Classroom Crisis spent this episode ramping up to a high-speed finale, strapping Nagisa into a jury-rigged X-2 ship just to give Iris a future opportunity to show off her stuff. The road there was enjoyable enough, though having Yuji come back as a newly unhinged villain didn’t do much for the series. Fortunately, this episode also gave Angelina a big opportunity to get mad and kick all kinds of ass, which is always a good time. It’s looking like Classroom Crisis will be ending respectably but not fantastically, which is a fine compromise for a show that’s been a series of compromises from the start.
You can check out my full review over at ANN. Notes below!
Yuji’s kidnapped him
“You and Kazuhisa! Can’t you think in terms of anything but profits?! Can’t you find a purpose in anything but your careers?!”
So Yuji just felt pressured to be like Kazuhisa
“I see. So this is about revenge.”
Some absurd crazy faces from Yuji
Angelina pins Kazuhisa for not being able to think of what would drive someone to Yuji’s actions
Title: Hope, Ambition, and Despair
Angelina turns to A-TEC to help save Nagisa. This is a better conflict, honestly – it’s more grounded, all the variables have meaning
Mizuki trying to hold it together
Angelina letting Iris down gently, saying she isn’t in condition to help
Kaito announces they’re going to disband and return to repairs on the X-3. He learned Nagisa was trying to save A-TEC, and now apparently has some scheme
Nagisa’s plan required using A-TEC to defeat his brother. So Kaito’s going to honor that, and make sure his team is ready. Meanwhile, he tasks Angelina and two of the students with saving Nagisa. Becoming an actual leader!
More Iris feeling sad and useless
Nagisa wishing he could see A-TEC’s possible victory
Yuji still ridiculous
Oh dang, Angelina goes for help to the striking workers Nagisa helped. A nice scene
Great fiddle and violin song for the final leadup to the presentation day
So Yuji’s just gonna ram Nagisa into the presentation site with an old X-2 engine
Great sequence of Angelina kicking ass
Angelina gets shot! Nagisa launches!
It’s amazing just how devoted all the employees are to their respective bosses. They’re all willing to, without question, pick up some shovels and guns and duke it out for their respective bosses.
How much do you feel the lack-luster cast of other students is holding the show back at this point? It feels like it’s starting to show a bit in some of the group scenes.
It definitely is hurting. It’s become consistently aggravating to hear all the secondary non-characters echo whatever emotional tone is desired for any given scene – none of them have any actual personalities, so hearing them all act out their lines one after another is just a consistent reminder that the show failed to do anything with any of them.