Harumi meets Natsuno’s masochistic editor, Hiiragi Suzuna, and learns that despite all the writing she’s been doing, Harumi has been in a slump since he was murdered. Suzuna also mentions a slasher going around the neighborhood, and Natsuno decides to investigate. They determine that every victim has been in possession of a Akiyama Shinobu book. Natsuno and Harumi bump into rival author/idol Akizuki Maxi, who mocks Natsuno’s bust. When the pet store owner’s afro is cut, Natsuno spots the culprit and chases after him, while Harumi falls for a trap and ends up back in his apartment, the captive of his own little sister, Madoka.
Ugh…when we heard of a new Gonzo series that wasn’t a Last Exile spinoff coming, this isn’t exactly what we had in mind. After a promising introduction, this episode was a huge step down from the previous two. Compared to most of the other series this season, the clumsy, animation is starting to wear thin, as is the random S&M crap and boob envy weaved into the plot, none of which is remotely funny. We realize there’s a human in that dog body, we just aren’t fans of animal abuse, no matter how silly and ridiculous the circumstances, and are finding it hard to understand Natsuno’s intense hostility towards the person who saved her damn life.
As for her editor Suzuna and her rival Maxi…well, they both come off as patently stupid, banal characters with no substance or nuance whatsoever. Harumi’s sister Madoka is slightly better, but that’s not saying much. She apparently liked her brother very much before he died, but is now aware that he’s a dog and has kidnapped him for some reason, again begging the question of why everyone feels the need to tie him up. With thirteen other series to keep track of, we have little time for inconsistent, half-baked nonsense. We’ll give it one more episode to change our minds…otherwise, it’s Dropsville.
Rating: 4 (Fair)
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