On and on the test goes, who will survive it, nobody knows.
What They Say:
The third exam is halfway over. Mutta works on a completely white puzzle as he ponders why Fukuda-san would break the only clock in the sealed box.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With a lot of series, I can see a small arc like this being something that can really break a persons interest in it. It’s slowed things down, given us time with the characters in a confined space and could easily feel like it’s dragging things out. But for the fans of this show that are also hopefully avid nuts about space travel and what it means to really get there, segments like this are a good deal of fun to watch because it does show us the psychological testing and training that you have to go through to see who is right for it. While I do think it could be tightened up a little bit, the truth is that this is an engaging look at the characters and how they deal with a variety of situations and personalities in order to survive. With plans for travel to both the Moon and Mars ahead in its plans, those that participate in the programs really need to have what it takes to handle such difficult situations. And these tests, light as they are overall, are key to it.
The things the gang have had to work through have been interesting and we’ve seen that those running the program are finding neat things out about the participants across the board. I loved the white puzzle they got in the previous episode and how difficult it is to work through. The tensions have really been rising since that came in and also what’s going on with the broken clock that happened in the previous episode. There’s been a slow, steady push towards the groups with what they can handle in an effort to see how they’ll break and the results. Amusingly, as things get even more tense, it’s Mutta that’s blunt about what needs to be done in fixing their friendship even as the tension gets stronger. The personalities involved are definitely making things complicated and it’s Mutta that ends up being the one that just puts it all out there, as much trouble as it gets him in the end.
The show spends some time with Makabe again as well as he goes through his issues with his group, which has been a bit tense and full of infighting and suspicion since the start. The whole thing with the sound that he’s hearing is definitely getting to him in a lot of ways, but it’s not driving him nuts. It’s driving him to find out what’s going on and puts him in a proper investigative mode. It’s an interesting tact to take with him but for the most part it’s to give us a break from Mutta and his group while helping to shuffle Makabe forward more as well. Some of the best fun in this episode comes from Serika once again as we get more of her inner monologue with what she’s thinking and how she escapes some potentially awkward situations along the way. She’s such a good doobie but also one that can cause some problems because of her actions. But it’s something that also gives us something new for them to deal with which is a big part of the plan.
In Summary:
With the third part of the training halfway done at this point, you can see more and more of the tensions coming to the surface for the groups. While Mutta’s group has largely been friendly and jovial for a lot of it, they’re starting to break under it a little as well since they’re not all ideally suited to work with each other. The groups are getting pushed and prodded well and I’m loving the way the reactions are being revealed as it happens. Getting some of the internal monologues works well but it’s what’s said that tends to make the most impact. Seeing Mutta as a peacemaker is definitely fun, but I also like that he had a reduced role overall here, letting it be more of an ensemble piece this time around.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
