English Dub Review: Gleipnir “Shadows in Memory”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After Shuichi enters the pact, the group discusses the battle and they conclude that powerful opponents clashed. Shuichi and Chihiro can’t remember anything from after the merge. However, Clair doesn’t buy Chihiro’s words because of the look on her face. The group introduces themselves to Shuichi and Clair. The duo demonstrates their strength to the group before they call it a day. After a talk with Clair about how Chihiro was inside of him, Shuichi thinks about how his power was made for someone else.

Later that night Shuichi comes across one of his friends burying a dog with its tail cut off. It sparks a similar memory, and his friend asks if he’s alright. The next day after helping his classmate Shuichi spots Ikeuchi, who’s still jealous of Shuichi about Chihiro and trash talks about his ability. Shuichi counters his remark before considering that his power can help the helpless. Meanwhile, Chihiro calls Elena after seeing her number in Shuichi’s memories. Even though she tries to ask Elena to join their group, Elena refuses considering that her goal is no longer aligned with Shuichi’s before ending the call.

Our Take:

This episode was good as we get a better picture of Elena through her conversation with Chihiro and Shuichi’s contemplation on his powers and the brief shots of his past.

Speaking of his past that first scene with the old lady in the cram school worked well in giving a hint to Shuichi’s background and a detail of the normal world that stick outs as Isao Kasuga, one of Koyanagi’s members ask Shuichi about it. It’s strange how Shuichi doesn’t remember his friend’s from his cram school, but it could be related to Elena. It’s clear that Elena erased herself from his memories for some unknown reason. Then there’s Shuichi’s run-in with his friend from school. That spark of memory because of the dog his friend is burying definitely is odd. Furthermore, his observation of his friend being different at night than he is at school is planting a seed of suspicion for me.

Chihiro’s conversation with Elena was a decent attempt at trying to get Elena to the group’s side. Chihiro’s outsider perspective from Shuichi, Clair, and Elena’s situation worked well to develop the effect of the merge with Shuichi. However, Elena rejects her offer and it appears that the next time they meet they’ll do so as enemies. Her group is the kind of gatherers to get the coins and leaving no survivors in the process.

Overall the episode was a good start to the group beginning to gather coins with Shuichi and Clair. Even though they don’t have a lot of fighting power their variety of abilities should be helpful in a pinch.