I was wavering between 8 and 9 for the finale, but that sudden and pleasantly surprising announcement of a second season at the end of the episode was definitely enough to push it to a 9.
The fight against Berserker was a fabulously flashy feast for the eyes, and also did a good job of developing and solidifying the friendship between Illya and Miyu. Admittedly, the big final move seemed to come out of nowhere, but it was still glorious to behold, and so the overall fight was still almost flawless in its execution and entertainment value.
The rest of the episode was more hit and miss, with me liking some elements (pretty much everything involving Luvia and Rin, Iri's scene, yuri subtext between Illya and Miyu) and me disliking some other elements (incest dream, classroom humor falling flat with me).
On the whole, it was a very good finale that did a rock solid job of wrapping up the Class Cards section of the narrative.
I have to say, though - Given that they are going further into the narrative, I really question a couple of the anime-original changes that they made. Illya's dialogue during the Berserker fight would fit a lot better if they had stuck closer to the manga, imo. As is, it feels strange for Illya to apologize for doing
precisely what Miyu very bluntly told her to do. But if the anime had stuck to the manga, Illya temporarily pulling out of action would be all on her, making the apology seem much more warranted and emotionally compelling.
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