Wagnaria!!3

Episode 12

If I had to choose a single word to describe these last few episodes of Wagnaria!!3, I'd call them thorough. From wrapping up character arcs to revisiting running jokes one last time, the show seems determined to check off every single item on its season finale to-do list. The scary thing is that it's actually working. Trying to tie up every loose end usually causes a series to chase its tail until the plot grinds to a halt, but Wagnaria!!3 is still rolling merrily along. Score one for good pacing and well-established characters.

Takanashi continues cross-dressing in the hopes of understanding his feelings for Inami this week, and it's apparently gone on long enough that even Yamada is starting to worry about him. Even stranger, Souma hasn't been obnoxiously nosy when it comes to Satou's new relationship or Takanashi's change of attire. Could it be that the restaurant's gossip king has finally decided to dial it back a notch? Despite not having any relationship drama to sort out, Taneshima has worries of her own; Todoroki is planning to quit and wants her to take over the role of chief waitress. In the midst of all the tumult, Takanashi suddenly finds himself doing the impossible by casually arranging a date with Inami.

We haven't seen much of Taneshima this season, but this episode manages to set up a satisfying ending for her character arc. She's often acted as the tiny voice of encouragement for the rest of the cast during their respective moments of drama, so it's not terribly surprising that she'd be first in line to take over Todoroki's job. In hindsight, it seems like the series has been building up to this all season by having Taneshima be the only major character who gets any work done at the restaurant. Even her efforts to help Todoroki talk to Satou paved the way for the changing of the guard by setting her up as someone Todoroki can rely on. Time has passed much more noticeably in this season than in the previous two, and this storyline embodies those gradual changes as much as any other. It feels like we're being reminded that the restaurant can't stay the same forever.

As a comedic counterpart to the rest of the episode, Souma's collection of photo albums is rather weak. The show has done this routine many times before; Souma claims that he's stopped being creepy, the guys don't believe him, and the other shoe drops just as he's starting to appear sincere. The whole scene is just too formulaic to be funny, and each step along the way is predictable. The premise isn't bad, but the execution lacks originality. If this is supposed to be Souma's last moment of glory, it's a letdown. I can only hope that he'll get the chance to go out with a bang in the next episode.

The almost accidental nature of Takanashi and Inami's date arrangement seems about right considering their history. This couple has always been plagued by their tendency to overthink things, and much of the forward progress in their relationship has been made in moments of temporary insanity. My one complaint is that the ominous presence of Takanashi's mother lacks the context it needs to really be intimidating. We know that she enjoys messing with her children, but we have yet to see her interfere in a relationship or extend her crushing scrutiny to anyone outside the family. Without a more concrete precedent to go on, it's unclear how worried the audience should be. Thankfully, Takanashi and Inami have built up enough good will over the seasons that a vaguely defined final obstacle isn't enough to deflate this storyline. Even without the presence of an outside threat, I'd be eager to see how things play out between the two of them.

While this is neither the funniest nor the most compelling episode that Wagnaria!!3 has produced, it accomplishes its main goal of setting the stage for the finale. The wheels of change have been set in motion at the restaurant, and turning back is all but inconceivable at this point. The end is near, but the show's track record suggests that we're in for a satisfying last ride.

Rating: B

Wagnaria!!3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Viewster.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.