天下制覇

Lolis! Penalty games! Zombies! Delicious Satoko in underwear! Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Impressions:

This was a true first episode, alright. It was fun. Lots of fun. Which is what you would expect from the first episode of any of the arcs, but with the evident improvements in the animation, it was very enjoyable, and overall it was what we all die-hard fans of the show have been expecting. Sure, shit hits the fan soon and we are all looking forward to the new twist, but since we have grown accustomed to how the gang truly enjoys their life, we feel empathy towards them and truly wish for them to overcome the upcoming tragedies.

Now, I truly would like to write a spoiler-free review of the show, but when you have previous knowledge about the show, it becomes kinds frustrating and limiting, so I only promise not to spoil anything that people who have only watched the first season shouldn’t know. First-time viewers are heavily encouraged to watch the first season, despite DEEN’s faults, it is a very enjoyable show.

(Lots of SPOILERS below, do not read unless you have already watched the previous season)

Anyways, the plot highlights of this episode are: Rika apparently talking to herself (and drinking… grape juice? Hmm….), Satoko injecting herself (isn’t she only 12?) with some “nutrients” (according to Rika), Shion enrolling in Hinamizawa’s school in order to take care of Satoko (something that didn’t happen in the former arcs), Keiichi being told of the Watanagashi tragedies by his own friends (he learned it from other people on the previous arcs, with awful consequences), and Satoko quoting Keiichi’s speech from Tsumihoroboshi (which she regarded as common sense) while Rika being fully aware of that event (which definitely hasn’t happened in this new arc).

Taking these events into account, along with the whole Himatsubushi arc, and also Rena’s flashback on Reunion, it’s already safe to assume that Rika is fully aware of what’s going to happen to a certain extent, and that she has some experiences from previous arcs; but not telling anyone about this or how she knows all this stuff is something that is still unexplained. Also, the syringe box that Satoko was using seems like it is the same one Rika was carrying when she tried to inject a crazed Rena in the Tsumihoroboshi flashback portrayed in the last episode. That, and Rika’s attempt to inject a crazed Shion back in Meakashi-hen (and probably Watanagashi-hen) makes us assume that the drug used might actually be some kind of antidote for an unknown disease (probably the same disease that has made some people go mad on previous arcs). As to how such a drug could be used on an apparently healthy Satoko, is still left unexplained. Oh well, this is just starting, we’ve got 22 episodes left, all the pieces of this puzzle should fall in place eventually.

Summary:

To be completed…