Battle Game in 5 Seconds - Episode 2 - What on earth is this... (Part 2) {SPOILERS}

 *SPOILERS AHEAD*

So episode 2 is going to change POV for a the majority of the episode. It's time to be introduced to the female main character. Her name is "Yuuri" and quite frankly she has a rubbish home life, apart from the fact she has friends. She also wants to go back to being home due to the fact she wants to protect and help a girl who has although not mentioned out right been physically abused by her father. I could be wrong to interpret that way but from the look of "Yuuri's" face, I am right. She also suddenly got a stalker after she helped the guy by giving him a tissue and then suddenly that's the guy that causes her to die and end up in this situation. I call LIES on this whole random process. After seeing a couple of flashbacks we see her in the present finding out her ability and testing it. SUPER STRENGH...well in more detail it's "Quintuple her normal strength". 

Moving onto the second part of the episode. The 1v1 battle time. Call it cliché but really. She has to verse a perverted, disgusting killer, who even TAKES his pants off to basically you know.... ruin her in all ways you can think of. His ability is something to with smelling emotions or something along those lines...not quite sure and to be honest (I don't care). He was VILE and although I call it cliché; at least with her ability she MESSED him up and made him pay for everything bad he has done. DING DING DING. She won her 1v1. I emotionally care about her but at the same time, she's not as interesting as "Akria"...not yet. 

Onto the last part of this episode. "Akira" gets told to go to a different room to find 4 other people there, including "Yuuri" and the guy he defeated in the 1v1. So does that mean you don't get "Punished" until all rounds are completed or rather than it going by who wins, it goes by how well you do. I can't wait to find out more. Round 2 will start next episode and it's going to be a 5v5 battle. Although not a rubbish episode, it wasn't as good as last week and I hope this improves or else I may end up dropping this and I really wanted to go all the way. 

Episode 2 Rating:  3.5/5 Stars

Review of Given

The Storyline I knew was going to have themes of BL (Boys Love) along with Music; but I never imagine it would grab me and not let me go until I felt so many different emotions for different reasons. I knew going in it was going to have some dark, adult themes due to the tag of “noitaminA”. Look up the tag and you will understand. I did enjoy this plot, it managed to have deep and dark issues which is realistic but then it also had its happy moments too. The happy moments really did help balance the emotional pain you start to feel during this whole ride. There were no issues with the pacing as I never felt for once it was going too slow or too fast.

I don’t think I really noticed any issues with the Animation but then I also never saw anything too impressive. I think the only times I found myself paying attention to the Animation was when it’s focused on the instruments and when they are playing on stage. This show wasn’t about the animation so in my head; it did what it needed to do. The Sound was always going to be an important element in this Anime due to the Music genre. The drums, guitars etc all sound wonderful and in tune. The singing in this show is also beautiful and for some reason I feel the rawness in the singing. The feelings I experience when listening to the lyrics of a certain song is certainly something. The opening song is amazing and at first, I didn’t know the translation, so I was just going with how it made me feel and my own interpretation but then after a while I found out the English translation of the song lyrics and it made me love it even more. I love when the opening songs relate to the show and it’s not just some random song for an Anime. I also felt the ending song was pretty and emotional, especially after seeing the English translation.

The Characters were all unique but of course have one thing in common: Music. Ritsuka Uenoyama when first introduced is just an average guy, who likes Music but has lost passion in all the things he used to love. At first, I wasn’t really connecting with him but with time and progression as a character I started to connect and love him as a character. Mafuyu Sato although as with Uenoyama I didn’t relate to at first, I did love him from the moment he entered the scene. I think it was because there was a sad/mysterious backstory to him that made me want to know everything and I enjoyed his presence. Akihiko and Haruki were the other two main characters that was introduced to us. Although they were “Secondary” characters, they were just as important and enjoyable as the other two. They were likeable, unique, and very interesting. There weren’t really any characters that I hated but there was some that I found annoying. There was one girl I wasn’t impressed with when she took something too far; not going to spoil it but you will know what I mean if you watch it.

Overall, I adored this show and enjoyed the ride. The drama side to this show was what surprised me, but it was certainly a good surprise. There is also a movie out, though while watching this I didn’t know. The movie is centred more on the two main secondary characters. I feel if you enjoyed shows like Anonymous Noise or Junjou Romantica; you will most likely enjoy this one. 

9.5/10Story

      

8.5/10Animation

      

10/10Sound

      

9.5/10Characters

      

9.7/10Overall