~Pure Engagement~ intends on ending the season with a bang, bringing out all the Sekirei in an attempt to stop Minato from reaching atop Teito Tower and getting the antidote to save Chiho.
Takami damn near ends the Sekirei game.
Watching the opening scene earlier in the series, I wondered if everything they show in it was going to be in the anime, or just some cool OP sequence they put together. With the group going inside MBI and the previews for next week, it looks to be the former. I’m also reminded of a scene in episode 1 where Minato dreams about Tsukiumi, Matsu and Kuu being hurt, and I’m sure that’ll play out as such in the next couple of weeks. Higa’s hospital can only do so much for Chiho, as they don’t have the technology to develop a complete cure her. So he suggests Minato goes to MBI and ask. After talking with his mom, Minaka finds out and makes it a big game. And hey, if Minaka has the ability to suddenly pipe into Izumo’s TVs, then I’m sure they can cure her.
Matsu's getting giddy that she can go outside and play.
Higa seems like the guy who hates the MBI not mainly for the wicked game that Minaka is playing, but rather that he wants everything the MBI has. He’s more interested in business than he is saving cute girls, which is kinda funny to say, considering Haihane makes fun of her own Sekirei for being a homo. Higa hires Seo to steal something from MBI, but knowing that Seo is a pretty smart cookie, Higa’s hired the wrong guy. That seems like something he’d go back to Miya with.
Tsukiumi gives her fellow Sekirei a power wash.
So after a quick bathing scene, which I hope is not the very last of those we get, Minato’s whole group (Matsu included, making a rare outside appearance) goes to MBI. I could say that Sanada jumping in and scene-stealing was pretty funny, but it’s disappointing that Minato and his 3 Sekirei could just walk through the front door without breaking a sweat. You’d like to see the main girls take care of business, but instead you get a humorous scene which falls on the side of meh. Hell, we don’t even see them fight! I’ve mentioned in the past about ~PE~ being more funny, but in this moment, I think it was just more annoying.
Ice Fog > Fire. Also, two hot female Sekirei > 1 He/She Sekirei.
But as a substitue, the action happens on the Matsu/Homura/Kuu front as Mikogami ambushes them. The idea of Kuu vs. anyone in the series is bizarre, but we’ll probably see it next week. Homura, who got frozen by the combined powers of Akitsu and #65 Taki, is in a quandary. Who’s gonna unfreeze him besides himself? On a side note, their two powers are elemental, but I wonder if there are more possibilities for combined Sekirei abilities. I’d like to see a little more tag-teaming, if you catch my drift.
He's riding on his adrenaline right now. This will hurt tomorrow morning.
Despite the thing with Sanada jumping in, I feel that this arc could be a pretty fun one. While the stuff with Uzume isn’t entirely harmful to the overall story, I wonder if a mini-arc introducing a never-before-seen Sekirei would’ve been more interesting. I think the other major Ashikabis are cool, and hope we get to see them more in Season/Phase 3.
Anime/Manga Comparison
The arc is new, but the purpose of it is kind of the same in regard to curing Chiho. I also want to note something about Matsu. She’s been outside twice in the anime, and where we’re at in the manga, as of recently, she’s gone outside for just the first time.