Episode three of Yurikuma Arashi, titled “Invisible Storm,” is currently streaming on FUNimation for paid subscribers. Free members can watch this episode almost six days from right now. S—t got pretty f—cking real in the previous two episodes when a handful of students revealed themselves as actually being bears in disguise.
Mitsuko wastes no time seducing one of her fellow classmates when the episode starts, which makes me wonder if this is her method to claiming victims to be her next meal. I feel that she is the ultimate “bear in sheep’s clothing” in a literal sense.
I would have used “wolf,” but we’re talking about bears that can assume human form.
This p—ses Kureha enough to hone her marksmanship skills for the sole purpose of exterminating every bear that she comes across. She is right about there being another bear, but she is wrong on it just being one.
Kureha needs to do a better job of securing her house because the bears can sneak in and have their feast while she is sleeping. I can tell that Kureha’s good with a rifle, but shouldn’t she add variety to her firearms training?
It’s suicidal to attempt a hand-to-hand fight with the bears because of their speed and agility, but Kureha should also train with pistols and shotguns. If I was in her position, I’d be packing a lot of heat to keep my bases covered.
I was surprised that this episode even managed to address the issue of bullying.
Kureha’s classmates selectively bully by holding an “Exclusion Ceremony” because they decree that the victims refuse to be “invisible,” which led them to become victims of the bears in hiding. This method of “legal bullying” allows for the selective process of picking out the next unfortunate victim to be eaten by bears.
I was not surprised that Kureha got singled out, which led me to believe that Sumika was the last person to get singled out by this ceremony.
This reminds me of Another, where a student in a certain class is selected to be “invisible.”
This makes you think on what it means to be “human.” Bears do what they do, which is eat. Humans can do many different things and can show their ugly faces when it comes to self-preservation, which reminded me of the second episode of Death Parade.
Outstanding situations can bring out the worst in people as the classroom scene recently shows.
Then the argument gets philosophical when the bears address what it means to be alive rather than just live. It mirrors the argument of living in a post-9/11 world on the issue of freedom vs. security. It is feeling and risk dying vs. being invisible to increase your chances of living in regard to Yurikuma Arashi.
Mitsuko’s coldhearted explanation about Sumika’s death was unnerving and chilling.
I was surprised that this episode has more yuri than the first two episodes combined.
But, I am very confused about the repeated process of the Yuri Court and Kureha waking up in bed after she failed to kill a bear. That feels too Twilight Zone to me.
It starts to feel like some dark twisted version of Sailor Moon, but I find the story interesting to watch and I can see that the “bullies” are getting what’s coming to them.
I am not convinced Mitsuko is dead, but I can assume that Ginko and Lulu will capitalize on that fact soon. Oniyama got what she deserved at the end, but I admire Mitsuko’s intellectual scheming in order to make Kureha her next meal.
