Brave Bang Bravern!

Episode 3

Brave Bang Bravern! Episode 3 provides more of the elements we've come to expect while adding in a few new spices to keep it interesting.

Much of the episode is taken up by the arrival of the alien woman Lulu. If the fan service between the two male leads and their giant masculine robot wasn't your cup of tea, then perhaps a semi-feral alien woman trying to choke a man to death with a leg lock is more your speed. If so, this episode has you covered. Though the initial vibe is something of an “Oh, look! I found a docile mystery girl” trope seen in many a series, we get a curveball thrown our way as Lulu is not docile in the slightest. She is more of the attack-on-sight persuasion, again akin to Macross of old (Miriya, the stealth best character in the series). And as far as innuendo goes, you can't say this series doesn't stay consistent. Lulu gets Lewis in a headlock and then, after some struggling, he manages to find the one spot to touch to relieve her of her antagonism and later they cuddle.

Rest in peace to sub-text, we hardly knew ye. And Isami plops into the scene buck naked in a puddle of sticky fluids.

I guess also some robot stuff happened this week. It's certainly an interesting composition on balance for the robot elements. The more mundane/real-robot mecha are largely out of the picture. Instead, Bravern finds himself fighting alongside more conventional military hardware like aircraft carriers, submarines, and the like. There are plenty of scenes with the military characters chatting or going about their business, running laps in the early morning, and so on. Sergeant Apone would be proud. I just know it.

Overall, solid stuff. I think the series is striking a pretty good balance between its various components.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Brave Bang Bravern! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.