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Episode six of Outbreak Company brings the sports genre into the mix.

Sports episode, go!  It looks like Minori’s coaching the elves while Shinichi’s coaching the dwarves.  Or, rather than coaching, they’re basically giving them access to the sports anime and manga they think are most relevant.  I wonder if this soccer game will actually create a sense of camaraderie between the elves and dwarves?

Matoba makes me somewhat uneasy.  What exactly does he want?  Why is he always popping up out of nowhere like he’s been eavesdropping on everything going on?  Why does he have so much of a problem with Shinichi trying to change things in the other realm?  I really want to know what he’s up to.

And this episode may give us a hint, at least if we focus on events on the sidelines.  For example, why are so many JSDF soldiers videotaping the soccer game?  Are they…gathering intel?  Is Japan planning to invade the other realm, and that’s what Matoba is up to?  Is that why he doesn’t want Shinichi to upset the status quo: because it will make invading and taking over the other realm more difficult?

I think this conclusion is all the more likely when you consider the fact that Matoba implies that he knew the soccer game would turn into an all-out war, but still encouraged Shinichi to have the game, anyway.  This could be because he simply wanted to teach Shinichi a hard lesson about “reality,” but it could also be because he wanted to give the JSDF a chance to witness and film the abilities of the other realm’s citizens firsthand.

Speculations aside, I love the fact that Petrarca and Miusel share a visible friendship now.  And it’s great that their friendship, their interaction at the end of the soccer game for all to see, helped accomplish what Shinichi wanted the game to do all along, even if it only started the citizens of Eldant down the path toward egalitarianism.

Outbreak Company Episode 7 Preview

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