This review contains spoilers
First and foremost: fuck the mahjong section. It sucked. I've built up a pretty good tolerance for slice of life, and I'm sure if I ever played it mahjong would be a beautiful and intricate game, but that scene was awful. It did not help reading in Japanese I'm sure but I can't imagine it was any better in English.
That aside, a nice, short break from the usual time loop formula which was starting to drag a little. On the whole it doesn't feel like there's a ton to dissect or theorize about here (and I think it's telling the All-Cast Review Session is 90% goofy antics), but it does feel like Rika finally gets some limelight of her own, even if she's still hugely veiled in mystery. There's definitely totally mundane explanations for her knowing the murders in advance, but I like to think she can have some psychic powers, as a treat.
I'm also sure that a lot of what's alluded to here will be important later, it just doesn't have that same ripeness for theorising earlier chapters did I think.
Akasaka didn't feel super in-depth, but his relationships with Ooishi and Rika in particular felt charming enough.
It's interesting that the events that end up happening seem to be identical to Tatarigoroshi, except Ooishi survives - is this significant? Or is it genuinely just him being sick that branched the timeline? Definitely very keen to get into the Answer Arcs (but maybe I'll mull on some mysteries a bit more).
That aside, a nice, short break from the usual time loop formula which was starting to drag a little. On the whole it doesn't feel like there's a ton to dissect or theorize about here (and I think it's telling the All-Cast Review Session is 90% goofy antics), but it does feel like Rika finally gets some limelight of her own, even if she's still hugely veiled in mystery. There's definitely totally mundane explanations for her knowing the murders in advance, but I like to think she can have some psychic powers, as a treat.
I'm also sure that a lot of what's alluded to here will be important later, it just doesn't have that same ripeness for theorising earlier chapters did I think.
Akasaka didn't feel super in-depth, but his relationships with Ooishi and Rika in particular felt charming enough.
It's interesting that the events that end up happening seem to be identical to Tatarigoroshi, except Ooishi survives - is this significant? Or is it genuinely just him being sick that branched the timeline? Definitely very keen to get into the Answer Arcs (but maybe I'll mull on some mysteries a bit more).