("Futari" to Iu Koto)
"What It Means To Be a 'Pair'"

Finally some Opast level action! After the slow change of pace with Yuki getting settled into his new life with the Giou clan, I was looking forward to seeing exactly what a high level battle in this series entails.

(Hakanaku Tsuyoku Tattoi Mono)
"An Ephemeral, Strong, and Precious Thing"

While the cliffhanger last week with the sudden arrival of Reiga was a good one, I couldn't fathom the possibility that they'd kill off Tsukumo this early in the series if at all, so I wasn't too surprised to see him saved with the help of Yuki's God's Light.

(Doukoku)
"Wailing"

While it comes as absolutely no surprise that Shuusei is still alive and in the clutches of Ashley, who's making mindless dolls out of all the missing high school male students and sleeping beauties out of all the female ones, I wasn't expecting Tsukumo to be the next one on the chopping block.

(Kizuato)
"Scars"

As alluded to in the preview last time, we learn of Hotsuma and Shuusei's childhood together this episode and the scarring the two of them endured then, both physically and mentally.

(Burando Zesu)
"Brand Zess"

With Yuki getting accustomed to life at the Twilight Mansion, the easygoing pace continues on with a trip to the communal bath. It was probably unrealistic to expect to see some Tooko and Aya fan-service as a result, but I can always hope before they bring on the bishounen variety.

(Tasogarekan)
"The Twilight Mansion"

With the sheer number of new character introductions upon Yuki's arrival at the Giou's Twilight Mansion, J.C. Staff must be pretty relieved to have two cours (24-26 episodes) to animate this adaptation.

(Hikari to Zetsubou no Saikaime)
"The Boundary Between Light and Despair"

After the somewhat brief introduction of Hotsuma and Shuusei last time, it was nice to see what the wielders of "God's Voice" and "God's Eyes" are capable of right away.

(Arata na Deai)
"A New Encounter"

While this episode was primarily focused on setting up the next arc of the story, it did introduce us to two new characters -- Renjou Hotsuma (Ono Daisuke) and Usui Shuusei (Miyano Mamoru).

(Kaeranu Hibi Shiroki Ashita)
"A Daily Lifestyle He Can't Return To and An Unknown Future"

There were probably a few more tears than needed from Yuki this time around, but I'm still okay with the male emotional angst given the backstory to his character.

(Warupurugisu no Yoru)
"Walpurgis Night"

As this was primarily a setup episode for Yuki's transition into the world of the Giou clan and their battle with the Duras, one of my personal highlights was the Tooko scene with Inoue Marina bringing all the cuteness when Yuki addressed her distantly with honorifics.