English Dub Review: URAHARA “Crepe Craving”

Free crepes make alien invasions more bearable.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

As the shock of the Scoopers arrival fades, the girls decide to explore more of Harajuku. They find that they aren’t alone inside the protective bubble; plenty of other residents have been imprisoned as well. There’s even a nice lady with blue hair giving out delicious free crepes! (I have to admit I was a little suspicious of her at first, but URAHARA is too sweet and innocent to turn her character into anyone sinister.)

In the second half of Crepe Craving, Rito deals with her artist’s block with some helpful advice from the crepe saleswoman. After learning to just draw what she wants without worrying about what other people might like or dislike, the girls have to defeat a group of stray Scoopers who snuck in during last episode’s boss attack. Once defeated, the Scoopers turn into strange little worm things that Kotoko finds adorable enough to take home. The episode concludes with the girls planning to reopen PARK. (And with Rito finding out her art has a lot of secret admirers!)

Our Take:

I’m glad the girls have gotten over their initial surprise at the invasion, because it gives the show a chance to show off more of the culture of Harajuku. The bright colors and inventive designs really get a chance to shine here in episode three.

The alien fighting ‘action’ sequences are probably the weakest point of URAHARA right now. They’re filled with long cutaways for expository dialogue and have no real sense of movement or suspense.

URAHARA seems to be slowly improving, and I’m growing to like the rapport of the three main characters. The show is definitely worth a shot for anyone who likes magical girls, aliens, and outrageously bright designs. Just don’t watch it on an empty stomach!