Schoolgirl Strikers – Animation Channel Episode 8 Review – “Showdown! The Three Origami Sisters”

Compared to the previous weeks of jokes and nonsensical antics, this episode of Schoolgirl Strikers displayed some rapid-fire pacing (and a lot less jokes).

(Spoilers in this review) 

The episode opens with Odile, Knight of the Black Swan challenging Coconut Vega. She basically wipes the floor with them, but ends up having to run away because she bangs her shin against a rock. Because of this encounter, the other teams finally start believing that Altair Torte was not lying about Odile.

We find out that Origami sisters are really hungry because Morgana, the one who is giving them orders, forbade them from eating because they defeated the wrong team.

Altair Torte, who was supposed to just go on patrol, ends up doing an emergency sortie to fight off some lizard O’bli. After they manage to take care of that, the Origami sisters arrive. Mana tries talking some sense into them, but they insist on fighting. They throw around Morgana’s name a few times, which causes Tsubame to feel pain. Sensing that they’re a major disadvantage once the other three teams join the fight, the Origami sisters decide to retreat.

All four teams have a group meeting and…nothing really happens except for Mana claiming that they need to save the Origami sisters. Meanwhile, the Origami sisters are all still hungry. The middle sister goes looking for food but ends up collapsing in front of Altair Torte. She gets treated to food before calling in her sisters…who also end up asking for food after Mana challenges them to a duel.

The useless white-haired teacher allows Altair Torte to fight with the Origami sisters (what a great authority figure). As expected, Altair Torte gets defeated quite handily. I mean, Altair Torte is the weakest group by a wide margin so it was inevitable.

Tsubame freaks out and causes additional dimensions to appear within their diminesion space or something with unexplained powers. All this commotion draws Morgana out. Apparently Morgana has been looking for Tsubame all this time and implies that Tsubame isn’t originally from this dimension. But of course Tsubame doesn’t remember any of this due to her amnesia. Morgana proceeds to dismiss the Origami sisters because she has found Tsubame, causing them to lash out at Morgana. Morgana proceeds to avoid all their attacks because she can predict everything (source: Morgana).

But then Odile appears and basically tells Morgana to double-check her sources because she starts beating the crap out of Morgana. Morgana retreats by slowly floating away into the distance. Odile follows after her. The Origami sisters, now with nowhere to go, refuses Mana’s offer of having them come back to the school and…walks off in the same direction as Morgana and Odile? Well, good luck with that Origami sisters. Io reassures Mana that becoming friends with those girls will take time. Cue episode ending.

• Odile is keeping the show enjoyable for me. Now that the story has gotten darker and more serious, she’s the only consistent means of humor left.
• A bit upsetting to know that the other teams don’t really trust Altair Torte. I thought they were all comrades!
• Maybe next week we’ll get to know more about Odile. Why can she no-sell Morgana’s foresight. How is she so strong? Why is she the best girl in the show?
• Mana’ optimism wears me out but I guess hopeful people are hard to come by. In a world where there’s an oversaturation of cynical folk, most show needs a naive person who believes in order to balance it out.
• The second oldest sister is taller than her onee-san, wow! Also, I’m very amused by how the sisters all wear their uniforms differently.
• It’s great to see the show having actual plot and I’m actually looking forward to seeing how it progresses from here.