Subarashiki Kono Sekai the Animation – 09

「ライムとビイト」 (Raimu to Biito)
“Rhyme and Beat”

This week’s Subarashiki Kono Sekai gives us a better understanding of this particular game’s key players as we come to find out about the circumstances that separated Beat and Rhyme in the Reaper’s Game. At the same time, it also sheds light on what Kariya deals with as a reaper despite his personal investment in steering Uzuki towards the right direction.

With this week’s reveal about Rhyme, we learn that she was actually Beat’s sister. It wasn’t quite something the story was ready to dole out earlier considering how the reveal was tied around the entry fee of not being able to recognize Beat as her brother. But for the most part, it serves to build empathy with Beat, who really has been getting the run-around because of the mean-spirited puppet masters that control this game. Not only is he forced to deal with Rhyme not knowing who he is, but he also has Rhyme routinely taken away from him, whether it be by having Noise erase her or binding her artificial soul to fake dolls.

It’s far too much, but what’s nice is that Beat was able to unpack all of this by the time Neku could empathize with what he’s going through and give him a more meaningful pep talk. It might have seemed like the tough love method to agree with Beat calling himself stupid, but what Neku saw as Beat embracing what makes him human. Beat is altruistic to a fault for protecting those around him regardless of the outcome if the reapers had found out he was still compassionate behind the scenes.

Neku coming to respect that mindset is a major development on his end given how it used to be like pulling teeth for him to not be a complete bell-end about those around him. But it was nice that, through trauma and those he met along the way, he could lighten up and try to uplift Beat throughout their ordeals in the third game. Nonetheless, it was still funny to see Neku start to cringe internally when he’s urged to pump himself up.

It was also interesting to see where Kariya is coming from, given that he’s come to be irritated with the roundabout nonsense he has from higher-ups that want him more personally involved with the games. But as opposed to Uzuki, who wants to fight tooth-and-nail for a promotion, Kariya is sentimental about his life in Shibuya as he finds peace in observing Scramble Crossing with Uzuki. His irritation at the trickery on Konishi’s end to bait out Beat adds to the complexities that make Kariya’s reluctance to fully devote himself to his reaper responsibilities all the more unique.

Unfortunately, the next episode looks to throw a wrench for him and Uzuki as the next step of Konishi’s plan involves letting the red O-Pins possess them. Similarly, things are looking to hit the fan now that Hanekoma has decided to resurrect Minamimoto. While we should be getting more of Konishi’s perspective with the next episode, things are heating up for Beat and Neku as their current support group continues to narrow down more and more with time.