©Hashimoto Yu/Shueisha/Lilissa Production Committee
Episode 12 2.5 Three-dimensional temptation This week has been a confusing mix of positivity and negativity.
On the positive side, it’s nice to see more people grappling with the consequences. Ongoing issues with the club and rooms continue to cause concern, related to the public nature of the club. There is a school club to go to role play Events where students wear fairly revealing clothing…is certainly something that schools have to deal with. Exactly what materials are allowed in the room leads to further complications. I think it all makes sense and creates a natural conflict without being handled in an outright evil way.
The conversation between Mayura and the principal was quite meaningful. There was deep thought about what it means to be an educator and to help young people find their own paths. Principals articulated the tension between trying to protect students and allowing them autonomy, compounded by their own past mistakes. It’s all well thought out and well done.
Some of the other elements were too far in the other direction for me. While I like the fighting game references, Mayura is too close to the students. It’s all played as one big joke, and it’s not good. Online ranking is definitely a new issue. Still, it’s pretty arbitrary to put a sense of “I have to beat four other challengers” on someone’s top five list – even knowing that person is a new talent scout. It gives people an unnatural feeling of compulsion.
The comedy beats are a bit mixed. Okumura laments his fall Doujin Praying for them was fun, but jokes like Risa trying to take off her shirt or Mayura flirting with Okumura did nothing for me. The constant back and forth and mixed nature of what was on offer this week made it a so-so watch.
grade:
Grant is the co-host of The Knife Licker Podcast and The Super Seniors Podcast.
2.5 Three-dimensional temptation Currently playing on HIDIVE.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the majority shareholder of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.
