I had been warned prior to watching this episode that it was a weird one, but that still didn’t stop me from being taken aback by just how weird it was. I know, as a blogger, I’m meant to be analytical, unpacking the events of what I see in an almost scientific fashion, but I’m about to follow up my last point with a very wishy-washy statement: this episode had a completely different energy to it. Perhaps it was due to the change in pace, or the subtle change in character design, or the not-so-subtle changes in Saki and Satoru’s characters themselves? In any case, I, and others, struggled to keep up with this episode- it was very unlike the others which would introduce an element then give you ample time to mull it over in your mind…
As I mentioned above, the art style of this episode was dissimilar to that of previous episodes. If you look at the characters’ faces, it is possible to notice a minute difference. It’s so subtle a difference, I can’t quite tell what it is exactly- though I am tempted to say it’s something about the mouth, or a change in the size of the eyes. Anyway, it gives an interesting effect in that it makes the characters look older than in previous episodes, which, given the content of this episode, is obviously desirable. Still, that didn’t stop me from feeling suitably grossed out by the underage nether-region fondling that was clearly being alluded to. Which makes me wonder, why not just have older characters to begin with? Why bother making your cast of characters kids, later making them appear older so as not to freak out viewers when they behave in adult ways? I guess because, this way, it relates back to the idea that underage bonobo apes will indulge in sexual behaviour to relieve stress and anxiety, and humans, being closely related to them, do the same. You know what though? Many pooh-pooh the research that this idea is based on. It was Freud who was first documented saying life was all about balancing tension and pleasure (tension being caused by a build-up of libido, or sexual energy, pleasure, by its discharge). This all relates very nicely to what the groovy minoshiro was going on about, but then, Freud had no empirical evidence (evidence found through observation) to back this argument up, so it’s all very unscientific. Also, as Saki was saying, they’re not bonobos, so how can their behaviour be generalised to humans? So basically, you can’t really suggest most young humans, like young bonobos indulge in sexual behaviour to relieve tension, so there was really no reason not to have made them older…
Though, despite what I’ve said above about it being unscientific, there is one positive about the fact that the behaviour of animals is used to explain the behaviour of the children. Towards the beginning of the episode Shun coldly commented that some creatures “do whatever it takes for their species to survive”, a line dripping in promise, and then there was the bonobo-like behaviour of Saki and Satoru… It felt very much like the show’s suggesting, when put in extreme conditions, we all revert to being like animals, unaffected by society’s norms and values. It felt very unsettling, which is great! The use of colour and setting also made this episode feel very unsettling at points. Having everything a shade of green in one scene made it feel as though the forest had enveloped Saki and she couldn’t escape, and thanks to horror movies I have this built-in fear of underground caves, so yeah… creepy stuff…
Still, even when there were a lot of aspects I enjoyed, I can’t look over the fact this episode was messier than a student kitchen- and that’s freakin’ messy!! Things just happened waaay too quickly- I didn’t even realise that guy had died to begin with! I’m still not 100% sure he’s even dead, as he just vanished!! And all the scene changes from that point onwards were equally as hurried, threat after countless threat rearing its ugly head within the space of mere minutes. It’s not that I don’t like a nice, brisk pace in a show, it’s just, it doesn’t feel right for this show! After three and a half episodes of the show ambling on at a leisurely pace, this just seems jarring… and weird! Also, as I have next to no time at all to assess the threat, it’s difficult to decide whether or not to be concerned for the characters, and when you consider just how little I care for them as it is, that can only be a bad thing!
So not a bad episode, but not a particularly good one either, I think I’ll just settle for describing it as weird! And I sense it’s about to get a lot weirder…
Watashi Wa Bucho!! 
When a show changes its characters, pace and also art, making it confusing, it’s not really good 😦
If a show must change such things, shouldn’t it be done gradually? That’s what I think anyway.
I felt this episode was disastrous. So much happens with little conclusion. Maybe I’m tired. But I swear after they all fled, the rest of the episode was on Saki & Satoru? If not, then I’m having issues differentiating the characters now… I felt the priest guy left the show too quick for it to be genuine; there must be something going on… if there isn’t, it was a cop out for not knowing what to do with him now; being little more than a plot device to remove the powers.
I felt the caressing scene in the cage was just put there for the sake of it. I feel they didn’t put much thought into it. Saki was so emotionless of such an act that she was agreeing to perform at the time. If it was a moment of passion then she came to her senses, then that’d make more sense. But pushing Satoru off, then agreeing to it all the while showing no emotion?… I noticed the change in characters too, as with you, unsure of how to pinpoint why. But they definitely felt older.
I feel this episode left a lot to be desired in terms of direction, unlike previous episodes. I think I would even go so far to say it could be a budget or some other administration issue which would cause the compacting of the story, and the resultant mess of this episode.
Turns out he was little more than a plot device- I don’t see him making a re-appearance at this point, do you?
I would disagree that the sexual scene between Saki and Satoru was “put there for the sake of it”- it linked back to what the psychedelic minoshiro was saying about humans engaging in sexual behaviour to relieve stress, like the bonobos. However, seeing as I, a psychology student, don’t agree with generalising animal behaviour to human behaviour, what I, personally, got out of this scene was that we behave in extreme, sometimes inappropriate ways, when faced with a dire situation. Either way, the scene, no matter how icky, served a purpose.