REVIEW: ‘Otherside Picnic,’ Episode 11 – “Operation Rescue U.S. Forces”

Last time on Otherside Picnic, we headed to a Japanese-style barbeque restaurant via a very mysterious, otherworldly elevator. Hijinks and foibles ensure as Sorawo and Toriko attempt to just get their grub on, as well as save their newfound friend Akari. In the end, they succeed and find a renewed drive to help others in the Otherside, which leads us into Otherside Picnic Episode 11.

Now, on Otherside Picnic Episode 11, “Operation Rescue U.S. Forces”, viewers are heading back to Kisaragi Station, which was featured in episode 5 and episode 6. It’s thrilling stuff, especially after episode 10.

As a viewer, I’ve been anticipating the girl’s return to Kisaragi Station. When they left in episode 6, it was under duress. Now, they’ve got a good reason to hop back over to the Otherside. However, before that, the girls -including Kozakura- have to make a plan. They also have to play it smart and travel over when it’s not nighttime in the Otherside.

A lot of Sorawo and Toriko’s motivation comes from feeling bad for the soldiers. The girls were able to escape via the Meat Train and can travel Lady Hasshaku’s hat. On the other hand, the soldiers have been stuck in a living horror film, braving the dangers of the Otherside on their own. Since the girls have the ability to freely travel, they’re more than willing to survive the Otherside if it means helping others.

Naturally, things don’t go exactly to plan, but that’s kind of how it always is for the girls. However, Sorawo and Toriko do end up in the Otherside. Once again, they land there at night, despite leaving at high noon. Thankfully, they even manage to make it back to Kisaragi Station in one piece, which is a surprise.

Otherside Picnic Episode 11 gives viewers lots of little world-building nuggets to chew on. One of them is how time functions in the Otherside. For the girls, they’ve been gone for quite a while. However, for the soldiers, they’ve only been missing a few days. This little plot point explains why the girls couldn’t travel to the station during the Otherside’s day. I wish this element had come into play a bit more throughout the series. Still, it’s a pretty cool piece of information.

One thing of note is the music, which has been really well done during the entirety of Otherside Picnic. I felt that Otherside Picnic Episode 11 had very atmospheric music, especially as Sorawo and Toriko transition to the Otherside and seek out the U.S. soldiers. It’s a small thing that often fades into the background. Yet when the music is bumping, or just really, really eerie, it shines, making Otherside Picnic a continued delight.

Otherside Picnic Episode 11 ends on a cliffhanger, which means that this cour’s finale will be a two-parter. It’ll be a long wait until the finale episode of this fantastic show, but I think it’ll be worth it. Hopefully, Otherside Picnic Episode 11’s energy will transfer into a bombastic end to one of Spring 2021’s most enjoyable shows.

Ultimately, Otherside Picnic Episode 11 takes us back to brass tacks with the series. We get a lot of character growth between Sorawo and Toriko, as well as heaps of action and Otherside goodness. There’s loads of delicious tension, especially in the back half of Otherside Picnic Episode 11. Additionally, the supernatural elements of the show remain enjoyable from week to week, though the Yuri elements are somewhat light for viewers looking for full-fledged romance.

Still, I find the natural, easy-going relationship Sorawo and Toriko share to be quite enjoyable. They feed off one another and play off each other well. In the Otherside, they become action leads who have one another’s backs without hesitation. To me, that’s plenty of Yuri-content. At least, it’s enough to satisfy me. In fact, I appreciate the lack of overt romance. It’s nice to just see Sorawo and Toriko grow close without it being a big deal. I’ve already said it, but if you’re not watching Otherside Picnic yet, I highly suggest bringing it ahead of next week’s finale. If your personal watchlist is too long, then I highly suggest binging it ahead of the packed Spring 2021 season. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind title that shouldn’t be missed!

Otherside Picnic is streaming now on Funimation.