Princess Connect! Re: Dive (Episode 3) – The Epicurean Frontier ~Heavenly Fruit Is the Secret Ingredient~

Kokkoro has collected an application form to create a guild. Now, she just has to convince Pecorine and Karyl to join them, which may be harder than they think. Maybe a nice meal of bugs will do it…
Princess Connect! Re: Dive (Episode 3) – The Epicurean Frontier ~Heavenly Fruit Is the Secret Ingredient~
What happened?
Yuuki and Kokkoro find Karyl outside a restaurant and soon realize that Pecorine is inside too. They decide to go in and have some lunch so that they can discuss the guild. Karyl is hungry, but since she’s trying to destroy Pecorine she is not willing to join in. When she finally gives in, it would appear that Pecorine has eaten all of the regular ingredients, so she asks for the secret menu! Several plates appear with a lavishly prepared meal consisting of various insects. After being forced fed a grub, Karyl reluctantly eats the rest, surprised at how good it is. However, when it comes to starting a guild, she’s not interested, until her superior changes her assignment. Karyl returns to the restaurant to join their guild when a brute of a man enters and demands the bug meal, but his plan is to shut down the place!

What did you think?
So this series took a little bit of a detour from what I was expecting. It was a fun episode and the animation is still amazing, but I was expecting more of an adventure quest in which Yuuki would try to regain his memories while trying to stop something big from happening. Now, it appears that we’re entering a cooking show where their guild is focused on finding amazing menus and ingredients. Thinking back, it’s been hinted at in previous episodes, but having not played the game this is based on, I was a little blindsided. Hopefully, it will find some way to incorporate both as I worry about a story that is solely based on food keeping me interested. Still, it looks beautiful.

What have you learnt?
It feels like we’ve got the setup out of the way and now the actual story can begin. I’m going to be interested to see what direction it goes in and whether food-based quests can sustain a fantasy series. I’ve never had any interest in cooking shows so I am a little nervous, especially after I enjoyed the first two episodes so much. At least, I like the characters enough to focus on them and hope that there is an interesting story to grab onto. It’s still well ahead of Shironeko and Shachibato, but this feels like a bit of a road bump. I guess the thing that I’ll be thinking about most from this is how to ensure that the audience isn’t hit with any big changes that they maybe weren’t expecting.

Other reviews in the series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – The Adventure Begins ~Sautéed Mushrooms at Sunset~
- Episode 2 – A Moody Cat’s Mischief ~Warm, Golden Rice Balls~
- Episode 3 – The Epicurean Frontier ~Heavenly Fruit Is the Secret Ingredient~
- Episode 4 – Welcome to the Gourmet Guild ~Beef Stew at Nightfall~
- Episode 5 – Porridge Made With Love ~Topped with a Twilight Fate~
- Episode 6 – Melody of Departure ~Aromatic Spices under the Starry Sky~
- Episode 7 – A Light to Pierce the Darkness ~Like Two Sisters in a Pod~
- Episode 8 – A Little, Lyrical Kids’ Meal ~Country-Style Fried Eggs~
- Episode 9 – A Gourmet Getaway ~Fragrant Tentacles on the Beach~
- Episode 10 – Flowers in Eternal Darkness ~Cursed Pudding~
- Episode 11 – Evening Home ~A Crispy Quest Hot Dog~
- Episode 12 – The Whimsical Patissier’s Specialty ~A Memory of Labyrinths and Crepes~
- Episode 13 – Lost Princess ~Garnished with Smiles~
- Season Two
- Episode 14 – A Walk on the Gourmet Side ~Curiosity Is the Best Bouquet Garni~
- Episode 15 – A Moody Cat’s Hesitation ~Antipasto in the Moonlight~
- Episode 16 – Tea Party in the Mysterious Forest ~Afternoon Carries the Scent of Danger~
- Episode 17 – The Budding Detective ~Mirror Glaze on the Mind~
- Episode 18 – Light and Darkness as One ~Churrasco of Indecision and Resolve~
- Episode 19 – Code Name: Monika ~Bouillabaisse Is Best Enjoyed Hot~
- Episode 20 – The Prankster Pixie ~Cuore in the Mist~
- Episode 21 – A Letter to Join Feelings ~Arancini on the Green Hill~
- Episode 22 – Converging Hearts, Passing Souls ~Crepes the Flavor of a Promise~
- Episode 23 – Landosol at Sundown
- Episode 24 – Those Who Fight Back
- Episode 25 – Connecting the Pieces with You Once More
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