10 Second Anime - Outbreak Company - Episode 12 [END]

Outbreak Company - Episode 12 [END]

The Last Otaku-kun is a shut-in to be reckoned with. A great end to a story leaving us with wanting more.

Shinichi survived two assassination attempts, but the second was a lot more clever than the first one, probably by design. The first one is obvious, and having an elf-meido personal security squad at the ready is Shinichi's first card to play with his own diplomatic power. Nice Matrix reference too with stopping bullets. I don't think the Japanese government expected this plan to work, but would have been fine if it had, but was put into motion to lull Shinichi's defenses. The second plan was much more effective.

By splitting the Eldant forces by simulating an attack at the castle by their closest enemy territory, luring Shinichi to the school to protect an out-of-print collectors' edition, and confining Minori to the Japanese base, the Japanese government could have plausibly blamed an alliance between the Bahailm and the traditionalist insurgents, even if everyone knew the truth. Minori was especially qualified for this mission, as Matoba reminds her, not only for her fujoshi knowledge, but that she is as socially inept as Shinichi in Japan, meaning she could be just as easily disappeared. "Not having a boyfriend once in her life," she explained it herself in the swimsuit episode. But Shinichi's core council are no slouches, with Minori escaping the camp, helping Elbia just in time, and rescuing Miusel and Shinichi before she ran out of shield magic.

Shinichi's has his own battle to wage with the Prime Minister, to keep the soft power operation going, and by laying down his trump card of Petrarca speaking almost fluent Japanese, the status quo remains in place. However, instead of using a shortage of otaku goods to keep a populace pliant, the operation will stay a cross-cultural outreach program with economic benefits still to hammered out. Matoba shows himself to be the consummate bureaucrat, by holding the information that the Emperor could now understand and speak Japanese from his superiors, just in case he should need some leverage on either party. That Shinichi figured he would have something like that, to save his own life or position, earns him Matoba's respect as a shut-in to be reckoned with.

For the resolution, with an interrupted confession, and asking for a date with a loli-queen, we get our hint of the harem end. Good job, Last Otaku-kun. You completed all the routes in your visual novel.

Final thoughts: For a show that was extremely meta, not just referencing otaku culture and its popular media, but also making inside jokes on the animators and voice actors (Shinichi's weapon of choice as he entered the school was a pair of scissors, which coincides with his voice actor's work as the main character in The Severing Crime Edge), it also hit the right notes for a fantasy visual novel adapted anime. From your main character being a social awkward otaku gaining the interest of an elf-maid, a young queen, and a wolf-girl spy, it plays out like hundreds of other stories. But mix in the social commentary on class systems, economic warfare, and how cultural exchange can change society for good or ill, we had a nicely layered story that was evenly paced and still funny. What a neat little gem. I'm glad I watched this show, and it was one of the few that I looked forward to every week. The Last Otaku really did keep the peace between two nations. Banzai!

____________________