Gabriel DropOut

Episode 8

Gabriel DropOut gives all of its key players ample time to shine this week, delivering one of its strongest episodes in the process. Although a good portion of the laughs still come courtesy of Satania, the rest of the girls are there to do more than simply set her up for jokes. The latest installment also marks a return to the four-segment format that's served this show well in the past. No matter which one of the main characters is your favorite, you're likely to walk away from episode 8 thoroughly entertained.

In the first segment, Raphiel of all people finds herself at a disadvantage when she's forced to endure the school's physical fitness test after outgrowing her now very tight-fitting bra. Even though Raphi is the central focus, this story also features a number of solid jokes that poke fun at Gabriel's lack of stamina and physical prowess. The second segment finds Vigne and Satania attending a mock job interview overseen by their no-nonsense homeroom teacher. Throughout the interview, Vigne nervously squirms in her seat, while the overconfident Satania plays it completely cool. The third segment, which is the first Gabriel-centric story in quite a while, revolves around a broke and starving Gabriel scoring free eats courtesy of the school's cooking club, which is overseen by class rep Machiko. The fourth and final story finds Satania cautiously agreeing to share an umbrella with Raphiel on a rainy day. Even though Raphi uncharacteristically doesn't have any tricks up her sleeves, Satania remains on her guard throughout the entire walk and inadvertently discovers one of her chief tormentor's greatest fears.

This episode is the first time that the conniving Raphiel is shown so discomfited—not once, but twice. Although she predictably manages to get the best of Satania in the physical fitness test by the end, she has considerable trouble doing so. What's more, exposing Satania to her fear of frogs is sure to come back to haunt her. Also interesting was the fact that Raphi genuinely doesn't have any ulterior motives in sharing her umbrella with Satania. Raphiel's lack of a scheme wasn't even in itself a scheme to make Satania paranoid, which is pretty surprising for this character.

The job interview skit is the highlight of the episode. Viewers who can't help but get nervous when attending job interviews are sure to sympathize with Vigne while envying Satania's unshakable confidence. Satania pulling a lap cat out of nowhere and going into Bond villain mode was a great gag, and Sunglasses' lack of reaction did a nice job of ratcheting up the tension. It seemed pretty obvious that he had to blow his stack at some point; it was simply a question of when.

Although Gabriel is still the most underused of the main characters, she has plenty of standout moments this week. The first segment makes ample use of her laziness and lethargy, while the second nicely illustrates her cunning. While these traits are often on prominent display, episode 8 finds fun ways to utilize them—namely, by putting her in an uncomfortable situation and pairing her with characters who are removed from her usual group.

Although it's still largely The Satania Show, this week's Gabriel DropOut does a great job of playing to the strengths of each main character. One segment even pulls viewers away from the established quartet, going so far as to bestow actual names upon secondary characters—a first for this show. If Gabriel DropOut is able to remain this evenly-focused, the remainder of the season is sure to be a treat.

Rating: A

Gabriel DropOut is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.