The montage of Johnny being smitten with the girl in the picture-book story during Onna’s dream just shows how much this series is NOT going to be episodic.  We’ve seen a small bit of the dreams that Onna’s been having and how it strongly correlates to Nona’s book.  Onna is not what she seems to be and this episode indicates from her wardrobe that she must have been a figure skater at some point in her life probably resulting in her death or if at all possible another person.  That would be a interesting twist. Serving judgment to the very person she killed if in fact this is what has happened.

The two guests being a test for Decim is smart in establishing the hierarchy of arbiters and the management system that has been set in place beyond the bar.  Nona’s pool game with Oculus might be a good break away from the environment we’ve been used to but I have to say that this episode is much weaker than the other ones because its focusing on one narrative rather than separate individual stories.

It doesn’t help that the kid turns out to be bartender Ginti–  a reckless and heartless Arbiter that doesn’t value emotions like Onna does.  Somehow I feel that the relationship between Decim and Onna will capitalize on everything that happened in this episode greatly by the end of this series’ run.  Quin’s introduction is very cool–  she handles the transportation of various memories of the dead through a colored brick system.  The highlight of this episode–  heightening the world that sets these death games apart is what will make or break this series.

The fight scene between Decim and Ginti is beautifully animated.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 4/10

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