×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

The Winter 2023 Anime Preview Guide
In/Spectre Season 2

How would you rate episode 13 of
In/Spectre (TV 2) ?
Community score: 3.9



What is this?

When she was still just a girl, KOTOKO was kidnapped by yokai. These spirits made her into a powerful intermediary between the spirit and human worlds, but this power came at a price: an eye and a leg. Now, years later, she watches out for dangerous yokai while developing feelings for a young man named Kuro, who is also special: an incident with a yokai has given him healing powers. He's surprised when KOTOKO asks him to team up to handle renegade yokai, preserving the thin line between reality and the supernatural.

In/Spectre is based on Kyo Shirodaira and Chasiba Katase's manga and streams on Crunchyroll on Sundays.


How was the first episode?

Kim Morrissy
Rating:

In/Spectre isn't for everyone, but it's fascinating viewing for any fan of the mystery genre. Fundamentally, it's a story about how writers construct mysteries, as our heroine KOTOKO searches for the most plausible lies to resolve any complicated situation. The excessive amount of dialogue in this series is necessary because both the complication and resolution lie within logical arguments and debates. Like any good detective fiction, the satisfaction comes in the moment when the detective reveals the truth in a way that resolves all the audience's lingering questions. The story lives and dies by the strength of its plotting more than anything else.

The anime's unique approach to storytelling is fully on display in this premiere. It's all about reestablishing every notable aspect of the series, like KOTOKO and Kuro's powers, and how they approach solving problems. The case that capped off the first season was so complex that it took up half the overall runtime, but the second season eases us back into the story with a relatively simple mystery about strange noises in a seemingly vacant apartment. As soon as KOTOKO claimed that there was no supernatural explanation to the mystery, I knew how this was going to end, but it was still fun to watch her lay out her argument in such a convincing way. I genuinely could listen to her talk all day.

The other big appeal of In/Spectre is in the odd couple dynamic between KOTOKO and Kuro. Kuro might seem like your average plain potatoes MC, but the blankness in his eyes and oddly calm demeanor are the first clues that he has not led an ordinary life. His relationship with KOTOKO is endearing because, as much as she seems to nag and lead him around, he's really making the most important decisions for himself. Their wits complement each other quite nicely, which makes for a solid foundation for a mystery serial. Overall, this wasn't a notable episode in itself, but I'm glad this show is back.


Caitlin Moore
Rating:

I realized, when I hit play on the episode, that I didn't actually remember too much beyond the basics of In/SpectreKOTOKO solves supernatural mysteries through the power of the subjectivity of truth, which she gave up a leg and eye for as a child. Her boyfriend Kuro(?), played by Mamoru Miyano, spends a lot of time grumbling but also lets her browbeat into doing whatever she asks. Occasionally there's a fight, but mostly it's a whole lot of talking.

As the minutes rolled by, more and more details came back to me, including Kuro's own supernatural abilities of immortality and the ability to see the future. Not that it would matter if they hadn't; as is the nature of the show, the characters were more than happy to discuss them in expository dialogue while sitting still. Sometimes they explain the same details multiple times.

Therein lies the problem with In/Spectre; not that it's talky so much as what I can only describe as 'splainy. About 75 per cent of any given episode is KOTOKO describing things that have happened, rather than anything happening in and of itself. It's like the whole thing is one big parlor scene with little buildup, and sometimes it's punctuated with a fight. This can work in its favor or to its detriment, varying from episode to episode; here, it falls somewhere in the middle. KOTOKO spends most of the run time coming up with a totally plausible explanation that incorporates zero supernatural elements, but then also disposes of the supernatural cause. It's like the inverse of Occam's Razor—the simplest explanation involves ghosts, but she can't let that be true, so she has to come up with something more complicated. It's fun, but also, it's a lot of talking, and it does drag.

The episode is bolstered by some good scenes with KOTOKO and Kuro. I admit this is entirely subjective, but I have a soft spot for fictional heterosexual relationship dynamics that involve the girl bossing around the boy. Their voice actors pull this off very well, and they have solid chemistry. The best moments in the first season came from when they were just hanging out, and this episode is no exception.

In the end, this is just… more In/Spectre, with all its strengths and flaws. If you liked it before, you'll probably still like it now. Same goes for if you didn't. Make your viewing choices accordingly.


discuss this in the forum (315 posts) |
bookmark/share with: short url

this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history

back to The Winter 2023 Anime Preview Guide
Season Preview Guide homepage / archives