Episode 13 – “The Queen of Battle is Infantry”

So I’m not sure why the producers decided to include this as the final episode of the main anime series, when they could have just as easily put it off separately as an OVA. That way, they could have dedicated more time pouring in fanservice. Everyone wins in that case, but tacking it onto the series just feels like a waste especially since the series wrapped up so nicely last episode. Instead, this episode kind of hangs in limbo between wanting to be a super fanservice episode, but it can’t because it’s actually broadcast on TV rather than being bundled with a DVD.

If we take the episode out of temporal context, it’s not really all that bad. It’s just a fun way to unwind after the serious developments from the whole series. Somehow, the club ran out of bullets and decides to join a beauty pageant/airsoft competition for a chance at a year’s worth of BB pellets. I honestly can’t imagine what it’s like to go through so many pellets. It would sure suck if they had to clean them up.

All of the girls join, except Sonora because she actually won the previous year and gets to co-commentate the event. 15 other girls plus Karila’s trap brother join the fray to be the hottest thing on the battlefield. Also, moe Rin is one of the strangest things to come out of this series. With five contenders, the C3-bu’s chances are stacked. But things even out a bit when they go against each other in the later rounds. I’m actually really surprised that Yura gets knocked out so fast in the contest.

Honoka makes a good move against Rin as well, knowing that she wouldn’t want to keep up that cute girl act for much longer. Despite Karila’s good attempt at the natural tsundere approach, Honoka’s knockers just prove to be too much in the end. That plus the gap moe from when she takes off her glasses appeal to guys and girls alike in the audience and earns the title of airsoft queen.

B.W.