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Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 4 – Quick Summary
In Grisaia: Phantom Trigger episode 4, “Phantom Blade I,” Murasaki Ikoma was trying to go about her business when disaster struck: her older sister, Yuuki Ikoma, decided to visit. This came as quite a shock to Shiori Arisaka, who thought Yuuki had passed away. Indeed, Murasaki had cultivated that idea in her teacher’s mind. Why? Why was she not overjoyed to see her sister again? And just what kind of past did Yuuki share with Haruto Aoi?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 4
She sounded so happy as she said it, too. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
It wouldn’t be Grisaia if the women didn’t have an edge to them, would it? In this case, the honor belongs to Murasaki. After watching this episode, I now know she’s a stealth ninja. That’s as opposed to her sister, who’s an assault ninja. They look the parts, don’t they?
I’m not sure why Murasaki dressed up as Chris Sakurako Kujirase when she visited Haruto. It seemed to be a spur of the moment thing, though. But as good as Murasaki’s disguise was, Haruto saw right through it. Still, he didn’t want to ruin her hard work, so he asked her to say something that Chris would never say.
Not missing a beat, Murasaki, still wearing the Chris disguise, said (04:49), “Instead of Botox, shall I inject some bullets into your forehead, you battle-ax?”
Haruto agreed with my assessment: that was absolutely not something that Chris would say.
Favorite Moment from Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 4
The juxtaposition of the frivolity of this image and the topic in that moment is trademark Grisaia. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Grisaia Has a Rhythm
It feels like the show’s settled into its mood. I’d say “vibe,” but I’m not sure I understand all of the connotations that word carries nowadays, so I’ll stick with “mood.” The first four episodes have given us pleasantly long stretches of engaging dialogue sprinkled with an occasional emotional punch in the gut.
This episode was no different. I like the banter between all the cast members. My favorite quote was one example, and there were many others. I’d just gotten used to this episode’s rhythm when my favorite moment happened – but it took me a few minutes before I realized a) it was my favorite moment and b) what the heck actually happened.
Yuuki had spent the night in her sister Murasak’s room. She woke up first and just stared out the window. Murasaki woke up and said good morning to her older sister.
“I see,” Yuuki said in her lovely voice (16:31). “So I’m your older sister?”
The situation seemed completely normal to Yuuki. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I remember frowning because I didn’t know what she meant. The frown deepened when Murasaki answered, “You should read through your journals.”
Now I was really confused. As in, I wondered if I had misheard, or if the subs were off. But then Yuuki spoke again, and I knew something was going on. She said (16:37), “No, I’m fine. I’m just half asleep from waking up. Good morning, Saki.”
“It’s Murasaki.”
“Oh… Yes, you’re right. It’s Murasaki, isn’t it? Good morning, Murasaki.”
“Yeah. Good morning, Big Sis.”
Delivery: But Wait – There’s More!
By this point, I still didn’t know what was going on – but I strongly suspected that Murasaki knew. She wasn’t playing along. She was accommodating. And just as I began to assemble the pieces in my brain, Murasaki explained that her big sister had been injured, and the injury affected her long-term and short-term memory. Sad, right?
Ah, but this is Grisaia. It’s not nearly sad enough yet. Murasaki reflected that though the affliction has its challenges, it’s actually a pro when Yuuki has to impersonate someone. That’s likely because she won’t have stray memories pop up to force her out of character.
This isn’t the first time Murasaki has participated in this conversation. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
But wait! There’s more! That skill can also come in handy, according to Murasaki, when Yuuki gets (17:13) “physically tortured.”
Yep. This is Grisaia. These people live with casual brutality all their lives, even when they first wake up in the mornings. I’m really enjoying the show because of moments like this, but I have to wonder. Is this the best thing to be watching in this environment? Am I negatively impacting my mental health? Or am I reminding myself how the world really is – and clarifying the question of how much I want to get involved?
What did you think of the bath scene that moved the plot forward in such a graceful way? What were your favorite moments? Please feel free to let me know in the comments!
Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Episode 4: 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