This episode was basically the Bookmaker episode. We learned quite a bit about our resident twisted and sadistic jerk this week.
(Spoilers in this review)
The episode opens with the Bookmaker waking up to his alarm – which is Chinatsu basically telling Suzuko that she doesn’t need her. He’s depraved, fanices Chinatsu, and talks in double entendres as well as plain ol’ dirty stuff throughout the entire episode. Oh, and he’s a Selector. Good thing I included that spoiler warning, huh?
Suzuko continues her training with Hanna (as well as paying the lovable girl with sweets and treats). The show is still building on the notion that Suzuko is… a non-comformist? An unorthodox thinker? That’ll probably be important later when she magically comes with an answer that solves everything since she’s the main character that thinks outside of this box. Damn, I’m already doing predictions and I haven’t even finished the first paragraph of this review.
Meanwhile Shou continues to lose his memories. His LRIG urges him to battle in order to prevent disappearing, so he ends up going with Chinatsu to turn in his contract with the Bookmaker.
Then it jumps back to Suzuko and Hanna. More backstory for Suzuko – her mother was always sickly and passed away while she was young. Hanna reveals that she’s fighting in order to remember exactly what happened when she lost her younger brother, Yuuto. Some crucial parts revolving the accident is a blank and it really bothers her.
Back to Shou and Chinatsu. He gets fed up with how lecherous the Bookmaker is acting towards Chinatsu and storms out with Chinatsu in tow. She confirms that she does want to work for the Bookmaker, but Shou notices that she’s shaking as she leans towards him.
Since Suzuko claims she is busy and that there would be no lessons today, Hanna is left bored (not that she would admit it). Nevertheless, she manages to come across a Selector. This is her chance to get five coins!
Meanwhile Suzuko and Chinatsu meet again. Suzuko claims that she’ll be stronger so she won’t have to rely on Chinatsu again. Hearing that causes Chinatsu to have a flashback to when Suzuko would be the one leading the way (which is quite different to how things are now). She almost has a change of heart, but her damn LRIG opens her mouth and convinces her otherwise, so she shoots Suzuko down.
Little did Chinatsu know that the Bookmaker had the thing recorded. He gets aroused and decides to work off his energy by battling siscon. Turns out they know each other…and that he was the one who finished off Aya, siscon’s little sister!
But we ain’t going to just have two battles. Nooo we’re getting three battles since Suzuko bumped into a random office lady. We don’t get to see any scenes from Suzuko’s battle, but she wins. At least she is not disheartened by her talk with Chinatsu. Baby steps, Suzuko. No, not the tennis manga.
We do get to see a bit of Hanna’s battle with Kiyoi. Kiyois now has the same ability as Aki-lucky, too! I almost feel like she was thrown in just to win over fans with nostalgia. Hanna didn’t stand a chance. She also tells Hanna not to get too deep involved with Selector battles or that she’ll regret it. I guess Kiyoi’s in too deep and she can’t get out even if she wanted to. How tragic.
The last part of the episode just had us see the Bookmaker act like a bully and torment onii-chan over Aya. Some important truths were revealed, however. He was the LRIG of the opponent that finished off Aya. That would imply his Selector was strong and got his wish fulfilled. But he’s in the body of his Selector now. Does the LRIG take over the body of the Selector even if he or she gains all five coins? This is so rigged.
Oh, and his goals are revealed. He just wants to mess with humans since he didn’t like being used as a tool when he was a LRIG. Real deep stuff.
Onii-chan didn’t stand a chance, by the way. Sometimes evi wins.
Next week’s episode is titled, “Truth / Ending and Beginning.” Judging from what we heard in the preview, something is going to happen to Hanna. She’s a great character, I have to say.
The Lily Garden 