Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the fast-evolving drama of Blue Reflection Ray, as blue reflectors, red reflectors, and reflectors of indeterminate denomination all spin and collide through the buildup to another imminent apocalypse. Having learned that Mio abandoned her family and friends because the outcome of their collaboration was certain destruction, our blue reflectors must now find a way to ensure this repeat convergence resolves in a happier outcome, all while fending off the malicious meddling of Shino and her masochistic minion Uta.
Of course, Blue Reflection Ray is fundamentally more about individual human emotions than apocalyptic fantasy, and our most recent episode offered plenty of that, as we dug into the bond between newcomers Ryoka and Amiru, as well as the guilt that has driven Niina to believe she is unworthy of happiness. Ryoka and Amiru embody a common second-act magical girl convention, with the increasingly complex fantastical drama being echoed through the introduction of characters who themselves seem more complex and world-weary, new foils to shepherd our protagonists through their own evolving emotions (as Ryoka demonstrated through her talks with Ruka). Meanwhile, Niina at last seems like she might be willing to forgive herself, assisted greatly by our reliable ball of sunshine Hiori. It’s a complex stew of variables we’ve got cooking here, and I’m eager to see how our core team handles all these new arrivals. Let’s get back to the battlefield!
Episode 15
Charged imagery and sound design as we drop into the episode. Miyako stands alone at a sun-bleached intersection, with a heavy hum of cicadas and desaturated colors emphasizing the high heat of summer. Isolated in the frame beside a red “don’t walk” sign, she seems frozen in stasis; as the only non-reflector of the group, the composition emphasizes her sense of powerlessness and impatience, feelings only underlined by the summer’s oppressive lethargy
It seems she’s carrying material for dorm cleaning. She bumps into Ruka and Shiori at the gate, with Shiori still attempting to strong-arm Niina into friendship
As expected, Miyako is shocked by Niina’s appearance, which seems perfectly reasonable when facing the person who essentially attempted to murder you
The emphasis on Niina’s roller suitcase in the OP seems more pointed now; it’s essentially a statement of intent, underlining her determination to not be tied down, her lack of faith in the very idea of a home
Niina attempts to put up a strong defensive front, but then almost collapses from exhaustion. She’s pushed herself as far as her pride can take her
Miyako then takes a brave step forward, saying she “needed a few extra hands” while clasping Niina’s wrist. Both a statement of forgiveness and a permission structure – Niina doesn’t have to surrender her pride to stick around, she can just claim she was forced to be here by Miyako. I’ve loved Miyako’s character from the start, and it seems the production is equally fond of her; she’s gone through the most thoroughly articulated growth arc of anyone
Thus Niina is invited to acclimate to the group through a non-threatening shared activity, while Miyako demonstrates her quietly kind active leadership
“I need you to work 1,150 calories worth.” As Niina tries to flee, Miyako once again offers her a unique form of permission to stick around, saying she owes them for the rice balls they offered her. It totally fits that Miyako of all people would understand some people are too proud to seek what they desire of their own volition, and must be essentially tricked into embracing their desire for community
Granted, they still butt heads while cleaning. But butting heads is a lot closer to friendship than simply ignoring each other
Niina collapses with a fever after helping them clean, and thus ends up staying the night in spite of herself
After Ruka leaves, Miyako inspects her own still-shaking hand. She’s being incredibly brave here, but like Niina, she’d never let her discomfort show
Ryoko calls Ruka, sending along a request from Amiru to meet with her
Amiru offers to help clean the dorm as well. We’re assembling quite a crew here, though I imagine Amiru and Niina might be in for a painful reunion
Oh god, Amiru and Ryoka are sharing Ruka’s “Little Fawn” nickname with the group. It’s over Ruka, just end it now
“I basically live at Amiru’s place.” As expected from our requisite Elder Lesbians
Flashing back to the night before, we see Shiori revealing Niina’s statement about feelings not being returnable to Ruka and Miyako. Of course, this gives Miyako a fresh reason to resent Niina, given her own feelings about Momo
But enough of that heavy stuff, it’s time for a dorm cleaning montage!
Waking in the afternoon, Niina spies the new pair through the window, and of course instantly recognizes them
Solid visual gag of Miyako practically dying while weeding, in spite of the production’s limited animation. Her look of resignation to her fate is excellent
The group splits up for afternoon cleaning, a fine way to instigate conversations between fresh pairings within the group
Alone with Ruka, Amiru thanks her for inviting them today. I imagine this slice of ordinary socialization feels quite precious given the narrow contours of her current existence – that offhand comment about living at her place actually seems somewhat sad in its own way, reflecting how they’ve been constricted by Amiru’s condition
Amiru reveals she doesn’t recall what Niina looked like
“It must be hard if you’re too intuitive. You end up shouldering a lot of stuff alone.” Miyako finds her own lonely interpretation of Ryoka’s ability to read Amiru’s moods. Even if you know how someone else feels, if they haven’t chosen to share those feelings with you, you’re still oddly isolated by that knowledge. Likely also a reflection of Miyako’s enduring preoccupation with Momo, who shouldered the pain of understanding as best she could
Alone for a moment, Shiori apologizes to Miyako for inviting Niina, and Miyako admits that while she’s putting on a brave face, she genuinely does want to stop being defined by her past. Lies aren’t necessarily tools of deceit – we also use them to stride towards our aspirational future selves
Amiru offers a similar reflection regarding her lost feelings – she keeps listening to music even though the feelings attached to it have disappeared, just to keep in contact with her former self. We all must perform the selves we’d like to be
She reveals she came over today to essentially pass them the responsibility for Ryoka’s feelings, knowing she herself doesn’t have long left. An exchange overheard by both Ryoka and Niina
Ruka later finds Ryoka on the roof, who asks Ruka to take away her feelings. I suppose at least then she’d be united with Amiru in a certain way – and once again, those earbuds serve as a symbol of their enduring connection
“I told you. That’s Momo’s handmade recipe. They’re delicious.” Miyako actually prepared Momo’s recipe for Niina, another way of keeping her memory alive. And so Niina takes a step forward as well, revealing her own role in Amiru’s situation
And Done
Thus our heroes harden their resolve, with the tragic truth of what removing someone’s feelings has done to Amiru, Ryoka, and even Niina reaffirming their determination to restore the feelings of everyone. Removing your feelings doesn’t lessen their sting – it just distances you from their substance, relegating you to the weightless purgatory of living among vast empty spaces where those feelings once stood. This episode really put our ensemble cast to work, underlining the growth of Ruka and Miyako in particular through how they bravely navigated direct echoes of the situations that once overwhelmed them. Our reflectors are finally stepping up to the task Momo left them, and I’m eager to see them return to the battle!
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