Episode 3

Everyone's Reactions

It turns out that all of Noko's 'shu-' lines were intentionally written into the script as meaningful dialogue, and Hayami-san picked up on that nuance while performing. You can really feel the production team's attention to detail, and it's fun to rewatch and notice things like, 'Ah, she says it this way here.' Plus, the sound director is Masaki Tsuchiya, who also worked on Chiikawa. His vibe fits perfectly with Noko's 'I hate how small and cute she is' energy. Even if it wasn't intentional, it was a nice little discovery. The flow of bringing out the siblings' past before triggering their awakening through provocation is great. The way they end the scene right at the peak, making you feel like they could win without even trying, feels refreshing and boosts your excitement. The scene where Naotomo reads the sword technique just from the blade's movement has solid kendo descriptions and is quite satisfying to watch. And yes, the note about the 3DCG blending well with the character design's stylization makes sense—the visuals really do look clean. I'm dying to know if all the remaining 'Four Big Words of Idiots' mentioned in the Bakamono-kai class will appear in the next episode...