English Dub Review: Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth “Piece 04”

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Picking up where the previous episode left off, Kyouske suggests to Rei that she consider him as a potential member of STAND. However, this conversation is basically a hook for Kyouske to ask Rei out on a date.

Later on, Rei and the other DCD members gather at a local restaurant. During the gathering, Rei brings up how Kyouske’s attempts to persuade her into a date. This concerns the others, telling Rei to be careful and that they’ve got her back if she gets in trouble.
After the gathering, Rei pops in to STAND HQ and then heads home. Nearby STAND HQ, however, is Kyouske, wishing to ask Rei to assist in picking out a present for his sister’s birthday. She agrees and goes with Kyouske the following day.

Back at DCD headquarters, Rei and the others discuss the mysterious drug that continues to plague their minds. The crew has yet to find any clues. However, Yui suddenly appears and declares that the drug is actually Plus itself! Natsume then mentions that STAND held the data that was used in this analysis. This ultimately suggests STAND’s involvement in the case.

A phone call on Rei’s cell interrupts the meeting. Kyouske called Rei to tell her of Makoto’s voluntary arrest by the police. Later on, Kyouske mentions to Rei that the detectives said something about anonymous, leading Rei to wonder if Makoto has something to do with the Anonymous Case.

The next day, the media catches wind of the story and believes the police actually arrested Makoto, bombarding Makoto and Kyouske with ruthless publicity. Rei tries to look into Makoto’s case more but comes up empty-handed. A fellow member of the DCD suggests that Section 1 of the police may not be able to reveal additional details.

Upon Kyouske holding a press conference with Kyouske, however, Rei has enough and runs back to STAND HQ. She pleads for them to reveal more concrete details regarding Makoto’s arrest to the public. The members decline her request though, as STAND is actually holding Makoto, not Section 1. They then tell a surprised Rei that they did not inform her of this because she is merely a scout for STAND, not a team player.

Back at his home, Aoyami researches an amusement park in the forest, alongside a picture of Hiyama, likely foreshadowing the events of the next episode.

Our Take
I had hoped that this show would continue to build off the positives seen the last episode. The first half had me holding onto that hope, being quite charming in all honesty. It had a hint of romance between Rei and Kyouske alongside the DCD members still caring for Rei’s safety. Then the second half happened. It led me down a pipe of confusion, not being able to surface for just one tiny bit of comprehensibility.

To begin with a minor negative, this show shifts from night to day, day to night without a care. I legitimately cannot follow when all of these events are taking place anymore. For example, when Rei pops back into STAND HQ, one of the other STAND members says it’s time for his lunch break. Except, it’s night time. I suppose he could be working the night shift, but can you really call it a lunch break if it’s at night? If the show keeps flipping the calendar all the time, viewers are in for a bumpy ride.

Another minor downside is the “big” reveal regarding the mysterious drug being Plus. In my last review, I erroneously stated that this was already revealed. This is because I honestly thought it had been! I didn’t see anything indicating that they only knew it was similar at the time. Additionally, the reveal comes off as incredibly predictable. The fact that the Plus drug was even mentioned at all last episode is a huge hint for this apparent reveal. The mystery of two things being similar but are actually the same one thing is a trope that’s been done to death. With underdevelopment and predictability, this Plus certainly isn’t a plus towards this episode.

My bigger issue is the continual underdevelopment present within this show, though this time in regards to pieces of the plot. For starters, what’s the difference between Section 1 and STAND? The show treats them as separate entities, yet the two seem to be one and the same to my eyes. My confusion stems from when Rei goes to what I assumed to be STAND HQ towards the end of the episode to plead on information regarding Makoto. If they’re STAND though and not Section 1, then what are they going to do about it? It’s an element that the previous episode should have explained better.

None of that compares to the point that directly followed though. Rei has withheld the information that STAND is actually handling Makoto’s case because she’s just a scout in their eyes. Where on earth did that come from? From Episode 1, they’ve been at the very least treating her professionally. Heck, I’d even say the majority were quite friendly with her! It makes no sense to me why the majority have suddenly turned on her as if they never appreciated her to begin with. I do feel bad for Rei here, but I just do not get why this occurred so drastically. If there was a little hinting or build-up to suggest that this was coming, then I’d be more accepting. But as it stands, this development comes off rushed and convoluted.

Despite all the negatives, there’s at least some bits of positivity here. Besides the first half being well-written with appropriate drama, there was also a bit where Kyouske mentions his feelings regarding how he’s always been number two, right under his older brother. His parents favored his brother over him, and every girl he’s ever liked wanted his brother over him. That’s pretty damn rough if you ask me. It’s a little commentary on how in some family relationships, there can be a struggle for equal ground between siblings. It’s similar to the stories told many times of a new sibling being born and they get all the attention over the older sibling.

What’s surprising though is how Kyouske still cares for his brother, despite all the despair that his brother indirectly caused him. That really shows a lot regarding his character. He cares for his family members and sets aside any negativity he may have regarding his own situation. It goes to show that one should place their attention on others rather than themselves.

To conclude, this episode felt like the equivalent of an apple sitting out after one bite. It starts off fresh and juicy but ultimately sours into a brown, decaying mess. My hopes for this show improving are slipping further and further from reality at this point.