Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo - Episode 16

The last episode may have seen Akiha and friends return to space, but it isn't long at all before they're stranded again - Following their skirmish with Nami and Kagura, they find themselves "jettisoned" as an irregularity in the ensuing hyperspace jump which dumps them in the orbit of Jupiter, literally years away from Kirkwood and with little more than their oxygen supply and a stack of (what else?) Pizza Hut pizzas to live on. Still, at least it isn't all bad news, as Leopard's brain colony also shows up around Jupiter, although the head of that particular household doesn't seem too keen on returning to his proper residence.

Speaking of Kirkwood, we get to spend some time inside said colony this episode to see what's going on, finally giving us a glimpse of Nerval (albeit in his human "disguise"), while we see the "boxification" of the populace continuing apace. That said, the news is slightly better for the members of the student council, who narrowly escape the colony and manage to find refuge and safety.


After the quickening pace of some recent episodes in terms of both action and story-telling, episode sixteen of Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo feels a little slower in terms of such progressions, moving the story along in a slightly less compelling direction than we might have hoped after the grand set pieces of the last instalment. That said, this (coupled with the new ending credits) does seem to sow the seeds for something of a parting of ways between Akiha, Honoka and Itsuki after their blazing row in which much blame was apportioned on all sides.

As the series goes on, so I learn not to worry too much about the intricacies of the plot when it comes to this series, preferring instead simply to enjoy the character designs (which really have grown on me rather) and make the most of the ride. If you can do that, then this continues to be quite a neat little series.