English Dub Review: After-School Hanako-kun Episode 4

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Nene wakes up as a Moke, one of those weird pink bunny demons who like candy. Later, in an alternate reality, the ghosts look after some monsters who look like the humans.

OUR TAKE

And just like that we’re done with these shorts. Well, done for NOW, apparently, as it has been confirmed that there will be another set of four shorts a year from now. Or at least whatever “Q4 of 2024” means. There’s also a proper second season of the anime proper that has been greenlit and probably coming sometime soon, which would definitely fit better with the “restart” initiative they seem to want to push. And heck, maybe with the year in between releases, I’ll finally get to watching those twelve episodes of that first season! But also, don’t hold your breath on that. Anyway, before we get into these last two segments, let’s mix things up and talk about the shorts as a whole. They didn’t do a whole lot to really get me acquainted with the main plot of the show, and in some ways they actually confused me quite a bit and made me glad I wasn’t familiar with that nonsense. But I’m sure they were a great addition for those who did like the original show and were starved for content while waiting for news of future installments, which they have now, so yay for them.

So, the last pair of segments. The first one fits in fairly well with the ones that came before, with it mainly being about Nene ending up caught up in a weird spectral plot, this time revealed to be one of the weird pink bunny demon Moke trying to brainwash her in her sleep to believe that she is one of them, which…I’m not really certain on what exactly the endgame for that is? She already apparently gives them candy, the thing they are completely obsessed with, so what would they gain by making her think she’s turned into one? If anything, I’d think that would have the opposite effect. But the final segment does something weirder. This might be an intended theme between the two, but both show a glimpse at an alternate reality, but for the second segment it’s not a dream, it’s almost an entirely different story with these characters. Some work at a nursery for monsters but one of them is a spy for an anti-monster group but decides not to turn them in because he thinks his boss is hot…Honestly, if I went into this blind and you told me this was a pilot for a different show altogether that just never got picked up, I’d probably believe you. Might have worked better that way too instead of using existing characters. Hell of a weird note to go out on for these things, but as we wait for the next batch and the next proper season, I hope you all have a great thanksgiving trip and I will see you next Fall!