Guilty Crown - 03

Sad to say, the third episode was quite a bit weaker than the first two.  Let's hope that the rest of the show isn't like this.

Wanted criminal/terrorist transferring in.

Following the events of the previous episode, Undertaker releases its declaration of war against the GHQ, and in response, a Level 2 state of emergency is declared.  After finishing the announcement, Shu's homeroom teacher introduces their new transfer student, Yuzuriha Inori.  It takes a few seconds for the class to recognize her, but cheers erupt as they recognize Egoist's lead singer.  During a class break, she's understandably mobbed by the students in the class, trying to get to know their new idol classmate.

PE fanservice

After school ends, Shu goes back to his apartment, only to have Inori come up behind him and unlock his room.  He ends up following her in, only to be tripped up by a repaired Fyu-Neru, and gets an eyefull of Inori changing out of her uniform... only to be "distracted" again by the little robot.

No peeking.

Transitioning back to GHQ, their higher-ups are discussing what to do about Undertaker and their loss the day before, and decide to put Major Segai in charge of dealing with them.  Cut to Segai "interrogating" someone... by hanging them upside down until they talk.

Later that evening, Samukawa Yahiro, one of Shu's club friends comes over with a video to watch, only to be undercut by Inori dragging him out to meet with Gai and the rest of Undertaker.  During the battle yesterday, Shu and Inori were seen by an addict of the Norma Gene drug, who happened to be from his school, and Gai wants them to find him.  He then reveals that he can see people's voids, tells them what the person's void is, and sends Shu out to examine the school body.

Yes, the idol just came out of my room.  No, I can't explain why.

Shu's power has two "rules": he can only draw out the voids of people 17 or younger, and people lose their memories of when he pulls out their void.  His first attempt to draw out the void of his friend Hare ends in an absolute failure when he ends up groping their class' rep as she passed by... photos of which are quickly spread through the school.

I have a secret power that I will now use in front of everyone.

Despite those setbacks, Shu starts getting the hang of it, and goes on a void rampage, extracting them from many of the people on campus.

Seriously?

Later that day, Shu and Yahiro end up talking again, and Yahiro lets slip that he was the addict that they've been hunting for.  When Shu confronts him about it, Yahiro breaks down, and to calm him down, Shu rips out his void.  Their target now confirmed, Inori pulls out a gun, intending to kill Yahiro, only to be stopped by Shu who makes a deal with him to protect each other's secrets.

Shoot him Inori!

The next day, on the train to school, the train comes to a stop at a station packed full of GHQ troops... and Yahiro pushes Shu out, leaving him alone on the platform.

Why didn't you let me shoot him?

The first half of the episode wasn't too bad, other than the writers expecting you to forget that the GHQ is actively looking for Inori.  Her appearance at the school should have brought all of GHQ's firepower down on them from the beginning, and her association with Shu should have brought him down as well.  The second half, however, was somewhere between "bad" and "disastrous".  First, his attempt to draw Hare's void, which, even if the class rep hadn't gotten in the way, would have been done in full view of no less than seven additional people.  That's not how you use a secret power.  Second, the nonstop yanking of people's voids got tedious quickly, and Shu's handling of Yahiro hoplessly naive (though, granted, he's yet to reach the "cynical hero" development stage).  Honestly, I would have let Inori have him, or turned him over to Gai.