[Qilin]

I could feel the love and effort that went into music and cinematography that went into this episode. It's like the show really knows how to create a good ambiance. I mean, this show gets a lot of bile for the perceived triviality of its conflicts, but on the other hand, it could also be said that the show's ability to immerse its audience in the conflict, regardless of how trivial, is in itself impressive.

The story content itself was rich with juicy nuggets of characterization. Houtarou himself takes a backseat in this arc in favor of the other three main characters, so I wasn't all too fond of his exposition scene with Tanabe Jirou. But then again, I understand that the episode had tie up loose ends, so I guess it was inevitable.

What I particularly loved is the melancholic mood that dominated throughout the entire episode. I think this arc underscores something that is so often trivialized, but nevertheless remains a sad truth about life. That is, people are not born equal. In whatever field, there will always be some individuals who manage to stand above everyone else.

This episode portrays how different characters respond when faced with an overwhelming difference in ability. For example, Kouchi Ayako went as far as denying it through her outspoken views on manga. In contrast, Satoshi, while he acknowledged the disparity, tried to resist it by through sheer persistence. But in the end, there is nothing they can do but to accept it eventually. It a sense, you could call it something of a rite of passage for an individual to be integrated into society.

From that standpoint, I'd say that this arc was rather bittersweet, though a bit more to the bitter side of the spectrum.