Now I am gonna be honest with this review. It was not a good episode to me. The cause might be due to the adaptation of this episode being poor or the overall story. But, I did not enjoy this episode at all. As it started out as this slice of life, then became this character bonding moment filled with death flags, ending with a battle that we didn’t see at all and a death to a character with no real development at all. So let’s talk about episode 3 of Eighty Six Called “I Don’t Want to Die”.

Boring Beach Beginning

I am gonna be honest as the first 10 minutes of this episode nearly put me to sleep. As it was just plain boring as we start out with a beach episode. With a group of characters that we the watcher have no development on. If this was your way to develop the characters then this is poor writing to me. As introducing a large cast of characters in a setting like this makes me feel like an outsider looking into the characters’ lives. As opposed to a series like Highschool of the Dead for example that ended the season with a beach episode. As in that anime, we slowly learn about each of the characters throughout the season and feel more connected to the cast as they do their slice of life moments. But, the problem I have with this moment is that the majority of this moment was based on the cast excluding the two characters of Shin and Lena. Two that we have spent majority of the anime so far.

Character Bonding

This episode was not good but, I personally did enjoy the middle portion of this episode. As it was a good moment of building the bond of the characters. Along with slowly learning about the group of the 86. We get a conversation in this episode with 86 and Lena. Along with a weird time skipping is something that felt weird this episode. Also some things that I picked up. One being the information that Lena told about the stars that she doesn’t see due to the brightness. But, the night look clear as night where she is at. I might be wrong on the interpretation. Along with learning a little bit of the past of Lena so that is always good.

The Death

I had to look up the character of Kirschblüte as she was the black hair girl that asked if Lena was a virgin during the bonding times. As there were death flags everywhere for this girl. With a major one being her holding a literal card of death. I do not feel anything towards her characters as we got so little with her character that I couldn’t care. Along with her death we got a rant from Theoto “Laughing Fox” Rikka at the end of the episode. It was a passionate speech, but it feels like nothing to me. That is the truth right now. It might feel different reading the light novel which I definitely plan to do after this episode. But, man does this episode feel like a flop.

Final Thoughts

I am getting Darling In The Franxx vibes after this rough episode. So I hope for better in the future of this series as I still have high hopes for it. Thank you all for taking the time to read and until next time be great.

Also this is nitpicking at this point. But, what is the purpose of these after credit scenes. It would work a lot better together.