[DreamSword]

Episode 9: Hayami, Sanzen!

This actually ended up being a rather nice package all around.

Primarily this is a personality swap episode, with all the zany antics that such a premise usually entails, but it's also used as a vehicle for solid character development.

Hayami was the one who was originally supposed to Changerion, remember? So this episode explores what happens that Hayami finally gets his shot due to an accident leading to a personality swap with Akira.

Even in the prospect of swap episodes though, this one proves to be rather unique in that it's the only one I've seen where the effects of the swap fade in and out. Sure, the gags are basic, but that unique aspect alone makes up for it in my eyes.

We also get to see why exactly Hayami isn't fit for the job of Changerion. Sure, he's more than capable physically, but mentally, he's actually too good of a guy, too honorable, to the point that he can't bring himself to actually kill a DarkZide monster despite their heinous deeds. Something Akira has never had a problem doing even when he fell in love with one.

And that's also where the one big flaw of the episode comes in. This takes place after the episode where Akira and Jiro fell in love, so Akira claiming in this episode that all monsters are evil feels really out of place. Had the Jiro episode taken place after this one, that'd be one thing, but it felt out of character that this interactions takes place when it does. Or maybe Akira thinks only all male monsters are evil, or something.

That aside, it was also nice to see both men gain some new respect for eachother once everything was said and done. Sure, they try and end things on a bit of an ambiguous note, but I personally feel it's pretty obvious that Akira has warmed up to Hayami and vice-versa.

It's just kind of a nice episode to experience overall, and I dug it.