Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Overview
As Nine (Kokonoe) and Five play a possibly deadly game of chess, Lisa is introduced as Sphinx #3.
Review (with Spoilers)
Things are getting really interesting as Five starts to take on the villain role in the show. But, with her becoming the villain, there is a need to questions her motives. After all, it seems that her sole focus is playing with Kokonoe rather than capturing him or stopping the terrorist attacks. Leading to the question: What happened between them, or what was their relationship, back at the academy?
Topic 1: The Cops Are Here! – Shibazaki and Five
With Five shutting out the local police force they, as we saw last episode, have decided to force their way onto this case. Leading to them discovering why they have been consistently shut out: This situation has nothing to do with them. They are, if anything, just the people who have the resources Five and Clarence need than the people they necessarily want to help with their terrorist problem.
And for Shibazaki, it puts him in an odd situation. If just because as he recognizes Five is essentially on her own side, and him having a brief conversation with Kokonoe, it makes it a bit harder to clearly define who is friend or foe. Though by the end of the episode he at least is given a better feel or who is someone to really watch out for (1).
Topic 2: The Games Begin – Kokonoe, Five, Lisa and Hisami
With chess seemingly being the game Kokonoe and Five used to play, it is only natural for Five to use chess for her puzzle. But with the additional players of Hisami and Lisa, Five finds herself put into a position in which she can’t just focus on matching wits with Kokonoe. No, she has to worry about Hisami ending the game early and then Lisa throwing her off her game.
Naturally leading you to wonder why is this game even being played? Well, based off the way Five talks about Lisa (3), it seems back in the academy it was always Kokonoe and Hisami who would play together, while Five had to force her way in. And I guess, even 10-15 years since the academy, she has never gotten over being left out of whatever plans Kokonoe and Hisami had.
But, even with that smidge bit of insight, you still ultimately feel like you don’t know anything about Five. For while she does appear to be the male version of Kokonoe, there lies the mystery behind what she has done since the academy burned down? I mean, we know she went to America and now works for the government, but why? Also, who is Clarence to her? A lackey, co-worker, supervisor, translator, or what?
Topic 3: “I Found You” (Part 2) – Kokonoe & Five
By the episode’s end, Kokonoe, with the help of Hisami and Lisa, find Five and they meet face to face. Something which had the feel of when Joker and Batman saw each other in The Dark Knight. If just because you can see, as much as it is part of her job to stop, or kill, the members of Sphinx, she doesn’t have much inclination to. In a way, as much as Kokonoe seems to somewhat fear her, I also think there is something between them not being talked about. For whether it is her just being some sick twisted woman, her having a crush on Kokonoe, or something else, it seems there is a missing puzzle piece which could easily, and fairly quickly, explain what makes Kokonoe so interesting that she would not only come after him, in the most elaborate of ways but also not let the authorities try to take him down or out.
Things to Note
Shibazaki ends up helping Kokonoe for Shibazaki can see that Five doesn’t care if Sphinx ends up being seen as murderers, which would be bad for them, or if the police look like idiots. She wants to really test Kokonoe’s mental state to perhaps see if he is still on the level he was way back when. So, those two team up and this immediately upsets Five. If just because, as noted, she seemingly wants Kokonoe just to herself and on top of Hisami, and then Lisa, now Shibazaki is also ruining her game by giving Kokonoe an unfair advantage.
Quite honestly, I do think Five is really jealous of Lisa. For, as we saw in the flashbacks, Hisami and Kokonoe ran away together, seemingly always played together, and Kokonoe was probably the one who keep things that way. And yet here is this hapless girl, who surely isn’t as cunning as Five, who is allowed to be friends with them and yet Five was never considered when they were kids. Leading to her trapping Lisa near the bomb which seemingly couldn’t be defused even if the members of Sphinx were moving faster. That bomb was made to blow and taking out Lisa would have just been the icing on the cake for Five. Since not only would Sphinx be damaged, and their faces out there, she would also get rid of the new girl who she likely thinks doesn’t deserve Kokonoe.
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