Another - Episode 12

It's over... right?

Just when I thought the last episode was bad in terms of deaths, this episode greeted me with scenes of people dropping like flies. From falling debris to weapons being utilized, death was seemingly inevitable. But in the midst of all that, there was finally a solution to everything: the identity of the "extra" was revealed.

First things first: Why did you have to die, Izumi!? On the bright side, at least her death wasn't random (refer to the guy who got flattened by a pillar earlier as he tried to escape after nearly getting killed by a falling chandelier). Her retelling of when she met Kōichi and the color of death that Mei saw around her helped to fortify the conclusion of who the "extra" was, making it so that she didn't die in vain, at least. Still, it would've been better if she actually survived.

When I first saw almost everyone getting killed, I was quite certain that the "extra" was Izumi. But when she died and Mei didn't say anything, I was both relieved and depressed. However, when the shocking truth was revealed (i.e. the "extra" was Mikami-sensei, a.k.a. Reiko), I was at a loss for words. All along, I had been focused on the students in the class. Mei made the answer seem so trivial when she stated that there was indeed a missing desk this year, just that it wasn't in Class 3 but in the staff room instead. Also, although viewers wouldn't have noticed this, the students of Class 3 should have at least questioned why they were the only class with an assistant homeroom teacher. Nonetheless, the plot twist was executed well as the suspense building up to it, along with Kōichi's expressions, enhanced the whole scene greatly.

The short "epilogue" at the end wasn't too significant. I'm assuming it was just used to show that things have settled down and that everything was finally over... or is it? Judging from Mei's reaction after Kōichi asked her the same question (see screenshot), I'm not too convinced that this is the end of everything. In fact, I'm quite sure that she's still keeping something from him (this secret might be enough to fuel a season two). I'm being hopeful here, but I'd absolutely love to have a second season of Another. My expectations for this show were exceeded and I really enjoyed these twelve episodes. It's unfortunate that it has come to an end; Monday nights just won't be the same again.