[Switchblade]

Okay, I was wrong about girl friend never showing up again. Pretty sure boy friend is long gone, though.

This is another arc that I really like and remember very well. The revisit to the final boss level of Faiz is definitely a highlight. It's not the last time we'll see this place (it's also where Alain's shitty brother hangs out in Ghost, for one), but this and Faiz are still my favorite uses of the location. Not sure I could stand as close to the gigantic hole as Ibuki did, though.

I kinda love how gross the monster is, too. I'm sure that the stomach thing was at least partially a way to get more practical fighting in, but that thing was still surprisingly brutal for a red Christmas tree with tentacles and acid (oh so much acid).

All the non-combat stuff was good, too. I especially loved Hibiki and Midori bickering like an old married couple and Asumu stumbling into a part-time job at Tachibana's. The bit at the end with Kasumi and Hinaka briefly talking about Ibuki was a highlight, too - the actresses really play well off of each other and you can really buy that they're sisters.

Not to give too much away, but this won't be the last time you get to see the whole cast come together like this. You will get those warm fuzzies again.