Otherside Picnic (Episode 1) – Wiggle-Waggle Hunting

Otherside Picnic Title

Sorawo finds herself on the Otherside and it looks like it’s the end for her, but then another girl, the first person she’s ever seen on the Otherside, finds her and pulls her back. But where will this new friendship end?

What happened?

Sorawo was busy contemplating her death. Would anyone miss her? Probably not. At least not until her student loans weren’t being paid. She had all but resigned herself to her demise when she heard the voice of another person. Another person here? That was a first. She tried to warn the voice to not look at the monster or else they would both die.

Then, Sorawo found herself sinking deeper and deeper. It looked like the end. It felt like the end, but then someone pulled her back. It was the voice, a schoolgirl by the name of Toriko. Sorawo again told her not to look at the monster, but Toriko couldn’t help herself. She reeled back in pain as it tried to take over her mind.

Sorawo wanted to look away too but found herself staring into its eye. Its big red-eye and murderous gaze. That was when Toriko acted, throwing a piece of rock salt at it. It hit and the monster crumbled leaving behind a strange cubic mirror that reflected everything but them.

Otherside Picnic Episode 1 Sorawo Kamikoshi

They ran back to the real world and faced one final scare before the doorway between worlds was severed. Toriko seemed to be having more fun than Sorawo, but then she did have a gun for protection. Before going their separate ways, Toriko asked for Sonao’s phone number so that they could go together again.

Of course, Sorawo wasn’t too sure about that, but Toriko managed to track her down and convinced her to go hunt more of those monsters. She had found a buyer for the cubic mirror and they wanted more. Toriko took Sorawo to an elevator in a train station at the end of the line and proceeded to make it bounce between floors. When the door opened, there was occasionally something waiting to get in.

Eventually, they found their way to the Otherside and searched for a Wiggle-waggle, the name Sorawo had given the monsters. It wasn’t long before they did and Toriko threw a chunk of rock salt once more. It didn’t work. The creature stared them down, making them dizzy as it tried to get inside their heads. Sorawo worked out that it would only be tangible when she looked at it, which gave Toriko a chance to strike.

Otherside Picnic Episode 1 Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina on the Otherside

What did you think?

There was something about this series that caught my eye when it aired. I knew that I had to add it to my to-watch list. I love a good mystery especially when it has quirky science fiction elements. The best thing about waiting until the season has ended is that I can watch all of the episodes in quick succession and for a series like this, I think that’s crucial. There’s no way I want to wait another week before watching the next episode and thankfully, I won’t have to.

This episode was fascinating. We were thrown into the deep end in so many ways. Literally, everything is a mystery right now. We don’t know anything about Sorawo and Toriko, the Otherside, the monsters, or even the state of the real world. It would appear that people are finding their way across, but we don’t know if it’s an accident or intentional. There are so many questions and it did an amazing job of pulling me in. I’m desperate to find out more.

Otherside Picnic Episode 1 Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina

What have you learnt?

So, on top of the mysterious nature of the story, the characters, and the world, this episode really went out of its way to make you feel uncomfortable. There were numerous shots where the angles were off. Not crazy off, but enough to make you feel odd. I loved that and while that wouldn’t necessarily translate to the written word, I’d love to explore a way to create a similar feeling.

The idea of tiny elements being weird enough for your subconscious to catch but not enough to pull you from the story is a fascinating idea and something that would be worth exploring. This seems like it would be ideal for short stories, especially as it would allow you to really experiment with the concept.

Otherside Picnic Episode 1 Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina fighting the Wiggle-Waggle

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What did you think?