REVIEW: ‘Otherside Picnic,’ Episode 2 – “Surviving Lady Hasshaku”

Otherside Picnic is one of many novel series coming to digital big spring in Winter 2021. A blend of Yuri, Science Fiction, and Horror, Otherside Picnic angles to tantalize viewers with gals being pals in a world full of creepypasta monsters. Thankfully, it’s Otherside Picnic episode 1, did just that, showcasing the creepy Otherside and setting the stage for a dynamic story. Episode 1 firmly established Otherside Picnic as a show to follow this season, especially for fans of the Yuri genre. These gals aren’t just pals: they’re genuinely invested in one another, both as friends and as more. It’s wonderful to witness, especially when so many sapphic couples don’t get development until the very end. Time will tell if the series sees Toriko and Sorao become a full-fledged couple. For now, it’s nice enough to see them working together and caring for one another. That being said, Otherside Picnic episode 2, “Surviving Lady Hasshaku”, looks to be just as good as the premier. Does it match up? Well, let’s find out!

Otherside Picnic episode 2 picks up three days after the girls’ encounter with the wiggle waggle in the Otherside. Their encounter has left them noticeably marked. Sorao sports one blue eye, changed from looking at the wiggle waggle. Toriko herself bears a translucent left hand which was transformed when she touched the foreign matter sprouting from Sorao’s eye. Neither Toriko nor Sorao have escaped the effects of the Otherside, leaving the viewer to wonder what else might happen to them. What that means for their bodies in the real world is yet to be discovered, or even broached.

Still, that’s not going to stop them from engaging with the Otherside, nor its valuables. In fact, Toriko is eager to sell off a chunk of the Otherside to a friend and research. The girls are off on a train bound for an Otherside enthusiast named Kozakura, a woman with a vested interest in some very unusual goods. 

Hilariously, Kozakura’s interest extends solely to Otherside goods.  She wants nothing to do with the actual Otherside. In fact, she quickly flies into a rage at Toriko’s casual nature towards what happened to them in the Otherside, which is something that Kozakura quickly chides them both for. It’s a nice balance in comparison to Sorao and Toriko who have pretty much wholeheartedly embraced the Otherside and all its uncanniness.

Then again, Kozakura has a really good point. So far, viewers have come to understand two rules about the Otherside: it’s deadly and it’s incredibly dangerous. One single mistake can cost everything, especially in a realm where monsters roam freely and horrors hide around every corner! 

To some degree, it was sheer luck that helped them survive their encounter with the wiggle waggle. Granted, Toriko and Sorao are quite quick on their feet, and they did prepare. Still, it took a lot of desperate measures to ultimately take out the wiggle waggle. Hopefully, those quick wits will keep our twosome alive as they continue to delve into the unreality of the Otherside.

It looks like they’ll need them sooner than later since the very next day, the girls back at it again. Once more, Toriko and Sorao take a deadly elevator ride back to the Otherside. Interestingly, the music drops out a bit, transforming an already uneasy elevator ride into a pretty neat liminal space to move us back into the heart of the Otherside. Soon, their ride ends, depositing them onto the cracked rooftop from episode 1. Armed and ready, the girls plunge into the near-silent realm, this time on the search for Satsuki, Toriko’s best friend. Things seem to be going well until they encounter an armed man named Abarato who won’t hesitate to take them out. 

However, it quickly becomes clear that Abarato is there searching for his own lost person. In this case, it’s his wife. Bound together by a similar cause, Toriko and Sorao team up with Abarato and head off into a new area of the Otherside to find Satsuki. However, cautious viewers know that this is the Otherside: whatever they’re heading towards probably includes a healthy dose of trouble.

That bit is what keeps the series exciting. The constant threat of the creatures inhabiting the Otherside is so engaging, as is the development of Sorao and Toriko’s newfound abilities. Watching them team up to take down uncanny creatures feels really, really good. In fact, that’s what makes Otherside Picnic episode 2 such a treat to watch, especially considering this episode’s otherworldly beasty.

Otherside Picnic episode 2 is a good breath after the action of episode 1. However, don’t think that means it’s a slow episode. In fact, Otherside Picnic episode 2 introduces a few new characters and adds new elements that keep the plot engaging. Additionally, this episode plunges viewers right back into the creepy goodness of the Otherside with a new bit of netlore and a whole lot of action in the back-half of the episode. In the end, it’s an enjoyable watch that’ll most likely leave viewers hungry for next week!

Otherside Picnic is streaming now on Funimation.