Smalltown Otaku

Game, book and anime reviewer. Let's discuss stuff!

[sm0lltownotaku]

So last week's Takt op. Destiny basically confirmed one of my suspicions: some small towns and cities have been completely cut off from any protection by the Symphonica. No power, no phone lines, no way out.

It's so much like IRL conflicts, it's depressing.

[sm0lltownotaku]

Fashion in Boys Run the Riot pt.2

-Fashion Fridays-

New outfits, more drama and the same kickass style! The second part of this installment of Fashion Fridays is filled with a play on boxy silhouettes and awesome jackets.

I love the way Keito Gaku designs his fashion in manga.

From left to right we start with Ryo wearing that fabulous plaid sport coat over a black shirt, the contrast he manages to design is simple but it looks great! He’s also wearing baggy pants and black sneakers. Ryo looks great.

Next up is Jin with the flashiest shirt ever. Black and yellow rayon long-sleeve shirt. Look at the puffy sleeves! Look at the black buttons! Look at the circle decal in the left side of the chest! Such a great color blocking piece. Jin wears his shirt tucked into baggy jeans and all-white Air Force lows with black socks.

Last comes Itsuka, with a very classic normcore aesthetic: collar shirt under white sweater, black jeans and black shoes. He’s also carrying around a white totebag.

                          (Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Boyz N the Hood”)

Mizuki here on the left wearing a black leather jacket, black slim-fit jeans and a white shirt. Classic rebel outfit.

Ryo on the other hand, showing a completely different style: baggy jeans with the industrial belt hanging from his right hip, baggy white t-shirt under oversized pinstripe shirt. I think this is the first all around baggy outfit we’ve seen from Ryo.

Ryo´s next appearance is in a comfy boxy fit. He’s wearing baggy jeans with a pocket chain on his left side, a black hoodie under an amazing bomber jacket. And he’s also using a pendant to accesorize! Our boy is trying new things that make him feel comfortable!

Ryo looks so good with this outfit!

Mizuki and Ryo with their “out in the town” outfits. We see Mizuki with slim-fit jeans and black shirt tucked into them, a nice plaid shirt completes her outfit. I really like the lenght of this shirt, because it’s just tastefully oversized and she looks great.

Ryo wearing his sports coat over a white shirt and his classic sweat pants with the lateral stripe. Very subdued fit from Ryo. The silhoutte is very boxy and he looks good, but I wish he’d change his pants once in a while.

Itsuka with the normcore on the left, baggy sweater over a collar shirt and his baggy pants are pinrolled to perfection. Maybe Jin and Ryo are rubbing off on him? He’s wearing black shoes and he looks pretty relaxed.

Jin’s wearing a horizontal striped long-sleeved shirt, he wears it slightly baggy and it look amazing with the black jeans. He accesorizes with a pendant and a pocket chain on his left hip.

Mizuki takes it home with this sick outfit. Black tights under cut-off shorts is just a great combination. But then she pairs this with a boxy denim shirt with the rolled sleeves! Girl knows her silhouettes. I completely understand why Ryo thinks she and Jin are very similar. Both Mizuki and Jin are bold in their fashion, and they love playing with shapes and oversized pieces in their outfits. I love it!

So who was wearing your favourite outfit?

Let me know!

[sm0lltownotaku]

First , he went to see his brother.

Later, he went to see his friend.

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Jack Frost HEE-HO'd his way into my heart

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Some stills from Episode 4

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Some stills from Episode 4

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Lenny knows a lot more than he’s letting on

Episode 4 of Takt Op. Destiny gives us a glimpse of how messed up the world has become after the D2s attacked. It gave me the impression the Symphonica hasn’t managed to keep things under control.

Takt and Destiny are training in a desert road, doing target practice with a D2 they found, supervised by Lenny and Titan. Destiny is having a hard time with her aim, she keeps missing her shots. Once Lenny notices Takt and Destiny are running out of steam, he instructs Titan to destroy the D2 and puts an end to the lesson.

Takt is annoyed about having to fight, since he is a musician, not a warrior. Lenny explains that he needs to deal with being a Conductor, if they want to arrive safely to New York. He mentions that Destiny has very strong fighting instincts and Takt needs to meet her halfway, they need to train together and build rapport.

While Lenny is speaking with Takt, we see this cute scene in the background where Titan is teaching Destiny how to hold her own gun. It’s adorable.

A yellow truck stops on the highway and a young man calls out to them, wondering why they’re in the middle of the desert. Lenny recognizes the young man from one of his past missions and greets him. His name is Jonatan and he’s delighted to see Lenny and Titan. We learn Jonatan’s town was decimated by the D2s a while ago, and he along with the survivors were relocated to a refugee camp. Jonatan mentions that he and some other people have recently moved to work in a farm in Las Vegas, and that their life is quiet and peaceful. He offers the group to take them there to eat and rest.

Once they get to Las Vegas, we can definitely tell it is not casino-town anymore. Sure, the buildings are still there, but there are farms as far as the eye can see. Jonatan leads them through a corn field to meet his partner, Maggie, who is also very happy to see Lenny and Titan. Their reunion is cut short when Mr.Lang intervenes, and he is a creepy, creepy dude. Jonatan introduces him as the owner of the farm. Mr. Lang is curious about Lenny being a Symphonica Conductor, and invites him over to have dinner. Lenny declines, he has a previous engagement with Jonatan and Maggie.

During their dinner at the couple’s home, the group learn that the Symphonica recommended the farm to a lot of people as a good place to live and work. It is peaceful, they have a house, food on the table and Mr. Lang is a kind employer.

After dinner, Takt meets Lenny outside on the porch, he mentions that Lenny kept real quiet about the D2s they found in the desert. Lenny says he’d rather keep Jonatan and Maggie safe from the chaos, as they seem to have found a nice life after their own tragedy back in their hometown.

Here is another tidbit that we’ve come to learn about how the Symphonica handles things and the situation of the country: some towns have been completely cut off from communication, no telephones, no radios, no television. It is entirely possible that many, many towns have no idea the D2s are attacking other human settlements. It is terrifying.

Lenny tries to encourage Takt into training to be a better Conductor, and mentions that being a musician, he’d be great at getting in tune with Destiny’s power. After all, what could a musician desire more than being able to completely be in sync with music?

Later that night, Lenny and Titan meet with Mr. Lang in his fancy house. Lenny asks Mr. Lang if he’ll let them play, and just to drive the point home, he sets down a large amount of money in front of him. That’s a yes from Mr. Lang.

Meanwhile, the girls and Takt are getting ready to go to bed, but Destiny perceives a low resonation on the walls and the floor of the house. She follows the vibration across the room with her hands until she determines the presence of D2s nearby. They decide to follow Destiny’s hunch and find themselves in an abandoned and rundown lot, filled with broken-down cars and rubble. 

Destiny tracks the vibration through a large area and into a very elegant pool deck, filled with rich people, waiters and armed guards. Welcome to Las Vegas, indeed.

Destiny makes her way to the guards, following the low resonation to the bulding they’re guarding, and takes them out swiftly. The group is completely taken aback after opening the door and finding a shiny, loud casino inside. Destiny continues tracking the vibration through the floor.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lang shows Lenny and Titan the casino, and he’s very proud of all the work he’s put in to build it. Lenny mentions that the government gave him a nice grant for the farms outside, and Mr. Lang remarks that the Symphonica also played a big part in establishing the casino, that’s why he has a few select customers from the Symphonica that come to play from time to time.

Mr. Lang´s guards radio-in an intruder alert, identifying Takt, Anna and Destiny, while they’re wrecking havoc throughout the slot machines downstairs. Lenny plays dumb, but Mr. Lang is not having it and orders his guards to point their guns at him. Titan takes them out, no care in the world. She rocks.

Destiny suddenly stops in the middle of the casino floor and warns them about incoming D2s. Sure enough, three D2s break through the floor and terrorrize the people inside the casino. These D2s are kinda cute, not gonna lie.

Destiny and Takt get into action, and Lenny takes the opportunity to give them a few lessons on how to defeat the D2s efficiently. The first lesson is to defeat a D2 with 2 shots, the third lesson is to defeat the second D2 with a single hit of the sword and the third lesson is to incorporate the first two lessons into defeating the final D2. Destiny and Takt manage to sync for the first time, their eyes changing with golden accent in the iris, and destroy the D2s.

During the commotion, Mr. Lang attempts to escape, carrying bags filled with cash, he runs through the abandoned lot, desperate to flee. Titan’s caught up to him and declares he’s a piece of trash for taking advantage of people in need.

The next day, Takt and Lenny are saying their goodbyes, Takt remarking on how Lenny has chosen to protect innocent people in his wandering lifestyle. Lenny  mentions that it’s what Conductors should strive to do, having learned from Takt’s father. Takt is slightly surprised that Lenny figured out his relationship to Maestro Asahina.

After Takt, Anna and Destiny drive away to their next stop on their way to New York, Titan asks Lenny why he didn’t share more information with Takt. Lenny replies that it’s not yet time to reveal what he knows. Titan announces she gathered all the evidence from Mr. Lang’s documents and they now have a trail to follow, including their suspicions of a few Symphonica Conductors involved in the scheme.

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Final thoughts

I really liked this episode, it gave us a bunch of information about the current state of affairs and a tiny glimspe of corruption spurred on by the Symphonica. Lenny is a great character and he’s obviously up to his neck in this mission. I sincerely believe he knew Jonatan was going to stop by that highway, and it was all planned. But, are Lenny and Titan on a mission by orders of the Symphonica? Or are they rogue?

Takt is still struggling with being a Conductor, which is realistic in the sense that he has no interest in fighting D2s other than defeating the ones found in their way to New York. He has no purpose as a Conductor.

I give this episode 5/5

What did you think about episode 4? Let me know!

[sm0lltownotaku]

Tao when she sees me killing Principality

[sm0lltownotaku]

Fashion in Boys Run The Riot pt.1

-Fashion Fridays-

Being fastidious, I would define streetwear as fashion you see on the street, worn by everyone you see and in every setting you see. Clothes that serve a purpose, sneakers for walking long distances, sweatshirts that are comfy and warm, jackets that protect you from the rain. What if the utility of these pieces could also match with design and colour and your own style? What if you were able to connect on an emotional level with your own clothing?

Streetwear has a deeper meaning behind the pieces you wear, behind the design, even behind the brand. Streetwear started as an expression of one's self identity, to send a message out there that our fashion indeed defines us as whatever we want to be.

This is were Boys Run the Riot comes in. The manga series by Keito Gaku where trans boy Ryo Watari and his love for streetwear helps him deal with a hostile world that just doesn’t understand him. His partnership with Jin Satou, a new student with the same passion for clothing, and the creation of their streetwear brand gets the ball rolling in this awesome story.

Jin’s first appearance in the manga.

Classic hoodie under student jacket combination, Jin wears his white hoodie unzipped over a white t shirt. He’s also wearing a pendant on his neck, I believe it’s a small ring that hangs from his chain. Dark sunglasses and hoop earrings complete his fit.

I love how the details of Jin’s look are given their own panel: the all black Jordan Legacy 312′s *, the perfectly lined undercut fade and the earrings. Jin takes great care of himself and pays attention to every detail of his outfit.

*I’m not seeing the Air Jordan logo on the side tab of his sneakers, but the design is spot on. My first thought was Air Force highs, but the Nike strap and the little bit of midsole we see were a giveaway for me.

I thought the choice of this specific model of Jordan was interesting. The Legacy 312 was a collaboration by Don C, and it includes design details from other sneakers: the Air Jordan 1, the Air Jordan 3 (my personal favourite) and the Nike Air Alpha Force Low. It's a controlled chaos of design elements that fit well together. And it's a great way to point out that Jin is a guy that goes against the classic or the typical model of a design, he likes taking risks.

Ryo’s first outfit in the manga.

The patterned sports coat is a loud statement by Ryo. He manages to match it well with the hoodie underneath. I'm not a fan of sweatpants, specially with the lateral stripe, but Ryo makes it work. Fashion favours the bold.

The boys are out on a shopping trip and they treat us to another version of their own style. I like how they don’t have the same design elements in their outfits every time we see them in new fits.

Ryo sporting a very nice hip bag slung across his chest, the strap is thick and the bag itself looks spacious, love the simple design. He’s in an oversized sweatshirt and also wearing sweatpants with the lateral stripe. I like how the sweatshirt fits him from the shoulders and down to his arms, it looks comfortable and trendy. He’s also bringing out the accesories with the two chains around his neck.

Jin is a little more dressed up with the denim jacket over a white shirt. He’s wearing straight-fit black jeans that are slightly baggy but they look good on the silhoutte he’s going for. Boxy on the top, and tighter on the bottom. Jin’s got the industrial belt* hanging from his right side, he’s a trendy guy I tell you!

*Unsure if it’s THE industrial belt from Virgil Abloh’s OFF-WHITE, but I decided to describe it as such, for all intents and purposes, to avoid any confusion on what the accesory was. 

Ryo wearing Air Huaraches, the OG version, and Jin wearing classic Air Force lows in all white.

Ryo taking a walk, trying to find inspiration for his brand on the streets of his hometown. Once again, wearing his lateral stripe sweatpants, he’s also sporting a chequered unstructured cap with a strap back.  Let me tell you something awesome about Boys Run The Riot: the mangaka, Keito Gaku, is taking inspiration from IRL streetwear brands from Japan!

The sweatshirt that Ryo is wearing during his walk is from a Japanese brand called Dargo, I found it online and it is just as cool as it looks in the manga! The white stitching around the chest pocket is superb detailing. According to their website, this piece is 100% cotton, 10.0 onz Mid Weight.

Pretty cool that Ryo supports local brands.

The last piece I want to bring attention to, is the boys’ first t-shirt design. A basic white shirt with a graffiti design on the left side of the chest and a surprise print under the left sleeve, visible only if you roll it a couple of times.

I’m very excited about this manga, and can’t wait to show you more oufits next week!

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Do you have any favourite pieces in your wardrobe? Let me know!

[sm0lltownotaku]

Me arriving to the Diet Building without saving my progress.

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Planning a "Boys run the Riot" Fashion Friday for next week. Pretty excited about it!

[sm0lltownotaku]

Fashion in Tokyo Revengers pt.3

-Fashion Fridays-

The final episodes of Season 1 take place during Fall and Wintertime, so we’re feasting our eyes with more sweaters, jackets and long shirts. I’m a big believer that cold weather brings out the best in our fashion sense.

We see Chifuyu with an awesome light tan sweater under his school jacket. Look at the hoodie and the cuffs! Those thick sleeves and huge hoodie makes this one of my favorite pieces, it just looks super cozy.

This shot allows us to appreciate Chifuyu’s sweater a bit more. It reaches just above his hips, and the heam is also thick. He doesn’t wear his school pants baggy, like Takemitchy, his are fitted to the waist and tapered to the ankles.

Takemitchy is in his school uniform, which fits a bit baggy to my liking. His jacket unbuttoned over a white shirt.

Draken is wearing a classic trucker denim jacket in white over a black shirt and light grey pants. He’s consistent with his color combinations.

Mikey is also a fan of grey and black combinations, this time wearing a quarter sleeve hoodie over a long sleeved black shirt. His grey shorts cover black leggings underneath.

Episode 17 - No way and Episode 18 - Open fire

In this scene we have a better look at Draken’s outfit, standing inside a tunnel with Kazutora. We see his grey pants tucked into black combat boots. I’m going to be honest, I’m getting serious Dragon Ball Z vibes with the way he tucks his boots. Not a big fan.

Kazutora on the other hand, wearing the amazing Valhalla jacket, is sporting black joggers that are aggressively tapered around his ankles and some white low sneakers that resemble the super famous Stan Smith design. That combination actually looks pretty cool and is a classic streetwear fit.

A full body shot of Draken in all his Dragon Ball Z glory.

Check out the jacket on Mitsuya! The hood is awesome with that raised collar and drawstrings. That forest green really matches with the bright white accents in the zipper and drawstrings. The detail of the pocket on the right arm is also pretty cool. He looks warm and comfy, maybe a little bit thoughtful.

The day of the fight we see lots of new boys with different styles, it’s super interesting! I really liked this guy’s yellow shirt with the half sleeves and low shoulder seams, he pairs it well witht the black long sleeved undershirt.

The accessories! This guy with the golden horn rimmed glasses and golden earring has great taste in color combination. His silver pendant pairs well with the black shirt and tan jacket.

Then we have the Haitani brothers in comfy active wear: Rindo with the all black outfit, zip-up jacket up to his chin and those golden round eyeglasses! Ran wearing a nice oversized light grey sweatshirt and slim-fit black jeans. It’s all about the silhouette with Ran.

Episode 23 - End of war

This penultimate episode is very emotional, and we see Chifuyu in all black simple outfit, while Mikey wears a long plaid shirt in dark grey with black and white accents, black slim-fit jeans and white sneakers. I think this is oufit is the dressed up version of Mikey, he’s not wearing lounge wear or oversized clothing, and that gives a very special meaning to the scene. He took the time to look his best.

Meanwhile we have Draken and Takemitchy spending some time together, and Draken takes Takemitchy to his room where he has a rack with his haori shirts! You know he takes great care of them.

Draken is wearing a long sleeve haori shirt in black with white accents, which seems to be the long sleeved version of one of his short sleeved shirts. It’s awesome, and we also find this particular haori shirt has a white interior lining. He wears a black hoodie underneath and honestly it looks pretty badass.

Takemitchy seems to have taken a page out of his friends’ lookbook because he’s made an effort. Looking preppy in a red and white letterman jacket, he wears a white t-shirt and light chinos.

Classic Yamagishi with the streetwear. He’s wearing a white hoodie under a short denim trucker jacket, black joggers tapered to the ankle and some white low sneakers. Very similar silhoutte to Kazutora’s earlier outfit.

Unpopular opinion here, but I actually thought Peh’s shirt was cool, he’s got this mafioso thing going on since the early episodes. You have to hand it to him, he’s consistent. I would have a chosen a longer jacket, though, that short cut is not doing him any favours and it also looks a bit tight around the shoulders and arms.

We finish Season 1 with Mitsuya in his sewing club outfit. I love this guy’s style! He’s so versatile, he changes up silhouttes, color combinations and fit, every single episode. We see him in all his knitwear glory with a super cozy light tan sweater, oversized and unbuttoned. The sleeves are a bit long, trailing past his wrists, but I’m sure it’s part of the look. A white shirt underneath, leaving the last two buttons undone, and baggy black pants. He is the embodiment of comfy right now.

I’m very excited to see new outfits and colors next season!

So what did you think about these outfits?

Let me know!

[sm0lltownotaku]

Good follow up

Episode 3 of Takt op.Destiny immediately starts after Destiny awakens in the Symphonica Party explosion.

We start with Destiny taking down many D2s while Takt follows her, waving his Conductor’s baton. I have no idea if he knows how to use it, he’s just waving it in anger. Takt is in a rage, cursing and ordering Destiny to destroy all the D2s in the area. The Musicart is kicking ass, slicing and shooting with her awesome weapon while flying through the air. Still, the two of them are surrounded by a large amount of D2s. Suddenly, she keels over and passes out while Takt stares at her in surprise and then, he goes down on one knee, before starting to lose consciousness himself.

Just as his eyes begin to close, Takt sees a pair on a motorcycle: a man with long brown hair and a young girl wearing blue bows on her orange pigtails. They stand in front of Takt, shielding him from the D2s.

The girl takes out an orange shotgun and starts blasting D2s, while the man waves a baton, humming to himself.

It’s another Conductor with his Musicart, and they are very strong, they manage to finish off the remaining D2s with ease.

There’s someone else we see in the shadows, during all the commotion, it’s someone standing on the ledge of a building close by. It appears they’re guarding a glowing tuning fork that is resonating quietly. The figure destroys the tuning fork, stopping the resonation, and disappears.

Takt is playing the piano, with Cosette watching him with a smile on her face. They’re enjoying themselves with the music when suddenly, Cosette starts walking away. He wakes up on his bed, shaken and very confused.

Takt leaves his bedroom and goes downstairs to his garage, but his piano is no longer there, it was destroyed during the Symphonica Party attack. Destiny appears and Takt calls her Cosette, wanting to know if she’s alright. She tells him her name is Destiny, commenting on how Anna kept calling her Cosette, and that she was born from Beethoven’s Symphony No.5  Takt is confused about this, he thinks they’ve gone through some kind of trauma and they need time to process just what happened to them. Anna enters the garage, glad he’s awake, and tells Takt that he needs to meet someone who could help them understand.

We meet Lenny and his Musicart, Titan, they’re making lunch in Takt’s kitchen. Lenny gives us the rundown of what has happened and more backstory: the D2s came to be from an asteroid that fell on Earth. An asteroid comprised of Black Night Siderite, a gem that resonates withing the D2s bodies. He explains that Musicarts are made from individuals that show promise, and they pass through a rigirous process to become Musicarts under the Symphonica’s supervision. Musicarts posess a gem that counters the Black Night Siderite’s resonation, that’s why they are such a powerful weapon. In Destiny’s case, she was born without going through that process, she was born out of her host’s own power and it could be the reason she and Takt get weaker during battle.

This scene is very intense, we see Anna’s expression throughout Lenny’s explanation and it gets more and more horrified with every word he says. Cosette is gone, Lenny says, Musicarts are completely different beings from their hosts. They have no memories of their past bodies.

To be honest, he is being very considerate with his words. Titan’s interjection here had me laughing, what way to interrupt Anna’s grief.

Lenny expresses his concern for Destiny, and suggests they take her to New York to meet the Symphonica and assess Destiny’s condition.

While the two Musicarts enjoy dessert outside, Lenny, Takt and Anna check a map, designing a safe route that will get them to New York. Lenny points out that most routes are blocked by clusters of D2s and they will need to pass through many abandoned cities. They’re choosing to follow a route through Las Vegas and keep heading east.

Lenny steps away for a minute, and Anna comments on how she truly believes they can get Cosette back, the Symphonica will know what to do. She tells Takt that Cosette probably turned into a Musicart out of her desire to protect him during the attack on the Symphonica Party. His face is grim, he probably feels guilty.

Suddenly, Takt’s right arm disintegrates into rose petals and Titan interrupts announcing that Destiny flew away, having sensed a group of D2s nearby.

The battle is on!

Takt, Lenny and Titan follow Destiny while Anna stays back home. 

During the battle, we see Takt’s right side covered in a red blotch that keeps expanding as long as Destiny keeps fighting. He mentions he feels like crap whenever she uses her weapon. Destiny is a pretty bad shot and keeps missing her targets, which makes him feel even worse.

Lenny points out that Destiny must be using up Takt’s energy through their connection. So, whenever she fires her gun, she’s using up Takt’s energy as ammunition. Titan steps into battle with her kickass shotgun.

I just had to make this gif, her battle sequence was super cool.

Unfortunately, one of the D2s escapes and runs straight towards Takt’s house, where Anna is waiting for them. Destiny blocks the D2 from tackling Anna and proceeds to blow it away with a huge blast from her gun, destroying Takt’s house in the process.

While Takt and Anna get ready for their big roadtrip to New York, Lenny and Titan speak quietly about the events they’ve been tracking recently. Lenny believes that the current resurgence of the D2s must be planned, and it could be related to the event that happened 10 years ago in Boston, where Takt’s father was killed.

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Final thoughts

This episode gave us more backstory on the Musicarts and the appearance of the D2s. I believe they are purposefully not telling us exactly how Musicarts are created to keep us interested in the story and in the characters. The trouble I see with this is that we’ve just met another Musicart and she has a distinct personality, unlike Destiny who can be a little bit robotic. I wonder if that will change as the season progresses.

We still don’t know how the Conductor leads the Musicart into battle, are they just waving their batons? I wish Lenny had explained that.

I give this episode 4/5

[sm0lltownotaku]

Some stills from Episode 3

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Some stills from Episode 3

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Some stills from Episode 3

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Some stills from Episode 3