Otherside Picnic (Episode 7) - Resort Night at the World's Edge

Sorawo and Toriko escaped from the Otherside and found themselves in Okinawa. And since they’re there they might as well go to the beach and blow off some steam! What’s the worst that could happen?

What happened?

After their last trip to the Otherside, they were well within their rights to have a nice quiet day by the beach. They ate, drank, went shopping and passed out at a hotel. Sorawo woke first and was a little slow to remember what had happened. She opened the curtains and stared out at the bright blue sea.

Toriko stirred from the bed, pulling the sheets over her head to escape the light. Sorawo tried to wake her but then realised that Toriko was naked. Had she slept in the same bed as a naked girl? It certainly seemed that way. Anyhow, it’s time to head to the beach.

However, on the way to the beach, they fell asleep in the taxi and woke up on the Otherside. It was still a beach so why not make the most of it. Sorawo checked the area to see if she could see anything that they should worry about. All seemed clear. They even checked the nearby beach cabin to make sure nothing was hiding from them.

Otherside Picnic Episode 7 Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina at the Otherside Beach resort

Happy that everything was safe, they went and dipped their feet in the sea and were quite relieved to feel somewhat normal again. They decided that they should do all the things normal people do at the beach, but they had no supplies for a barbecue and none of the other stuff sounded like fun. So, they decided to do some shooting and practice their aim.

Sorawo took a while to warm up but got there in the end. Toriko, however, is an amazing shot and showed off her skills. Then, they heard some noises coming from across the beach and ran to see what was going on. They found a group of guys beating another kid. In fact, they killed him. Toriko aimed her gun but hesitated when they ran towards them.

Sorawo didn’t hesitate and started shooting. After they had stopped all of their attackers, Sorawo pointed out that they weren’t human. Moments later, one of them climbed back to its feet and started talking about another urban legend. More creatures appeared from the beach cabin and others washed up on the shore.

They tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. Then, Sorawo remembered they had Lady Hasshaku’s hat which she could use to create a gate back to the normal world. Once they were back, Sorawo spotted a woman looking through the gate at them. Could it be Satsuki?

Otherside Picnic Episode 7 Trash Monsters

What did you think?

Oh yeah! This episode got really creepy towards the end. I love it when I can feel my body reacting to what’s happening on the screen. It’s amazing to think that a little music and some weird creatures can make your skin crawl. That’s one thing this series has been really good at and I’m grateful for that.

I think I’ve got to point out that there was definitely some continuity errors here as the girls went to the Otherside without their guns in the last arc and certainly didn’t jump on the Meat Train with semi-automatic rifles, let alone conceal them in their bags in Okinawa. I read that the order of the arcs had been moved around for the anime and it seems that no one is paying attention to the finer details. That said, I still love it.

Otherside Picnic Episode 7 Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina scared

What have you learnt?

I will champion character-driven stories at every opportunity I can. A great plot can make a memorable story, but great characters will make the audience come back over and over again. There’s something about wanting to spend time with them that will gloss over a weaker plot. That said, a character-driven story with a good plot is obviously what you should aim for.

So, with Toriko and Sorawo I think we’ve got a couple of pretty interesting characters. There’s obviously still a lot that we’re not being told, but what we have learnt just opens up more questions and makes me want to know more about them. I’m loving the creepy vibe and mysterious air that this story exudes, but it’s all the better for being able to hang with these two. I can’t wait to see what they do next!