Trinity Seven

Episode 5

With Yui now awakened, she starts hanging on Arata rather determinedly, much to the dismay or disgust of some of the other girls. (She even tells Arin, his self-declared wife, that she is content to be merely his mistress.) Things soon escalate to a full-powered magical scrap, partly over Arata and partly over long-standing rivalries between some of the Trinity Seven, but Yui's dream magic proves quite capable at forcibly calming the situation down. What it can't calm, though, are worries over the arrival of someone or something during a thunderstorm. Is it the ghost of a student who disappeared under strange circumstances several months back, or something else? The culprit soon turns out to be the until-this-point-absent final member of the Trinity Seven, camera girl Serina's twin sister Liselotte, who is up to no good and seems intent on stealing the powers of the others and becoming a demon lord candidate herself. Arata, of course, is more concerned about how shapely her legs are.

The first four episodes of Trinity Seven have at times pretended like they have an actual plot and character development, and indeed, at least some of the latter can be seen here in one side scene which expands a bit more on the strength of the loyalty and relationship between Mira and Akio. (Not yet explained is exactly why Akio is so loyal, however. While there are some intimations that it may be love, there seems to be something else going on there, too.) At this point, though, the truth of the series is becoming increasingly clear: it really is all about the fan service and harem antics, and most of what happens in the series is merely a set-up for such content. With episode 5 the series reaches the point where those hoping for more than that from the series are probably wasting their time. There just isn't much left to recommend the series on beyond that.

Taken strictly as a fan service series, though, it does not fare badly. To be sure, it is not anywhere near on the level of a To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness, but it has its own appeal, including one bathing scene here that will almost certainly have nudity in the uncensored physical release form. It still doesn't go for the cheap panty shots but does offer generous figures, alluring clothing, and sexy behavior, and watching Arata delight at being at the center of female attention is another kind of fan service. (He isn't entirely a cad, though, as he does gently turn down one girl who seems to be acting without thinking.) Liselotte turns out to be the well-endowed sexpot who appears in the opener, and she is given ample opportunity to flash that figure. All-in-all it's a prurient feast for the discerning fan service fan without getting too ridiculous about it.

But, again, the series has very little to it beyond that at this point, and even with the fan service buoying it up, that's a problem. Some questionable musical choices and the fan service combine to sap any sense of gravitas from the late confrontation with Liselotte, but really the entire episode is short on any real tension. That has to improve, or Trinity Seven will find it difficult to avoid being one of the season's most forgettable series.

Rating: B for fan service, C- otherwise

Trinity Seven is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.