Train to the End of the World – Episode 10

Episode Synopsis:

The girls stop for a broken down cart on the tracks, which ends up being owned by Shizuru’s lost father and his friends! He tells them that he saw Yoka and was roughed up by Agents of the Witch of Ikebukuro wearing green berets at their next stop. He stole a beret off them and gives it to an eager Akira. After a brief discussion, the Apogee carries on to Shiinamachi Station where the tracks are impeded by a massive ravine. The girls confront the beret gang and discover the secret the green berets hold. Will they win out and continue to move forward?!

Review:

Okay look…

I wrote that last line of the summary like this is some sort of dramatic episode, but come on…of course the girls wreck these beret wearing losers and move on to Ikebukuro.

Here at the second to last episode it’s like the show has completely forgotten that the first episode had a caravan with bloody handprints on it. In contrast to Episode 09, this episode is written like a comedy the whole way through. To kick off the episode, Shizuru couldn’t care less about finding her long lost father and constantly scolds him for his weird speech patterns due to him being…some sort of weird groundhog(?) from 80’s manga. I wish I was as ambitious as Brendan, in terms of research, so I could figure out why this is so offensive to Shizuru, but alas, a quick Duck-Duck Go search was all I tried. It brought up nothing of value so all you get is a screenshot. Feel free to educate me in the comments section.

Maybe he’s a…hamster? Definitely some form of rodent is my vote.

I lack the cultural understanding of whhhhhyyyy!

It isn’t just Shizuru who’s not giving a crap about things either. Despite the girls learning that the current trajectory of things could lead to the end of the world, followed rapidly by the fact that they could save the world if they fight back in Ikebukuro, none of this seems to phase them. The momentary shock or delight rapidly devolves into tickle threats or apathetic sentiments. I honestly feel the same thing these girls are feeling about this whole show. If somehow they lost and the world ended, I’m…not sure I’d give a damn honestly. Man wouldn’t that be crazy?? This whole journey ending in failure and the last shot is of our four heroines as whatever animals they were destined to be as adults…

Yeah…not gonna happen…but it’s a thought.

Despite my ennui for this show as a whole, this episode was fantastic. Taken out of context of the greater narrative, it functioned as a perfect little wackadoo vignette; the likes of which hit me right in the funny bone. I think it’s the commitment to the silly premise, the off the wall events that just happen for no discernable reason, and the seriousness with which everyone plays out said events that strikes the perfect balance I crave in episodes like this.

The Agents of the Witch that reside in Shiinamachi turn out to be four deadbeat mangaka who were desperately trying to make it in the industry. Post-7G event they were given…manga-y powers and domain over this station. Akira discovers the green beret holds power to basically do whatever anime-logic thingy she can come up with and an amazing battle ensues where we get this comedic gold:

I genuinely laughed out loud, particularly at the fact that Nadeko has a different seiyuu when she changes art styles (or her seiyuu is flexing a different voice), and when the newly defeated mangaka tell their backstory despite nobody caring. The whole latter half of the episode feels like a fever dream, and maybe somewhere in there somebody is trying to say something about appreciating the classics, but…I didn’t really care. It was just high quality entertainment to see all this self-referential footage as the show cycled between art styles and threw around quippy dialogue. Here, enjoy some of it for yourselves:

Onwards to saving the world (or whatever)! At least this episode was a riot.

Summary:

The show doesn’t care about saving the world from 7G and quite frankly, neither do I. I am sure things will work out once ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIP is achieved in the finale. This episode was hilarious if I take it as a standalone feature, so I had a great time. Ultimately, I wish the show was more consistent in its desired tone and themes, but eh, whatever. As long as we continue to have Sexy Violence, I won’t complain too much.