Oh dear, the next episode of Infinite Dendrogram has been delayed due to the coronavirus. Lives are infinitely (and obviously) more important than anime, so I have no problems with this. But guess what? It turns out we’re not getting a new episode of Hatena Illusion either. Instead, they’re airing a recap episode for whatever reason. Welp, that means all we’ve got left is gem-boy and justice sidekick. Let’s just get this over with…

— Like with Hatena Illusion, I’m only watching this show out of pure stubbornness. It’s not stupid, but it’s just plain boring.

— A very rich man has passed away, and to prevent his family from fighting over his collection of extremely valuable gemstones and antiques, his eldest daughter is going to liquidate everything through an auction. According to Richard, this is a “clever solution.” Uh, I don’t think so. You’re stripping these items of their sentimental value and turning them purely into money. Maybe the ends do justify the means; maybe preventing familial strife is more important than an emotional attachment to an item that cannot be quantified. Nevertheless, I don’t consider it a “clever solution.”

— Also, talk about first world problems… if these items have cultural value, maybe they should go to a museum instead. Or back to their original owners, especially if the items were acquired through less-than-scrupulous tactics. Hey, you never know…

— The gemstone at the center of this week’s episode is this jade piece from China. I dunno, man, this seems really unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I don’t generally try to be insensitive, but I find it really difficult to care about some of this show’s storylines. Rich people want rich ass stone that doesn’t have any intrinsic value. Fantastic.

— Seigi is such a… what’s the right word…? I dunno, for a college student, he strikes me as idiotic at times. For example, why is he flipping out over the fact that Richard has a mentor? Who hasn’t learned something from someone? This is especially likely in a specialized trade dealing with gemstones.

— He can also be very loud and boorish at times. He draws unwanted attention again when discussing private matters with Richard later in the episode. Seigi just strikes me as having very poor manners.

— Apparently, Richard also goes by “Lord Claremont.” He’s currently using his mentor’s last name for reasons that have not yet been specified. Honestly, I don’t find Richard all that compelling. He just doesn’t strike me as a very realistic character. Instead, he’s more like some person’s fanciful idea of what a mysterious, beautiful foreigner would be. Appears out of nowhere, uncharacteristically refined, brimming with worldly experience, but nevertheless blends in seamlessly with Japanese society. This episode tries to subvert his beauty by harping on the fact that his looks can be used against him. A competitor repeatedly tries to downplay his accomplishments because his face alone can charm the pants off of anyone. But even with this subplot, Richard is at best the idealized Other.

— In the end, our duo wins the rights to the jade piece with a whopping 45 million yen bid. So much money for a goddamn stone.

— And I guess I called it: a member of the family has an emotional attachment to the stone. Sigh, I just feel like there are ways to honor a great man without dropping 45 million yen on a pretty rock.

— Would be hilarious if Seigi accidentally drops the jade right about now…

— Afterwards, Richard reveals why he took this “case” so personally: his own family is still fighting over an inheritance. Okay. That about sums up my reaction.

— Ah, maybe I’m just extra grumpy today… I could go for some ice cream.