Written by: Gabriel Castillo | Published on: March 9, 2021
Yakiniku night turns rancid as the lovely ladies are pulled into a sticky situation. Beware the elevators!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Summary
The ladies head out for yakiniku night! Akari goes ahead to get a table but things go awry as the building’s elevator suddenly takes her to the mysterious place in between the regular world and the Otherside. Sorao, Toriko, and Kozakura are forced to chase after their friend!
Meating Up
The gang, now made up of 4 ladies, decide to meet up in Ikebukuro for some yummy yakiniku (grilled meat). The original dynamic duo meets up outside the building and have a very interesting conversation. Apparently, Toriko feels guilty after leaving the American soldiers in Kisaragi Station and she wants to rescue them. Sorao, although reluctant at first, mentions that there is a possibility of finding the soldiers again by using the hat from Hasshaku-sama. Looks like they’re heading back for a big rescue operation!
Brilliant Build-up!
This episode does a particularly great job of conjuring up a frightening scenario. The phone call from Akari provides an excellent initial wave of creepiness followed by a chilling exploration of a world in between the regular and the Otherside and ending with a peculiar “chase” scene. The whole situation (a friend unknowingly crossing over to the Otherside via elevator) is terrifying! To make things freakier, the ladies never ventured into the world in between since it seemed to house many spine-chilling dangers. The background music does wonders for this episode as the mix of strings and synth help create an ominous vibe.
VERDICT
Author's Rating: 7/10
Overall, the episode was fun to watch. The premise was great and the build-up was awesome! The creepy vibes were established well especially since it seemed like they were about to enjoy a simple night out. The abrupt and intense interruption from their normal evening added to the nightmarish vibe! The chase scene was suspenseful thanks to the odd things they saw culminating with an unbeatable creature. Also, the background music was fantastic as it added to the thrill. The world's design was also well-done and very interesting. The reveal (only to Sorao) in the elevator added an extra layer of bamboozlement even though it barely lasted 10 seconds. The series could definitely use more episodes with this vibe (sadly, there are only 2 left!). The last bit of the episode briefly showed Kisaragi station! Which could only mean one thing: the ladies are heading back!
Additionally, Kozakura’s appearance in this episode was awesome! Her cute outfit (which is basically a pink vest atop her usual white shirt) plus a frightened demeanor worked perfectly together. Despite her scaredy-cat nature, she was willing to be left behind towards the end (due to her less-than-stellar physical attributes) which showed her grit and selflessness! Kozakura is easily becoming a fan-favorite.
The mysteries in this series remain mysterious even with just 2 episodes left! What happened to their search for Uruma Satsuki? Is she even alive? Given Toriko’s guilt, how will they rescue the American soldiers? Is there still time for a picnic? Find out next week as we watch the second to the last episode!
Official Anime Website: Otherside Picnic
Official Anime Twitter: @OthersidePicnic
Otherside Picnic is available for streaming on Ani-One Asia every Monday 23:30 PST
