[Guardian Enzo]

For me, it was a bit emotional seeing Irinu Miyu and Haruka Tomatsu going at it on screen again for the first time...

Spoiler for 2:

And that's fitting, as I see the ghost of "Cross Game" running through this show as surely as Menma is. When you have a powerful premise, you don't need to embellish it with overacting, dramatic BGM and plot trickery - just let the characters talk to each other and let the drama carry the weight.

I can see the themes of loss playing a major part here, about letting go vs. holding on to the memory of someone you love. I enjoyed seeing that Poppo - despite going from tiny to huge ("growth spurts are cute") having changed the least - still a Jinta otaku, totally shameless about acting like a kid. I wonder if in fact the quest for this mysterious wish ends up being the wish itself - that quest bringing the old Super Peace Busters back together again. It certainly was fun seeing the "Nokemon" portrayed so lovingly.

Yes, Yukiatsu scene was a bit creepy. He and Tsuruko are clearly the farthest removed from the others now. In only two eps the group dynamics - both then and now - have been spelled out remarkably well. As close as they were the jealousies and rivalries were already there even as kids, and the teenagers haven't escaped them. And Menma's death has certainly complicated things further.

For me, this show has hit the emotional high points of the season so far. It has a fairy tale quality to it that's really appealing. I don't see a lot of trickery at work here - just simple, straightforward emotion playing out on a broad palette.