English Dub Review: URAHARA “Bitter Candy”

The bonds of friendship are tested as Rito goes on a destructive rampage.

Overview (Spoilers Below): 

Things look dire as episode nine of URAHARA begins. Mari and Kotoko are still under the Scooper’s spell, eating the transformative candy in order to fulfill their selfish desires. Rito has joined in also and is transforming into a Scooper at a rapid pace.

Luckily, seeing their friend in such a state breaks Mari and Kotoko out of their stupor as they realize that Rito is becoming something none of them want to be. In her Scooper-ized form, Rito goes on a rampage through the city, ‘drawing’ whatever she wants (but mostly just destroying buildings). She finally comes to her senses when she pauses instead of smashing her graffiti drawing, brought back to reality by the appearance of a cat face that dates back to the time when the friends first met. Unified once more, the girls decide it’s time to put a stop to the Scooper’s plans once and for all.

Our Take:

While Bitter Candy definitely felt like it dragged on a bit too long in some scenes (mostly near the beginning, during Rito’s transformation sequence), I think it’s safe to say that URAHARA has evolved beyond the boringly predictable plot it started out with. Having Mari and Kotoko become Rito’s saviours was a good change of pace, as Rito is usually the level-headed one among the group. The flashbacks to the girls’ initial meeting as employees at a store in Harajuku was also great to see and really sold me on the bond these three share.

Though URAHARA will never be a top contender for the show with the flashiest visuals or the most intricate plotlines, it has grown into a story worth telling that explores the strong bonds that form between friends – and the interplay between creativity, plagiarism, and originality.