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Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3 Review – Best In Show

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Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3 Review – Quick Summary

In Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3, “Tea Party in the Mysterious Forest: Afternoon Carries the Scent of Danger”, Yuuki and Kokkoro went grocery shopping and ran into their old friend Aoi. She had been accepted into a prestigious school. Great news, right? Well, Aoi had not found it within herself to make friends, and now an accomplished upperclassman has summoned her to a meeting. Is it the end of her academic career before it even starts? Can Yuuki and Kokkoro help? And will Karyl and Pecorine starve before Yuuki and Kokkoro return with groceries?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3

Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3: Yuuki found Yuni under a pile of books

Yuni remained more calm than I would have. Though, thinking about it, I might have avoided the whole “getting buried by a book avalanche” thing. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I only just met Yuni, but already she’s among my favorite characters in this series. I doubt we’ll get to see much more of her. I’m guessing she’ll have less screen time than Eriko. Which reminds me: I wonder what she’s up to? Is she still obsessing over Yuuki?

Well, whether we get to see more of Yuni or not, she had some very enjoyable moments in this episode. Her introduction to Yuuki was a perfect example. Yuuki and Kokkoro had accompanied Aoi as moral support. They entered the library, but they didn’t see anyone. As Aoi and Kokkoro looked in one area, and Yuuki looked in another. 

He came upon a very large pile of books. A pile of books with a pair of booted feet sticking out from underneath! So Yuuki carefully removed one of the books to expose Yuni’s face. She looked at him impassively for a moment. Then he carefully replaced the book.

“Young man,” she said, her voice muffled by a huge stack of books covering her (04:27), “I understand your bewilderment, but there’s no need to avert your eyes from reality.”

First, that’s sage advice. Second, I was impressed how calm she remained! I mean, if I were buried under a pile of books, I might be a bit more panicked!

Best in Show Moment for Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3

Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3: Yuni had made peace with what she knew and didn't know

Yuni has seen what I’ve seen. When it comes to choosing how to react, I think her solution is more hopeful. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: The Deceptive World

This damned show… I mean that with all affection, but I just did not expect the feelings that this episode provoked. You’re probably thinking, “Geez, now what? This was everything Princess Connect is known for: Expertly-crafted humor, seamless drama, and a hint of darkness on the horizon. Nothing out of the ordinary for the show!”

You’re right. Rather, you were right all the way until the end of the episode. Then Yuni made her decision. From the first moments we saw her, she had been trying to discover and share the deception of the universe. And what she said at the very end proved something to me: The writer has seen what I’ve seen. 

I feel bad for that writer.

Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3: Yuni knew what she knew

Yuni knew how the world was being deceptive. Or she knew how it had been used to deceive. It’s hard to say, because we’re at the upper reach of language, and either statement could be true depending on your perspective. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Have you ever heard the song/watched the video for Queen’s Under Pressure? That song’s about “terror of knowing what the world is about.” That’s not an abstract. Once you understand what the world is all about, these other lines from the song make sense: 

Turned away from it all like a blind man

Sat on a fence but it don’t work

Keep coming up with love but it’s so slashed and torn

Why, why, why?

Seriously. Sitting on the fence doesn’t work. I’ve tried.

I’m not going to share my perception of what that thing is. It’s too intertwined with my experiences and inner dialogue. It would make no sense to you. And if it would make sense, then you don’t need to tell you. You already know. And you know where this is going.

Delivery: Yuni’s Peace

No lie. I’ve talked to some of you about this, and there are those among you even now who understand what I’m saying. I’m not talking about any fringe conspiracy. It’s all right there, out in the open, in front of all of us. Once you see it, you’re faced with a really terrible decision. Because what you decide lays bear just what kind of person you really are. That decision is a pain that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. 

Yuni knows that pain.

Her inner monologue at the end is my favorite moment of the episode. Not because she proved she (or her writer) has seen what I’ve seen. No, it’s my favorite because of the solution she came up with. 

Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3: Yuni's curiosity was strong enough to overcome fear

Did you notice how curiosity dominated her mood, even as she fled in terror? Man, the writers did a fantastic job with her character! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

“Hello world,” she said, walking towards the table where her friends, old and new, were having tea (21:22). “Still being deceptive, I see. I will not expose the truth of this world. I am neither a hero nor a great person. I will simply learn alone and smile with delight within my heart.”

She saw what it would take to expose the truth, and that knowledge almost crushed her. Yuni knew she wasn’t a hero, with a hero’s strength. She wasn’t a great person, with a great person’s resolve. She was a simple scholar. Her choice was to stay that way. She found it within herself to be content, joyous, even, with that role. 

There are days I wish I had taken that path. 

What did you think of Aoi’s panicked solution to everyone nearly discovering her My Friends? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!

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One thought on “Princess Connect! Re: Dive Season 2 Episode 3 Review – Best In Show

  1. Yuni is awesome. They’re really doing a great job with the side characters generally, but Yuni hits home so much. The non-heroic curiosity just hits home so much, doesn’t it?

    Also, for some reason Under Pressure never worked for me. I love Queen, and I love Bowie even more (I know nearly all their records), but somehow the combo… leaves me cold. There are parts of the song I really like they don’t come together for me. Not sure why.

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