Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima

Episode 7

This episode was marginally better than last week's as Hypnosis Mic struggled to pick a focus in the first act before settling on Best Boy Doppo and his first heartbreak betrayal.

A lot of threads were laid down early on that will probably be explained later, but suffice to say there was very little on-screen action on the Division Battle front even though preliminaries are well underway. It seems like the show is hand waving the early stuff because it should be evident that Buster Bros., Matenrou, Fling Posse, and Mad Trigger Crew will make it to the finals. I probably had too much Haikyu!! on the brain when I assumed there'd be some low-stakes rival groups introduced, followed by face-offs where key members recount some disappointment or trauma before overcoming it thanks to the support of their friends/loved ones.

Instead we've got another "rap groups solves a crime" plot, this time focusing squarely on Doppo. No one is dead in his apartment this time; instead, there's a series of burglaries that coincidentally line up with Matenrou's Division Battle shows. Meanwhile, Doppo continues to suffer from overwork from his cruel boss but finds a new sense of confidence when he meets his coworker Kazuha. Kazuha offers to help Doppo with his work assignments and confesses that he's a fan of his rapping. The two begin to hang out more and build a rapport that invigorates Doppo.

That is, until Jakurai learns that the robberies are being pulled off by using expensive medical equipment. It just so happens that Doppo and Kazuha work for a medical supply company. Doppo quickly puts two and two together and discovers that Kazuha is part of the robberies and plans to make off with the stolen goods at the Yokohama docks. Heartbroken, he defeats Kazuha in a Mic battle.

This episode is hard for me to rate because while it is very much the same as the last six episodes preceding it, I love Doppo. He's a good boy and deserves friends, even if they're criminals. I also can't decide if I'm pleased that the show is defying my expectations by not going into a "tournament arc" or disappointed that I'm not getting more show-stopping rap battle performances. I guess this is a solid "eh" with the caveat of "but Doppo!"

Rating:

Also, about those loose threads: Assuming I didn't somehow miss important details, I think Jyuto is being set-up by his coworkers to miss his Division Battle next week. Also, we got a little bit of backstory about Tom Whisper Weathercock and his past as a war photographer that brought him to crossing paths with Jakurai. Apparently Jakurai had an assistant who is now in a mysterious coma and that's what drives Jakurai to rap (no really).

Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima is currently streaming on Funimation.