Episode 5 "Silver Hope"
This week's episode is mostly about character, as the mystery surrounding Dr. Magata's death didn't make much progress in terms of being solved.
But this is definitely not a pitfall.
In fact, the most impressive thing about this week's episode of "The Perfect Insider" is how much character development is unpacked while the plot of the episode focuses on merely compiling evidence. In particular, when it seems that Saikawa and Nishinosono were merely discussing their feelings about the enigmatic Dr. Magata, they wound up making a large discovery about their own relationship.
Nishinosono is and continues to be, for me, the most compelling character of the series. From the beginning, she's at the malleable age of young adulthood and is forced to uncover how the trauma of her parent's death has affected her while simultaneously exploring her budding feelings for an older man.
Moreover, she must compare herself with the opposite side of her own coin in the form of Dr. Magata.
In terms of juxtaposition, "The Perfect Insider" is one of the best anime series that utilizes this device effectively. Oftentimes there are parallel characters in series merely to highlight the differences between two characters. In "The Perfect Insider" however, Nishinosono and Dr. Magata somewhat form this parasitic or symbiotic relationship as they are both young women who have reacted to similar trauma in both similar and different ways.
That is to say, Nishinosono is interesting because she is forced to ask herself through Dr. Magata, if she's really as holy and pure as she thinks she is.
Moreover, what is pure anyway?
Saikawa has a theory this week about what it means to be "purely human" and while Nishinosono's response is seemingly childish and petulant, it makes sense in the larger context of how betrayed she feels.
Saikawa is practically saying that despite how he may or may not feel, he believes them to be imperfect. And admittedly, it's hard to hear any philosophy about personality objectively when it's coming from your crush/love's mouth.
Overall, this week's episode is proof that "The Perfect Insider" is the perfect example of how to balance a mystery with impeccable character development. No tropes are to be found here, as everything grows more specific and more interesting through every turn.
