3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season | Episode 12 Review

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I love how 3-gatsu no Lion is that anime that I’m willing to let sit for a long time before resuming. I don’t know why that’s the case for me, I’ve probably discussed why in my previous blog posts but it’s been so long now that I don’t remember. Anyway let’s get crackin’ shall we!

Episodes Twelve Thoughts

Firstly, I would like to mention that I like the new OP  “Haru ga Kite Bokura (春が来てぼくら)” by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN way more than the first OP. Probably because the band also did the ED for Kekkai Sensen, the infamous “Sugar Song to Bitter Step (シュガーソングとビターステップ)”, which is adored by literally everyone.

Hina is one brave soul, isn’t she? Her determination to stop the bullies even when her teacher felt like she couldn’t, to the point of standing up for her teacher before she had her breakdown. Hina is one brave and strong individual to shoulder all this all by herself. What I really liked about this part, in particular, was how the animation added to the drama and suspense. You felt tense and on edge; you could definitely feel your heart start to pump. While the scene itself covered a touchy subject, bullying gone unchecked and unreported is dangerous for everyone. I thought the animation that accompanied such a topic did extremely well that amplifying the severity of bullying gone rogue.

Episode twelve, by and large, is probably my favourite episode right now. In terms of character growth, this is where all the chips lie for Hina. Hina’s strength and awareness are unmatched. She is unwavering in her determination to do what’s right and continue fighting against injustice and fighting against those bullies. I really admire her for that unbelievable strength.

I also admire Akari for supporting her younger sister. Seeing her struggle to confront a destructive force like Ms. Takagi, you couldn’t help but feel anger. Episode twelve did an excellent job at portraying both sides of the story. The victims’ guardians will always stand by them and do everything in their power to confront the bully for their wrongdoings. The same can be said for Ms. Takagai. If she doesn’t know or there is no proof that their child was the bully, they too believe that. They, too, will do everything within their power to prove that their child was not the bully simply because they were not told of anything.

Equally so, the headteacher Kokubu. He is easily the best supporting character of the entire show. He was literally the perfect mediator throughout the process and did an exceptional job providing reason and explaining the situation to Ms. Takagai.

• “The Person who does it will never admit it”.
• “The people around the bully know that if they snitch, they’ll be the next target, so they keep their mouths shut.”

His ability to flip everything on Ms. Takagai’s head was god-tier. Hina’s original homeroom teacher was hospitalized due to anxiety because she wasn’t able to deal with the ongoing bullying in her class, the fact that Chiho transferred away because of it and that Hina too was targeted by the bullies for standing up for Chiho. Kokubu using all this information to his advantage, and dumping it onto Ms. Takagai’s lap when she refutes Hina’s accusations was epic. When he asks, “Then where’s your proof that Kawamoto was lying?” I knew Hina won.

Definite A+ from me, a wonderful episode. Episode twelve showed wonderful character development and told a beautiful story—a story of always fighting for what’s right and standing up against bullying no matter the cost.