With exactly how much was accomplished in Age of Hinobi, as well as how action-packed and mystery-heavy it was, it seems very natural for the show to take somewhat of a rest before the general formula starts to set in. Granted, there are still clear stakes to this episode like Phil needing to get the branch to pass inspection as well as Miko and Five having to creatively defeat a trash-eating glitch they accidentally unleash. But the decreased scale and scope, with this episode being kept almost entirely inside the Hinobi store and very few characters around, still makes Tutorial Mode feel like somewhat of a breather entry. And while it's definitely somewhat of a comedown, and not especially memorable in the grand scheme of things, I think this episode does its job pretty well.
This is one episode that both showcases each character's clear flaws while still making sure they leave a positive impact on the audience. Even though Miko indirectly causes most of the problems that arise in the episode, for instance, she more than pulls her weight in getting everything resolved and it's hard not to admire her reflexes and energy when she's combating the glitch here. We also get to know BITT and Phil much more, as we start to see a really witty back-and-forth dynamic between them that's present all throughout. And even though Phil clearly isn't the best or most tactful manager in the world, he has some clear integrity to him and it's hard to say he doesn't deserve his job. The writing is somewhat more corny than the previous experience, especially in the kitchen with the various puns going on, but I think it makes sense given how this series is supposed to be somewhat of a throwback to 2000s action cartoons anyway.
In addition, this is the first of two episodes in the series that was sent directly to Flying Bark Productions for animation. And while at first you wouldn't think this episode gives very much to look at compared to other episodes, re-watching it I was surprised by just how incredibly well they worked with what they had. Unsurprisingly, since they're both under the same roof, their style greatly resembles Studio 100's work, but in my opinion with more polish and consistency. There's a lot of little touches that make even the most mundane actions plain fun to look at. And characters that may've looked a little bit off in Age of Hinobi like BITT look much better here.
Overall, this episode may be lighter on substance, but it still manages to showcase just how fun this show can get.
This CG transition, this time going inside Chomp Kitty, I think is partly reused from the beginning of Age of Hinobi. Still looks nice though, and it fits the overdramatic tone this opening scene is going for.
So yeah, Miko and Five are doing that thing where they retell the events we saw, but making them look more heroic. As cliche as it is, it's hard for me not to love it anyway because of the added visual flair. This one shot alone has this beyond incredible rotation on Five that you must see to believe, ending on this equally impressive pose. Already, Flying Bark is more than proving their worth.
Just... look at that explosion and tell me it's not absolutely beautiful.
Weirdly enough, Phil is probably one of the characters who benefits best under Flying Bark's talents, as he gets numerous memorable expressions throughout despite his role in the episode being fairly one-note. This one is very simple on face value but communicates a lot.
One downside, however, is that the portal doesn't look nearly as nice as it did in the previous episode, though that may've been a budgetary reason. Also it's opened by lockers and not a controller input this time.
Along with Mitch, Zahra, and Nix (not in this shot), Haneesh first appears here in a voiceless cameo. Plus another extra that I believe got abandoned after this. Also, what exactly is Mitch watching on there?
This shot where Miko tries to escape Helpy only for him to end up in front of her with every step is pretty hilarious. And as far as Clippy parodies go, Helpy is very on-point in terms of the annoyance factor, the patronizing factor, and even why some found him kind of charming. And the fact its stated later in the episode that the tutorial is 'outdated' makes this analogy even better.
There's a lot of great physical timing between him and Phil throughout this scene in general, with Phil having to constantly shove BITT out of the way when he tries to remind of the e-mail. But easily the best moment is BITT's "oh crap" face when the inspector first walks in.
Well, that's really bizarrely morbid-looking. Like, I don't know about you, but I feel the pain just looking at these stills almost *too* well. Oof...
Gee, I wonder what real-world company Hinobi is supposed to represent... In all seriousness though, it's pretty impressive the crew had come up with a solid company history this early on.
I love this incredibly smug face on Miko, totally willing to go along with Five's blatant hypocrisy. Also, note the controller is somewhat of a hybrid between the NES and early Genesis controllers.
...Well, that's a joke that hasn't aged well.
These are two of Phil's better expressions across the episode. He's constantly trying to go through the inspection with cautious optimism and nerve, as most of us would, and we constantly sense that through his reactions alone. It adds a lot of likability to the character that we didn't really get before.
You gotta love when BITT showcases these awesome gadgets of his and uses them in badass ways (in this case, forcing the door open), all while keeping that default smile on him. He needs more moments like this.
So this is a relatively simple action being displayed: Miko picking up a mop and preparing to use it as a weapon. And yet Flying Bark decided to give it the single best bit of animation in the episode, with such fluid movements and unique camera work (note the panel-based cinematography in the second image, which comes up a lot across this episode). I love it.
And just 30 seconds later, we get yet another bit that comes pretty close in terms of energy in my opinion. The impact on Five doesn't read too well as a still, but it goes by so fast in motion (along with the inertia implied in the first image) that you can just feel it.
When getting a rotten egg sandwich out of a vending machine gets this kind of comic book-esque staging, that's when you know you're in for a visually exciting series.
Miko tries to assure Five that Phil may not know the loose glitch was their fault, and we get treated to... this. Whoa. It's the vein and eye lights that really tie it together for me.
You see those glitch artifacts surrounding the slime and ring areas? Those persist throughout this entire shot, and it's a really neat effect. I always appreciate it when animators go the complete extra mile like that.
This may not look too impressive in stills, and it's not as attractive as the transformation sequence in the previous episode, but this mecha formation is really well executed, largely thanks to the camera angles making every action look as dramatic as possible.
Demented expression on Five aside, you gotta love the attention to detail with the reflections and detailed layout in this little hub.
The speed of Miko performing a complex button-combo here is downright infectious, and as said earlier, it's one of those little touches that makes one truly admire Miko as a gamer.
Even the brief scene of the mech washing off all of the garbage and slime has a lot of attractive visual flair to it with how well the coloring compliments the hallway and robot. We also get this pretty funny blink-and-you-miss-it image of BITT out of it.
I really can't think of many Mikos that look more perfect than this one.
And we end on a really well-lit cliffhanger of sorts, where this mysterious voice considers the possible value of Miko and Five. I believe we still don't know where this will lead, but that is why we need to keep #RenewGlitchTechs alive.
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