This was a much easier episode to handle after the intensity of last week. At the same time it wasn’t uneventful. We did get a lot of focus on Linda and Banri like we were hoping for. We still don’t know a lot about the past Banri and Linda, but they pretty well gave away that we’re going to see more of that next. Thus no complaints from me on that front. The rest of the episode was plenty entertaining and I’m looking forward to seeing where everything goes.

And yeah there was the whole ghost of Barni thing to talk about XD. Honestly I don’t mind a bit of supernatural thrown into things. Especially since it makes Kouko hilariously correct. She totally called that the other Banri is kind of watching over the current one. I’m not sure what this even means though. Is the current Banri a soulless shell? Or is it just a case where he started off with a body and began to develop a completely new soul? I don’t know, but it’s a somewhat interesting way to go about it. Old Banri will be good for back-story at least. I just wonder where they are going to go with this situation. Hard to believe that old and new Banri could coexist in that body. Also if old Banri had a way to rejoin with his body he certainly would have tried it. Just a curious aspect of the story to watch especially seeing his reactions to the path his new self takes.

The whole flashback was pretty nice for background. Got to see Linda at a younger time and can certainly feel for her. She probably knew that Banri had amnesia, but while she was there on break she still wanted to…look over him from a distance. So she’d hang out there watching the hospital. Maybe the light was in a sense a signal for Banri, but obviously not the one she got to see. Either way that encounter probably really hit her hard. A signal for her that the old Banri really is gone. Though kind of hilarious that she in a sense summoned him from the hospital and then to Tokyo. I can only speculate why she hasn’t said anything, but the same goes for Banri. He’s not touching on that subject either. Curious if Linda is just respecting that this is a new Banri and thus trying to treat him as such or if there’s some other motivation behind it.

This was a good refresher as well to the fact that all these characters are still University students. Actually did touch on the great terror that is registering for classes while taking into account who is teaching them. Let’s face it, if you end up with a professor like the one Mitsuo has you are really in for a tough time preparing for exams. It’s a good thing Linda was there to help out Kouko. Considering they are a few weeks into the school year she’s definitely closing in on being too late to register for some courses. Just something comical knowing how it is when you are finding out that you got in trouble and have to switch classes in a hurry XD.

There were some fun moments as well in the episode. The whole dancing thing was worth a good laugh. If they ever focus on doing the robot Kouko will be in great shape there XD. It is nice in a sense that she joined a club that she’s so bad at since she’ll certainly gain a bit more than just from chasing Mitsuo into the film club. It really shows her emotional fragility and how much room she has to grow as a person. Gets fired up easily, gets emotionally shaken easily, and is just going to be bouncing from emotional extremes for the time being.

And yeah, Banri got thrown into the friend zone hard. Pretty much going from a guy to best friend at mach speed. I did like how they tackled that confession right off the bat though. While not heavily delved into I suppose it’s not surprising that Kouko just isn’t ready to take on something like that. Timing wise it’s rough with her emotional state pretty sensitive due to Mitsuo dropping the bomb on her. In the end though I still think friend is a decent point from which to build on. Might be tough to get out of there, but at least it gives good reasons for them to spend time together. Just a tough situation for Banri.

The commemorative mirrors was a cute thing. Really have to consider that Banri is probably the first friend she’s had since knowing Mitsuo and certainly the only true friend she’s had in years since Mitsuo has been dodging her. Also pretty fun just how into this best friend thing Kouko is right now. I’m curious to see how things develop and where that line starts to get blurred. Well that and how much Banri can balance focusing on Kouko along with all the baggage he’s carrying.

Overall I really enjoyed the episode. It was a lot less intense than the last one, but it also developed things nicely. Got to see more kindness out of Mitsuo, some childishness as well between him and Kouko. I’m actually looking forward to seeing more of Banri, Kouko, and Mitsuo together juts for how crazy Kouko can get at times. Crazy entertaining, not crazy bullying. And of course hope to see more of Linda’s background to understand her a bit better.
Score: A-