As such, I loved the numerous elements of Inaba’s relationship with Taichi that were filtered into this episode, such as her telepathic confession of love for Taichi or their interactions at the park, as it allows for a more natural portrayal of their romantic progression. Inaba continues to be my favorite character, by far, as she possesses the most likable and intriguing personality. The ending was quite interesting, as it alluded to a heightened focus on Aoki as well throughout this arc, or, at the very least, an elevated prevalence of Yui and Aoki’s relationship. My favorite sequence was Iori‘s emotional collapse of sorts, as she internally lashed out at the others, since it essentially depicted the unexpected culmination of Iori’s emotional fragility, and, combined with the unintentional reveal of Taichi’s confession to Iori, though predictable, these two developments created the most emotional moment in the episode, as it illuminated Iori’s hidden and rather cruel thoughts, while also illustrating a considerably sympathetic element of Inaba’s temporarily pained emotions. Thankfully, she rejected him, since their relationship had always felt devoid of any particularly romantic inclinations, due, in large part, to their seemingly artificial interactions. Though rather believable, it did somewhat appear that Taichi’s confession to Iori was potentially, for the most part, a desire for him to act on an emotion that he wasn’t entirely convinced of, instead appearing to partially be a necessary obligation. Taichi’s introspective narration during the opening sequence was quite intriguing, as it immediately established the subtly melancholic tone that would permeate the rest of the episode. On the other hand, the “phenomenon” of this arc, along with the first, has considerable potential for producing some of the most compelling developments, and, though a transmission of emotions is somewhat contrived, it, similar to the majority of the other "gimmicks", hasn’t become a significant flaw. Although I rather enjoyed the previous arc, it was definitely inconsistent in quality, never quite reaching the heights of the first arc, since it was quite restrained in it’s storytelling. This was a really strong episode, serving as a particularly excellent opening for the concluding arc, as it explored an insight into several aspects of Iori’s foreshadowed characterization, as well as the struggles that have appeared in regards to her partially illusive “love” for Taichi.
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