Chained Soldier Episode 3 Review

Going on a Date with Kyouka

Chained Soldier Episode 3 was pretty alright. It didn’t have as much Shushu content as Episode 2, so that’s a bummer. But, I guess if you’re a Kyouka fan, then you probably thought this episode was great.

There was quite a bit of Kyouka fan service this week, starting right at the beginning of the episode. But, this first bit of fan service isn’t the kind that most people think of. It wasn’t ecchi fan service. It was wholesome fan service. We got to see Kyouka in casual clothes eating a parfait.

I’m not a huge Kyouka fan. So, this fan service didn’t really do it for me. And, I’m not sure that this kind of fan service fits Shushu. But, I’d be interested in it if it involved Himari. She seems cuter than Kyouka. I like her character design.

Now, there was another reason for this date. Kyouka wanted to bring Yuuki to the grave of those lost in the Mato event that happened in her hometown. This was so she could introduce Yuuki to her reason for joining the Mato Defense Force: Revenge.

When Kyouka was a child, her town suffered a Mato event, with multiple Shuuki attacking. But, there was one Shuuki that stood out from the others. It had a large horn and caused the most damage. And, this Shuuki was the only one to escape back to Mato after the attack.

So, why did Kyouka join the MDF? And why does she take her job so seriously? Because she wants to hunt down the Unihorn, as she calls it, and get her revenge.

The obvious point of all of this was to introduce the main antagonist of the series. But, what surprised me is that it’s not the Unihorn.

Yuuki’s Older Sister

The big reveal of the episode was that Yuuki’s older sister is one of the antagonists. We previously knew that she went missing during a Mato event. And, the assumption was that she died. But, it turns out that’s not what happened.

Aoba Wakura somehow became a Mato alien. We don’t know how it happened yet. But, I’m going to guess it has something to do with the other Mato alien who looks older than her. Not Coco. But, the one who I don’t believe we got a name for. She seems like the leader.

Let’s talk about the relationship between Kyouka, Yuuki, Aoba, and the Unihorn. I found it interesting that, despite Kyouka’s past, the Unihorn doesn’t seem to be her main enemy. It’s Aoba. Kyouka and Aoba are foils of each other. And, that means Yuuki and the Unihorn are, as well.

But, there’s something even more interesting about the Aoba reveal than that. She still seems to be the same person she was before the incident. She still knows who her brother is and wants to reunite with him. And, she still has her same fiery personality. So, it doesn’t seem like she was corrupted in any way.

It makes me wonder why she joined the Mato side. Was she threatened? Was it the only way she could survive within Mato? Neither of those really makes sense given her current personality. It’s not like she wanted Yuuki to save her once she realized who he was.

Instead, it’s more like she has some information that’s led her to believe she’s on the right side of the war. It feels like she wants to bring Yuuki over to her side. So, what could have caused this? Doesn’t she realize the Shuuki kill people?

Never a Dull Moment with the 7th Squad

Toward the end of the episode, the Shushu enjoyers got some uncensored fan service. But, I actually preferred the ecchi Kyouka fan service from earlier in the episode. Not the date, but the panty shots. Those were good.

My problem with the Shushu fan service we got in the bath is that Shushu isn’t exactly my type. She’s my favorite character of the series because, so far, she seems like the most fun. But, if we’re going by physical attraction, I’d have to pick Himari over Shushu.

So, of course, I was glad that we got a bit of ecchi Himari fan service in the end, too. But, the Himari fan service led into the introduction of two new characters. And, this is actually what I want to talk about.

The two new characters are Tenka Izumo and Yachiho Azuma. Let’s start with Yachiho since her name should be somewhat familiar to you. Not her given name, but her family name. Azuma is Himari’s family name. My guess is that Yachiho is Himari’s older sister. Though, they could also be twins.

And, since Yachiho is in the 6th Squad, we can assume that means she’s stronger than Himari in some way. At least, I think the MDF squads are numbered in terms of strength, with the 1st Squad being the strongest. On top of that, there appears to be some sibling rivalry between Himari and Yachiho.

Tenka Izumo is the commander of the 6th Squad and also the main girl from the ED. When I first saw the ED, I was surprised by that. Why wasn’t Kyouka the main girl? Why do we see Tenka playing with (Yuuki’s) collar? I guess we’ll find out next week.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Chained Soldier Episode 3? Which of the 6th Squad girls would you want to go on a date with? Why do you think Yuuki’s older sister joined the Mato side? And, what do you think Tenka’s relationship is with Kyouka? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 4 is available now.