The girls’ downtime continues, and Uiharu has a little change in her life to deal with…
What They Say:
Edasaki is due to be discharged from the hospital, and it is learned that she will be living with Haru’ue. The move is bittersweet for Uiharu, who is losing her roommate, but she feels it is for the best. Meanwhile, a new movement is afoot in the city.
The Review:
Mugino & her team from ITEM are at work dealing with a group of rampaging mecha when they come under unexpected attack – one unexpected enough to damage Mugino. It’s no accident, either, but part of a test by an unknown group. For Misaka and her friends, though, life seems to be back to normal – Banri’s about to be discharged from hospital & move in with Erii, Saten’s still trying to get Misaka to own up to who she made the cookies for, and Uiharu’s coming to terms with losing Erii as a room-mate. But we all know that days of fun and peace aren’t going to last, right..?
While Misaka and friends are having fun, you see, there are isolated little incidents around Academy City that are hinting at things being Not Quite Right. Not that they ever are in this place. While the episode doesn’t make much of an effort to tie anything together just you, these incidents serve as little hints to a bigger picture that will no doubt become clearer as this new arc continues. The final scene of the episode and the post-credits sequence drop the biggest pointers, but like the smaller hints they’re presented in ways that ask more questions than they answer – giving you a little to think about if you’re inclined to try and figure out for yourself the direction that the story’s going to take, but not making it easy for you.
For the most part, though, this is Railgun in light and fluffy mode. I love it when it’s in light and fluffy mode. (I also love it when it’s in serious & action-packed mode, but that’s a different kind of reaction, if you know what I mean.) The way the girls bounce off each other and get on so well is a large part of the appeal of the show, and that’s what this episode is really focussing on – with a few genuinely touching moments thrown in too, as Uiharu and Erii realise how mush they’ve come to mean to the other during their time rooming together.
In Summary:
And it’s all good stuff. Yes, it’s treading water a little, with a foot in both camps as far as the show’s style is concerned, but it’s well put together and still very enjoyable – which is what we’ve come to expect from Railgun, right? Well worth watching.
Content Grade: B+
Streamed By: FUNimation
Review Equipment: 27” Apple iMac, 2.9GHz Core i5, 32GB RAM, Mac OS X 10.8.4
