Rewrite Episode #22 Anime Review

You can't achieve anything without sacrifice.

What They Say:

Kazamatsuri, a modern, well-developed city renowned for its burgeoning greenery and rich Japanese culture, is home to Kotarou Tennouji, a high schooler least privy to the place's shared values. Content to fill his pockets with frivolity, the proud and nosy boy whiles away his time pestering the self-proclaimed delinquent Haruhiko and indulging in his amorous feelings toward the oddball Kotori.

Equipped with the superhuman ability to permanently rewrite any part of his body to multiply his strength or speed, Kotarou is naturally drawn to the supernatural. One special meeting with the lone member and president of the Occult Research Club, the "Witch" Akane Senri, leads to Kotarou reviving the Occult Club by recruiting Kotori and three other members: the clumsy transfer student Chihaya, the strict class representative Lucia, and the unassuming Shizuru. As Kotarou unveils hidden secrets of each member of the Occult Club through their shared adventures, he will inevitably encounter a fate that only he might be able to rewrite.

The Review:
Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Now that Kotarou (AKA Suzuki Bondo) is a member of both Guardian and Gaia, things are about to get complicated. In last week's episode, Kotarou "aligned" with the Suzaki sect in Guardian. So when he decides to arrange a meeting with Sakura Kashima, it's a bit of a surprise. Kind of. I mean, he is a double agent after all...I think. Anyway, before we get into the repercussions of this, it's also important to note that Martel's foster center is absolutely horrible considering Akane has escaped for like the tenth time in four episodes. However, that's probably due to the fact that the one girl back from Kotarou's team in Guardian hunter training is now the head foster mom -- which raises the question of, "Where the hell did the last one go?"

Okay, back to Gaia. I'll spare you the details in the meeting with Sakura Kashima and attribute it to the fact that it only happened as a means of introducing the artificial heaven that is 'The City of Stone'. After Suzaki confronts Kotarou about his meeting with the enemy, Kotarou is able to swing things in his favor and prove that his true allegiance resides with the business mogul. This prompts Suzaki to blindfold our protagonist and walk him in a gosh darn alternate dimension that Gaia was apparently keeping in the basement. This kind of explains that random fall Kotarou had back in season one's pilot episode. Maybe. The two dimensions didn't really look the same, but the idea of Gaia having two universes in their basement seems a little too ludicrous even for Rewrite. Though, I wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.

Once Kotarou discovers this artificial afterlife (As Suzaki calls it), he realizes just how serious Gaia is about this whole 'Key' thing. So, of course, he winds up going back to Kagari and Kotori, only to find that Kagari now has a weird obsession with military tanks and thinks they should obtain one of their own. Kotarou is unable to provide a tank but, instead, gives Kagari a cell phone and essentially tells her not to stay out past her bedtime. Then there's this whole thing where Kotarou reluctantly agrees to kidnap baby Akane (Who has been chosen as the new 'Saint') and decides somewhere along the line that this is against his morals and tips off Kashima, causing him to just sit in a van with a bunch of other guys wearing balaclavas. 

Eventually, Kotarou winds up back at the mega-tree and engages in a pretty heated discussion with Kagari. Kagari, incapable of understanding how human emotions work, begins to question Kotarou's motives for actions. This causes Kotarou to try and explain that the whole idea behind emotion is that it transcends rationality. Fed up with her continued inability to comprehend this, Kagari gains emotions of her own and erupts into another volcanic explosion of screaming while tears pour from her eyes. Finally sensing his chance to be a protagonist, Kotarou swoops in and KISSES HER?! BUT THIS IS KEY. (No, I'm not making a pun.) Kagari then pushes Kotarou off of her and storms away like the emotionally suppressed loli she is as the episode draws to a close.

In Summary:

Rewrite's hot streak continues with this exceptional addition to its second season. For what is arguably the first time since the series' conception, Kagari's character sees substantial development in the formation of her emotions. And while parts of the episode can seem boring or uninteresting, there are several scenes packed with enough intensity and intimacy to make up for it as a whole.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll