So many things are happening at the same time and so many characters (new & old) are popping out one after the other. Quite a slow-pacing episode, probably because they are trying to build up the tension for what is about to follow: the auction, which will certainly be as chaotic as possible.
Japanese Original Episode Title: 前夜祭 fresh
Shu Tsukiyama, who seems to be in a state of despair, is given by his assistant a pair of underwear that belongs to Haise but unfortunately, he can’t recognize the smell of Kaneki which makes him even more depressed. We then follow the Quinx Squad where they try to get Saiko back to work. Urie goes through his operation successfully and they all get ready to further investigate the ‘Nutcracker’ case. After a meeting in the CCG Headquarters, Haise and his team disguise themselves as women to go to a club where the ‘Nutcracker’ seems to operate her ‘business’. Mutsuki effectively manages to get close to her and they acquire more information about ‘the auction’ where ghouls sell humans as slaves or as snacks. The Squad along with Juuzou Suzuya are assigned to go to ‘the auction’ undercover in order to find out more about the ghoul operations.
Shu is back: He has always been my favorite in the show and seeing him depressed made me depressed as well. Seeing him sniffing things is not a first by now as we all know his obsession with Kaneki. If only he knew that Kaneki is still awake inside Haise, he would kill Haise’s personality in seconds. He even has a disciple now which makes me want to see them both being all dramatic together.
Gender blender: The scene where they disguise themselves as women was hilarious. Seeing Shirazu and Saiko trying to dance made me super uncomfortable, and yes, of course, Haise would look good as a girl. Look at his big luscious eyes and the lips. Ishida must have had loads of fun when he was drawing that scene.
Juuzo Susuya: So, Juuzo is less deranged now? I can understand that he stopped stitching himself but how did his hair turn black? I thought he had white hair since he was a kid… Anyways, I loved the scene of him and Haise where he had various sweets and treats for him hidden in his coat. So lovely.
NEET: Saiko mentions that she wants to maintain her NEET lifestyle. A NEET or neet is a young person who is ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training.’ The acronym NEET was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. It classes people aged between 16 and 24 y.o. In Japan, the classification comprises people aged between 15 and 34 who are not employed, not engaged in housework, not enrolled in school or work-related training, and not seeking work.
From French to German: In the previous seasons, we had Shu saying all kind of French words when he was talking and now his disciple does exactly the same with German. When he was talking to the informant, he said to her: ‘Hartnäckig! The roses don’t lie’. ‘Hartnäckig’ is the German word for ‘obstinately’ or ‘persistently.’ Oh the glorious conversations these two will have in the future, I can’t wait.
Ending song: The ending song for this episode was performed by AmaLee, or LeeandLie on YouTube, a famous YouTuber who does covers in various anime. She even tweeted about it here.
I feel like we need to get some backstory on Mutsuki. Why was he feeling so bad in the club when he was disguised and said ‘Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look’ repeatedly? We need to learn more about why he looks so traumatized. Also, the fact that Torso has some sort of weird obsession with him also makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with him. Also, was that Roma talking with Nico in the club? I think that she is! The fact that she mentioned that ‘In order for Kaneki to come back, Haise needs to die’ made me wonder that the ghouls that used to know Kaneki might actually try to bring him back which sounds utterly exciting. Plus all the ‘inner self’ thoughts Haise is having during the whole episode as to what is he to do if his memories come back is definitely a hint that ‘the auction’ is going to be a glorious disaster.
So far so good. The pacing looks okay but I can’t help but feel that some things are not explained properly. I hope that they will give us all the information needed in the next episodes so even the people that haven’t read the manga can enjoy a nice storyline with no plot holes.
NEXT TIME: Auction: Main (オークション MAIN)
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
