Winter is coming.
What They Say:
“Jonathan”
Toko Fukami’s family runs a glassware craft studio. Toko and her friends often gather at Cafe Kazemichi, at her friend’s house, to relax. During the summer holidays in their final year, a new boy, Kakeru Okikura, joins their high school. He tells Toko that he can hear voices from the future. If she could know what happens in the future, what would she wish for? Toko feels a strange jolting sensation she has never felt before, while noticing an urge she cannot ignore welling up.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It seems that GLASSLIP is barreling toward the ending now. A final SOMETHING is coming in the form of snow and a kiss and there’s no way to stop it. Actually, there are several ways to stop it; they just have to change the future. Easy enough. Just kiss her earlier. And kiss her she does! The moment has no weight. It’s not as blatantly insulting as the last one because it seems to be consensual. But it comes out of nowhere and we’re given no time to ponder on it. It just happens and I think we’re supposed to say “AWW” in our heads—or maybe out loud—but I’m not feeling it. The build up to this moment has been a guy who’s all too pushy finally doing a sort of romantic act and we like it. Yaaaaayyyy. But not yay.
My former best couple, Hiro and Sachi, isn’t even saving the episode. Sachi confesses that she loves BOTH Touko and Hiro, but Hiro’s the one she’s really after. Sachi’s affection for Touko is barely touched on in the series and I’m left surprised that they even included it in there. Touko’s left just as confused as I am because she was always under the impression that Hiro and Sachi liked each other. Sachi’s affection for Touko, then, seems more like that of a sibling. They seem to be very close and Sachi’s an only child; in what other role can Sachi look up to Touko as?
It’s the “please stay cool!” guy Yukinari and the fanservice piece Yana that take the cake this episode. Yana’s been running Yukinari’s route since he’s been gone at camp. We wondered why since she just goes through the actions without really saying anything about it. She wants to run with him. In any way, she wants to be closer to him. Her confession has already been put out there, but now she’s fighting for a yes back and that’s admirable. I don’t know about walking around the house naked, but running works. She’s truly created a new her while not betraying her old self.
In Summary:
While before GLASSLIP was so bad (I had so much to complain about!), now it’s just sort of middle of the road. It’s not exactly great and it’s not exactly terrible. It’s just an anime about a THING that’s coming and the complicated relationships of teenagers. The upside is that I don’t really want to waste the brain power predicting what will happen, so I have no idea how this show could end up (that and it’s taken too many twists and turns already). Three more!
Grade: C-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Equipment: PS3, LG 47LB5800 47” 1080p LED TV
