Rinne no Lagrange - Episode 3

In Madoka's world, it seems that giant robots are like buses - you don't see any for a dedicate, then a whole load all crop up at once.  This is quite a problem when two of said robots are quite clearly not on your side.

Not that even this seems to faze our newcomer of a Vox Aura pilot - at least, it doesn't when Madoka realises that the latest enemy on the scene is in danger of causing damage to her beloved town, giving her more than enough reason to go tearing after this upstart without a second though as to her own safety.  Cue another major chunk of mecha-on-mecha action, as Madoka's unorthodox combat style both fascinates and concerns her opponent.

Any confusion is only accentuated as Madoka gives said opponent a jolly good telling off about his actions, while also breaking off the fight on a regular basis to protect the citizens of the town and their property from flying debris and the like, even going to the extent of ensuring that she stays in relatively "safe" areas when it comes to scrapping with her foe.  Meanwhile, Lan has problems of her own, ostensibly due to her own self-doubt - although she finds the courage to take off in her own unit to try and help Madoka, her lack of confidence looks liable to make her little more than a liability until some words of encouragement from Madoka reach her and allow this new partnership to, eventually, see off the opposition.

Having been so disappointed by its first episode, I have to admit that I'm warming to Rinne no Lagrange by the minute - not just for its fantastic soundtrack or its short, sharp bursts of slick action, but also for the sheer vim and vigour that its protagonist brings to proceedings.  There can be no underestimating the influence Madoka's character has upon this show - she may be alternately daft and one card short of a full karuta deck, but her attitude to life, her hometown and its inhabitants are all intoxicatingly pure and admirable, leaving us incapable of doing anything but cheering her on, even if it's with a bit of a laugh and the occasional rolling of eyes.  Delivered as part of a slick package, Madoka's adventures are beginning to work rather well - now the only question is whether the show's back story and the core story of its rival factions can be fleshed out beyond vague mutterings and half-baked explanations to turn the rest of Rinne no Lagrange into something wholly worth watching.