New Game!! Episode 11 Review – “I Shudder to Imagine What’s Hidden in Your Heart”

(Spoilers in this review)

Summary

Tsubame’s general conduct pushes Nenecchi away to the cafeteria where she runs into Momo and Kou. Upon being asked by Nenecchi, Momo talks about Tsubame’s past, about how Tsubame’s parents are against her joining the video game industry, and about how she had to earn her money in order to attend a vocational school. Afterwards, Nenecchi talks about how Aoba’s past as a third-year in high school (she was uncertain of future prospects until she ran into Hotarun, the girl who appeared in episode 5 and 6 of New Game!!) before being dragged back into her desk for an emergency meeting. Kou then muses over people can avoid loneliness by becoming absorbed in their work, which is something Nenecchi had said before she left the cafeteria.

In an attempt to show off her speed, Tsubame didn’t throughly check her coding for bugs. Furthemore, the deadline for the game is fast approaching. When it’s revealed that her mini-games are riddled for bugs, Tsubame mentally caves and believes she’s ruined her chances of joining Eagle Jump. However, Nenecchi pushes for her to not give up. The two girls have a heart-to-heart and they both acknowledge each other’s skills while becoming closer to one another. After an extended cram sessions and many cans of Red Bull, the girls manage to fix the coding – Nenecchi and Tsubame are both hired for Eagle Jump, too!

Rin overhears Kou talking to Christina about leaving Eagle Jump. As a result, Rin is devastated (and Kou is unaware that she knows).

Some time later, Umiko and Kou run into each at a ramen place. They talk about work and Kou is encouraged by Umiko to talk to Momo more.

The episode ends with everyone watching the programming team play through the game in the cafeteria (in order to check for final bugs – if it’s not game-breaking, then they’ll probably ship it anyways). Everyone’s hard work shows through as Momo operates the player character and navigates through the various levels. Meanwhile, Rin is still shook over Kou’s planned departure.

Thoughts

• In episode 7 I was quick to praise Tsubame once she was introduced. I also changed my mind in episode 9, saying that my opinion of her really spiked, and was a bit too hard on her in episode 10.
• I’m happiest with my assessment of her in episode 9 since I was put-out by her spiteful behavior but was still willing to accept that she made some good points as she tore into Nenecchi. And to be fair, Nenecchi is prone to wording things very poorly.
• Now we get to finally learn of Tsubame’s background. This post, which was written by infinitezentih around two weeks before this episode aired, claimed that Tsubame’s inclusion within the narrative to be essential. This sequel had been branching out to more serious and very realistic topic matters and these newcomers push the series into be more than just an idealistic portrayal of the gaming industry. There are people who will intentionally try to hurt you with words if your values clash with theirs. Just try to say “_____ is best girl” and see what happens!
• On a more serious note, I would have to agree with what infinitezenith said. He also said, in the comments section for the aforementioned post, that characters should not be considered to be just good or bad. And I would have to agree with that, as well. Even the likeable protagonists in a series that features any sort of competition have to be willing to crush other people’s dreams in order to realize the manifest of their own goals. Nothing is truly black and white, folks.
• That being said, it comes down to personal interpretation. Some people will claim that Tsubame’s background doesn’t justify her earlier behavior towards Nenecchi, now that said history has been revealed. Personally, I’m very much like Nenecchi – I hated her for a while, but after hearing about her past I want her to succeed. But I understand that some people will disagree!
• The fact that Kou is trying to leave Eagle Jump may seem to have come out of nowhere, but now we know why she she gave a watch to Rin in the previous episode. Furthermore, it also explains why she pushed for Hifumi to step up and become the lead character designer back in episode 4. Kou is trying to make the transition smooth as the graphics team is very much reliant on her in many ways. There were probably more instances of foreshadowing but it eludes my memory at this very moment.
• Kou’s not very good at keeping secrets, however, since she keeps hinting at it around her co-workers. But you and I have done this before, haven’t we? We try to let others know about this or that by dropping little clues. Or maybe that’s just me. At any rate, it’s not really a secret to be kept since everyone will find out sooner or later.
• I wonder if Kou will be criticized by the viewership for wanting to leave Eagle Jump. I’m sure she has her own reasons, though.
• The gameplay of the game looked pretty fun, but I wish we got to see the actual boss fight. Oh, well.
• This episode was fulfilling to watch in several ways and I’m looking forward to seeing how this amazing sequel ends.