Robotics;Notes - Episode 10

The first activation test of the GunPro-1 had hardly been a resounding success, so what next for Aki's dream of completing this robot?  Judging by some analysis that Subaru has thrown together, it seems as if she may have to finally accept that finishing this robot simply isn't a viable proposition.

Before that however, Kai again seems to be the centre of some unusual goings on - just as Sister Centipede is relating news of a new experiment carried out on her part, so something rather unique falls from the sky right next to him.  The item in question is (according to our AR-produced friend) a "monopole", that being a magnet with only a single pole - something that simply doesn't exist in the known world.  Whether or not Airi is correct in her analysis of the object, the promise of more similar items falling from the sky keeps Kai (joined by Subaru and Aki) waiting fruitlessly for just such an occurrence before giving up on the idea come the evening.

Indeed, the whole monopole thing seems to be quickly forgotten as attention returns to the future of the Robotics Club and what to do with their current project - an issue which demands a difficult choice of club president Aki.  As they return to JAXA to discuss things, Subaru makes a convincing case for abandoning the idea of creating a fully working GunPro-1, while others in the group offer up a decent way to get the best of both worlds by using AR to "cover up" what otherwise looks likely to be an ugly robot design.  Torn between completing GunPro-1 and reaching the Expo, Aki has to concede that working on what she dubs as "GunPro-2" is the only sensible way forward - assuming that other issues don't get in there way of course.

So, Robotics;Notes continues its slow and steady progress - its lack of any real focus on either the robotics or the conspiratorial side of the story makes it difficult to enthuse about this episode as a whole too much while it hedges its bets, and even ten episodes in it feels like we've barely scratched the surface of some of this stuff.  Perhaps next week's episode will be the one that turns it all around a la Steins;Gate?  It feels as though the show certainly needs an injection of something at this juncture, even if I'm not sure exactly what that something is.