Prison School

Episode 7

After Shingo discovers a figurine's miniature sword on the bathroom floor, Gakuto becomes the next target of the Underground Student Council's operation to expel the boys. (Gakuto plays with his limited edition figures—in the bathroom, no less—instead of keeping them pristine in box? Collectors everywhere are sure to shudder.) Meanwhile, Shingo continues to reap the benefits of his betrayal and is even allowed to leave campus for several hours on the condition that he buy snacks for Meiko. While killing time at a local arcade, he meets a playful upperclassman from his school that he immediately feels a connection with.

When you consider that the entire plot hinges on the bizarre imprisonment of teenagers at a school, it seems obvious that the Underground Student Council will succeed at every turn. How else is the series expected to maintain its status quo? However, now that their goal has become expelling the boys instead of finding ways to extend their sentence, perhaps things aren't as cut-and-dry as they initially seemed. For example, when Meiko attempts to psychologically torture a confession out of Gakuto, things end in a surprisingly unexpected fashion. As usual, the show does a great job of making a low-stakes situation seem far more dramatic than it actually is. Gakuto seems to be sacrificing so much more than he actually is to save the others.

The heavy soundtrack also helps Prison School inject more seriousness into its proceedings. Like the relentlessly dark atmosphere, this works to the show's benefit. As the members of the Underground Student Council discuss the next phase of their plan, ultimately deciding to target Andre, the orchestra music swells like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

This week shines more of a spotlight on Meiko than we've seen in previous episodes. A few weeks back, it was revealed that this seemingly fearless sadist sexpot is sweat-inducingly terrified of President Mari. Mari, cold and calculating as always, has yet to actually say or do anything worthy of this level of fear. Sure, she runs an underground student government, delights in keeping prisoners illegally, and holds an incredible amount of sway over her father, the chairman of the school, but she seems to treat her colleagues respectfully enough. It could be that Meiko derives pleasure from Mari's coldness—as her insistence that Mari paddle her might suggest—but it's difficult to draw the distinction between what's meant to titillate viewers and what constitutes a genuine fetish of her character.

It's somewhat farfetched that Mari, Meiko and Hana would devote themselves to punishing boys for their perversions, despite having no qualms about watching prisoners urinate and showing off ample amounts of skin. Even when Meiko is finally forced to wear a blouse and tights, it's all part of a punishment from her beloved commander. This makes the whole thing more perverted than the characters should accept, unless they're going to go through a character arc in which they recognize their inherent hypocrisy. However, I sincerely doubt that's going to happen.

Because Prison School incorporates so many over-the-top elements, it's not the kind of show that invites over-thinking, but it's hard to refrain from doing so when the material is presented so seriously. Nevertheless, the series wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if it didn't do such a good job of making everything seem so much more serious than it ought to be, so that's not a bad thing.

Rating: B+

Prison School is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.