"Going, Going, Gauntlet!" very much feels like a direct companion piece to "Tutorial Mode". Not just in how it serves as the natural continuation to the previous episode's events, but also the fact this is the final part of the initial arc before the show's general, mostly-episodic nature starts to settle in. And while this episode has more rough parts than the earlier two in my opinion, it definitely does a solid job serving its purpose.
Since Miko and Five have now proven themselves within Hinobi's walls, having them deal with an unexpected threat on the field is the right way to amp things up a bit, but they still keep it between just them to allow the duo to shine on their own. Much like last time, Miko and Five do make a couple foolish decisions that make me shake my head at first, but the effort to make things right is more than present and it is really fun to see Miko go insane over her mistakes yet still somehow cathartic when she finally feels sorrow and is willing to relinquish her employment because of it.
The stakes are kept relatively simplistic with not much truly occurring on the surface beyond Miko losing her gauntlet. They do try to introduce other forms of danger, like Ally digitizing her surroundings with her laser breath and the glitch Ginko wreaking havoc, but these conflicts tend to be mostly pushed to the background and/or forgotten about before the effects become truly present, which is definitely one big disadvantage this episode has.
Thankfully, this is the only other episode to be handed to Flying Bark Productions, and their amazing animation more than picks up the writing-based shortcomings. While there aren't as many little visual flairs and consistent polish as there were in "Tutorial Mode", the many action scenes and even several of the comedic ones are so filled to the brim with eye candy that my screencaps alone can't do the experience justice. After this point, Studio 100's work would become the definitive look for the series (with Top Draw picking up the slack later), and while it's certainly a downgrade from this to some degree, there are definitely some amazing visual moments to come, so strap in tight.
These opening establishing shots are nothing too special visually, but the relaxing track and the number of soft sound effects really gives a calming, welcoming atmosphere to start things off. I believe this is also the first time we see the town name Bailley.
While a lot of Miko's first fantasy sequence consists of reused footage from the previous episodes, they do slip in this really impressive shot that - while simplistic in layout - is another good example of Flying Bark showing off their talents. The second screencap is actually part of another complex rotation that looks so much better in motion.
"You've Got Bail" is such a hilarious name for a store. That's all I wanted to say here.
Funny story about this green-haired employee (whose name is Simi BTW). In the original pilot script, she took the role that would later belong to Zahra, so I was correct that they hadn't yet finalized the Bailley team at that point. However, I also said in the last episode that Simi would immediately be abandoned after that point, but not only does she appear here with a line of dialogue, but she would actually appear much later in the series in a different role that I completely failed to connect, but that's a story for another day. So my apologies to any Simi fans that may've been bothered by my lack of research.
Miko's interaction with this customer is brief, but it really speaks as to how well Miko can get along with like-minded individuals, something we really haven't seen before now. "Game on, sister" is said in such an unusually sincere way for her.
This time a new 'glitch-release' CG transition was built from the ground-up, possibly because this was a handheld console. I don't believe there are many more instances of the camera going inside the machine when this happens; as nice as they've looked, they are starting to get old by now.
When re-watching this episode, it definitely feels like they cheated a little on the silhouette to make Ally look menacing, doesn't it? Especially on those eyes. But eh, it gets the job done in terms of the story.
Pretty cool training simulator setup they have going on here. We really don't get that much in-depth exploration into what exactly goes down into the Hinobi base on a day-by-day basis, and shots like these are about as close as we get.
Phil's half-sarcastic, bored line reading as he summarizes Five and Miko's procedures is pretty funny, and something I bet a lot of managers can relate to (especially ones with high turnover rates). His expressions are sadly nowhere near as varied as they were in the previous episode, but eh, he doesn't play an especially big role here anyway.
Fantasy sequence number two is probably the visual highlight of the episode, and where Flying Bark is at their absolute best. The layout is both extremely varied and extremely well thought-out, and they know precisely where to slow down the frame rate, how every action should be timed, and how much energy to put in every drawing. I swear someone in the team threw in this scene just to show off.
The driving animation in this episode isn't the best, but it gets the job done in conveying the humorous insensitivity going on with the autopilot. This shot above of it pulling a 180 before they jump out the trunk looks pretty cool though.
Ally's proper introduction is incredibly well-timed. When this cliched silhouette enters the screen, you're totally expecting the figure to swoop down, possibly menacingly. But the actual drop goes by so fast and is so anticlimatic it gets a pretty big laugh.
Whoever animated this scene had way too much fun with Miko. You can just tell from looking at them that her sanity is so quickly depleting, and Monica Ray does an especially fantastic job with her deliveries. These aren't even all the expressions we get in this scene.
The van's controller stash, with an obvious Wiimote knockoff, another controller resembling the SNES, and an Atari 2600-ish joystick (albeit with a button on the stick itself) clearly visible.
This shot is packed with energy, as the characters rapidly zip between poses and positions here, more so than they usually would. It's an unusual technique for this show, but it really works for bits like this.
In yet another charming visual touch, part of the squirrel's tail chips off after it becomes digitized by Ally's breath. Don't lie, you thought that was poop when you first saw it too.
This goes by really fast, but the reflections in Miko's hair and visor are the kind of gorgeous lighting I practically live for.
Note how much more timid Miko looks in this scene compared to the rest of the episode, well illustrating her guilt for what she has done and helping gain the audience's sympathy. Look at it and tell me you don't want to hug her. But the real standout expression here is Five's pure anxiousness after lying to Phil.
Compare this to Chomp-Kitty's explosion in "Age of Hinobi, Part 2". Ally's struggle to digest the food given to her is much more abstract, leading to crazy drawings like this one. This is another aspect Flying Bark seemed to really excel at.
I said that the anime-like fantasy sequence was the visual highlight of this episode, but this entire sequence of Miko dodging and hopping on Ginko alongside Ally comes very, very close. Not only does the action again hit the right mix of being constantly visually exciting while still remaining easy to follow, but the lighting and shadow work has so much more polish than it has any right to for images this busy. Even the bit of Miko falling off has legitimate suspense thanks to the angle and expression they picked, despite more savvy viewers knowing what's going to happen. Pure art.
Man, does that sunset palette look beautiful and reflect gorgeously on Ally and Miko's own tones. The way the colors are laid out here almost looks like something out of Steven Universe.
Oh hey Mitch, nice that you could get a word of dialogue in this time. Don't fret, we'll be seeing a lot more of him shortly.
Such an adorable and wholesome note to close the episode on.
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