Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 3rd Season

Well, it's evident that the anime revolves around intellectual showdowns among prodigies in a school setting. These duels consistently deliver unforeseeable twists, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. The protagonist skillfully sidesteps common character clichés, harboring a captivating past that promises further exploration down the line. However, this season seems to be progressing rather sluggishly. Whether it's my eagerness to witness the antics of our favorite psychopath, Ayanokouji, or a genuinely slower narrative pace, it's hard to pinpoint. I yearn for the return of that tense atmosphere lingering in the air after each scene cut; everything currently feels a bit too passive-aggressive. Here's ... to hoping things pick up the pace soon—I'm eager to witness the brilliance of our eccentric genius in action.

This season is a big downgrade to previous ones.

Main reason is that Sakanayagi is just not a good villain. Compared to Ryuuen, there just isn’t a reason to feel any dread from her when she appears on screen. We are 5 episodes deep and I already forgot what led up to the latest episodes. They are that boring. It’s been mostly dialogue and the payoff for the latest arc didn’t feel satisfying as it seemed such a trivial matter.

We are exploring other characters this season, but they just aren’t as interesting as Kushida, Horikita, and Karuizawa, so frankly, it makes for a detached ... viewing experience.

There is time to turn this season around. I am waiting for a meaningful conflict to happen with some of that S1/S2 magic, but if that doesn’t happen, I can only recommend you watch this season with very low expectations.

This anime suffers from the most common problem of almost all "genius" animes. The supposed geniuses are actually super stupid. The only time you aren't 10 steps ahead of every character is when the story deliberately hides critical information from the viewer. I like to think I'm pretty smart, I probably am too arrogant for my own good - thinking I'm smarter than I actually am... BUT, I certainly don't think I'm like one of the hundred or even 10 thousand smartest people on earth. The main char is supposed to be 1 in 100million. Think of that mathematically... that's 10 per billion - lets ... be generous and call that top 1/100 on earth. Everyone he is associated with is supposed to be the top 1/100,000 on earth AT MINIMUM. Somehow, I'm way smarter than all of them! Stupid people shouldn't write stories about how they perceive brilliant people to be. The entire story is predicated on one certain kind of intelligence trumping all other types, yet the characters aren't even smart enough to use this one "ultimate form of intelligence which is more valuable than all other types of intelligence combined" in any actually brilliant or surprising ways. This show is basically the story of a dumber, less interesting, sherlock holmes in high-school and without any actual end-goal.

I think the problem for me about all 3 seasons of classroom of the elite is that it constantly feels like its hit its ceiling. The mystery and competition of each class is a great premise, but each situation ends the same with ayanokoji being the ring leader making invisible decisions and showing how its done, I think the main problem is it never goes anywhere, you dont see it improve who he is as a person or change his perspective. We know as much about him now as we did in season one, and although yes, there is other interesting characters, they all feel ... like they have hit there ceiling, every one of them ready to fall in love with Ayanakoji for what for the most part is silly reasons. Every bit of it feels like it has hit its height, and although it could prove me wrong with 5 episodes to go. I just dont see it playing out any differently to the rest of the anime so far, there will be another test, which will look like Class C is going to lose, Then Ayanakoji will pull some strings and win, The only thing so far I would say has been character growth for Ayanakoji is the end of season 2. Which I feel has been let down with season 3 so far.

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 3rd Season (2024)

This is where my journey began, we entered April 2024 and I thought is it time to start this, I awaited the new season to start, gander at the previous season and saw this in its 3rd season and thought, you know what, Let's go!!! The show I watched in order, I binged it, got to this point on the 08th of April 2024 after going for it between work, I am not disappointed.

The show has progressed, fast, hard and heavily. So much happens, maybe the first 2 episodes were not the best but they ... were not the worst. For someone who hasn't read the novels I was confused by the hate for the paper shuffle but then it did seem rushed, apparently that was a good thing, so let us take it as a blessing. The rest of the season rocked, it got deeper and remember WATCH OUT FOR AFTER CREDIT SCENES. Sometimes they happen and sometimes they don't, sometimes they add little and other times people get asked out!! The stakes have never been higher in this season and it shows.

The art looks better than ever, more polished but the same style, great job for getting the same studio, that's 4 out of 4 now for Studio Lerche. This show has kept the same style the entire way through, it feels like watching a show with the same actors each time because you have seen them grow without anything wacky happening in the art.

The voices are still superb, and the background music and intro/outro are great. The best, however, is that quiet bit of instrumental you get when a big thing is happening with the progression of a character.

The characters grow and grow and grow, but never once do they forget who they are as hard as that may be. Some people think they are done, and what can they do now, but they pull it back thanks to the cast, especially Ayanokouji. Other's come out as villains and are defeated but they will be back, they always come back. Ayanokouji goes through so much, deals with so much and even has an amazing scene after the credits of the final episode that makes him look so genuine that you can't but rewatch that moment. Watch it.

The show has hit season 3, I want it to hit season 4, I want it to be completed, I want to see them graduate and even have a nice OVA to show the future with a time skip. Equally, I would love to cross over, I'd love a show to cross the characters into others like with 'Your Name' and 'Weathering With You'. This show deserves to be remembered, it needs to continue. Let us hope for season 4 and beyond.

Honestly, to hell with most people here having already read the novel or the manga. Of course, the anime is a separate entity. point.

About the anime, whether you like the genre or not, you can't help but notice that the season is being extremely well animated. Every episode has a very well defined introduction, development and conclusion. They all have cinematic elements in terms of well-constructed plot twists and more.

I can say in these years as a 'virjola' of animes, 'You Jitsu' is one of the few animes that is capable of pleasing all the large audiences of Japanese animations. I hope the season continues ... like this.

Like the previous season, COTE S3 continues to serve as a very interesting drama anime that puts forward the true cruelty that lies within people and their struggle for power, no matter how over exaggerated this representation is.

It's very weird to explain what hooks me to watch this anime and its subsequent seasons however. The drama is predictable at best (though there are decent plot twists throughout), the characters feel somewhat flat and unrealistic (they're either the usual very OP villains and protags and stuff like that or just flat out useless, boring side characters), and the plot itself leaves a whole lot of holes ... in it that I just wish they'd explain. But overall this show still does serve its purpose of being interesting, especially for anime-only watchers. It knows it's being edgy and goes with it, but not too much to the point it's cringe, is what I would say about this show, especially for the third season.

I do like how the power dynamic changes quite significantly, as it allows us to explore different characters throughout each season such is the case for Sakayanagi, Ichinose, and Nagumo, among others. Especially excited for how this season will build up Sakayanagi’s character, as she mostly operated in the background in the past 2 seasons. Ichinose’s story arc was pretty interesting as well.

Overall, if you enjoyed S1 and S2, and want more of this rich school drama type show and can handle the slightly over exaggerated character personalities here, boy is it a good watch. Definitely one of my personal guilty pleasure anime. I also highly recommend going in blind to prevent from blowing your enjoyment.

I'll keep this review short. There were many things that I would like to address, but I figured it would be best to keep it simple.

At first glance, I disliked how CoTE put up a facade that wanted to appear smart with the promises of psychological warfare and used dirty tactics just to get more merit over the other. Until then, I have reached the point where I enjoyed the journey of what the 1st year saga has to encapsulate. The anime's story, in its own right, is not bad. Of course, there is some downtime that could have been removed for more quality character ... moments and there's not much to talk about the cast, but it's still not messy junk where the plot happens for no reason, it still remembers to set some things up and make it pay off later as the story progresses.

The issue that continues to this day is how there's a severe lack of context or buildup to any conflict that you're unable to fully grasp what is happening without relying on LN spoilers. In this season, they somewhat can provide enough context, but rarely does it feel sufficient when it reaches its climax.

I'd say for a plus, the animation looked better than what we've gotten in the previous season (S2 EP2 was laughably terrible) and it was, to a certain degree, enjoyable to watch while it lasted. Usually, anime like this can fail miserably when dialogues, script, or pacing is not kept in check, but here the staff has done a good job and you won't have to suffer from unnecessary quips or shenanigans. It's tolerable and decent, to say the least.

Thank you for reading.

Classroom of the Elite Season 3

The most Machiavellian anime has returned for the third season. So expect more of the same then from the last two seasons. Time flies and when the anime is this good, it is just hard waiting for the next chapter.

The last season just went like that and it is not moving the story line much in my opinion. Third season may we see more movement with the class C that has been promoted from D. We may seen the same characters remain throughout the series despite the hate/love that they will get.

The song OP and ED still done ... well. ZAQ is still featured here so this series' songs might as well be her signature. Looking forward to see how the Class C fared. Perhaps a promotion to B if possible by the end of it.

This particular season of "Classroom of the Elite" is a big ball of mess, there was definitely development, but that development is very much hindered by the abysmal pacing that have been a reoccurring theme of this show. It has been like this since the first season, but this season made it even worse as it just lacks the emotional attachment for the watchers to the characters, they are not flashed out enough to the point of caring for them, even if there is 3 seasons of this, it feels like watching season 1 all over again. So the story and pacing of the story ... is still bad.

But what COTE is good at is making openings, the only thing that keeps me of watching the anime is literally ZAQ making the opening for each season as it's really good. Each opening does a good job in making the show more interesting, with the lyrics like "zuqzwang" mentioned, I do really appreciate ZAQ for the annual opening.

The art itself is consistent from the previous seasons, but the background is really making this anime bland, it really feels like they have no intention of making this good, even with 3 TRIES. Maybe I should've not expected it to be good, maybe, but I do wish for some changes for the 4th season, but it seems like it would not happen.

Story (9) :
More or less it's good, but many people say that a lot of the light novel is skipped. I also feel that this anime has a lot of scenes that are skipped to speed up the story, like the special exam in the last episodes. The competition started very quickly so we didn't really feel the sensation of the competition. But I like the plot of this anime leading to this. Hopefully in season 4, the director finds the pieces to make it better

Characters (9) :
The characters in this anime are really highlighted, so we are starting to get to know ... their personalities, then here Ryuen has also returned, which I like as a character. Koenji is also starting to show his personality. Many characters join this season and are implemented well in each scene

Visual (9) :
The visuals in season 3 are a highlight because they are better than seasons 1 & 2. These visuals are like what the slice of life or school life genre should be. and in this anime brings very sharp visuals such as the environment and the characters. What I like most is the visual exam in the mountains at the beginning of the episode.

Audio (9) :
The audio is fine, I quite like the opening and also the OST in each scene. especially the Ichinose scene with the sailor Ichinose OST

It's been three seasons of this anime and it never fails to make me feel scammed.

To begin with and as a disclaimer I want to make it clear that I have not read the novel, I am not reading it and I am not going to read it. I am one of those people who only plans to live this experience through anime. The part that I feel scammed with is that when they recommended it to me and through the same synopsis they sold it to you as if it were a survival/gambling game anime. One of my favorite genres, which is why I ... tend to be more critical of animes that may have this tag. I have been waiting for three seasons to experience that emotion of strategies, manipulations and deceptions that are usually seen in gambling animes, but I simply stumbled upon a school drama.

The anime has very good foundations to function as a good gambling/survival anime, which is the intelligent protagonist with the background that he was indoctrinated or experimented on to be the genius that he is. A school that governs its hierarchy through its class system where class A is the best, in addition to having a points system (the anime currency) that allows you to buy anything within the academy. All this puts you in an extremely interesting starting point to see how our protagonist will create chaos in the already defined system. Unfortunately, the seasons passed and I didn't see anything of what I expected. Starting with the fact that the only intelligent person in that school is Ayanokouji. No matter what rival they put in front of him, Ayanokouji has already won since they first looked at each other. This is because although the protagonist is a genius, the rest of the school is simply dumber than a door. To give an example of how this anime fails to be a gambling anime is the climax showdown of this season. Ayanokouji vs Sakayanagi in a chess game, to begin with it was very boring to watch and they didn't even bother to build the game well throughout the chapter. It lasted 5 minutes and they played the opening in the background in an attempt to make it seem something "epic or interesting." The resolution was the easiest way out they could find, because otherwise Ayanokuoji is unstoppable.

Now the real genre of this thing is a school drama. The story focuses on the protagonist, a person who is not in contact with his emotions, which is why he decides to go to school to live a quiet school life like the rest of the people his age. The protagonist's main rival throughout the 3 seasons is not the rest of the people who believe they are intelligent, but rather his own social life. The work focuses more on developing Ayanokouji's affectionate relationships with those around him, because he is the only thing that really hinders him. But it's not just Ayanokouji, we have the drama of Horikita with her brother, the drama of Kushida being bad just because, Hirata being Edgy. The anime is full of conversations where Ayanokouji, rather than learning from others, seems to be their guru.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an anime about survival/gambling games, you can skip this one without any regrets. If you are looking for a school drama it may fit your preferences more. The only useful function that the anime has is to serve as a complement for readers of the novel, because as an independent adaptation it leaves much to be desired. Ayanokouji is too good for this anime but it is obvious that thanks to the atmosphere of this anime it cannot exploit the full potential of his protagonist.

The third season of Classroom of the Elite is very similar to the previous season. While the story and special exams remain interesting, they still feel very rushed. Watching this anime feels like a story trying to rush through the boring stuff as quickly as possible to get to an interesting part but in this case the boring stuff it's rushing through is actually interesting and it's a shame that the anime has such high pacing.

The story in the third season continues where the second season left off but shifts away from Ryuuen and starts focusing more on Sakayanagi and Ichinose. Smaller characters like ... Hirata and Kouenji also receive some attention though and there's quite a lot of character development overall with Ayanakouji being the obvious exception since he remains the "people are just tools" guy. The story also still doesn't give nearly enough information for you to come up with your own ideas about how situations should be solved so all you can do while watching is see what Ayanokouji comes up with.

The animation is quite okay overall but there is some CGI. CGI was also used during a pretty significant chess match which was kind of weird since it's an important event and not some background noise. The voice acting was great and so was the music, they both suited the characters/anime well.

Overall the biggest problem with this anime is probably it's fast/rushed pacing. However if you enjoyed season two which shared a similar problem, then you'll probably like this season as well.

Classroom of the elite season 3 is great for Anime only's and just about good for LN readers as it did have some good adapted scenes and lot of cut content which is to be expected for, It's not possible to adapt everything.
I believe COTE is popular because of 3 things, 1> Ayanakoji The GOAT, 2> Waifu's and 3rd one is the mind games and psychological aspects of the show. IF you ask me the anime covers the cool moments pretty well and waifu's and psychological aspects not so well.
Certainly I am truely an excepton as being the only being who dont give F about ... how much content is being cut, why bother and give your useless hatered to the anime community!
If you want to witness the growth and the psychological aspects of the show properly I suggest you to read the Light novels, It's pretty simple isn't it?
Animation wise this season is very consistant compared to 2nd season. Art wise it's the same, season 1 animation and art remains the best till date.
Music is something I have observed that most of the people ignore about Cote which is just sad as the music in my opinion is just briliant, it captivate and enhances the scenes quit seemlessly.
Story is neglected what I mean is some scenes which could or should have made a lot of scenes much better for the viewers weren't there.
Like a garden stripped of its blossoms, this light novel suffers from the ruthless shearing of its narrative, leaving behind a tale deprived of its full bloom, a whisper of the captivating story it could have been.
I rated it based on my love towards the Light novels and of course Ayanokoji, If I have to rate objectively as how it should be rated based on the actual story of the anime I would have rated it around 6.5 stars.
As we bid farewell to this chapter of our journey, let us not lament the closing pages, but instead, embrace the anticipation that swirls within us like the promise of a new dawn. For just as the seasons ebb and flow, so too shall our story continue, beckoning us to linger in hope, awaiting the vibrant hues of the next season's tale. Hope is a good thing and so I hope for season 4 of Cote.

This is a binge worthy anime. However, to be completely honest, this show does suffer from the classic fate of most anime with an "unparalleled genius" as it's MC. That is - it's really not that smart. If you're able to ignore that part, and treat it like a soap opera-esq character drama, it's very entertaining.

Our MC gets away with pretty much everything he wants due to very hand-wavy "he can read people to such an extent that he knows exactly how they will react". He's also randomly just like, incredibly strong.

He doesn't really have much of a character arc either, but ... it's really funny to watch all these girls fall in love with him when his expression literally never changes and he speaks in the most sarcastic know-it-all way. There's a really large cast and most of them get their time in the spotlight, but again, do not think any deeper than surface level about anything that's happening.

If you can take it all at face value you'll certainly be rewarded. Otherwise, you'll probably just think it's stupid.

Classroom of the Elite season three is... fine. It's funny, somewhat endearing, gives off the illusion of intelligence, and is overall an excusable package for the most part. But it honestly falls short of expectations. And to be blunt, is a disappointment. After the first season I had expectations of building quality, and after the second one I had expectations of decent quality and a lot of fun, but this installment offered neither of those and instead a frustrating drama that tried to be deep but felt shallow, leading me to wonder if there was anything there in the first place.

In terms of plot, this ... season doesn't pick up literal minutes after the previous ends like that of season two, it begins with the crew, now class C, arriving at the scene of their next test, a mixed training camp. This is a test including students from all three years which allows characters like Manabu Horikita, Suzune's brother, sometime in the spotlight. This arc is pretty fun, it sets the stage for the main focus of this season, Sakayanagi, for some reason. I figured this anime would be like 4 seasons, this one would be about Class B and Ichinose, and then there would be a final season focusing on Class A. That's far from the case though. It's going to be much, much longer than that... Overall, this season carries the plot forward fine. It's always trying out new ideas and I appreciate that, but going into the season it had a feel that this was something of a conclusion, if not of the series at least of a beginning saga, and it definitely had its moments, but that conclusion in and of itself kind of fell flat. It essentially confirms all the things I was afraid of; I gave many of the unsavory tropes of the first two seasons the benefit of the doubt, it's become apparent this show is just frustratingly written.

In terms of writing quality, it disappointed me in many ways, especially character writing. I keep giving Ayanokoji the benefit of the doubt because of all the acclaim his character garners, I can't shake the feeling that there is depth in his character, it's just taking a long, long time to get there it seems, it can be rather bothersome to wait though as he seems like a very bland and honestly frustrating attempt at a "dark cool character who's more than meets the eye", Perhaps I just have to let it play out. The closest parallel I can draw is "Big Dog" Roman Reigns. Not the Tribal Chief (Whom I acknowledge for the record), the version that was bland and constantly won for other reason besides "being a winner makes people like you" or something like that. Sakayanagi and Ichinose were two characters who left me rather underwhelmed. Much less in Sakayanagi's instance, she's a good character that I just had lofty expectations for. It somewhat feels like Ayanokoji being the annoying way he is hurts Sakayanagi and stunts her development. Going further into this enters spoiler territory, so I'll leave it at that. Ichinose is a much worse case, however. It makes it apparent the frustrating flaws this show has in writing female characters that don't show their heads with every one of them, but the majority. Sakayanagi and Horikita are somewhat outliers. Going into minor spoiler territory, the biggest issue in character writing is the fact that they undermine the intelligence and legitimacy of every single character besides two of them, every single character besides those two feels rather unimportant after that. Among first year students, anyway.

In terms of visuals and music, it looks relatively the same as the other ones, which is good, not much to say on this matter, no complaints here though. The opening is... not great, the first two openings by ZAQ were pretty good, but this one failed to live up to the standard those set up, it's just so loud and for what? The endings, both by Yui Ninomiya, are good, the second one "Fixer" is my personal favorite.

In conclusion, Classroom of the Elite season three was a letdown, but perhaps it was just me realizing all the negative things that were always true about the series. I've now come to the realization that this show isn't building to any masterful climax, and that this is just how this series is, what I mistakenly thought was flawed by design to eventually be expanded upon seems to just be shallow writing. It's not a bad anime, it's still all the dumb fun it was in season two, albeit to a lesser extent, it's safe to say I expected something more though. I saw a lot of Oregairu in this anime at first, but that comparison quickly dissolved as what seemed like intelligent writing in the first two seasons stops and never builds into anything more, leaving them as just interesting concepts and nothing more. And while there is some creativity in the challenges these kids face, every predicament ends in just the same way, slowly removing any semblance of stakes it ever had by giving every issue the same conclusion. Perhaps a payoff is coming, and it'll all make sense and I'll look like a fool, but I have little confidence in that happening at this point. Overall, this is a show in which the appeal lies in the ability to just enjoy rather ridiculous drama and have fun with it. And if that's what you're looking for, it's fun and you'll probably be happy with it, even though it's not as endearing as the first two seasons. However, if you're looking for something well written and thought-provoking, you'll be disappointed, as this is a very bland drama if you try to take it seriously, I still can't tell if you're supposed to or not, though. 6/10

Hello as a show I absolutely recommend this. However keep it that way, only be a watcher and don't be a reader. I had the pleasure of reading the LN this past month before watching the show and I honestly ruined the show for myself. The LN is leaps and bounds better where a good amount of things that wasn't animated was animated. It just didn't feel like the show had the feelings that some of the characters should have had, the master plan of each interaction that Ayanokoji had, or just the other views that people had. The new villain ... also was pretty rushed, in the LN he was introduced slowly and made more appearances.

Im getting offtrack and just ranting about the LN now. Show is still good, however if you want a super in depth thought process of Ayanokoji. Highly recommend the light novel.

As an anime, I think it delivers, but as an adaptation, it leaves something to be desired. From start to finish, events were omitted that, in my opinion, are dispensable but enriched the story and its characters. In the last episode, the episode where I expected a strong conclusion, it felt like they wanted to cover everything, albeit very superficially. That said, the closing song is GREAT.

As a follower of the story, I'm still hoping for a good comeback for the project. Yes, there will always be omitted scenes or changes because it's a different medium from the novel, but it can be enjoyed with ... a partner or with greater intensity. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing OVAs or a slightly slower pace to give more solidity to the story and its characters.

Anyway, I think if you go along with the light novel, you'll enjoy Youkoso in a different way. Although, if that's not the case and you've only seen the anime... well, you know, it's average.

*

Como anime creo que cumple pero como adaptación deja que desear. De principio a fin se omitieron eventos que, a mi parecer, son prescindibles pero que enriquecían la historia y a sus personajes. En el último episodio, episodio donde yo esperaba un final contundente, se vió como si quisieran abarcar todo, aunque muy por encima. Eso sí, la canción de cierre es GENIAL.

Como seguidor de la historia, sigo esperando un buen "come back" para el proyecto. Sí, siempre habrá escenas omitidas o cambios porque se trata de un medio distinto a la novela, pero que se puede disfrutar con pareja o mayor intensidad, aún así no me molestaría ver OVAS o un ritmo un poco más lento con el fin de darle más solidez a la historia y a sus personajes.

En fin, creo que si vas al margen con la novela ligera disfrutes de una manera distinta de Youkoso. Aunque, si no es el caso y solo has visto el anime… ya lo sabes, es regular.

classroom of the elite 3 promises an exploration of psychology and manipulation, but falls short with a superficial and inconsistent script. Unlike masterpieces like Monster, Psycho-pass, and Death Note, it lacks depth and fails to engage viewers with its plot. Moments intended for impact feel flat due to poor execution, while character development is forgettable and uninteresting. The anime's direction and production are lackluster compared to others of its season, exemplified by Mr. Villain's Day Off. Despite its high rating, likely a result of skewed reviews from loyal viewers, classroom of the elite 3 disappoints with wasted potential and missed opportunities. Its flaws are ... evident, leaving little reason to endure its mediocrity.

Once again, we're plunged back into the intriguing world of our favorite psychopath in an unconventional high school setting. This season, like its predecessors, centers around Ayanokouji's tactical genius as he orchestrates victories from the shadows, manipulating events without ever taking center stage.

In terms of production, there have been no changes, which is a relief. However, a bit more action would have been welcome to spice things up.

Overall, this season serves as a solid continuation of the narrative. We delve deeper not only into Ayanokouji's complex character but also into those around him. While the storyline advances significantly, there are moments when it feels somewhat ... laborious. It's not that the intricate details provided this season aren't appreciated, but the predictability of each outcome saps some of the excitement from the viewing experience. Watching this season felt eerily similar to observing it through Ayanokouji's emotionless perspective.

On a positive note, watching the protagonist intricately weave his plots, adding new strands while maintaining the old ones, was quite fascinating. It's intriguing to see moments where he might actually seem benevolent, only to be reminded through his internal monologues that his manipulative and detached nature remains unchanged. His lack of empathy proves strangely captivating and adds a layer of depth to the story as each character perceives him through their own emotional lens.

I did find myself yearning for a dramatic revelation akin to those in the first two seasons. It appears that this season is more about strategically setting the stage for future developments—almost like preparing a chessboard for an impending game.

To sum up, while this season is a commendable addition to the series, I found my engagement mirroring the apathy of its lead character. Perhaps it's due to the lack of palpable stakes or the anticipation of a climactic twist that never comes. Nevertheless, the series remains true to its essence and characters, not forcing action where it doesn't belong, which, while it may detract from its immediate appeal, is praiseworthy in its own right.