Episode 9

Everyone's Reactions

The theater performance kicks off, and we're all worried about how Senpai Mori is doing. The way his mother watches him from the audience is so poignant it's about to bring on the tears. That iconic animation of the uniform floating in mid-air? At first glance, I was like 'What on earth?', but now I see it as a beautiful expression of emotional turmoil. The story speeds up without the ED playing, and it's fun to see the bond between Kayo and Ruki heading in an unexpected direction before we get the full impact. I'm also curious to see if the teachers know about the Replicas. Their story, neither quite the Little Mermaid nor Kaguya-hime, is shaping up to be really interesting. I'm excited for next episode and hoping Senpai Mori's role and his mother's feelings come through clearly!