[DreamSword]

Episode 7: Idol Attendance

Well... this certainly escalated.

So at first glance, my prediction about Yuki being I-DOLL seems to be mistaken, but I am not giving up on the possibility of the two being connected.

I-DOLL being a far more fearsome opponent than any other makes for a great point of contrast not only to Yuki, but also helps in signalling when the episode hard shifts from wacky character humor to serious drama.

I do gotta give props to the directing in this one. The transition between the two moods was not only very smooth, but both tones were also handled very well. The comedic first half was not only legitimately funny, but helped to contrast the camaraderie of our heroes with the dysfunctional nature of the Secret Society.

Meanwhile, once I-DOLL storms in and things get serious... it would've been so easy, given the way the show has handled itself so far, to do the MCU route and just ruin the entire atmosphere by throwing in awfully timed, unfunny jokes to utterly undermine the very real threat of death that our heroes face. But no, they remained genuine and carried themselves well all throughout.

I especially liked the use of the leak inside of the warehouse in order to simulate sweat and spit, which in turn made that hook that Rookie landed on I-DOLL feel all the more impactful. I sure someone smarter than me could find even more symbolism in that scene, but that's just what I noticed right away. It spoke alot to what Jiro's' learned too, given that despite the battle, he still attempts to try and learn what his opponent's' deal is ala Fukuokalibur.

But yeah, overall this episode was handled very well in all of its aspects, and proves that yes, you can transition between different moods smoothly without just haphazardly throwing stuff at the script. Wish more modern American superhero media could learn that.