And you thought there is never a girl online?

Episode 11

Reviewer's note: Due to travel plans next Thursday, next week's review could be heavily delayed.

Last episode ended with Kyo hiring Wallenstein, an elite PvP guild, to aid them in their siege warfare effort. This episode we get to see how that went. Somewhat predictably, it was an unsatisfactory experience on a number of levels.

Unsurprisingly, Wallenstein – or at least its leader, anyway – proved to be an arrogant ass, but given that he and his guild are among the elite players, there's nothing especially wrong with that. However, the production takes pains to show how much this rubs the Alley Cats the wrong way, even if the veteran members agree that his tactics are sound. Their unease about the alliance only grows as the siege attack follows through in earnest. Though awed by the ability of Bats, none of them are too comfortable with the way they are winning, and the final blow comes when Bats betrays them and claims the castle for his own guild. Rather than fume about it, Kyo merely acknowledges that it was their own fault for being caught off guard by the betrayal, and so they leave. Bats's surprised reaction suggests that he delights in watching others fume at his antics, but the fact that none of the Alley Cats were too upset further reinforces that they didn't like the way things were going anyway.

So basically, the theme of the whole episode could be “lessons learned.” Kyo definitely learned a lesson about better evaluating the trustworthiness of her allies, and in a conversation with Hideki afterwards, Ako learns that despite her inability to do anything to stop Bats when he turned on them, the fact that she has regrets about it is actually a sign of improvement for her. Whereas before she had always run away from conflict, at least this time she's facing up to it. She also learns another lesson when Hideki discovers that she hasn't really done much to support her class's maid café: it's alright to ask for help when you're in over your head. While this may not seem like a big deal in general, for someone with the deep-seeded self-esteem issues that Ako has, it's a big step forward. The gang also learns their lesson from the Wallenstein encounter and chooses its allies more carefully in setting up for the next round of siege warfare, where they will attack Wallenstein.

Of course, the series still delights in its fanservice. The new wave this time is getting to see Ako, Akane, and Nanako all dressed up in the maid outfits that Ako's class is going to be using (which they got from Kyo's servants). Otherwise, it's mostly just the normal emphasis on jiggle and chest shots, though seeing Kyo get all heated when Hideki addressed her by her first name (on her request) was amusing.

Overall, it's a solid episode by the series' standards. Given the timing, it looks like the show will wrap next episode with the climax of the siege warfare scheme.

Rating: B

And you thought there is never a girl online? is currently streaming on Funimation.