The Perfect Insider

Episode 3

“Red Magic” is the title of this week's The Perfect Insider. It's also the name of Magata's lab's internal programming infrastructure, one of the first suspects our scientists turn to when they realize Doctor Magata has been murdered. That wasn't just some strange doll or piece of performance art ending last week's episode - that was Magata's body, stuffed in a bridal gown, limbs removed, and programmed to drive itself morbidly down that long sterile hallway. It's mystery time at last, and it seems like Magata's death will be the herald of both more murder to come and personal revelations galore for Souhei and Moe.

The Perfect Insider is full of tidy parallels, and one of the main reflections this week centers on the multiple meanings of Red Magic itself. Though Souhei messes around with internal linguistic games to attempt to make some sense of Magata's death (“red… communism and blood”), it's Moe's memories of her conversation with Magata that lend real significance to the episode's title. In those sequences, we learn that Moe first met Souhei in fifth grade, when she was “surprised to meet an adult smarter than I was.” Magata acknowledges this as a lucky thing, and Moe goes on to say that she first noticed Souhei's gifts when he solved one of her magic tricks, something that made her furious at the time. Given the absurd stagecraft of the limbless body in a bridal gown, it's worth wondering if this “murder” is Magata's own magic trick, her own way of seeking someone who can possibly surpass her, or at least connect with her as a human being.

Of course, thinking Magata thought of the idea to either fake or execute her own death based on a recent conversation with Moe is perhaps a bit of a hasty assumption. For one thing, Souhei's investigations into Red Magic seem to imply that shutting down the system would have been impossible without having actually programmed it to shut down - meaning Magata's “escape” was likely an event in the making for years and years. Much of this episode is spent on Moe and Souhei both lightly bantering and musing on potential explanations for Magata's death, with neither of them demonstrating much shock at the overall turn of events. Moe lightly jabs at Souhei, and though Souhei complains about her affecting expository language to mimic classic mystery stories, he ends up falling into the same patterns later on… only to ignore Moe when she attempts to turn the conversation to her lost parents. Small details of characterization and awkward chemistry make up the greater part of this show's hooks, from the ways both Souhei and Magata seem to find people more “interesting” than human to the times Moe's theoretically personable mask slips (“is that an instrument?” “a marimba! would you like to try it?” “no thanks").

The mystery investigation is ultimately interrupted by the return of the director, carrying Magata's sister Miki in his helicopter. Though many of the scenes in this show hang on the very precise framing of Souhei and Moe, this scene is easily the standout. As darkness surrounds the laboratory's roof, the helicopter is framed in a single spotlight, with Miki's navigation of the space between helicopter and building coming across like the descent into closed mystery space that it truly is. Shots of Moe framed in red against the building and Miki framed in blue against the helicopter echo the matched scenes of Moe and a younger Magata expressing their desires from last week, and the director's communication through blurred glass and hand gestures makes it clear he is not able to pierce the veil Magata's sister navigates so easily. Given his visual separation from the rest of the cast, it's little surprise that he ends up dead next, a knife literally thrust into his back.

The Perfect Insider upped the ante significantly in this third episode, maintaining its knack for character-rich dialogue while tossing off two murders and introducing a number of mysterious new variables. While the mystery elements of the narrative are compelling, the show is never forced to rely on them alone; the focus is instead centered on the compelling character relationships, with the purposeful use of color and shot framing creating a strong sense of atmosphere throughout. The Perfect Insider is a very subdued show, but it's also turning out to be one of the most compelling anime of the season.

Rating: A-

The Perfect Insider is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.