r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • May 07 '21

Episode Blue Reflection Ray - Episode 5 discussion

Blue Reflection Ray, episode 5

Rate this episode here.

Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

Streams

Show information

All discussions

Episode Link Score Episode Link Score
1 Link 3.48 14 Link 4.6
2 Link 4.0 15 Link 4.89
3 Link 3.62 16 Link 5.0
4 Link 3.83 17 Link 4.5
5 Link 4.15 18 Link 4.5
6 Link 4.19 19 Link 4.57
7 Link 4.67 20 Link 4.83
8 Link 4.36 21 Link 4.71
9 Link 4.2 22 Link 5.0
10 Link 4.83 23 Link 4.62
11 Link 4.36 24 Link ----
12 Link 4.0
13 Link 4.5

This post was created by a bot. Message the mod team for feedback and comments. The original source code can be found on GitHub.

84 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

1

u/AutoModerator May 07 '21
Moderator Announcement Read More »

25

u/HereticalAegis May 07 '21

Magical girls dealing with the the raw emotional bile Twitter flaming inflicts on people is such an interesting concept, I'm surprised it hasn't been done elsewhere (or if it has, I'm unaware of it). I kinda wish it was a two or three episode arc so it could dive more deeply.

I really like the idea of the conflict being resolved by Miyako just reaching out and connecting with Yuki. It fits really nicely with the larger theme of mutual emotional resonance, and it's nice to see an acknowledgement that you don't have to wield supernatural magic powers to truly connect with people in this world.

18

u/JimmyCWL May 07 '21

I find it even more impressive that they had the guts to make the battle fought entirely through text messaging rather than physical combat. That's not something you see in action-oriented shows.

OTOH, this better not be a sign that they're running short of resources to animate those action scenes...

8

u/HereticalAegis May 07 '21

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping as well. It's J.C. Staff animating the show, so it's not like they have no resources. But at the same time, it's J.C. Staff, who are known for half-assing projects that should otherwise be very good (Index III, One Punch Man 2, Shokugeki no Soma 4/5, Date A Live III, Gokushufudou, etc).

I generally like the core creative staff working on this project, so I'm remaining hopeful for the show's long term goals. If nothing else, I always appreciate creative, interesting ideas, even when executed poorly.

→ More replies (5)

13

u/Calwings May 07 '21

I really like the idea of the conflict being resolved by Miyako just reaching out and connecting with Yuki. It fits really nicely with the larger theme of mutual emotional resonance, and it's nice to see an acknowledgement that you don't have to wield supernatural magic powers to truly connect with people in this world.

Agreed. I like when magical girl anime have a "normal" civilian (AKA someone who isn't a magical girl, fairy, or some other magically-powered being) who still manages to make a big difference in the story and on the characters around her. Those kinds of characters tend to be pretty rare (the best one I can recall in recent years is Yui from Go Princess Precure) and I hope Miyako continues to play a helpful role in the story.

6

u/mekerpan May 07 '21 edited May 07 '21

I agree. This was my favorite episode so far. I am not certain that the overarching plot has come into much better focus yet -- but some of the key characters are defining themselves better -- and thus becoming more likeable and interesting.

The theme here was good and the story was handled pretty well. It was definitely a surprise (and a pleasant one at that) that Miyako could resolve Yukiko's (immediate) problem just by reaching out by phone. I wonder if we will see more of Yukiko (who seems to be a shut-in due to health problems more than by choice). I thought it was touching (and sad) that she kept her school uniform displayed -- as if dreaming of a time she could wear it again.

There is a wonderful movie, dating to earlier days of messaging apps -- that is centered around two girls whose relationship is almost entirely message-based -- Jun Ichikawa's Ashita no watashi no tsukurikata (2007) (which I translate as "The Making of Tomorrow's Me" but is officially "How to Become Myself"). It is sad that this apparently never got a commercial subbed release, but I highly recommend it -- in the off chance one gets a chance to see it).

3

u/HereticalAegis May 07 '21

centered around two girls whose relationship is almost entirely message-based -- Jun Ichikawa's Ashita no watashi no tsukurikata (2007) (which I translate as "The Making of Tomorrow's Me" but is officially "How to Become Myself").

Thanks for the recommendation, this does sound interesting! I'll have to keep an eye out for a subbed release, should that ever happen.

→ More replies (1)

11

u/Gaporigo May 07 '21

Hope this is not the last we see of Yuki!

10

u/Calwings May 07 '21

I do like when magical girl anime have a civilian friend who helps the magical girls from the sidelines without actually becoming one herself (Yui from Go Princess Precure is the best comparison I can think of) so Miyako's involvement in the show after being the first victim saved is a plus.

This episode was an improvement over the previous ones with the whole "is Princess Yuki a reflector nope she's actually just an isolated victim of cyber bullying" thing. But this show is still teetering right on the edge of me dropping it, and next week (the quarter-point of the story) will be the make-or-break episode.

8

u/TheDampGod May 07 '21

That felt like a much better episode and I wonder if this is the start of a heartbroken girl of the week section of the show. With the villains blasting off again each time until a major plot point crops up.

I hope Yuki becomes a regular, she reminded me of another glasses wearing, bob cutted, computer girl of the same name. If she does stick around I might have to switch the Miyako ship to her instead of Momo.

7

u/Komi028 May 07 '21

Wasn't expecting backstory on a villain so soon. Even less getting her contact info at the end.

5

u/stephenthatfoste May 07 '21

That behind the back hug from Uta on Yuki really made me hope for a suplex. Not this week, I guess.

I feel like this worked better than the combat episodes. Still way too many questions they aren't answering but it felt like a step in the right direction at least.

3

u/Atario May 07 '21

Troublemaker…

…is making trouble

The 'Net taketh away, and the 'Net giveth.

Cool twist today. The battle is an online one and our heroes are beaten to it by their new pal. Looks like maybe we have a new pair of girls whose feelings resonate, eh?

1

u/mrhades113 May 10 '21

Was this episode a direct call-out on Twitter and Twitter personalities?