New Game - Episodes 3 & 4 (Review)

By: Mithrandiel

*Spoilers Ahead*

Miss my previous reviews for New Game? Check them out here: Episodes 1 & 2

Episode 3 Review

Being late for work sucks. There's the hustle to catch the bus, or speeding down the freeway like a demon to try to get to work on time, and when you do eventually show up late, the boss gets to lecture you on the importance of time management and expresses their shock at how the place hasn't burned down yet. Aoba is trying hard to be a good employee, and making some steady progress, but episode 3 opens with her committing the perfectly ordinary sin of oversleeping. She tries her best to get to work on time, but ultimately falls flat on her face (literally) just before getting to the office.Meanwhile, Aoba's boss, Ko, is growing increasingly annoyed that not just Aoba, but all 3 members of her team are running late on the same morning. She resolves herself to chastise them thoroughly, and begins to do so before realizing that Aoba hurt herself and nearly made it to work on time. Realizing she may have been too harsh, Ko walks back her comments and navigates them through filing a form indicating their tardiness.Aoba's major obstacle in this episode is creating her first character. Ko tasks her with creating a villager, and even though Aoba feels confident in her abilities, Ko asks for her to do retake after retake, constantly improving upon her previous design. Aoba is enthusiastic and eager to please, but even she begins to feel dragged down by the constant need to re-visit her character model.Ultimately she gains Ko's approval at the end of the episode, and the emotional payoff seems to be worth it as she smiles with pride. She has overcome yet another obstacle, and continues to carve out her place at Eagle Jump!This episode was strong, as we begin to see Aoba's enthusiastic attitude dwindle a bit in the face of Ko's criticism. At the same time, Ko isn't painted as the villain - she's her boss after all. It creates a very realistic and interesting dynamic between them as Aoba struggles to discover what Ko wants from her in order to pass the model, and Ko gets to watch the newbie grow and become a better designer. 

Episode 4 Review

Episode 4 opens with Aoba chatting with Hazuki, the game director. Hazuki comments on Aoba being with the company for nearly a month, and the two catch up on her recent projects. Aoba demonstrates her positive attitude and enthusiasm once again as she explains that even though character design can be tough, once she gets the okay from Ko it makes it all worthwhile.Meanwhile, back at the office, Ko is enjoying her pants-free time as she lives out the fantasy of many salaried office workers who would undoubtedly feel liberated running around the office in their underwear.Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that Rin has missed her last train as she chastises Ko for being so free-spirited in the office. The two chat about the game as Rin confesses her concerns that the game may not sell, as well as her own insecurities about being the art director for the game.The Ko/Rin relationship is given a lot of time in this episode, as the colleagues share some silly moments together.At the crux of the episode lies Aoba's experience with her first paycheck! Aoba ponders what to do with her first paycheck after being with the company for nearly a month. In typical Aoba fashion, she doesn't even know what the salary statement is when Rin first hands it to her near the beginning of the episode.The rest of the office joins Aoba around the excitement of payday, and begin sharing their stories on what they spent their first check on. Toys, clothes, cosplay costumes...the stories are pretty common until Ko asks Rin what she used her first paycheck on - which proceeds to piss her off.Yes, Rin and Ko enjoyed a relaxing trip to a hot spring together with their first paycheck, and so Rin makes sure that Ko won't forget by harassing her for the rest of the episode.Another great entry for New Game, I particularly enjoyed the character development between Ko and Rin. Their dynamic is amusing, with a subtle undercurrent of  the young-adult insecurities that plague most 20-somethings. Aoba's ultimate decision in terms of what she does with her first paycheck is also a heartwarming end to the episode.Overall, New Game continues to be a great series for a number of reasons. First, it's very easy to watch. As of yet there are no hints of Clannad style drama, and the show flows very naturally within the office setting.Second, the subject is intriguing. New Game does a great job of documenting what making a game might actually look like, rather than using it as a simple background for other character developments/plot.Finally, with an almost exclusively female cast, it sets a good example for a show that doesn't have to be about huge bouncing...assets just because there are women involved. Sure, Ko sleeps in her panties and it's a point of comedy in the show, but there's certainly not so much fan-service that it takes away from the main story.If you aren't watching New Game yet, you really should be. It's a light and funny slice of life show that is equal parts comedy and coming-of-age as Aoba struggles with the demands of adulthood. Stay tuned, because we'll definitely continue to follow this show all the way through!You can watch New Game! on Crunchyroll every Monday!