English Dub Review: The Ramparts of Ice “Spring”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
A spring break trip to the amusement park brings the four friends closer.  Back at school, Koyuki’s surprised by a familiar face—and Minato takes notice.

Our Take:
Nothing screams spring break more than a trip to an amusement park with friends.  I should know, because I remember some of the good times of going to one.  Unsurprisingly, this week’s episode easily highlights the good old days of hanging out at an amusement park, with Koyuki and the others having some harmless fun away from school.  Of course, it isn’t without a few humorous mishaps that elevate the show’s goofy charm and carefree vibe, particularly Minato’s timidness around Koyuki.  More importantly, it further highlights Koyuki’s growth as she’s feeling more comfortable around her friends.  This is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the episode because of those vibes and fun humor, even if there are a lot more chibi animations than usual.
Koyuki’s comfort level also applies to her second year, where she ends up in the same class as Miki and the others, with some new faces showing up.  One of them includes Miki’s younger brother, Yuki Azumi, who carries the same perky genes as his older sister, although he can also be a bit of an airhead.  Fortunately, it’s not enough to make him an annoying part of the episode, at least not yet.  However, Minato doesn’t really feel the vibe of Yuki being around Koyuki, which could mean that jealousy is lurking underneath his body.  But, of course, there’s always someone from her past who may threaten to spoil Koyuki’s growth, with Atagawa entering the spotlight this time.  The question is whether this student has changed since they last crossed paths.