So the MSRP at my local dealership is selling their Maverick at $27,675 and obviously I’m going to negotiate that to get around 7%-10% off the final cost before incentives. I was going to lease it for 48 months with no down payment with 12k miles each year which is a good amount for me. Am I doing everything right? I got my numbers, as well as I can easily pay for this lease and I’ve done the edmund’s lease calculations, I just want to save as much money as possible leasing this. I’m going to the dealership in about 2 days, so any extra insight would help!

I'm looking to lease a GV60. On the Genesis website, they're advertising "$336 a month for 36 months, $5,999 due at lease signing after application of $12,000 EV Lease Bonus".
Can someone explain to me what that EV Lease Bonus is? I have the money factor and residual for my zip code from the Edmunds forum. Do I quite literally deduct $12,000 from the sticker price of the vehicle when calculating my lease?
Thanks!

I'm trying to create a pulse of light with an extremely fast rise time, I don't really care about pulse duration, but I'm hopeful for a rise time less than 5 nanoseconds. I have a circuit based on an 74AC14 that can produce a pulse that fast (actually it falls faster than it rises, so I've been depending on a signal between the high rail and the output). I've attached this to a cheap no-brand laser diode and some generic small LEDs with no luck, although I eventually want to scale up to a significantly brighter light source (even if that just means building a bunch of drivers in parallel).
I'm trying to detect the pulses with a silicon photodiode, but even that has been a pain because the signal-to-60hz-hum ratio is pretty awful. so far the only fast signal I've been able to measure for certain (as in it goes away when I block the light) is from a high voltage spark, but that spark was powered by electrolytic caps and has a rise time of about 5 microseconds, not 5 nanoseconds.
I've seen snippits of projects where people do time-of-flight sensors at a DIY level, but I have not been able to find an actual source for high speed light emitters. is there anything more effective than going to digikey thorlabs or edmund and guessing at random? none of them seem to list modulation frequencies, or effective capacitances, or anything helpful for calculating speed.
Really hopeful someone has tried something similar. Thanks!

Did the money factors on leases increase a lot in the past day or two? I'm using the Edmunds lease calculator and the MFs seem to have jumped. However, I have also seen that calculator be inaccurate for a day or two at times.
I'm hitting my window to acquire a new ride today, but have been looking for a couple of months and keeping tabs on all the inputs for a deal, so this is shocking (and if accurate, incredibly bad luck.)

My husband signed a lease for a new car for $570/month. We can afford the payment, but I was really hoping that we could get a payment around $400/month.
He insists that it was a good deal for more car, but when I tried to put the numbers into the Edmunds lease calculator it says the payment should have been $525/month for 36 months. I don't think there's anything else i can do because we have the car already. But I was hoping someone could help me explain the difference between the payment. Sometimes when he says it's a good deal it hasn't been.
These are the number is put into the calculator. Sorry I don't know too much about leases.
Mercedes EQE 350 SUV AWD MSRP 80,200, sell price 52,452, residual 54%

A few weeks ago, I had some questions about potential refunds on a one pay lease; thank you for the response, and I will post the numbers shortly, but I do have some other questions.
December, I signed a car lease and started looking at the contract because numbers didn't make sense..
Ioniq6 sel AWD dual motor 24/12 one pay. These numbers are not exact, just a bit off, since i dont have a contract in front of me.. Window sticker MSRP 50,500 - then a different MSRP 49,500 on the part where dealer installed options, then LIST price agreed upon value 45,500. RV 31,500 $7500 lease cash +$5000 discount. One pay 9,600ish. I found out that in November 2023, hyundi announced that 2024 ioniq 5&6 would be $3,500 less than 2023 MSRP.
So what's the deal with multiple MSRPs ? Is the RV calculated off sticker MSRP or list ? Looking back on Edmunds, it's confusing - 24/12 - RV 61-63% - 36/12 59-60%. If I use 49,500 @63%, that's the closest to my buyout. If 2024 are $3,500 less, was 2023 54k? I'm seeing other people's contracts price drop to 35-39K after rebates through cap cost reduction ( which mine was blank) and RV in the 24-28K range...My lease cash was added as a payment instead of cap cost,
.... The dealer told me GAP is included as part of the lease, However it's nowhere on the contract and when I asked to see a buyers order or where it's reflected; said there's no buyer order.
. lastly, there's no way of knowing exactly, but what could be the reasons for an updated contract that i was not made aware of ?hyundi said we haven't received the updated contract from the dealer, 5 months later. So they know about it but haven't received it or can't request it ? That doesn't make sense.. Thanks for any advice

TL;DR:

Two questions.

1. Stitched area will be (9.4″ w x 17.5″ h / 23.9 cm w x 44.5 cm h). Thinking of using (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h if the former seems excessive) qsnap frame. If I'm looking to do it in one hoop, are either of those the right sizes?
2. I am looking for a good floor frame to use for a project with large qsnaps (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h). Any suggestions or warnings?

Long-term cross stitcheembroider, but planning out my first big project (The Raven Queen by Mirabilia with some color adjustments), and I think it's time to pull the trigger on a floor stand.
I know it's a bit ambitious given the size (stitched area is 9.4″ w x 17.5″ h / 23.9 cm w x 44.5 cm h), but I'm thinking of doing it in one hoop. I think it'll be easier for the beading, which is even worked into the border of this design, so I think I will need it all flat in one place eventually anyway. (Plus, I'm thinking of doing monofilament gridding, which I also would rather do all at once.)
I ran the numbers for how much space to account for extra fabric using Yarn Tree's calculator and think I'll be doing either a (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h if the former seems excessive) qsnap frame.

1. This is where my first question comes in - if I'm looking to do it in one hoop, are either of those the right sizes?

I did some research and think I have a good feel for potential options (Lowrey and various knockoffs, Needlework System, Edmund's Universal, Daylight, K's Creations), but am a bit stuck because of the size of the qsnap I'm planning to work with.

• I almost immediately pulled the trigger on the Lowery cause it seemed to check all the boxes but when I realized that the single side clamp may not be enough to support the big frame, I decided to do more research.
• By far, the sturdiest looks to be the Needlework System 4 with Qsnap Holder, but the price tag on that one - while not a dealbreaker - is a real deterrent. It also looks like it would be harder to move around, and takes up a bit more space. But I love that it has two arms instead of one. It does mean that that Qsnap holder can only go up to a 17" / 43.2 cm frame, but if that is large enough for my stitch (see first question above), that's not a problem.
• Edmund's Universal Craft stand looks to be like a wooden Lowery, with a bit less adjustability, but with the potential of adding a second arm. I haven't looked into it too much yet. The price tag is obviously attractive, but that also makes me a little hesitant when others are so much more expensive. I don't want it to break on me after being used for a year or two.
• I liked the look of the Daylight stand a lot - the clamp looks more grooved which seems like it would hold a qsnap better than Lowrey and the light attachment is neat - but I'm worried it wouldn't be sturdy enough for the frame. And, unlike the Lowrey, its base are just the two legs instead of a plate that you could stack things on as counterweights.
• The K's Creations Stow-Away Portable Floor Stand Elite seems like a decent option (two clamps and goes big!), but doesn't look to have as much adjustability as I'd probably like/need. It also is a bit pricey if not found on sale.
• Similar to Lowrey, Edmund's, and Daylight, K's Creations Metal Floor Stand's sturdiness is what's giving me pause.

This leads me to the rest of my questions:

• Should I avoid any of these frames given the size of my project?
• Conversely, would any of these frames be particularly good for this kind of project?
• If you have experience with any of the frames above and large projects (especially large qsnap projects), please share!

Crossposted on /crosstitch since this project is cross stitching, but wasn't getting much traction there, so figured hoop questions could apply to embroidery as well. (I actually mostly soley embroider these days and this is my first cross stitch project in a while!)

TL;DR:

Two questions.

1. Stitched area will be (9.4″ w x 17.5″ h / 23.9 cm w x 44.5 cm h). Thinking of using (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h if the former seems excessive) qsnap frame. If I'm looking to do it in one hoop, are either of those the right sizes?
2. I am looking for a good floor frame to use for a project with large qsnaps (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h). **Any suggestions or warnings?**

Long-term cross stitcheembroider, but planning out my first big project (The Raven Queen by Mirabilia with some color adjustments), and I think it's time to pull the trigger on a floor stand.
I know it's a bit ambitious given the size (stitched area is 9.4″ w x 17.5″ h / 23.9 cm w x 44.5 cm h), but I'm thinking of doing it in one hoop. I think it'll be easier for the beading, which is even worked into the border of this design, so I think I will need it all flat in one place eventually anyway. (Plus, I'm thinking of doing monofilament gridding, which I also would rather do all at once.)
I ran the numbers for how much space to account for extra fabric using Yarn Tree's calculator and think I'll be doing either a (20" w x 26" h / 50.8 cm w x 66 cm h) or (17" w x 23" h / 43.2 cm w x 58.4 cm h if the former seems excessive) qsnap frame.

1. This is where my first question comes in - if I'm looking to do it in one hoop, are either of those the right sizes?

I did some research and think I have a good feel for potential options (Lowrey and various knockoffs, Needlework System, Edmund's Universal, Daylight, K's Creations), but am a bit stuck because of the size of the qsnap I'm planning to work with.

• I almost immediately pulled the trigger on the Lowery cause it seemed to check all the boxes but when I realized that the single side clamp may not be enough to support the big frame, I decided to do more research.
• By far, the sturdiest looks to be the Needlework System 4 with Qsnap Holder, but the price tag on that one - while not a dealbreaker - is a real deterrent. It also looks like it would be harder to move around, and takes up a bit more space. But I love that it has two arms instead of one. It does mean that that Qsnap holder can only go up to a 17" / 43.2 cm frame, but if that is large enough for my stitch (see first question above), that's not a problem.
• Edmund's Universal Craft stand looks to be like a wooden Lowery, with a bit less adjustability, but with the potential of adding a second arm. I haven't looked into it too much yet. The price tag is obviously attractive, but that also makes me a little hesitant when others are so much more expensive. I don't want it to break on me after being used for a year or two.
• I liked the look of the Daylight stand a lot - the clamp looks more grooved which seems like it would hold a qsnap better than Lowrey and the light attachment is neat - but I'm worried it wouldn't be sturdy enough for the frame. And, unlike the Lowrey, its base are just the two legs instead of a plate that you could stack things on as counterweights.
• The K's Creations Stow-Away Portable Floor Stand Elite seems like a decent option (two clamps and goes big!), but doesn't look to have as much adjustability as I'd probably like/need. It also is a bit pricey if not found on sale.
• Similar to Lowrey, Edmund's, and Daylight, K's Creations Metal Floor Stand's sturdiness is what's giving me pause.

This leads me to the rest of my questions:

• Should I avoid any of these frames given the size of my project?
• Conversely, would any of these frames be particularly good for this kind of project?
• If you have experience with any of the frames above and large projects (especially large qsnap projects), please share!

I had a couple questions regarding the q50 hybrid. Is there any difference between the two years I know it’s the same engine but anything else I have been looking around my area and have found a couple. I use carfax and Edmund’s car value calculator at times to see if its a good price but I’ve seen a 2014 q50 sport with less miles than a 2016 be worth 4 thousand less just cuz of the year I mean the 2014 has no accidents and isn’t a rebuilt are the 2014 worth less for any other reason besides the year? How are you guys hybrid owners doing? You think it’s worth buying one around 80 k miles I know the battery could be an issue. Thank you

I'd really appreciate your suggestions with car shopping!!
Priorities

• Reliable
• Low cost to own over time (fuel efficient or just cheap)
• New safety features (preferably: blind spot monitoring, collision mitigation, lane keeping assist, auto high beam)
• Compact car, but would still prefer min 5 seats
• Using for daily commute (less than 20 mi round trip)

Initial cars considering

• 2020 Mazda 3 select
  
• 2020 Toyota Prius Prime XLE
  

Details:

• Budget $15-20k total OTD, paying in cash.
  
• I live in Dayton, Ohio; parents in Detroit; sister in Pittsburgh. So I can shop in those regions and in-between.
  
• Prius is eligible for a $4,000 federal tax credit and $1,500 rebate from Pennsylvania for being a plug-in hybrid
  
• Cheapest Prius in clean condition (no accident history) I found for ~$23.5k with ~44k miles, which comes out to ~$20k OTD after EV incentives, but that was in Georgia and was gone pretty quickly. Near me, I'm seeing them listed closer to $27k (which makes them not qualify for EV incentive anyway since the limit for that is $25 k sale price).
  
• Mazda I'm seeing more of for ~$18.5k which comes out to ~20k OTD.
  

Questions:

1. Would you have any suggestions for other cars to check?
   
2. Is the Prius worth the premium over the Mazda?
   
3. The EV incentives seem like such a good deal, however, it seems like dealers are already accounting for it in pricing the cars. Are there any other PHEV's that would be considered as reliable as the Mazda?
   
4. Edmunds has a tool to project cost of ownership over 5 years. Fuel cost is 80% higher for Mazda as expected, with the other categories being similaslightly lower for the Mazda (insurance, repair, maintenance, financing) except depreciation being lower for the Mazda. This seems surprising to me. I guess they calculate it based on % of initial purchase price which is higher for the Prius (~25k vs. ~20k)? Toyota is generally accepted to hold value well, but would you expect the Prius to do so less because it's a PHEV?
   

from the edmunds app, i was able to calculate what my lease payments would look like. i also read how to calculate a lease and was surprised to learn that a paying a higher price for the vehicle could actually save you in monthly payments. i was always under the impression that you should not tell them you want to lease and try to get the payment closer to invoice (assuming i would buy the vehicle), i am not sure if i would opt to buy the vehicle, we might but not sure. but now i am thinking if i payed close to msrp then i would get a better monthly payment? sounds counter intuitive, i dont know why msrp comes into play with a lease, it should just be what you negotiate and what the car will be worth at end of lease. on another note, is edmunds app accurate (my credit score is really really good)

Just dipping my toe into learning about leasing and the website is worse than the Edmund’s Prices paid forum! Guess I’m just not used to the format.
This article helped on understanding general leasing
This about $0 drive off …still not sure off financing the taxes etc is good or not? I’m thinking $0 drive off is probably best, especially when comparing deals?
Never Put Anything down but the first payment!! Thanks for the thread! In my deal I paid first payment and the registration and title.
Lots more to learn. Would appreciate more links to help me become proficient.
Edit 6/6/24: I got my deal!
Here’s the process I used:
Get on leasehackr and join the forums, read all the 101 type articles. Sign up for ratefindr (if you don’t want to pay the $10, you can go on the Edmunds prices paid forum for the car you like and ask, that’s free although more time consuming) which lets you plug in the make, model and trim of any car you want and it spits out the money factor, residual and incentives for that particular car. That all plugs into the calculator where you enter in more details about the deal. It helps you evaluate the deal from the various dealers.
Once you’ve educated yourself a bit, choose the car you want and go to a dealer and test drive it - don’t stay there and make a deal, just tell them you’ll be back as you’re trying different brands. If you like it, find it on dealer websites and make inquiries via web. That will kick off your email communications. Negotiate your deals through email and texts and use the written offers with the calculator to evaluate them. Once you’ve landed a deal you think is good, show it to us on leasehackr and the folks on the leasehackr.com forum in the “ask the hackers” forum. If input is good, call the dealer and tell them you want to do the deal. Go there and sign it. Be prepared to shrug off bs, add one etc. If the deal terms change when you get there, walk out.
Edit: 5/19/24 to add the basics of leasing since I’ll forget all I’ve learned in three years.
At a minimum I need: Make/Model/Year, New or CPO, MSRP, % Discount off MSRP, Money Factor, Lease type: Years / Months, Tax rate, Zip Code, $ Due At Signing and what that includes ie first payment, dealer fees, money down (hopefully none), title, doc etc.,
This is enough to use the Leasehackr Calculator and RateFindr (this was $10 a month to become a super supporter. It’s a no brainer for me next time. Going to Edmund’s, asking and waiting was annoying as I was looking at different cars early on.
This was approximately my deal: 23’ CPO BMW iX M60. 36mo 12k miles a year $1609 DAS, $775 was first payment.

I'm in the central Florida area and am shopping for RAV4 hybrids… Settled on the XLE possibly with the package that includes the power tailgate and sunroof (but not a must) Most of the dealers are coming back with price quotes of about $39,000 OTD when the package with the tailgate and sunroof is included… i've used various tools like KBB and Edmunds to look up the invoice and fair price calculations for my area and the invoice is somewhere around $33,000 with a fair price around $34,000… So $39,000 seems kind of high but maybe with all the fees and taxes that's just the way it is…
Anybody in Florida or here in the southeast gotten a good deal lately?

I leased a car a while back and I'm having trouble figuring out these numbers. they don't add up when I paste them in to the leasehackr and edmunds calculators:

• MSRP: $ 52,690.00
• Gross capitalized cost + items + fees: $51,498.00
• Rebates: $11,587.21
• Adjusted capitalized cost: $39,910.79
• Residual Value: $34,248.50
• Lease Payments: 24 (months)
• Money Down: $0
• Monthly Paymet amount: $450.25
• Plus tax: $480.65
  
• Money factor: ???
  
• Residual %: ???
  

I think money factor is the residual value / gross capitalized costs? So $34,248.50 / $51,498.00 which comes out to 66.5% Is that correct? If so, when I put these numbers in the lease calculators in order to get that monthly payment my MF would have to be 0.001, which I don' think is allowed to be that low. something is off, can you help me figure out these numbers?
I need to lease another car and want to figure this out so I have better negotiating power. Thank you!

MASSMoCA WORKERS ON STRIKE —
Via massmocaunion on Instagram
DAY 6: And that's a wrap for today! Our picketing continues tomorrow at 1040 MASS MoCA Way from 9am-2pm!
We ask that all visitors and community members continue to not cross the picket line and instead support the workers on strike by:
Joining us at the picket line! But please be orderly and follow our strike captains.
Telling MASS MoCA to offer a fair wage and cost of living increase to their workers!
Email MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds: kedmunds@massmoca.org
Posting your support for the strike and the MASS MoCA Union to social media, tagging the museum @massmoca.
Supporting workers on strike by donating to the MASS MoCA Union Strike Hardship Fund (linked)
After more than five months at the bargaining table, we have decided to begin striking today and to continue striking until MASS MoCA put a fair wage and cost of living offer on the table.
Currently, MASS MoCA management's offer does not keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living, leaving our members unable to cover the expenses of living in Berkshire County.
The average full time rate for our union members is only $43,600/yr, while according to The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, the cost of a very modest living in Berkshire County requires approximately $47,000/yr for a single person without children and approximately $117,000/yr for a family of four.
In addition, 58% of our union (120 members total) are earning just $16.25/hr. MASS MoCA management is propsing $17.25/hr, but that will only allow our members to earn $35,880/yr. The difference between the union and management's base wage proposal is only an additional $150,000 for this year.
And yet, we are seeing an increase of the number of higher-paid management positions at the expense of the unionized staff. Calling for a strike is not a decision we take lightly.
Many of us have worked at MASS MoCA for years. We love our work, but need MASS MoCA to treat us fairly!

MASSMoCA WORKERS ON STRIKE —
Via massmocaunion on Instagram
DAY 6: And that's a wrap for today! Our picketing continues tomorrow at 1040 MASS MoCA Way from 9am-2pm!
We ask that all visitors and community members continue to not cross the picket line and instead support the workers on strike by:
Joining us at the picket line! But please be orderly and follow our strike captains.
Telling MASS MoCA to offer a fair wage and cost of living increase to their workers!
Email MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds: kedmunds@massmoca.org
Posting your support for the strike and the MASS MoCA Union to social media, tagging the museum @massmoca.
Supporting workers on strike by donating to the MASS MoCA Union Strike Hardship Fund (linked)
After more than five months at the bargaining table, we have decided to begin striking today and to continue striking until MASS MoCA put a fair wage and cost of living offer on the table.
Currently, MASS MoCA management's offer does not keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living, leaving our members unable to cover the expenses of living in Berkshire County.
The average full time rate for our union members is only $43,600/yr, while according to The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, the cost of a very modest living in Berkshire County requires approximately $47,000/yr for a single person without children and approximately $117,000/yr for a family of four.
In addition, 58% of our union (120 members total) are earning just $16.25/hr. MASS MoCA management is propsing $17.25/hr, but that will only allow our members to earn $35,880/yr. The difference between the union and management's base wage proposal is only an additional $150,000 for this year.
And yet, we are seeing an increase of the number of higher-paid management positions at the expense of the unionized staff. Calling for a strike is not a decision we take lightly.
Many of us have worked at MASS MoCA for years. We love our work, but need MASS MoCA to treat us fairly!

MASSMoCA WORKERS ON STRIKE —
Via massmocaunion on Instagram
DAY 6: And that's a wrap for today! Our picketing continues tomorrow at 1040 MASS MoCA Way from 9am-2pm!
We ask that all visitors and community members continue to not cross the picket line and instead support the workers on strike by:
Joining us at the picket line! But please be orderly and follow our strike captains.
Telling MASS MoCA to offer a fair wage and cost of living increase to their workers!
Email MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds: kedmunds@massmoca.org
Posting your support for the strike and the MASS MoCA Union to social media, tagging the museum @massmoca.
Supporting workers on strike by donating to the MASS MoCA Union Strike Hardship Fund (linked)
After more than five months at the bargaining table, we have decided to begin striking today and to continue striking until MASS MoCA put a fair wage and cost of living offer on the table.
Currently, MASS MoCA management's offer does not keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living, leaving our members unable to cover the expenses of living in Berkshire County.
The average full time rate for our union members is only $43,600/yr, while according to The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, the cost of a very modest living in Berkshire County requires approximately $47,000/yr for a single person without children and approximately $117,000/yr for a family of four.
In addition, 58% of our union (120 members total) are earning just $16.25/hr. MASS MoCA management is propsing $17.25/hr, but that will only allow our members to earn $35,880/yr. The difference between the union and management's base wage proposal is only an additional $150,000 for this year.
And yet, we are seeing an increase of the number of higher-paid management positions at the expense of the unionized staff. Calling for a strike is not a decision we take lightly.
Many of us have worked at MASS MoCA for years. We love our work, but need MASS MoCA to treat us fairly!

MASSMoCA WORKERS ON STRIKE —
Via massmocaunion on Instagram
DAY 6: And that's a wrap for today! Our picketing continues tomorrow at 1040 MASS MoCA Way from 9am-2pm!
We ask that all visitors and community members continue to not cross the picket line and instead support the workers on strike by:
Joining us at the picket line! But please be orderly and follow our strike captains.
Telling MASS MoCA to offer a fair wage and cost of living increase to their workers!
Email MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds: kedmunds@massmoca.org
Posting your support for the strike and the MASS MoCA Union to social media, tagging the museum @massmoca.
Supporting workers on strike by donating to the MASS MoCA Union Strike Hardship Fund (linked)
After more than five months at the bargaining table, we have decided to begin striking today and to continue striking until MASS MoCA put a fair wage and cost of living offer on the table.
Currently, MASS MoCA management's offer does not keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living, leaving our members unable to cover the expenses of living in Berkshire County.
The average full time rate for our union members is only $43,600/yr, while according to The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, the cost of a very modest living in Berkshire County requires approximately $47,000/yr for a single person without children and approximately $117,000/yr for a family of four.
In addition, 58% of our union (120 members total) are earning just $16.25/hr. MASS MoCA management is propsing $17.25/hr, but that will only allow our members to earn $35,880/yr. The difference between the union and management's base wage proposal is only an additional $150,000 for this year.
And yet, we are seeing an increase of the number of higher-paid management positions at the expense of the unionized staff. Calling for a strike is not a decision we take lightly.
Many of us have worked at MASS MoCA for years. We love our work, but need MASS MoCA to treat us fairly!

1. Herr Dr. Tenma - 4/5 (First episode, first impressions: I get to meet Kenzō Tenma and find out about what a GREAT neurosurgeon he is. He is also engaged to the Hospital Director's daughter. Alright, seems I got the setup down. And then, without wasting time, the show immediately puts a moral dilemma front and center, no beating around the bush. I really liked that. It instantly hooked me. I didn't even see much of Tenma, but I already grew to like him as a character. From his inner struggles over the Turkish man, to the fantastic cliffhanger where he's gonna do against the director's orders. Like, wow, what a way to end the first episode!
On the other hand, I instantly disliked Eva. But that's clearly the idea. Tenma is questioning his decisions due to the death of a patient at the hospital and his fiancée is like "Ugh, you're STILL thinking about that??". Should have been an immediate red flag, LOL)
2. Downfall - 4/5 (Dr. Becker is such a nice guy. His attitude and voice is just so friendly and welcoming, and he's the only character who's actually sympathetic towards Tenma. All in all, it just makes him pleasant to see on screen. Too bad Tenma doesn't reciprocate the attitude. He definitely SHOULD go have a drink with him.
I'm still loving the story. I knew the Hospital Director was going to hold the decision against Tenma, but I was definitely weary when he seemed nice about it initially. It was wholesome... Too bad he was just trolling before replacing him as Head of Neurosurgery. What an asshole. In fact, they make him look like even more of an asshole because he's LITERALLY stealing candy from a child later. Werther's Original "Cream Candies", to be exact. Sick product placement. Except it probably wasn't, given they never even showed the full name. But that's clearly what they were. They're not very tasty. But I'm not a fan of caramel in general. But this is irrelevant to the episode!
Also, Eva turns out to be a shallow gold digger. Who could have known! Certainly not I, from the first episode, no sir. Still, she's very blunt about it. Instantly takes off her engagement ring and goes to flirt with other guys in front of Tenma. Intentionally trying to hurt him for making righteous decision. Anyway, all the people who gave Tenma a hard time are now dead. Gee, I wonder who dunnit...)
3. Murder Case - 4/5 (Wow, Tenma's life turns out successful despite his decision, but only due to the unfortunate deaths of everyone who were going to hinder him. This totally won't make him look suspicious to investigators! Also, Eva showing her true colors once more by desperately trying to get him back now that he's on his way to the top. After having dumped him in the most hurtful way possible, with the most nonchalant attitude ever, and tossing away his engagement ring in front of him? The GALL of this lady. Geez.
So, why is it 9 years later specifically? Why couldn't it be a nice round 10? GAH. Anyway, Dr. Becker and Tenma are still friends! YES!!! I guess they did go out for drinks together off-screen. Becker also implies that Tenma is going out with another daughter of a director. A director of what? The current hospital director? That'd be a weird coincidence)
4. The Night of Execution - 5/5 (Man, in such a short amount of time, they develop Mr. Junkers so well that I instantly got attached to him. He was mute the entire time Tenma was caring for him, but eventually opens up as they look over the hospital garden. That scene, and his story about the clock, was so wholesome. It really shows what a good doctor Tenma is. Not only practically, but for his patients mental health. I mean Junkers was a lockpicking criminal, but after being in Tenma's care and being told that it's never too late to start over, he actually gets the encouragement to start his life anew after contemplating said advice. In the middle of the night no less. He just couldn't wait! And he even wanted Tenma to be present for his confession. It's incredibly heartfelt. And... Wai- God fucking dammit! They did all that just to have him die! And Tenma bought him the clock and everything! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!
Alright, I could obviously predict that that was going to happen. He's obviously only there to jumpstart Tenma's story for the rest of the show and nothing more, but I still hated to see it. Not to be mistaken for me calling it bad. The fact that I really didn't want to see him be killed speaks volumes for how quickly he became an engaging character.
The series of events on this night little confusing. Obviously Johan killed the cop guarding Junker's door. Which means he had to be in the building. So I presume Junker's was running FROM Johan. But if that were the case, why wouldn't Tenma see Johan chasing him when he looked out the window? And at the construction site, Johan was in a position where it looked like Junker's had ran towards him, rather than being chased. He was standing comfortably by the edge. Couldn't Junker's had called the nurse instead of escaping out the window?
Oh yeah, the killer behind the recent middle aged couple murders is Johan... Gee, who could have guessed! Well, even though I knew it (and if I didn't, it was still obvious) the "twist" is SO fantastically done that I don't care. This is epic. But... WHY is he murdering random people? Guessing I find out the motives later. Side note: Is Becker setting Tenma up for all these dates with daughters of successful people? Why doesn't he try to get them himself? LOL)
5. The Girl From Heidelberg - 4/5 (Yeah, Nina Fortner being Anna Liebert was clear from the start of the episode. Still, I really liked the shift in focus to her. It started out a lot more wholesome and cheery than the other episodes, but then the darkness hit once again. It kind of already hit when she got that love e-mail. That wasn't "sweet" or "beautiful". What the hell? It was just creepy. "I was born to smother you with flowers". Imagine being smitten by that and willing to meet up with the sender. I know it's Johan, because, duh. He shows up at the end of the episode very stalker-like, and I know he's looking for Anna. But her first assumption is that he's some poetic, cute guy? I'd assume it was some fat simp. Yeah, this is clearly dated. Though the computer alone told me that much. I do enjoy the accuracy to the time period.
I don't have much to say about Tenma's continuing investigation, other than that it is interesting. But I DID find his conversation with the elderly war veteran very nice. He was a little creepy, but clearly has no ill intent. He nicely invited a stranger for a cup of tea and clearly enjoyed the company. But with the things he told Tenma, I can't quite tell if he himself was creeped out by Johan or not. Side note: Nina's fingers looked weird when she was doing the peace sign. Why are they so far apart? Why do they look so manly?)
6. Disappearance Report - 4/5 (Tenma investigating this on his own is very thrilling. I always like to see characters do a bit of detective work. Also, it's nice whenever we get to see people help Tenma along the way. Like this newspaper journalist. He even took Tenma out for breakfast, and ended up going all-in on the investigation himself. They have a very poignant conversation too. He is coming around to Tenma's advice, just like Mr. Junkers. Oh boy, wonder what his fate will be... ಠ_ಠ
The final act of this was VERY thrilling. Johan's plan was pretty obvious from the beginning, though. He's luring Nina (Anna (Wtf am I supposed to call her?)) away so that he can kill her foster parents. And I just know the journalist is gonna get caught in the crossfire)
7. Mansion of Tragedy - 4/5 (Welp, things panned out exactly as I predicted. Not that that's impressive, given how obvious it was. But man, it's just cruel how the show introduces characters to Tenma, give us insight into their life, have Tenma give them advice that they actually contemplate and open up to taking into practice, only to die before they are able to. I feel like this isn't the first time I'm gonna see this.
The two corrupt policemen's behavior when they arrived at the scene was so suspicious that Tenma should have picked up on it long before he did. Firstly, if cops really DID get a call and they were met with a guy behind the door aggressively trying to shut it after seeing them, they'd have more of a reaction than "You okay in there?". They'd pull their damn guns out. And they were way too casual about seeing the bodies. I mean, for all they know (if they weren't aware of the situation), the man and the woman by the door could be the culprits, and they'd take them in far more aggressively.
You know what frustrates (Well not really because it creates for a thrilling story, but it makes it so frustrating to observe) me? Detective Lunge actually IS a very good detective, and is not corrupt at all. He just keeps finding the wrong evidence at the wrong time that leads to Tenma looking suspicious! The tie he found is obviously going to, hehe, TIE Tenma to the murder!)
8. The Fugitive - 4/5 (What is this, a clipshow? Okay, well, not REALLY. But on 3 separate occasions, they play nearly a full minute (in the last one it's over a minute) worth of old clips. If you count the cold opening which is just the same clip as last episodes ending, that's close to 5 minutes of repeated content. Of course, this is the first time we're seeing Eva after the 9 year timegap, so the clips are there to refresh the audiences memories.
Eva is such a nasty character. She openly revealed herself as a gold digging bitch, and now after three failed marriages, she realizes staying with Tenma would probably have been the smart decision. So she tries to get him back by BLACKMAILING him into it by threats of telling the police about the tie (which, as I predicted, Detective Lunge is using to connect Tenma to the crime). She better get some SERIOUS character development or something. OR she better grow into a great antagonist.
I guess NOW is the point when the "journey" truly starts, given Tenma is quitting his job and going on the run. Which is pretty stupid considering it just makes him look more guilty. And he's seen with a gun in the end, so, is he planning on killing Johan? That literally WOULD make him a murderer and ACTUALLY applicable for arrest. Side note: His patients blocking the police in the hallway was very wholesome. Side note 2: Good GOD the driver at the end of the episode is chatty. Tenma says NOTHING, but he just keeps yapping and asking questions without breathing!)
9. The Girl And The Seasoned Soldier - 4/5 (Unlike the previous episodes, not a happens here. It's just Tenma training his gun skills. Obviously I still liked it, given the score. But less happening = less to say. The way they structured the timeframe was pretty interesting I guess, given I was tricked by the ending of the last episode to believe I was gonna see Tenma on his way to Verden, but instead it just throws us back 5 months to his training.
Obviously, Tenma isn't even the most interesting part of the episode. It's the situation with the titular Soldier and Girl. Like, their "relationship" makes me VERY conflicted on how to feel. He killed her mom, and he's now raising her... But she still hates him for killing his mom. An unfortunate situation all around. I found her pretty interesting. Adorable even. I liked the scene where she and Tenma put a baby bird back in it's nest. I liked the chopsticks scene. And, OBVIOUSLY, I liked that she finally smiled in the end. Laughed even. Seems like the two have a... Good relationship now? I mean gee, I hope we see more of them now.
Irrelevant, but, DAMN, how fun can it be to repeatedly walk up some stairs and jump in a puddle? The girl was doing that the ENTIRE time Bernhardt was interrogated. Woops, looks like I found more to say than I expected)
10. A Past Erased - 3/5 (I guess Tenma is now just following a trail of murders to track down Johan. Interesting! I'm still curious why his victims are nothing but middle aged couples. However, this episode itself actually wasn't THAT interesting. It's still good, but it's really just this rat-looking guy being annoying to Tenma and then forcing him to do some shady medical work. I don't even remember if they said his name, but I'm just gonna call him Ratman, because he looks like rat. The terrorists he made Tenma "operate" on weren't particularly interesting characters either. And the operation he performed looked so nasty. He used a STAPLER to shut the wound. Yikes. And the episode ends with Ratman still relentlessly stalking Tenma, so I guess that's not the last I've seen of him)
11. 511 Kinderheim - 3/5 (Oh, Johan and Anna (Nina) were adopted by the Lieberts? I'm not sure this was ever hinted at before. It does add some interesting mystery to their backstory. I mean, with the way the orphanage director talk about Johan and Anna, you'd think Johan actually cares... Or, CARED for Anna. Given he was looking for her, but didn't want to kill her... Maybe he still does?
That's not even the most interesting part of the episode, though. That award goes to Dieter and Mr. Hartmann. The moment when Tenma left and Hartmann walked up all menacingly to Dieter, I knew he was about to be physically abused. Gave me chills. I thought it was really suspenseful when Tenma returned and Hartmann had to bullshit his way out of it ASAP, but then they both confronted each other... Also, Tenma sure has a habit of buying gifts for absolute strangers, huh?)
12. A Little Experiment - 3/5 (Conceptually, I love the plot with Hartmann and Dieter, I really do. The scene when Hartmann came to pick Dieter up from the hospital genuinely gave me chills, and I was anxious to find out what would happen next. And it got even more scary when he vaguely threatened to take Dieter somewhere he REALLY didn't want to go. Had me weary of what place this would be. And Tenma breaking into their home only to find they aren't there... This is all thrilling stuff.
BUT! This is only a few minutes in the middle of the episode. The first part is just the orphanage director explaining everything about the child testing at 511 Kinderheim (which admittedly is interesting, but them standing around and explaining it alone isn't too thrilling), and the latter part is just a looooooong confrontation with Tenma and Hartmann at the ruins of said orphanage. It was interesting at first, but it drags for too long. And in the end, Hartmann is acting all cartoonish, like a supervillain. "Mwuahaha, we created the greatest Monster ever!!! And I will create more!!!". Definitely has me raising an eyebrow considering how down to earth the show has been up to this point)
13. Petra and Schumann - 4/5 (Oh, so Dieter is travelling with Tenma now. Interesting, interesting. I mean, I liked the plot last episode, but Dieter wasn't much of a "character" so to speak. And he isn't much of one here either. He's just a kid that Tenma has to take care of. Though Dr. Schumann said in the end that Dieter should stay with Tenma to keep him on the right track, so I'm sure the development will come later.
Speaking of Dr. Schumann, I thought he was a really endearing character. The whole village was endearing, in fact. The scenery makes it look so homely and cozy. It was a very wholesome setting, which definitely fits in right here considering how dark the last two episodes were. Schumann is pretty aggressive and confrontational, but you can tell how much he truly cares about people, just like Tenma. I definitely enjoyed this as a cute "pause" episode, to counter the constant thrillers. It was still thrilling in it's own right, though, given I was weary that something bad would happen when Tenma had to tend to policeman Heinz's mother. Schumann confronting him during when he pulls a gun on Tenma during the operation and then pushing him out of the room was awesome. And the Heinz let Tenma get away in the end. Yay. Tenma really should have stayed there. Nice village)
14. The Abandoned Man・The Abandoned Woman - 4/5 (Holy shit, it's a Tenma-less episode! The shift to fully focus on other characters for the whole duration was interesting. It sure was a bit all over the place, though. I mean, first we focus on Detective Lunge and some random case he's working. Then his wife and daughter leaves him, and he just goes back to work. Does he not care about them at all? He's completely unfazed to his wife admitting to cheating. And when he finally has free time after being put off every one of his cases, he decides to pursue Tenma (a case he's already confident he's got down) instead of getting his family back? Alright then. I find him to be an interesting character, but these actions are definitely weird.
Then halfway into the episode it completely shifts to... Eva having a fling with her gardener? Well, okay then... It was blatantly obvious that she was trolling him the entire time. Frankly, I don't understand how he couldn't see it himself. Eva just LOOKS evil. You can see it in her face! This story was definitely odd. In the end, the gardener's wife conveniently comes home on Christmas Eve and they live happily ever after. And I don't really understand why Eva got mad upon seeing her through the window. Firstly, she wasn't even in love with the gardener, so why would she care? Second, that could be his sister or something for all she knows. She could have probably knocked on the door and joined them anyway. But instead she burns down her house and leaves to become a State Alchemis- I mean track down Tenma and ruin his life. She really is a detestable character, but an interesting one.
What's confusing about this episode is the timeline in which it's set up. I'm not sure why they decided to show Lunge's story for the first half and Eva's for the latter even though it's clear they happen concurrently. There doesn't seem to be any thematic reason for it. Why couldn't they just give every other scene to each character, to evenly spread out their stories? Would have probably made it a bit more suspenseful)
15. Be My Baby - 4/5 (HOLY CRAP IT'S NINA!... Holy crap, it's Rat-man. I mean, Otto Heckel. Wait, what's he doing here? Tenma first met him in Verden, and this episode takes place in Frankfurt. They're quite far apart. I doubt they kept contact, because why would Tenma want to do that? He was just annoyed by him in episode 10. But I also find it hard to believe they randomly stumbled into each other again in an entirely different city over 400 kilometers away. Oh well, at least we get a funny scene with him and Dieter, and some side plot about him wanting an expensive rug.
Nina being back is awesome at least. And boy, the story of this episode is very thrilling. Johan isn't just some loose monster. His mere existence is part of a huge, weird and complex political conspiracy. The whole 511 Kinderheim experiments were already egregious, but now we find out some of the people associated with it consider Johan such a success that they want to track him down and literally make him the next Hitler. You can't make this stuff up! AND tomorrow they plan to burn down the Turkish part of town, because racism. Fucking hell.
Side notes: Goedelitz eating soft fruit was weird, but oddly satisfying. It looked tasty. Nina revealing a gun strapped to her leg? Badass. Also, sick Twin Peaks reference. I've never seen it, but I sure have seen a midget dancing badly in a strange room enough times to know a refernece to it when I see it)
16. Wolf's Confession - 3/5 (Last episode ended incredibly suspenseful, talking about the threat of neo-Nazis burning the Turks. And this episode... Doesn't deliver that climax quite yet. I felt a little blueballed. I guess that stuff comes NEXT episode! Nevertheless, what's present here is still good. The buildup to the burning is still interesting, and I like the way all the characters clash and the twisty things that happen. Like Ayse just dying off-screen (we never even got to see her face, so SHE didn't become much of a character) and the reveal that Goedelitz and all his men also suffered the same fate. Immediately obvious that it was the work of Johan. They desperately wanted him to lead them, and he just killed them. Fail. Play stupid games, win stupid prices.
It's really only the latter half of this I didn't find too engaging, considering I was expecting the burning to start. Instead, Tenma just talks to Wolf, who's apparently NOT one of the bad guys. Or, er, not anymore at least. He was obviously rotten in the past)
17. Reunion - 4/5 (Pulling a gun on the man in the beginning seems a little excessive. Tenma wasn't being held hostage or anything. The guy might have listened to the request. Or maybe not. But IMMEDIATELY pulling it out feels odd for Tenma, considering the circumstances.
Yay, the fires are starting! Or, well, I shouldn't say "yay", but, it's exciting to finally see. Despite the nature of the threat, the show never really gets hectic about it. The tone is still pretty slow and calm. They mostly put out the fires out off-screen. Most action we get is Nina putting out the fire to rescue Otto and Dieter. Nina confronting The Baby to get the information was definitely badass, though. It's funny what a little wimp he really is. But did they really need to show that he pissed himself? I really didn't need to see a closeup of his crotch, soaking wet and dripping down from the chair. At least I'm not the guy who had to draw it.
I really enjoyed the confrontation at the abandoned warehouse. DIETER USED THE RUG THAT HECKEL HAS SPENT THE LAST THREE EPISODES TRYING TO STEAL TO PUT THE FIRE OUT! That moment genuinely had me in hysterics. I was not expecting his little side plot which seemed incredibly irrelevant to actually work itself into the ending. That alone made this ending awesome. Oh, and the fact that we find out that Johan supposedly has multiple personality disorder. So THAT sure makes things a little more complex. Is this gonna lead to a point where we get more insight into him and he becomes a sympathetic character? Because so far we've seen him as nothing but a cold-blooded killer. And even if this DID stuff IS true, he'd still go to jail for his heinous crimes.
I also really like Nina's character arc, as it clashes well with Tenma. They both feel responsible for Johan and want to be the one who kills him so that the other doesn't have to)
18. The Fifth Spoonful of Sugar - 4/5 (FLASHBACK EPISODE! So now we get to see what Nina was up to after she ditched Tenma in episode 7, eh? Much like episode 13, this just feels much more bright and wholesome than most of the show. There's no real plot to it, it's just showcasing Nina working in an Italian restaurant and training at a gun range. So there's not a whole lot to comment on. I just enjoyed it as it felt a bit like a slice of life, if only for one episode.
Well, obviously there's some "plot" as it's revealed she worked there because the owner was an ex-hitman, but she never ended up asking him to train her. HIS story in the end was incredibly strange, though. He decided to quit being a gun for hire because some guy he was about to execute was enjoying his coffee with sugar. Ok then? I don't know, maybe I just don't get it. That didn't feel very poignant or anything)
19. The Monster's Abyss - 4/5 (This episode is good, but I don't have a lot to say about the plot. I just liked following Rudy, and seeing how he changes his mind from thinking Tenma is guilty, to innocent. The Jürgens guy he was interrogating is definitely creepy to the core, though. Yikes.
The Johan mystery keeps getting deeper and deeper. His actions, and the victims he chooses are incredibly confusing. This episode just makes me curious to find out who this Kempf woman is, and what her connection to Johan was. Tenma and Rudy's conversation about Johan at the end kind of confused me a little, though. Johan seemed to have hopped between a few foster parents, and tends to kill them, but he didn't kill the ones who fostered him in his teens? And Rudy thinks that's his perfect family and he wants to join them? Huh?)
20. Journey to Freiham - 5/5 (Language discrepancy moment! I'm watching this in English, though I obviously get that canonically, the characters are speaking German. But it makes it amusing to point out, because when two actual English characters show up, they have Tenma actually speak German until switching to English to communicate. Obviously Dieter doesn't speak English, which also makes it amusing when I'm clearly hearing Leia and Mr. Jones speak English, and Dieter saying, in English, that he doesn't understand. But I can obviously tell when characters are speaking what language. Also, the British accents immediately threw me off for a moment. Felt so out of place.
If you really dissect this episode, not a lot happens. But I truly enjoy it every single time Tenma meets and befriends kind strangers. It's just so heartwarming and wholesome. Their interactions throughout are just pleasant. I liked when Tenma returned with the gas, I liked them enjoying dinner together etc. Simply cute stuff. Plus, there was at least something intriguing going on, what with the couple vaguely talking about their son. At first, I thought it was gonna turn out he died young, especially when they drove by some kids and exclaim that everyone deserves a good childhood. But instead, it's revealed he's in prison. I don't really have an opinion on that. It works, I guess. But I did love how Mr. Jones actually realized that Tenma was wanted, and simply didn't turn him in. Always wholesome to see. And it lead to at least one suspenseful scene in an otherwise wholesome episode; Tenma being a sitting duck in the parking lot of a police station. Lol.
Also, I know I keep saying "wholesome" a lot, but that's just what this, and episodes like it, are. They thank Tenma for "the pleasure of his company" in the end. I don't know, I just find this stuff heartwarming)
21. A Wonderful Holiday - 3/5 (This show REALLY likes to take the time to expand on seemingly irrelevant characters, huh? Like, here's an entire episode dedicated to the dirty cop from episode 7, where he gets a whole ass backstory about why he did what he did in that episode. And honestly? It's great. I love that they do this, as it slowly reveals pieces of... Whatever mystery is going on. I mean, he was the one who killed the Fortners under Johan's command, but he had no clue who Johan even is. So he wasn't working directly for him like I had assumed. In fact, it seems no one really is. Johan manages to trick and manipulate people from the shadows, all without being found out. What the HELL is this man up to?
Even Muller's bodyguard seems to work for Johan... But I assume he still hasn't met him, considering that's usually how this goes. Is Johan just some madman manipulating people all over the country and killing random people for fun? WHAT'S going on? Anyway, as for the rest of this episode, I did like Nina's confrontation with Muller, and how it ended with Muller saving Nina's life. But my main concern is, how did Nina manage to track him down to France? This episode takes place in a whole other country. It feels like people in this show can just fast travel willy nilly. Well, obviously they imply there's some time in between episodes. But that's a LOT of downtime if so. Like, Nina is always on the run, how does she get money for a plane ticket?)
22. Lunge's Trap - 5/5 (Getting to see Lunge's clever tactics to lure out Tenma is incredibly enjoyable. He's cold, calculating, and insanely good at it. He's just such an interesting character. I mean, he's so dedicated I'm kind of rooting for him to succeed, even though he's after a man who is innocent. But I love the thrill of seeing these two characters play cat and mouse. And their confrontation in this episode was hella exciting. The moment Lunge opened the door to the house while Tenma was there, I knew shit was going down. That scene had me at the edge of my seat.
But shit didn't really go down. He just gets stabbed by the nephew of the victims who's case he really didn't even give a shit about. It's amusing how he straight up says he doesn't care about it, and shoots the guy in the leg while he's down... And then again when he's already given up and is wounded. He's definitely going down a darker path just to get to Tenma, considering how he's always been a man of law, but now he's shooting a downed man. He's starting to get creepy. But the end already signified that, when he admits he likes chasing Tenma for the fun of it, while having that creepy smile.
Lunge and Tenma's confrontation, all the way from the opening of the door to when Lunge is in the hospital is 100% AWESOME. Just satisfying stuff to see, considering how much we've seen of Lunge trying to get to this moment. And it's amusing how much this episode is largely shown from Lunge's perspective. Tenma wasn't at all in the last episode, and he doesn't appear in this until close to the end. Which is funny considering he's the main character. But it also made his return here feel a little weird. And it also makes me very confused about locations and all that. Last we saw Tenma, he was heading to Freiham. So is this where this episode takes place? I'm not sure it was ever said. I'd assume not, since he went here specifically due to Lunge's trap, which I doubt was conveniently in the same area he was already at. Also, where the fuck is Dieder?)
23. Eva's Confession - 4/5 (Holy crap it's the guy... The guy who pretended to be Muller's bodyguard in France. New recurring antagonist I guess? I'll be honest: He isn't THAT interesting. And just like I said in episode 21, I doubt he's working directly under Johan because that's usually never how this works... Though he seem very much aware of who Johan is and wants more information about him. So I guess I'm kind of curious for what reason he wants that. I also assume he drugged Eva the previous evening to make all this happen. But was it all to find... A photo of Johan? Again, mildly curious I guess. Also, Eva suffering the consequences of burning her house down. Bet she regrets that now. LOL. She's really down bad. Stealing liquor from a homeless man??
Oh, FLASHBACK SEQUENCE! There sure seems to be a lot of these flashbacks that fill out events that happened concurrently with the early episodes now. Turns out Eva was stalking Tenma during the whole Junkers incident. I find it amusing that they added more dialogue to when Tenma looked at the clock in the window to explain that he was gonna buy it for Mr. Junkers. Something he didn't say at all in episode 4. Guess audience needed a memory refresher. And the fact that she saw Johan makes her actions in previous episodes even more despicable, considering she doesn't just have a hunch that Tenma is innocent. She KNOWS he is, and she's still trying to get him arrested. What. A. Bitch.
I wish we saw more of what actually happened when Johan spottet her. I mean, he obviously didn't kill her, so I guess he didn't care if she saw his face. But this Roberto guy apparently thinks Eva must die for having seen him. So... Ok then? If Johan didn't care, why do you? It's just a face.
Side note: There's one thing that truly makes this episode awesome; Dr. Becker appearance!)
24. The Men's Dining Table - 3/5 (Not that I didn't find it endearing, but it was weird to have this poigant moment for this wounded mob boss in the FIRST scene we ever see him in. Like, I don't know this guy. He has had no development whatsoever. I guess it's just to show the positive influence Tenma has on people. I still think the scene where all 4 of them have dinner is very nice, and... Wait... Heckel is there for some reason. Okay seriously, what the hell is going on? Tenma is travelling all across the country, and they've made NO indication that Heckel is travelling alongside him (he OBVIOUSLY wasn't in episode 20), yet, here he is again, reunited with Tenma for the second time. They always meet up in places hundreds of miles away from each other, yet never show that they keep in contact when separated. But this isn't nearly as a distracting incosistency as Dieder sometimes not being with Tenma, despite travelling with him everywhere.
Anyway, uh, Eva finally meeting Tenma again... Well, I guess I thought the scene when Dieder ran into her to be pretty interesting. I still liked the rest of the episode, I just have little to say. Eva's still a bitch. Though I like that she didn't even get a proper reunion with Tenma. She passes out and by the time she's up, he's gone)
25. The Thursday Boy - 3/5 (Oop- Okay, randomly following new characters I see. Sooo, Karl isn't really that interesting, but Lotte was endearing. She has no sense of boundaries or personal space, and creepily researches people. Even downright stalking. LOL. Also, she's kinda cute. She pretty much carried this episode, since there isn't really much of a purpose to it other than to lead into the ending that reveals Johan is the guy who reads for Schuwald on Fridays. Or, well, there probably is more to it, but my knowledge is pretty limited from this episode alone. All that happens is Karl finds out some guy (Edmund Farren) is pretending to be Schuwald's son, and then the he is found dead. Which isn't a whole lot of content. A majority of it is just Karl and Lotta interacting.
At least I am genuinely interested in the mystery of Farren, since I think it's pretty obvious that he didn't kill himself, but Johan did. That, or Johan somehow caused him to kill himself. No matter what, Johan was 100% involved. So now I just want to know why he pretended to be Schuwald's bastard son, and what Johan's connection to this is. I'm guessing he was tricked or forced into it, for whatever weird scheme Johan is concocting)