Lag's reunion with Gauche doesn't turn out how Lag had always hoped it would - not only does Gauche refuse to acknowledge that they've met before but, as per the instructions from his client, he takes Lag's delivery from him and leaves. Now going under the name of Noir, he's become a Marauder - a thief - and seems to have no memory of his time as a Bee. Niche's own encounter with Roda (Gauche's dingo) doesn't go well either, only proving to Niche that she's got some learning to do if she's to become the dingo she wants to be. That leaves them heading back to the Yuusari Bee-hive under something of a cloud, and with Lag having to tell Sylvette the bad news about her brother... With this season following on directly from where the first left off, there are no real changes to get your head around - Amberground's still as fascinating a world as it always was, while Lag's just as prone to bursting into tears, too. What this episode does, though, is reintroduce the characters and setting, and drop a few fairly large hints as to what's happened to Gauche since Lag saw him last. In doing so it also leaves you thinking of one or two fairly obvious ways in which the plot could go to get Gauche back to the world of those who love him - so I'd have to say that yes, it's as predictable as hell. But I still love it anyway. To my mind, Lag and Niche - for all their annoyances - are more facilitators for the story of Gauche and those who want him back that lead characters per se, so I can live with the tears and the immaturity and just enjoy the show's atmosphere and leisurely pacing. So far, I'm getting exactly what I expected from the show, so no complaints yet - whether I stay that way depends on what direction the show goes from here. The Good: Same intriguing world and laid-back atmosphere - the producers have quite rightly not messed around with a winning combination. The Bad: ...but no changes also means that Lag and Niche are still as frustrating to watch at times as they were in season one. That's not a show-killer, though. One of the shows I was most looking forward to this season, and so far it hasn't disappointed.
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