Let me start this comment by saying that I normally don't have a problem when a TV show grinds the main story to a halt and delivers an episode or 2 to explain a character's backstory. When it's done well, it can help you care about the character in question; when it's done poorly, this is what happens. The best thing about W'z and its predecessor Hand Shakers was the character writing. Unfortunately, the character writing was this episode's biggest failing.
Reijiro and Yukine are not bad, they just need good characterization to be enjoyable. They were much better in the main W'z than in this prequel. It's hard to believe these two would grow up to become the loving and wise parents that offer Yukiya guidance and counsel. While they have sympathetic backstories, that doesn't really make it easier for me to feel glad for them when they become Hand Shakers, what with Reijiro being angry and bitter all the time and Yukine just submitting to him. Jun Fukuyama and Yoko Hikasa are great actors and their chemistry is amazing, but unfortunately, that just makes this episode an even bigger missed opportunity.
Their character development could have worked better for an extended string of episodes, but Studio GoHands, for whatever reason, decided to tell that story in just 1 episode. It makes no sense and just alienates viewers. Besides, this episode barely makes an effort to tie into the larger story. The Hand Shakers saga is not bad, it just needed some serious polishing, but this episode fails at delivering it. Hopefully, the saga will continue in some other form, because these characters and their stories deserve better. |