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「ケイトの朝と夜」 (Keito no Asa to Yoru)
“Keito’s Day and Night”
It’s always the quiet and diligent ones that we need to be careful of, whether it’s in the bedroom or the karaoke room, as Keito quickly showed us this time around. You think you know someone, and then they do something that leaves you absolutely speechless. Tetsuya sure wasn’t kidding when he said the things that happen at part-time jobs can go far beyond one’s wildest imagination.
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「ええ、京豆腐どすえ」 (Ee, Kyoutoufu Dosue)
“Yes, It’s Kyoto Tofu.”
Something about all the little quirks in this show make every episode that much more interesting. Starting off strong with a shaky cam of a little Haruna and Sera kissing and blood sucking action, I was pumped for some fantastic fan-service scenes.
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「嫉妬と愛」 (Shitto to Ai)
“Jealousy and Love”
The one thing that sticks out about Bakuman is how it manages to always come back and give me shivers down the back of my spine. But the best part is how the show manages to instill those shivers without using blatant power-ups or crazy plot twists. Something about the story and how it’s slowly starting to all come together is just perfect.
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「私の名前をあげる～The sound of your name～」 (Watashi no Namae o Ageru ~The sound of your name~)
“I’ll Give You My Name ~The sound of your name~”
Chiba has a seriously prickly personality, but her straightforward albeit a bit tactless attitude is admirable in my opinion. Romance can be a particularly awkward topic to broach when you are one of the parties involved, but she goes for the no-nonsense flat-out confession, and maintains her line even after being rejected.
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「廃倉庫には謎の幽霊がいる」 (Haisōko ni wa Nazo no Yūrei ga Iru)
“A Mysterious Ghost Is in the Abandoned Warehouse”
Kujou, I believe the word you’re looking for is fabulous. Grevil has lost his fabulous.
Zazie’s got his work cut out for him against Jeel.
「喪われた心弾」 (Ushinawareta Shindan)
“Lost Heart Bullet”
Surprisingly, there was an updated opening sequence this episode, though it would probably more correct to call it the actual second opening sequence since the other one was a collage of scenes shown before. Along the same lines, this new one doesn’t really foreshadow what we’re in store for in the upcoming episodes, but it’s oh so pretty to watch.
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「She is Rana Linchen」
The other main heroine of the series makes her debut, earlier than expected after Ingrid’s backstory was glossed over last time. Hailing from Tibet, Rana Linchen and her bubbly personality is portrayed surprisingly well by Hanazawa Kana, more so than I was anticipating anyway.
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「沈黙の教室」 (Chinmoku no Kyoushitsu)
“The Silent Classroom”
It never ceases to amaze me how interesting and different school is in Japan. Besides sixth grade being considered part of elementary school, I totally envy just how much fun those school health days, Valentine’s Day chocolate, and parent introduction days must be. Something that kids in Japan consider normal just looks so interesting to those outside the culture.
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「罰ゲーム」 (Batsu Geemu)
“Punishment Game”
This has to be one of the few series where the character interactions provide a lot more entertainment than the actual plot, and Touma’s return to Academy City made this one of the best episodes this sequel in that regard. The huge cast of characters are a lot of fun to watch, especially when they all come together with their various nuances.
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「ボーイ・ミーツ・ボーイ」 (Booi Miitsu Booi)
“Boy Meets Boy”
It’s probably safe to say Ichika’s inexplicable appeal knows no bounds, as he’s been attracting cute girls long before he landed himself in an all-girls paradise. In school, out of school, cue in Gotanda Ran (Obata Noriko) for the latter. It’s easy to feel sorry for all the girls when Ichika isn’t aware of how popular he is, and utterly impossible for Ichika for the very same reason.