This is why some people avoid doctors.
What They Say:
“Teaching Them To Kill; Then To Die”
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
We’ve gotten to know most of the main characters in the Armed Detective at this point. Dr. Yosano has been something of a mystery, especially in the brief glimpses that we (along with Atsushi) have seen of her “treatment” methods. It’s been depicted as simultaneously sexy, terrifying, and effective, but without any details to go on there’s been no telling how it all works together. Tanizaki returns to perfect health, but this isn’t because he has any purpose in the immediate future of the story. Instead, he’s used as the introduction of Yosano’s main entry into the story proper, as he had been injured to the point of requiring her very unique treatment. This sequence of events leads up to Atsushi being dragged along to be her bag-carrier for a day, and she doesn’t seem to be any saner in her casual activities than in her work. If Atsushi was a savvier protagonist, he might guess that his first outing with another member of the agency means that the two of them are going to run into some kind of issue to resolve before too long. This isn’t quite that kind of show, though, and certainly Atsushi wouldn’t be the one to realize it.
In many ways, the trend of the supporting character really taking the lead continues. Yosano is the star here, showing off her abilities, revealing why everyone wants to avoid having to go to her so much (it’s not just how creepy she is about it), and displaying her strength as a person. The last is at odds with the default persona she portrays, but such is generally the case with wildly eccentric people who are meant to serve as major, sympathetic characters. Atsushi’s scenes are considerably less interesting in comparison, but it’s significant enough that we can actually be talking about “Atsushi’s scenes” for a change. Yes, our protagonist almost actually kind of operates in that role for a bit. In fact, it seems to be setting up for an episode much more dedicated to him and legitimate choices he’s making to change things for a girl he feels the need to save. This girl is a doll-like character, making her hard to connect with emotionally but easy to take pity on given her situation, which is basically how Atsushi’s protective instinct activates. With any luck, she’ll be more than a moe object to build up Atsushi’s character, but I’m not holding my breath. All throughout these confrontations, the stakes are definitely high, and play heavily into the pressure and guilt that define a large portion of Atsushi’s being, as annoying as that can get.
But our favorite character is of course still Dazai, even if Yosano is arguably crazier. It’s been a while since we learned his connection to the Port Mafia, but his presence in the series has been as unassuming as ever, even if he is probably the most impressive main character overall. As we get to the later parts of this first season, it’s time for that to become relevant again, and it’s tied into the plot involving the subject of Atsushi’s big decision. Although it’s been perpetually difficult to discern exactly what this show is trying to do at any given point, it would seem likely enough that the intention is for Dazai’s story to form the climax of the first season, potentially setting Atsushi up to be something of a hero that he’s only just starting to feel out a possibly of being.
In Summary:
This time we meet Dr. Yosano in a much more extended format, spending the day with her craziness and getting to see how she can kick ass when she means business. There are likable qualities within this, but there’s still little to get overly excited about. The plot at least shows some signs of bringing back the big reveal we got episodes ago, so hopefully that improves things a bit.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Roku 3, Sceptre X425BV-FHD 42″ Class LCD HDTV.
