Lostorage Incited WIXOSS Review Episode 05: Friends Bond/Chains

Greetings anime fans! This week’s episode of Lostorage Incited WIXOSS had plenty of interesting twists and turns to make you want more.

このあと23:00~KBS京都にて、24:30~サンテレビにて第5話「友達/絆と鎖」が放送です！遂にすず子と千夏が再会。その行方は―？ぜひご覧ください！おたのしみに♪　#Lostorage #wixoss pic.twitter.com/i4wSkb1nbk

— WIXOSSアニメ公式 (@wixoss_anime) November 6, 2016

Plot

The episode picks up with Chinatsu and Suzuko at the playground after Chinatsu throws their childhood charm on the ground. Suzu is in complete shock and Chinatsu simply explains that she is stronger without all those childhood memories. Ultimately, she tells Suzu that she wants nothing to do with her anymore because emotions make you weak. I think that’s pretty brutal, but it is a good strategical tactic, considering Suzu is a selector too. Eventually, both of them will have to battle each other, and the less connections you have with your opponent the easier it is to battle. Suzu doesn’t see it that way, as she has spent all of her time pining after memories of Chinatsu instead of getting to know the person right in front of her. The present day Chinatsu is tenacious, cold, and has her eyes set on the prize.

Hanna, who overhears what’s going on, appears to be conflicted. Being the logical girl that she is, she can see where Chinatsu is coming from by cutting off the weights dragging her down. On the other hand, Hanna knows that Suzu is sensitive and emotional, and she feels for Suzu’s lost friendship. It’s almost like she has a heart. Almost. Right after the girls’ fight, Hanna calls up the Bookkeeper and asks him to set a new fight for her. She apparently has some kind of agenda that she must see through. It’s so odd that she absolutely has to have a battle after watching a friendship fall apart. It really makes you wonder who she wants to go up against.

Next we tune into the selector Shouhei’s life. He’s hanging out at a shop looking at magazines about soccer, reminiscing about his athletic days. He sees Chinatsu outside being harassed by two older guys and runs over to help her out. Chinatsu grabs him and pulls him into an alley, away from the men, so that she can battle him. She has such an interesting sense of timing, right? Shouhei, however, would rather talk about when he first met Chinatsu and how she cheered him up after he permanently ruined his leg playing soccer. He obviously still has a crush on her but all she wants to do is win battles.

Meanwhile, Suzu is at school with Hanna in a locker room. Suzu gets a battle request text from the Bookkeeper. Who could it be? Hanna of course. Suzu is confused as ever, and Hanna explains that because of their contract with the Bookkeeper, she has to accept the fight. The first thing that comes to my mind is why on Earth would Hanna be so set on battling Suzu all of the sudden. According to Hanna, it is to show Suzu that her emotions are making her weak and for the simple need to satiate her curiosity. Suzu and Hanna battle, and Suzu loses pretty badly. She can’t seem to catch a break from WIXOSS and if it keeps this up, she’s going to disappear.

Themes

Honesty: Suzu’s signature move is ‘Honesty’ and it definitely suits her. She pushes her honest feelings onto Chinatsu when the girl doesn’t want to hear them. Because of Suzu’s need to externalize her emotions, she is labeled weak by Chinatsu and Hanna. Perhaps in the world of WIXOSS being honest is not the best policy. Suzu is going to have to work on how she manipulates her opponent’s honesty if she wants to continue winning.

Sexual Innuendo: Shouhei and his friends are in a magazine shop. Naturally, his two friends are looking at explicit magazines while he checks out soccer. Then we see Chinatsu being sexually harassed by two men and Shouhei intervening. When Chinatsu pulls Shouhei into the ally, she tells him to ‘do it’ and that it’s okay to ‘do her.’ She means battling, but I suppose since the perspective in this episode is now focused on the male selector, everything becomes hypersexualized.

本日24:30~ニコニコチャンネルにて第5話の放送です！TV放送で観たという方も是非こちらでもどうぞ～もう１回みてみるとよりストーリーが理解できるかも！今回は千夏に注目ですね！#Lostorage #wixoss https://t.co/p3ygBIHbmn pic.twitter.com/WqOxqIvbT3

— WIXOSSアニメ公式 (@wixoss_anime) November 5, 2016

Comments

I cannot for the life of me understand why Hanna is being so hard on Suzu. I get that she’s trying to forcefully teach her a lesson, but I want to know what Hanna is trying to gain from WIXOSS. I really want to know her motives. I also want to know Chinatsu and the Bookkeeper’s motivation. All of these characters are acting so shady opposed to the honest and upfront Suzu. However, now that Suzu’s goals of becoming closer to Chinatsu have been shattered, maybe she’ll toughen up and vow to defeat her. That’s something I would appreciate happening. Since holding onto your memories is a key strategically method to either strengthen or weaken your resolve, I’m excited to see where this anime ends up going.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to check the rest of our Fall 2016 reviews!

Official Web : http://lostorage-wixoss.com/
Official Twitter : https://twitter.com/wixoss_anime