Gabriel DropOut

Episode 9

This week, Gabriel DropOut provides us with an oddly-timed holiday special in one of its strongest episodes yet. Like last week's installment, episode 9 does an admirable job of giving each of the main characters a decent amount of focus and presenting a smattering of clever jokes. While I'm somewhat hesitant to declare this the series' best episode, it's certainly a worthy contender.

In the first of this week's three segments, Vigne and Raphiel make every effort to prevent Satania from correlating Christmas (a secular holiday in Japan) with the birth of Christ, in order to keep her from ruining the gang's holiday party. Although she's eventually able to put the pieces together, Satania quickly changes her tune after learning that hating Christmas stands to cost her presents. The second segment finds the group making a New Year's Eve visit to a local shrine, where Vigne tries in vain to keep her friends from revealing their true identities. The final story centers on the girls returning to their original realms for winter break—Gabriel and Raphiel to Heaven, Satania and Vigne to Hell. Although entertainment items from the human world are strictly forbidden in Heaven, Gabriel attempts to sneak a number of gaming-related goodies past security, only to find her efforts thwarted at every turn.

Showcasing each girl's reaction to the holiday season is a fun way to highlight their individual personalities, especially considering the religious aspects of Christmas for many outside of Japan. Even if the “good-natured demon” bit has gotten old, the juxtaposition of Vigne's love of seasonal merriment with her demonic heritage proves consistently amusing. While it's true that Gabriel is somewhat underused in this segment, there honestly isn't much her presence could add to the first part of the story.

Fortunately, the frequently-neglected Gabriel manages to steal the show (albeit her own show) in the final two segments. Revealing her wings after getting drunk on amazake and attempting to win a New Year's lottery through divine intervention are both great examples of the “fish out of water” humor that suits her character perfectly. The final segment does a nice job of illustrating just how far from grace Gabriel has fallen. Not only does she risk her reputation by attempting to smuggle in creature comforts, she can't even be troubled to conceal them convincingly. While it's unclear whether or not the winter break storyline will continue next week, it would be nice to spend a little more time in Heaven. I'm curious to know how Gabriel's former teachers and parents (assuming angels have parents) will respond to the one-time honor student's dramatic shift in personality.

While there are few surprises this week, this episode is a lot of fun. The art in this show is always pleasing to the eye, but the visuals are especially lovely in episode 9 with all of the winter backgrounds and holiday décor on display. The entryway to Heaven and Hell is another visual stunner. It's too bad we didn't get to see more of Heaven beyond the security gates, but judging from the picture Gab has painted for us, it's probably safe to assume that the place is rather stuffy and humdrum. I know Gabriel DropOut isn't big on continuity, but continuing this storyline is a promising idea.

Rating: A-

Gabriel DropOut is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for over two decades.