Outbreak Company - 03

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Things get real in this episode of Outbreak Company as dangers both physical and ideological threaten the main characters.

Shinichi seems determined to break down the social system of the Holy Eldant Empire, despite being warned not to do so.  While he doesn’t have any ill will when it comes to this goal, it’s causing some friction with Petrarca, unsurprisingly, and Petrarca isn’t the only one.  But more on that later.

The references in Outbreak Company are pretty great, to be honest.  There are the subtle references through posters (Hataraku Maou-sama! in the previous episode), cardboard stand-ups (Kuroko no Basket in this episode), and then the manga themselves (Shingeki no Kyojin in the past two episodes) as just a few examples.  What’s more, a lot of these references are recent ones, covering the past few seasons of anime.

I knew that little lizard was a spy of some sort.  Not only is it a spy, but it brings what’s basically a group of terrorists to the new school Shinichi had built.  This anti-imperialist group, Baydona, aims to stop Shinichi from using the school to teach both humans and non-humans (a.k.a. nobles and non-nobles).  And they’re willing to hold not only the school, but also Petrarca, Shinichi, Miusel, and Minori hostage in order to get their way.

This (plot point) serves a couple of purposes.  First of all, it allows more of the main characters to get some quick character development.  Petrarca is now more than a spoiled lolita; she’s the ruler of a country who’s worried about the safety of her kingdom.  Minori is clearly a capable fighter, both with a gun and in hand-to-hand combat (or hand-to-sword, as the case may be).  And we get to see a bit of what Miusel can do as a half-elf.  Secondly, something had to happen soon to make Petrarca and Miusel become friends, and Miusel’s sacrifice is just such an event.

The conclusion of this ordeal should be interesting in the next episode.

Outbreak Company Episode 4 Preview

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