3-Gatsu no Lion 2nd Season

Rolling on through with my episode review of 3-Gatsu no Lion 2nd season. Today, I am going to give my thoughts on the 6th episode as indicated by my title of this blog!

This episode is what I consider to be the beginning of what I want to call “Hina’s revenge” arc. As we go back to Hina’s story and her path towards her own “resolve” whatever that maybe.

As I previously mentioned this episode to me is considered the “Hina’s revenge” arc because we re-visit her dilemma, her own story and her struggle this time around. Fast forward a few minutes into the episode, and we’ll land right where I think the episode really starts. When Rei asks Hina if she wanted to play shogi with him. Why did he ask? Well, I think anyway, he thought that he could do his best work for her, if he helped console her and there is no better way of doing that but through the one thing that consoled him during his own tough time, shogi.

As they’ve played together more and more, Rei noticed that even though he’s been trying to console his friend, all she’s been doing was consoling him and reassuring him that she’ll get better at the game, and that they’ll keep playing all with a smile on her face, regardless of how fake it was. This was when Rei asked her, if she wanted to, to explain little by little what it’s like at school for her right now.

And once again, like the first few episodes, a backstory to Hina’s struggles is shown once again. Explaining the hierarchy that is within her school, with the bullies at the top and everyone else below. What I love about the more “serious” parts of the Anime, is how beautifully animated they are. They work extremely well to convey emotion emotion just through sound, and art style used for that particular part.

There is of course, a tipping point of the episode and that is when she meets Yuusuke Takahashi, who is on the baseball team. Being a “normal” individual in what seems to be a very “crazy” school, all he wanted to do was play catch and one day, he asked Hina if he wanted to play watch with him to which she said yes.

From then on you, see a somewhat somber Hina over the past four or so episodes turn into a rather lively one as that void of losing one of her close friends is filled by Takahashi who plays catch with her everyday at school. Naturally, whenever you’re a victim to bullying they’ll always find a way to pick on you, especially when you’re hanging out with a boy.

Which is what they did throughout the episode, by writing stuff on Hina’s desk or on the chalkboard at the front of the classroom. I think this is when she (Hina) had enough, that was when she decided her resolve was to fight back against her aggressors because she was no longer sad, but angry.

I personally liked how the episode ended. Why run away and live in fear and sadness at the hands of your bullies, when you can stand toe-to-toe with them and face them head on. I think the lesson here is that while we may take the easy way out, what good is that? That only satisfies the bully, it’ll encourage them to keep going and that is a gratification we should never give. So you stick it to the man and show them whose boss because a victory well earned, is a victory well deserved.