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May 5, 6:56 AM

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Jan 2018
467
Popcorn wizard going HARDCORE was so cringe... It doesn't seem she has anything to do with Skinner and rather acted on her own, which means Skinner never took the bait?
May 5, 7:31 AM

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Apr 2022
659
The new hacker character is so cringe. I get they're trying to make another Radical Edward character, but this ain't it. At least Ed is a kid and has a reason to act that way.
May 5, 9:15 AM

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Apr 2025
22
I got Cowboy Bebop nostalgia watching this episode.
May 5, 9:56 AM
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Feb 2018
3
watch cowboy bebop
May 5, 11:40 AM

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Jul 2017
25
"I'll be waiting for you, Skinner baby" reminds me of Space Dandy.
May 5, 1:50 PM
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Apr 2025
5
Was there really a need for a repulsive character like Popcorn Wizard when the anime was going so well?
May 5, 2:17 PM
Lilium Gardener

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Jul 2011
4056
Peeps complaining about the dead ends while searching for Skinner is laughable. You all watch too many power fantasies and isekai where dude defeats a nine-banded armadillo in the state of Florida and is granted Meteor.

Another great episode here. The search for Skinner continues. With each failure, the future seems more and more bleak. Would be wild if they actually never found Skinner and humanity is all but wiped.

The hacker battle was pretty cool. Though, I will agree with some of the haters on one thing...Popcorn Wizard is annoying AF. They are definitely trying way too hard with her dialogue. Her vehicle is awesome though! I like the contrast of her, "look at me," appearance and vehicle while being an anonymous hacker. Just unfortunate that when she opens her mouth my ears begin to bleed, lol.

I thought there was no way Skinner was going to take the bait. The man is either dead already or is keeping tabs on medical research globally. He would already know if a cure was actually close to being produced. They are really leaning into the hacker theme, so I do believe he has a hacker working with him. Wild guess, but what if it is actually Elaina? It would make sense for him to infiltrate one of the top teams searching for him. That way he has the jump on all of their operations.
KingYoshiMay 5, 2:22 PM
May 5, 3:32 PM

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Jul 2015
104
Pakistan mentioned 🗣💯
May 5, 4:02 PM

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Aug 2018
589
Honestly, didn't like this episode as much as the other ones. Although it did gave us a different approach to them reaching Skinner, and more impact on Skinner's actions in the world (especially how many would just do anything for a cure), it ended on the same note: we're back to square one. We're already at episode 5, and we barely got any progression the story or any development from the characters. It's getting really annoying at this point. We're almost halfway through!

The vibes of the anime are great and really well done, the scenes I feel like are well executed, and I end up always enjoying the episodes, but this lack of concision in their storytelling is getting on my nerves now, because the anime could be doing much better.
What was with that final scene? Do Popcorn Wizard and Eleina know eachother, or she's just flattered Popcorn Wizard recognised her?
The hacking scene was cool, although I feel it's quite unrealistic (but I'm not a hacker, so...).

Also, can we talk about the scene where Axel gets into the elevator with the guards? I was seriously wondering what was going to happen, because it seemed like the anime would chane its subject xD

Anyways, for me, the most interesting part of the episode was the beginning monologue, that was this time from Axel. I find this interesting, because you would expect Axel to be the last one to have this monologue, but that wasn't the case.
Also, Axel says he only took 1 happna, while he was in prison, just to see how it was. And that drug didn't have an effect on him. This leads to many speculations. But before diving into that, let's talk about the ending, since I always found this curious. I don't know if it has a meaning or if it's just because he is the main character, but it's curious how Axel is the only character to get up, after the other ones are all laying down, probably dead or uncounscious due to Happna.
Now, with the monologue we got this episode, we can say the ending might be foreshadowing something. Since Axel didn't feel anything with the drug, we can think that he either is immune to the drug (if the drug, as they explained this episode, acts on a gene in some receptors on the nerve cells, if someone had a mutation in that gene or receptors, I suppose it would make the drug useless, although we don't know how this drug causes death, as it can be from a different action), or then Axel was just given a false drug (it wouldn't surprised me that they just scammed him, and made him pay for just a placebo or other banal drug). Since he never took anything else after, we can expect him to not die after the 30 days have passed, and seeing that this anime is on a roll of not proceeding with its story, it seems we are going to surprass those 30 days mark.
I wonder if Axel being immune (or not having taken the drug) will have a big impact on the story.

Another interesting detail is how Doug is suspicious of Hersch, as we can see by his look when she identified the documents of the clinical trial for Happna. There's something to her character that's for sure.
It also seems that Lazarus really is a group made by the governament to catch Skinner, as shown when Hersch was talking to her superior.

Anyways, I'm still curious to see how the story of the anime will start going, but hopefully it's going SOMEWHERE next episode! Also, the action scenes these episode weren't that well animated as the last one's, or is it that just me?
May 5, 4:16 PM

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Aug 2018
589
Reply to Meritas
Another nothingburger in terms of progression, sometimes I wonder if Watanabe even understands what made Bebop good in the first place. The episodes in Bebop where "nothing really happened" helped the watcher understand the characters personalities better, but with this show I don't think that I've gained a better understanding of any single member of Lazarus since the pilot episode.

At this point it feels like this has produced by a "Write a story in Watanabe style" AI tool.
Meritas said:
but with this show I don't think that I've gained a better understanding of any single member of Lazarus since the pilot episode.


This is the thing! I would be ok with episodes leading to nothing, if we could get any development from the characters. We don't even know why they are on the team yet, and we are in episode 5 already! At this point, we don't know the characters, the plot and nothing more of the setting other than what they told us in episode 1.
If this episode gave us more about Eleina, for example, I would have appreciated it a lot more, but no, she continues to be the "hacker girl".
May 5, 6:11 PM

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Oct 2019
676
episode more normal than the others, this new character who appeared just to have a little development for the group's hacker, but had no development at all
hello, just a brazilian boy who likes anime
May 5, 6:21 PM
A sandwich

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Jul 2020
2152
Oh good, it's another episodic episode about chasing and missing Skinner only this time it's based around dubious hacking. Ha, well at least they aren't as blatant as CSI to use 2 keyboards and counter it by unplugging but all those graphics and the phone call afterwards? Bruh. Btw, why is Elena always wearing a cap indoors? There's no sun to block. Maybe she's bald or something.
⠓⠥⠍⠁⠝⠊⠞⠽ ⠞⠓⠗⠕⠥⠛⠓ ⠎⠕⠍⠑ ⠎⠞⠥⠏⠊⠙⠊⠞⠽⠂ ⠎⠕⠍⠑ ⠺⠊⠇⠇ ⠎⠅⠊⠏ ⠺⠁⠎⠓⠊⠝⠛ ⠞⠓⠑⠊⠗ ⠓⠁⠝⠙⠎ ⠁⠝⠙ ⠑⠝⠙ ⠥⠏ ⠗⠥⠊⠝⠊⠝⠛ ⠊
⠞ ⠋⠕⠗ ⠑⠧⠑⠗⠽⠕⠝⠑
⠎⠓⠊⠊⠅⠕ ⠁⠕⠎⠕⠊⠂ ⠼⠃⠼⠚⠼⠁⠼⠓
May 5, 7:25 PM
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Jul 2015
891
Except that very nice sequence in the elevator, this episode was a weak one. Just by including a woke character for the purpose of letting people know how good Eleina is as a hacker.
This is going nowhere

May 5, 7:57 PM

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Feb 2015
1433
Another pointless episode, really. That elevator scene was pretty cool. But it feels like we are getting nowhere.
May 5, 9:06 PM
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Mar 2020
206
I'm so used to fake business names being used in anime that when I saw the Soundcloud UI elements, I was all prepared to find out what cockamamie name they would use for it. I was really thrown for a loop when they used its actual name and logo. Wonder what kind of deal they struck.

Anyway, nice to know the site will still be around in 2052.

Unfortunately, it seems that hackers will be the only ones who remember the Sex Pistols (and recognize their art style) by then.
quintopiaMay 5, 9:10 PM
May 6, 4:40 AM
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Aug 2021
1
Loved the animation.
The unoriginal Gyaru/Dark skinned lunatic coloured everything hacker girl was unbearable to watch.
May 6, 7:18 AM
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May 2016
2684
Well after watching the next two episodes I think I may skip the rest and watch the finale. The hacker Popcorn whatever has to be the worst character I have ever seen, trying to recapture the weirdness but adorability of Ed is difficult but you can't do it by trying the exact same thing and hoping it works. "Instead of super skinny we'll make "it" fat but keep the dark skin and orange hair and sexual ambiguity, now we just give "it" a weird way of talking, perfect. Just as good as Ed, oh and let's give "it" a goofy van that sticks out like a sore thumb but yet no one will still be able to catch "it"." Fricking awful. At this point I am rooting for them not to find Skinner so they will all die.
Also for the intro I looked up Dreidel rules and apparently it lands on the character that means "take everything (in the pot)", what could that mean? Oh my. 9_9
May 6, 7:22 AM
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May 2016
2684
Reply to Sigmar-Unberogen
@GanguroGal Yeah, had suspicion since episode 1. Axel asks Lazarus members if they have taken the drug and only after hearing their answers he also "confesses" taking it. Considering how 99% (likely) of all people used the drug, it's a pretty weird question to ask, unless Axel assumed this "special team" probably consisted of members who didn't take the drug like him. Plus, a slight delay before he raises his hand and "confesses"; it was a pretty good detail. Makes his lie more natural. He gave it a thought for a sec and decided not to reveal his Ace. I immediately assumed he did it on purpose not to stick out. Indeed, ED pretty much spoils it all as well. Everyone's dead except for Axel. Don't think it's all just a coincidence.
Sigmar-Unberogen said:
He gave it a thought for a sec and decided not to reveal his Ace. I immediately assumed he did it on purpose not to stick out. Indeed, ED pretty much spoils it all as well. Everyone's dead except for Axel. Don't think it's all just a coincidence.


Oooh but maybe the ED is just a Red Herring...not. Kind of annoying they spoiled it like that but I also thought it was pretty obvious he lied about taking it.
May 6, 7:29 AM
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May 2016
2684
Reply to James-LastOmnic
Shinichiro Watanabe has to never EVER write about futuristic technology again, he has clearly not a single idea how any of this works.
This technobabbling is even worse than the worse of Star Trek new gen technobabble, all of that just to showcase metrosexual teenage girls typing at lightspeed into a bunch of cmd windows is absolutely insufferable. This is not how hacking works in the slightest and the main stake of this episode revolves around hacking.
Oh my lawd the last shot with these happy-go-lucky acoustic strings and the 2 girls smiling shot/reverse shot, do they even realize how ridiculous it is? It's a goddamn parody there's no way no one on board is aware of how terrible everything is.
This waifubait ass character is the worst character in this show she is so empty I have seen background characters with more personality and presence on screen than her, she was written to be Lucy from Edgerunners in the most absurd degree imaginable, you cannot convince me now that this show wasn't made by an AI, I loathe this much amount of weeb pandering.
For the first time since starting this fiasco I was surprised that the plan they conducted was actually clever and we'll finally have some progress on Skinner research just to deliver this complete piece of garbage filler content that advances none of the plot and developp none of the characters. Waste, of, time.
@James-LastOmnic

Well said but I think Popcorn Wizard is supposed to be this show's Radical Ed from Bebop they are identical except one is super skinny and one is fat. Orange hair, dark skin, sexually ambiguous, weird way of talking. As someone said it's probably supposed to be a relative of some sort. Lazarus is set in 2052, and Bebop 2071. And Ed is @13 so mother?



+



=?

MenchiK1May 6, 7:41 AM
May 6, 9:51 AM

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Jan 2018
4133
After how great the last episode was, this episode was just a disappointment. I don't think every episode needs to have adrenaline-pumping action. An episode focusing on hackers was actually a pretty good idea. But it was executed in such a generic way. It felt like I was watching some mid-2000s sitcom where the showrunners had no idea what hacking is like. At the beginning of the episode, they download some "music" from SoundCloud. Idk much about SoundCloud, but unless the files they downloaded were the original raw files, opening the audio files as images or documents wouldn't work. Almost every social media or social media-type site that uploads data doesn't keep it in its original form. They get compressed in one way or another. So, if she downloaded the compressed reuploads, opening them as images would only show gibberish as the OG data would be lost. But maybe the internet in the 2050s is so good that compression isn't necessary. Even then, I highly doubt companies wouldn't go out of their way to save as much money as possible even if they have the powerful tech. Also, the guy who thought of converting images to audio and then uploading it to a music app probably could've come up with smarter ways to send those data.

The idea of baiting Skinner with a fake cure was also so good. But since it didn't do anything, it just makes this episode a pointless filler episode. Because in the end, they learned nothing new. The only new thing might've been that Popcorn whatever might be Edward's mother or something? It's pretty obvious because they look so similar. But even that wasn't confirmed by the episode. So, it really might've been pointless.
May 6, 9:52 AM

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Jan 2018
4133
Reply to GanguroGal
@Ashhk It's a whole thing in South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_art_in_South_Asia

So we're not going to mention Axel casually dropping that Hapna had no effect on him, in the opening monologue? Not that he's a reliable narrator, but combined with the ED it's pointing us in a particular direction.

@GanguroGal Maybe Axel could be the key to making a real cure. Or he might be one of the people who's immune to Hapna, if he ever took it at all.
May 6, 9:54 AM

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Jan 2018
4133
Reply to Meritas
Another nothingburger in terms of progression, sometimes I wonder if Watanabe even understands what made Bebop good in the first place. The episodes in Bebop where "nothing really happened" helped the watcher understand the characters personalities better, but with this show I don't think that I've gained a better understanding of any single member of Lazarus since the pilot episode.

At this point it feels like this has produced by a "Write a story in Watanabe style" AI tool.
@Meritas This is also my biggest problem with the show. It's been 5 episodes and I barely even remember the names of most of the cast, let alone care about them.
May 6, 1:36 PM
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Oct 2022
1042
The ED is so freaking good, I love it!
It’s giving me retro vibes.

Popcorn is really annoying, I am sure they will succeed in defeating her soon enough.
May 6, 2:49 PM
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Feb 2020
26
God the dialog in this episode was so cringe
May 6, 6:20 PM
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Oct 2012
137
Lots of creative visuals and choreography but scant narrative weight. Mr Watanabe seems more style than substance. A shame.
May 6, 9:17 PM
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Mar 2016
99
Am I the only one who thought that Elevator fight scene was like that elevator fight scene in Avengers Endgame?

Also I think I have a feeling Elaina knows Who exactly Popcorn wizard is.
May 7, 1:12 AM
🥊 CHAMPION 🥊

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Apr 2016
25141
a new clue and new stop!!!
kekeke
May 7, 4:19 AM
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Oct 2012
175
From Ed to this... thing. Shamefuru.
May 7, 6:11 AM
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Jan 2021
407
I was waiting until some episodes were out so I could binge watch. I am now going to drop it. This shit is ass. The characters are so cliche. Plot predictable. Dialogue boring. Storywriting uninspired. Disappointed from watanabe. Incredibly boring show.
May 7, 6:15 AM
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Jan 2021
407
Reply to Meritas
Another nothingburger in terms of progression, sometimes I wonder if Watanabe even understands what made Bebop good in the first place. The episodes in Bebop where "nothing really happened" helped the watcher understand the characters personalities better, but with this show I don't think that I've gained a better understanding of any single member of Lazarus since the pilot episode.

At this point it feels like this has produced by a "Write a story in Watanabe style" AI tool.
@Meritas But at least you know Jerry is now Jill and the true identity of the hacker who was mentioned 2 episodes ago is visionary and delta pharmaceuticals are actually unrelated to skinner! such skilled usage of screentime to fill in the plot with characters that will definitely be relevant later!
May 7, 11:11 AM

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Jan 2008
195
"How did you get your hands on that data????????"

advanced hacking skills of course.

lmao this shit is laughably bad
May 7, 11:51 AM

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Apr 2012
23387
Reply to MenchiK1
@James-LastOmnic

Well said but I think Popcorn Wizard is supposed to be this show's Radical Ed from Bebop they are identical except one is super skinny and one is fat. Orange hair, dark skin, sexually ambiguous, weird way of talking. As someone said it's probably supposed to be a relative of some sort. Lazarus is set in 2052, and Bebop 2071. And Ed is @13 so mother?



+



=?

@MenchiK1 I'll just remind you that all of Watanabe's shows are canonically set in the same universe. So whatever attempt this show might make to replicate Cowboy Bebop, it could still realistically be directly connected to it plot-wise.

@V1P3Rdmk Note that when she called Elena, the phone showed her userpic. Either this is a secret hint that she was already in her phone book, or for some reason the author of the storyboards does not know how call identification works on smartphones, lmao.
RobertBobertMay 7, 11:54 AM
May 7, 12:08 PM
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Mar 2016
99
@RobertBobert

Former I think you might be right like that smile Elaina did at the end might be like “Oh I think I know exactly who this is and where she is going”
But I have a theory that Popcorn might be Elaina’s Childhood friend, just a hunch I might be wrong.

The Latter Idk.They wouldn’t be that stupid to do a bad storyboard.

Also I found this part funny when they were trying to find a way to get into the building where the person who uploaded the test onto soundcloud:

Douglas: We Can’t use the underground car parking, it’s Automated.

Chris: Can’t really find anything high-up to sneak in from here

Leland: Can’t use my drone either, they have a jammer.

Axel: Oh don’t mind me I’m just going to walk in and use the front door without any disguises.

And Axel’s Idea ACTUALLY WORKED.😂
May 7, 12:27 PM
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Oct 2022
32
Wait, why did that music upload sound so much like the penis music meme track?
May 7, 12:38 PM

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Apr 2012
23387
Reply to V1P3Rdmk
@RobertBobert

Former I think you might be right like that smile Elaina did at the end might be like “Oh I think I know exactly who this is and where she is going”
But I have a theory that Popcorn might be Elaina’s Childhood friend, just a hunch I might be wrong.

The Latter Idk.They wouldn’t be that stupid to do a bad storyboard.

Also I found this part funny when they were trying to find a way to get into the building where the person who uploaded the test onto soundcloud:

Douglas: We Can’t use the underground car parking, it’s Automated.

Chris: Can’t really find anything high-up to sneak in from here

Leland: Can’t use my drone either, they have a jammer.

Axel: Oh don’t mind me I’m just going to walk in and use the front door without any disguises.

And Axel’s Idea ACTUALLY WORKED.😂
@V1P3Rdmk Well, she literally told them the best hackers earlier, so she obviously at least knew her in general. But then again, phone userpic.

Apparently Axel is one of those people who always choose the easiest way, lmao.
May 7, 3:40 PM

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May 2018
11989
People ranging from "it gets better" to "another horrible episode"...naaah the story and the characterisation are just aggressively mid.
I even would've enjoy it, but it's the great talent waisted in the rest of the is which makes me kind of regret the whole thing existing, since it shows a lot of potential, but never manifests it.

StuartFalcon said:
much like the penis music meme track?

Maybe if you decode the penis music meme track as image it will be a picture of a dick...
May 7, 3:48 PM

Online
Feb 2014
4114
Guys, I might have come to the conclusion that this anime sucks and it's just there to waste our times.
The episodes are just actionslop.
May 7, 3:51 PM

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Apr 2018
459
mid anime man so much hype and almost felt asleep watching this shyte
May 7, 11:00 PM

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Nov 2017
1290
Does Popcorn Wizard get violently murdered? I’d stay tuned for THAT.

Content slop, it’s official. More streaming splooge. Well, I guess there’s always next time, just hope this was part of the previous regime. No wonder they had to sell, literally drunk with content filler. Ironically, almost any anime filler is better than this show.

I want Popcorn John Wicked. Also, it’s racist to make the black guy a scientist, basically shouting that all black people are stupid. Spend five minutes hiring a black person to write and design a real character. :facepalm:

Watanabe should perhaps never make another anime series, dude is cooked, he might be so embarrassed by this he literally pulls a hoppna and disappears into the aether. Or maybe he made enough to make a real show? We can only hope.
May 8, 12:28 AM

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Jan 2021
53
Ah Man, that elevator fight scene,you might only see once a year. it was absolutely amazing..

The animation was just a pure masterpiece this ep deserve 5/5.

I feel like the plot is starting to get a bit repetitive، they always find some lead that points to Skinner, but it ends up going nowhere.


YARUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!.
May 8, 1:20 AM

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Aug 2024
4
The plot is a loop of chasing red herrings(none of the clues are found in any satisfying way), the characters don't get developed, world building and exploring the premise of everyone being doomed? who needs that...
The fight choreography and animation is great though
Hoping the writing/ dialog improves and we get some significant character, worldbuilding and plot development soon because until then my feelings on this anime is the same as most of the characters portrayed feelings toward their likely demise....
Apathy
Microwaved_DaveMay 8, 1:29 AM
May 8, 2:25 AM
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Oct 2024
5
Each episode is more woke than the previous one,Watanabe needs to retire and stop doing shitty series.
May 8, 5:44 AM
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Jun 2007
771
Luring tactics didnt work well :(
That 4 vs 1 elevator fight
May 8, 10:01 AM

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Mar 2010
56241
I was honestly expecting a bit more from da hacker gal.

Behold of my awesomeness~
controversial and/or sensitive topics likely devolve into the same repetitive, derogatory, abusive, and harassing comments can no longer be posted.
But my feels.
May 9, 9:07 AM
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Nov 2021
2
the fights were pretty cool, but hated that annoying hacker girl
May 9, 12:30 PM
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Jan 2021
2
This episode was so fucking mid, that hacker chick in the van was cringe af
May 9, 6:00 PM

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May 2015
41
I am expressing my profound disappointment with the current trajectory of the anime series. The decline in episode quality and apparent budget reductions are concerning. Specifically, the animation quality in the elevator fight scene was noticeably substandard compared to previous episodes.

3/5




[アウサマ95]
May 9, 7:07 PM

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Aug 2018
200
I really believed Axel didn’t take Hapuna, so I was hoping they could still find a cure if things went bad. I even had a theory that Skinner might be lying about everything just to teach humanity a lesson.But now, the monkeys they were testing Hapuna on are starting to die… and even after all that effort to lure out Skinner or his hacker, they haven’t found a single lead. Things are starting to look really bad.
May 10, 2:09 PM

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Jul 2016
9092
That fight in the elevator looked unfinished asf. What a shame.
Also, I will better refrain from saying anything about this Popcorn Wizard's character.

Another pointless episode smh. Practically zero story progression again.
May 11, 12:10 AM

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Aug 2019
3605
Popcorn should definitely join the crew lol
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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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