Let the club battles commence!
What They Say:
Episode #2: “After-School Stride”
Eruna visits different clubs on campus as she tries to learn about club battles and secret attacks. Can she win her first match?
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The opening and ending have been dropped into place for this second episode of Mikagura School Suite. They mix cute pop tracks with bright animation, but are otherwise unremarkable. They showcase Eruna interacting with a white and purple pigtailed girl who has yet to be glomped on to by Eruna, so I’m guessing we can expect her to join the cast soon.
This first half of this episode consists of exposition and a crash course in school battles for the audience and for Eruna. We learn how the battles are scored and it all seems very straight forward, except for the part where powers are concerned. Eruna is lead around by Bimi and tries to learn from each club in turn. In most cases she isn’t exactly welcomed by some of the other students, the exceptions being the flower arrangement club and astronomy club heads who are the friendliest. Seisa isn’t moved by Eruna’s words of friendship, which makes me wonder why she approached Eruna first. (Most likely it’s because of what we learn later.)
Eruna is scheduled to face off against Himi in her first club battle, which is broadcast out for all students to watch on their school provided generic magic iphones. I really like Himi, she’s a pull-no-punches pixie of a girl who fights with a giant calligraphy brush. Her fight with Eruna is a clever match on both sides, with Himi trying to lure out Eruna by telling her the hallway is filled with girls in swimsuits. Meanwhile Eruna tries to get the jump on Himi from above.
Eruna isn’t able to put up much of a fight without powers of her own. She runs, hides, and wanders into a dark space where her powers finally awaken. This is also where the next magical girl moment rears it’s head as we learn Eruna’s bloodline is special. (Although I believe this was brought up before to the audience in the first episode.) Most of the students showcased in this episode have powers which somehow relate to their interests. Eruna’s abilities manifest as speed that can send her flying and a special attack which is a magical blast from a finger gun. What any of that has to do with Eruna herself is anyone’s guess.
I didn’t talk much about the animation in the first episode review. This show is certainly bright and colorful, but I find it interesting that whenever they show the other students who are background beings they don’t even bother to color them in or animate them. They are placeholders to represent other humans, but are so unimportant to the plot they are just colorless forms. I’m used to the face or eyeless background people, this takes it to a whole other level. The battle in this episode is more lively and animated than I expected, but there are also plenty of cut corners. It’s a very loose style with a lot of movement, but not much detail. The battle gems are CG which works for the strange static nature of the magical objects and isn’t too obtrusive.
In Summary:
Mikagura settles into the formula I expected it to, with the school club battles beginning for Eruna. Not surprising she’s forced to gain her powers on the fly, and even less surprising Eruna appears to be some sort of ‘chosen one’ because of her bloodline. This is all the sort of stock plot that isn’t really all that different from a million other shows, so a word of warning to the jaded. Eruna continues to be an irreverent and endlessly optimistic lead, and her desire to net herself a girlfriend hasn’t abated from the start. Somehow she manages not to annoy me despite her antics, and the side characters might be stock but at least they aren’t offensive. The action is just flashy enough and the pacing just brisk enough to keep me watching.
Episode Grade: B
Streamed by: Funimation
Review Equipment: 27” iMac running OS 10.10.1, via Safari 8.0.2, FIOS 15/5 Mbps connection. Your milage may vary.
