Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge - 10

"Standing Ovation"

I like seeing my anime characters admit that they're going out with little to no fuss.

I had the surreal experience of my sister sitting in on this episode with me by chance, and I have to admit it's not exactly the episode I would have shown her when trying to justify why this is my favorite series of the season. She wasn't impressed by Iwai's voice for one thing (I'd forgotten how much she hates high-pitched seiyuu; don't ask), but for another there was a lot of sensuality and fanservice that feels weird out of context. For me, it was all perfectly great as far as the amazing quality of this show, but when I placed myself in my sister's shoes as a random viewer, I had to admit this was one weird show she chose to sit on. So then I wondered, does that make me a twisted sicko pervert who loves watching all this creepy fetishized stuff and thinks it gorgeous, or is it an effect of this show's greatness that it makes us look like twisted sicko perverts and feel totally normal about it?

I wouldn't know how to go about that question, however, so I'll stick to my base instincts and just say that even though my sister deserted me halfway through the episode, she missed out on a superb second half. Our newest Author is one of those off-putting psycho children, a little girl by the name of Emily Redhands (Hidaka Rina), and she seems to be far more important than it seems at first glance. She calls herself an "Order Made" Author, one whose Killing Goods are made for her, rather than passed down, and it seems she's taken over the job from her deceased father. Interestingly enough, Emily seems to mention her father as a man who knew Iwai, and there's some interesting subtext that makes it sound as if the two girls may be related more closely than simply an Author aiming to kill the Hair Queen. Her motives aren't as clear yet, however, and her connection to the Witch is still rather mysterious as well.

Into all of this strife comes Kiri, determined to protect his new girlfriend from the new threat. Though Emily soundly pounds fear into him, I found his reactions to all of this to be profoundly interesting. Even when ignoring the new Author, the very fact that Kiri and Iwai are going out and know it without having an explicit moment where one asks out the other is hugely refreshing to me after all the romances I've seen where this is not the case. Iwai isn't an idiot, she knows what those caresses meant back at the party, and Kiri isn't fool enough to assume she's an idiot either. Watching him struggle against Emily, however, really hurts his confidence about his place at Iwai's side. Being unable to protect his Instead, never mind his girlfriend, is quite shocking; losing Iwai isn't even just about losing his loved one. He's gambling his own sanity on this love and relationship, and in realizing that he lacks the strength to protect all of that, Kiri's been forced to face a very real reality; get stronger, or lose everything in one go.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for the caps!