“Something to Believe in: Part 2”
The ēlDLIVE officers try to apprehend the blood covered man next to Dr. Love’s body, but are surprised to learn who he really is. Just as he explains the nature of the villain they have been fighting, Ninotchka is taken over and proves herself to be more of a threat than Chuuta and Dolugh were ready for.
KimmieKawaii
I’ve been putting off writing this review because I have no idea where to begin. For such a promising series, ēlDLIVE has taken a disappointing turn. This two part arc didn’t seem to quite fit with the rest of the series. Not only was it much more graphic in terms of violence but there was more fanservice in this last episode then has been shown throughout the entire series.
The addition of Dr. Love and how he fit into Misuzu’s back story has been relatively entertaining. With that said, the characters of Nina and Veronica seem arbitrary to the overall narrative. I surmised last week that kind hearted Nina was added to offset Veronica’s abrasive personality. Veronica, in turn, was meant to fill the gap that Misuzu’s absence left. This episode proves that there was far more meant for Nina’s character. Clearly, Nina was needed to execute an impressive battle scene, explain the process of Dolugh securing another host (in the event of Chuuta’s demise), and prove to viewers how clothing only hinders movement.
I have no idea what to focus on for the remaining episodes or if the writers even have a goal in mind. While I was thoroughly enjoying this series, the last two episodes have me questioning just what to expect from the finale.
Good
– The battle scene was executed well, though how necessary it was is an entirely different story.
Bad
– Starting to question what is meant to be the focus of this series.
WeekendOtaku
Like the previous “Part 2” episode a few weeks back, this week’s episode jumps right back into the action as the ēlDLIVE group and the mystery villain confront the new green haired guy who probably isn’t a bad guy. Speaking of bad guys, it looks like there was a perfectly good explanation for the villain having no depth as we learn a few minutes in that he’s completely irrelevant.
You might have also guessed the green haired guy’s identity last week, or at the beginning of this episode. His strange manner aside, it’s the easiest to swallow reason for why he was down there with “Dr. Love’s” body in the first place. His manner does end up getting under Veronica’s skin (and under other things) which doesn’t exactly strike as necessary or even relevant, considering Veronica is out of commission a few minutes later. Also, her fate seems to suggest this series has a thing for torso impalement. Perhaps it’s the easiest way to depict a really serious but somehow survivable injury?
The episode seems to veer towards the shocking a number of times afterward, as we see a practically naked Nina in only her second appearance when her possessed body activates her ability. Nina’s overwhelming power was interesting to see, if only because they gave Chuuta a real challenge in more than one way. The whole sequence is quite engaging in fact, daring you to look away after you see what happens to Dolugh when he and Chuuta fail to hold back Nina’s power.
Being the shounen series that this is, such heavy setbacks are usually the impetus for characters to grow even stronger, and Dolugh is no exception. His transformation, while a bit too convenient, is impressive nonetheless and gives Chuuta the extra power he needed to stand up to Nina. It’s a bit of a shortcut in terms of his growth, but with the escalation of threats that the series is seeing, Chuuta needed to come up to parity with Misuzu and the others quickly.
Good
– Cheesy as it is to use ‘belief’ as the means to empowerment, the theme was nicely woven through these two parts.
– Events are likely to only get more dire from now onward
Bad
– This episode suffers a lot of typical shounen anime faults: overly convenient plot elements, poorly explained powers, and characterization taking a backseat to action.
– Nina’s power being visually shocking aside, the continuous butt shots were overkill
This post is part of our seasonal episodic review series. To view all the posts in this series, click the following link: Viewing Party
Weekend Otaku 
I quite enjoyed the fact that this week actually felt like things might actually have consequences. Plust Dr Love is pretty amusing. Nina, not so much, but I was kind of hoping she’d be villain of the weeky and go away soon.
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I agree, going serious really quickly shows that the series isn’t afraid to step into that route, but knowing that nothing is really going to happen to Chuuta or Dolugh kills the tension a little bit.
I do like Dr. Love. He’s what you’d expect from a mad scientist and the fact that he’s so nonchalant about everything is amusing. Nina probably isn’t going to go away but won’t be a permanent villain either. Mysterious Mind Control guy worries me though because the show can keep putting Chuuta’s allies against him if that’s what they want to do.
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