The Fruit of Grisaia

Episode 13

With the recently announced sequels to The Fruit of Grisaia, it seemed likely that this series would end in a semi-open way. As it turns out, that's precisely what happened. While the events of the actual episode are resolved, the truth about Yuuji's sister isn't, even after he and Amane make the trip to the crash site and discover a note Kazuki buried for her friend years ago. Did she then die? Survive? We can only guess, although the preview for the sequel implies that that question may eventually be answered. What this episode deals with instead is the crazed father of one of Amane's dead teammates, who has been planning to kill Amane for surviving while his daughter did not. He charges the school while Yuuji and Amane are at the mountain, taking the other four girls hostage until Amane comes back to be killed. What he's not counting on is Yuuji, Yuuji's connections, and his insane sniper skills. There's not really any true fear that the girls won't survive this incident, but the episode manages to be very tense nonetheless. The deranged father is a scary villain in his own right, so totally unhinged by his daughter's death that he is utterly beyond reason. We see glimpses of his old self in the way he is willing to take two of the girls to the bathroom, but it is eclipsed by his crazed smile and jumpy trigger finger...to say nothing of how he molests Amane when she eventually enters the classroom.

It is worth noticing that the sexual content is consistently higher during Amane-based episodes than it is elsewhere in the series. Previously we had a sex scene, before that Amane masturbating, and now we see the bad guy get an erection while he prods Amane's breast with his gun. The sexual content does add to the general air of danger in Amane's story, which feels much more likely than the other girls' pasts, or at least sounds more like something we've heard on the news before, but it still is a little strange to only find it here.

Also enhancing the episode is the fact that most of it takes place at twilight, making it difficult to discern the details of what's going on in the classroom, which certainly heightens the tension. It also raises the question of the feasibility of Yuuji's shot – the less light, the less likely, right? (Maybe in a different show...) He unfortunately remains pretty unlikable to the end, saving the girls without any real sense that he's emotionally invested in it, although his words would indicate that he is. It is also a little unsettling that each and every arc has him saving the girls from either physical or emotional danger, and that in this finale he manages to save everyone from both things at once. In all fairness, it is also clear that the girls are using their own skills to facilitate this rescue, which does show some sort of story progress.

The series wraps up with Yuuji feeling like he belongs, even if things aren't exactly what you'd call normal. That's kind of nice. Too bad it's the only thing that really feels resolved here, with threats still lingering should anyone slip up and the question of both Yuuji's past and Kazuki's present left unanswered. While that is what sequels are for, it does take away from the feeling of satisfaction finishing a series can bring. It also continues the generally rushed sensation the entire series has fostered, as if we were trying to get to a certain point and thirteen episodes later still may not have gotten there. Interestingly enough, the preview for the next two series is as crowded and rushed as parts of this series have felt. I hope that's not a bad sign, because The Fruit of Grisaia has a lot of potential to be an impressive story. This season didn't quite manage it, so let's hope that in the future the original games' transition to television goes a little more smoothly.

Rating: B

The Fruit of Grisaia is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.