So, after the big turn of last episode, it’s time for downtime! Actually, I think it is kind of the correct time for this… or at least, a correct time.
The difference between the two is that, in another universe, we could have launched directly into the ritual, and attempting to resolve Oka’s fate. The energy was there for it, and there were ways Shikizakura could have played out where having an entire arc after the ritual would be viable or even good. I often say that there are only a finite number of ways to tell a story correctly, but this time there were at least two significant branches. As it is, it looks like we’ll be holding off the big climax for, well, the big climax, or at least closer to it rather than just post-midpoint to close off the second act of a three-act structure.
And, going that way, we had rising action into a climax over the last two episodes, when looking at the series as a whole. That means that now was the time to set a new “baseline” in order to build upwards from for the next arc.
Because of that, we get another episode that’s at least primarily 2d animated. Actually, the 2d here is really smooth and looks good, with the characters being expressive and on-model. I said last time that the particular use of 2d didn’t make me wonder why they bothered with the 3d, but this time around I’m not so sure. There’s a passion and flow to the 2d animation that works and makes me think that at least the skill was there to make this look good in a traditional style. Still, the 3d (when it’s up) is solid and the blending is admirably non-jarring, so I can’t quite fault the way they went.
For the story this episode, Oka and the gang travel to a town. Oka wanted to try a particular fried chicken that featured in a precious memory she had with her mom, only to discover that the shop is recently closed. That’s not so much the matter, though, as everyone has really gathered here for “hero training” – which is to say they’re putting on a Sentai show for kids. Most of the cast is initially dubious as to what Kakeru and Kippei (who they all meet properly here) are dragging them into, but the passionate speech of the organizer actually gets the team fired up about bringing smiles and courage to kids, including a member of the audience who’ll be undergoing surgery soon and could really use a pick-me-up.
The lot start to play their roles for the crowd of kids (plus one adult die-hard fan, whose reactions let them sort of judge how they’re doing) with gusto, but then things start going wrong. Oka (who is also holding on to Ibara for now so he won’t cause Kakeru any trouble by mistaking costume actors for real oni like he did with the man set to play the show’s villain, Death Koala) isn’t quite a master of the sound board, Kaede may slip up once or twice as MC, and then the boss just sort of… sublimates. To make matters worse, Oka notices the villain actor doing something weird, and abandons her post to follow him. This forces the rest of the cast to improvize until Ryo, who had previously blown the task off, emerges in the Death Koala costume to give a heavily passionate reading of his lines and really get into the stage fighting, giving it his all… which is a bit much for Kakeru, forcing Kaede and Haruko to help out as Ryo continues to grandstand in the role of the evil Death Koala.
With Oka following Death Koala’s actor, it turns out that Ibara wasn’t too off when he called the guy an oni – the method actor is slowly being possessed, the oni’s voice insisting he needs to make the horror ever more real to achieve his goal, leading to him trying to take out a power transformer with an axe and, when Oka steps up, threatening her as well. She manages (with a little protection from Ibara, who apparently can at least do something in bracelet form) to talk him down from the nascent possession and dispel the Oni, right as Kakeru shows to retrieve a prop needed for the show’s big finish, which is really being dragged out thanks to Ryo acting like a nutter. He manages, the team finishes Ryo’s Death Koala act off, and the crowd cheers for this highly unorthodox yet extremely dramatic hero show. Even the super-fan comes up to them after the show to express to the group (including the intended Death Koala actor and non-vaporized boss) how thankful he is for the stirring performance, especially since he’s the audience member who’s facing a critical surgery.
It also turns out that he was the shopkeeper for the fried chicken place, and with a successful surgery will be able to reopen his shop. All’s well that ends well with a comedy bit regarding Oka forgetting a text from her sister that came at a bad time and the preview that next week we’ll be delving into Ryo’s backstory.
All in all? This show really does have a charm to it. A lot like the live hero show idea, it’s cheesy, but also has enough heart that you sort of accept when it goes more artificial. My take on it seems to have a significant delta from the standard impression, which currently rates Shikizakura very poorly. I can say that it’s not a great show, but I don’t think it aspires to be. This isn’t, despite inviting some comparisons, Madoka Magica that explores the depths and limits of the human spirit and emotional turmoil as brought out by magical mayhem. This isn’t 86, that shows us a deep and tortured view of a world at war and the conflicted people who have to suffer through it. It was never meant to be. It was meant to be fun, dramatic at times, and at least a little effective so you don’t want to see Oka die or Kakeru have his dreams crushed. And you know what? It clears that bar quite admirably. Everyone is likable, and their struggle and friendship are both well-portrayed, even if it doesn’t have the weight of much better shows.