Special A - Episode 2

While I've been gradually catching up on all the anime on my 'to watch' list, Special A was actually rock solid bottom of that list, hence the large hiatus between discussing the first and second episode. I really couldn't find anything much to enjoy about episode one - The humour wasn't funny, and the pathos between the two lead characters just simply wasn't there.

In all honesty, I found myself harbouring the same feelings through much of the first half of episode two, which proved to be hugely predictable, and with some main characters that were somehow actually unlikeable rather than just uninteresting. But I persevered, and I have to admit that as the episode progresses, my feelings towards it softened ever so slightly. Yes, virtually every frame was hugely predictable, but at last the relationship between Kei and Hikari became both more enjoyable and a little more interesting than the simple, stubborn rivalry seen before.

I really can't say that this was enough to save the episode, as the plot was still horribly contrived and the kind of fare you don't need to be a physic to predict the ending to, and the main characters still feature the longest legs in the known universe, but I suppose I have to give it some credit for igniting just the slightest spark of enjoyment in me. I have a terrible feeling it won't ever emerge from its burden of predictability during the series, but I won't be dropping it just yet in the hope that it blossoms at least somewhat.