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Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 3 – Quick Summary
In Grisaia: Phantom Trigger episode 3, “Mother’s Cradle III,” Haruto Aoi received permission to mount a rescue mission for both their newest member, Taiga Sengoku, and Chris Sakurako Kujirase, who mounted a lone rescue mission. That was the good news. The bad news? Taiga was out of bullets, Chris had not rescued her, and Chris had taken multiple gunshots during the attempt. Not only that, but Haruto’s team only has thirty minutes before the military bombs the entire site. Can even Haruto and his team make anything happen in that small amount of time?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 3
Maki had questions. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
This episode gave us a running joke. Okay, we got a joke that was repeated twice. However you refer to it, I enjoyed it.
The first case felt the most realistic, because it was right in character for Rena Fukami to kick off the festivities and for Maki Inohara to respond how she did.
Remember how Chris and Taiga had sent the hostages in search of a way to escape? Well, the bad guys found them. The bad guy in question used his AK-47 or derivative to shot open the door. Then he menaced the hostages with said assault rifle.
The bad guys were about to commit mass murderwhen Rena and Maki arrived on the scene. We know this because the bad guy suddenly crashed to the ground after a smoking grenade slammed into the side of his head.
“Okay!” Rena announced. “One down.”
Looking at Rena’s handiwork, Maki said (03:41), “Sis, that’s not how you use a smoke grenade.”
I don’t know. I thought it was an innovative solution.
Favorite Moment from Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 3
Touka had a very clear goal in mind. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Initial Reaction: Skirts are Cute and All, But…
I’ll be up front with you: this episode disappointed me. I was expecting an expertly planned and executed assault. And it was, from the perspective of the narrative. But two things degraded the experience for me.
First, Maki and Rena bursting into the foyer through the front doors bothered me (02:21). I have to believe there was a better ingress path – one that offered at least some cover. Bursting into the front door? There were any number of spots an enemy could have used to open fire on them.
The scene was well-animated, but they just looked too exposed to enemy fire. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
The other might show my age. Or it might show how I’m writing assault scenes for my new trilogy Dreams of Deucalion. And I say this as someone who has zero issues with fan service (I mean, I’m reviewing Freezing, after all!). But as I saw them dashing around in their school shirts, I just had to ask myself: is that the appropriate tactical gear?
Cute, sure. But practical? And for operators as skilled as these young women are supposed to be? Hell, I could see Maki smacking any guy who suggested she go into battle with a short skirt. In fact, I think that’s be a great scene.
Setup: Exciting Character Interactions
But that said, I still had fun watching these characters bounce off each other. Most of them are on the psychological edge for one reason or another, and I’ll be honest: seeing a cute girl in a cute skirt working through something like that makes her all the more sympathetic. I talked about in some of my reviews for C³ – CubexCursedxCurious: present a concept through the lens of a cute anime girl, and it’s amazing what kind of clarity you can achieve.
And let’s face it. Most of us have that capability for profound violence. Demagogues know that. It’s how people I grew up with, people whose parents I knew, today call for heinous treatment of other human beings. All you have to do is dehumanize a vulnerable demographic, and you can achieve all sorts of devilry.
But now I’m off topic. My favorite moment was a glimpse into Touka Shishigaya’s personal darkness. Ironically, the moment is based on her not taking a kill shot. She and fellow sniper Megumi Kumashiro were covering the hostages as they tried to escape. Two bad guys opened fire on those hostages as they tried to cross a bridge.
The terrorists saw the hostages trying to escape. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Megumi dropped her hostage with a single headshot. Touka lined up her shot, then switched her aim to the bad guy’s lower abdomen. Megumi’s target dropped, dead. But Touka’s target feel to the ground in profound agony.Megumi asked her about it. In her pretty, unconcerned voice, Touka said (12:52), “Getting shot in the kidney means going through excruciating pain for ten minutes even if you stop the bleeding. But only for 10 minutes.”
Delivery: Touka’s Casual Retribution
As Touka spoke, both girls kept their eyes to their scopes, ready to fire again.
“Families that lost their loved ones to terrorism suffer for a lifetime,” Touka continued, “So, I’m letting them feel what it’s like to suffer just for ten minutes. I won’t waste my bullets for nothing.”
Did Megumi react with shock? Judgment? Nope. All she said was (13:13), “I see. So there’s always a meaning to your shots.”
Megumi seemed to appreciate Touka’s perspective. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
That’s hard. That cold. But it struck me as realistic and insightful, too. I’m not advocating for open season on any human demographic, including terrorists. But I will share this moment with Touka and Megumi, and I won’t look down on either of them for their battlefield morals.
It makes me wonder: if my finger was on the trigger, would I have been content with a headshot, if I knew people who were victims of terrorists? It’s an interesting intellectual puzzle – and honest to God, I’m glad it’s only intellectual. Like I said, I’ve seen people I thought were moral launch cruel and vicious attack on vulnerable populations. If they’re capable of such cruelty, what am I capable of?
What did you think of Rena criticizing Maki for using so much ammunition? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 3: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 1: Mother’s Cradle I
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 2: Mother’s Cradle II
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 3: Mother’s Cradle III
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 4: Phantom Blade I
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 5: Phantom Blade II
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 6: Bluest Blue #1
In the real world, snipers rarely go for head shots. It is almost always center-of-mass. Head shots are reserved for when a target is holding a person in front of them as a shield. The reason is unpredictability of movement. A person can unexpectedly move their head a couple of inches and you miss. (Think about the attack on Donald Trump.) But, a torso moves much less quickly. A high velocity rifle round will take out the target with a hit anywhere in the torso, A couple of inches and it doesn’t matter.
Thanks for the correction! I may even have known that at one time. It makes perfect sense — and thanks for describing why!
That reminds me of why I’m a little nervous writing military science fiction. I’m afraid I’ll mess up a detail like that! But then I remind myself that few people have commanded a starship, so presenting that scenario at all has its risks!
That’s kind of in my bailiwick. Most people wouldn’t know that. I’ve been immersed in “gun culture” my entire life. Carried a gun for a living for several years. Six years in the military and shot expert. NRA certified rifle and shotgun trainer.
The guy who shot Trump didn’t think he had a choice. In a setting like that, Pres. Trump was probably wearing body armor that would stop a .223, so it was a headshot or nothing. (Or at least he should be if the Secret Service were doing their jobs.) Fortunately, he missed.
I understand he’d been kicked off a marksmanship team for not being good enough.
Cool about your background! I’ve been around guns all my life, too. When we were growing up, we had a second cookie jar filled with loose .22 rounds and various shotgun shells (12 and 20 gauge, if I remember right — I recall being impressed with the deer slugs!).
It is fortunate he missed. I wished he would have missed Corey Comperatore, too. What a mess.
Wish we’d be willing to do more about making sure insane folks like the shooter don’t have guns.