki still would have kicked all their butts. It made me think I was watching Isekai Mahouka.

    I haven’t watched AnoHana since it aired but I wonder if Asahi isn’t somehow more of an airhead than even Honma was.

    But one of the dumb things stood out for me beyond all the rest.

    Early in the episode, after the failed logout, Haruto actually yells at Asahi that she’s dead, dammit! What kind of cretin does that? And only seconds before that, he was calm and rational. Being an airhead, of course she laughs in response. Then, when they’re chatting with Satsuki later on the bridge, and she asks Asahi whether she knows that she’s dead or not, he has the gall to bark at her. Satsuki should have hoofed him one and pushed him off the bridge.

    Anyway, so far, no good.

    Mockman

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