Star Driver - Episode 9

High school hijinks, bit of melodrama, giant robot fight, episode closes with a revelation.  You know the Star Driver drill by now, right?  I almost wonder whether there's any point still 'blogging this show but oh well, here goes.

After the "delights" of a bath scene featuring Takuto and Sugata, this episode gives us a proper introduction to Mizuno You, a rather oddball girl (which is nothing new for this series) with a fascination with animals and little (if anything) in the way of shame or self-consciousness.  This means that for Mizuno, running into the boy's bathroom is no big deal, and it's here that she meets Takuto, falling for him straight away not just on account of his good looks, but also because he saves a falling baby crow, the mother of which Mizuno is "friends" with.  Next thing we know, Mizuno has joined the drama club, largely on account of the Vice President's presence but also due to Takuto being part of said club no doubt.

Meanwhile, with the head of the Glittering Crux's Vanishing Age division on vacation, the brigade has a new leader - the previously unknown and far from convincing Manticore.  However, for all her quirks it seems as though this girl is the one likely to usher in the "third phase" for the group, thanks to her Cybody which can supposedly scan for and find the Western maiden, although there in lies a twist in this episode's tale.  Anyhow, with other members far from convinced about Manticore's suitability, one of them decides to take on Takuto and Tauburn in battle - and promptly loses.  What did you think was going to happen?

To be honest, it's getting to the point where episodes of this series can be watched on auto-pilot, to the point where I know exactly when we're going to shift from a school or island setting to the Glittering Crux, and then on to Zero Time and the inevitable battle sequence.  Frankly, this predictability is getting beyond boring now, and this episode didn't really help by doing little to shake things up before its big (and admittedly tantalising) revelation at the end of the episode.  One line does not a good episode make though, and aside from that finale this was a pretty yawn-worthy instalment.  What's worse, there's little sign of Star Driver breaking out of the groove it's stuck in either.