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Prison School
Episode 8

by Amy McNulty,

How would you rate episode 8 of
Prison School ?
Community score: 3.8

At the beginning of this week's episode, the Underground Student Council is just two steps away from having cause to expel the boys once and for all. However, after a failed attempt to coax Joe into attacking one of his jailers in a previous episode, it seemed like things wouldn't go so easily for the conniving young women. Nonetheless, by the end of the episode, the USC has the upper hand once again, as two of the boys fall into their trap.

As in previous episodes, the overly serious tone remains one of the series' strongest points. This is particularly evident when the boys are paraded through the school grounds on their way to complete a chore under Meiko's supervision. When they pass Chiyo and her friend, Kiyoshi notices that the girls have constructed a secret message out of Go pieces in an effort to warn them of the USC's latest plan. If such a message were to be relayed in an actual prison yard, in plain sight of the guards, the tension would go through the roof. When you consider that it's taking place in a school, with expulsion being the worst possible punishment the prisoners could face, it's nearly impossible to stifle a chuckle. (You'd think expulsion would be preferable to relinquishing your human rights, but in this universe, it's tantamount to death.)

Andre's situation demonstrates another example of the show's faux sense of gravity. Much has been said about prisoners in solitary going mad when removed from human contact and sources of entertainment. Although Andre hasn't been placed in solitary confinement, his melancholy demeanor suggests otherwise. After intercepting his picture diary and learning how much he revels in her beatings, Meiko stops administering physical punishment to the big-headed, tiny-faced masochist. Only through the kind of madness brought on by deprivation is Meiko successfully able to draw Andre into Mari's ingenious trap, and even though Kiyoshi, Gakuto, and Joe try to stop him, it's too late. Thanks to the music and the somber coloring of the art, viewers share the boys' sense of urgency and tension as they rush to stop their friend from playing right into the enemy's hands.

The Shingo-as-snitch storyline reaches its climax this week as well. Anzu's role in the DTO—and her subsequent guilt—is hardly shocking. Even so, we're treated to another tension-filled sequence as Shingo high-tails it back to campus with minutes to spare before his curfew. When he appears to be hit by a truck, it seems all but certain that he's been injured. After it's revealed that the truck never made contact, it seems equally possible he'll make it to school on time. Suffice to say, it's genuinely surprising when he fails at the last second as a result of the Underground Student Council's foresight. Certain elements of his character arc have played out originally, while others have been rather predictable, but the snitch storyline has proven a good opportunity to develop Shingo as a better character. Even his confession to the rest of the boys at the end of the episode is equal parts heartwarming and humorous.

If Prison School didn't try so hard to be so solemn, it wouldn't be half as entertaining. When the show piles on the faux drama, treating every solitary moment as if the characters are one step away from a fate worse than death, it resonates with its audience expertly.

Rating: A

Prison School is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.


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