English Dub Review: Battle Game in 5 Seconds: “Guardian”

Overview: The conflict between the Red and Green Teams begins as Akira (Robbie Daymond) and Yuri (Laura Stahl) start their assault by taking over the towers throughout the battlefield. 

Our Take: The running joke of Yuri constantly misunderstanding the situations she finds herself in with Akira, you would think would get old by now. But with all the different ways Akira is written to be ridiculously deceiving, you can’t help but laugh at the writing’s lack of subtlety and maybe even feel a bit bad for Yuri in the process. Hell, if Akira talked to me like that and secluded no less, I would think he’s in love with me. When finally discussing Ringo and how she wants to help, it’s refreshing she’s not just ready to sign her life over to Akira and is actually smart and strategic in how she chooses to go about her plans. But most importantly, not letting her feelings for Akira completely cloud her judgement…yet…or as far as we know. 

The latter half of this episode has a good pacing beat to it in how The Green Team begins to take control of towers only to have the momentum swept out from under their legs. It also shows just how outclassed the Green Team is comparatively with them seemingly mostly made up of cannon fodder while the Red Team has notable members with powerful abilities. So much so where, similarly to Akira, it does make me question how the Green Team has survived as long as they have? Perhaps because their leader is a traitor who has kept them alive long enough due to him leaking info to the Red Team. Besides having the muscle, the Red Team has shown itself to be very cunning in separating the members of the green team, sending their strongest members from the start, no doubt thanks to their mastermind, Kuroiwa. With them truly establishing themselves as a deadly threat that will surely cause serious casualties in the ensuing war that reiterates to audiences just how real the danger is.