Sniper Mask accompanies Kuon, a girl he can’t harm. A strong Mask and a gang of evil survivors catch Yuri and Mayuko in the crossfire.
Episode 4 – “I Won’t Give in to This World”
Hmm.
Sniper Mask is a good exposition device for High Rise Invasion. His broken mask allows him to think for himself and notice when he can’t refuse Commands or the other confines of High Rise Hell. It’s an accident that his circumstances mimic the contrasting experience of Chef Mask. That guy picked up a mask that allowed him to speak and reason from the very beginning. Was Baseball Mask’s experience similar? Or did things change when they encountered a God candidate? The audience can’t listen in on Chef Mask’s interior thoughts, so we don’t know if he hears the Command voice always yacking in his head like Sniper Mask.
That’s what makes Sniper Mask an awesome narrative device for High Rise Invasion too, because his internal monologue provides answers about High Rise Hell that assuage a viewer’s sense of structure. If a suspense story throws too much at the screen without explaining how or why characters do things they do, the audience won’t accept the story. Better yet, Sniper Mask is a main character undergoing a development arc. Getting to know him reveals the secrets of the world of High Rise Invasion and affects what we know about the other main characters too.
Heh.
These Netflix splash screens for High Rise Invasion have fun foreshadowing. Yuri likes watching Mayuko sleep. Yuri romance develops nicely during their first sleepover. Weird. Backpack Mask deposits a backpack full of supplies near Yuri and Mayuko. There are different Angels here. Backpack Masks don’t smile or frown. They’re neutral.
Back to Sniper Mask meeting God-potential, recapping their encounter from the previous High Rise Invasion episode. Almost-God’s name is Kuon Shinzaki. She’s so happy to talk to someone.
Backpack Mask left Yuri and Mayuko food and weapons. It appears no one can starve to death in High Rise Hell, unless other players steal their supplies from them. High Rise Invasion shops at a convenience store… Mayuko loves knives. Yes, she does, Yuri! Ha. Mayuko and Rika feel awkward on the phone. Yuri fell asleep immediately after eating. She was also standing watch while Mayuko slept, so she should be tired. A defenseless sleeper is good for Mayuko’s yuri designs. Yuri talks in her sleep and is still bragging about her brother.
Ah. It’s time for High Rise Invasion to set up violence and gore. The Chef Mask carries around binoculars, a handsaw, and a bag full of bloody body parts. He’s the Big Bad according to the Netflix splash screen. This guy didn’t lose his personality at all after putting on a mask. Insane cannibal is hardly Angel material, but he’s there to “bring people closer to God.” One way or another… Hoh. Rika “gave” Yuri to Mayuko for protection. It’s like they’re engaged now!
Almost-God Kuon has an almost-Guardian Angel in Sniper Mask. He’ll watch over Kuon until she can find another group of people to cooperate with her. Har. Kuon doesn’t like how Sniper Mask calls her “woman,” but he doesn’t care. Kuon gives good pout. She’s a fine addition to the funny stuff in High Rise Invasion. Ha! Yuri wants to call Mayuko “Big Sister!” So much blushing. Aw. It’s a nice moment for Mayuko because she grew up in abusive conditions at an orphanage.
Ahahahaha! Jump scare with Chef Mask! So well done after all the good vibes in High Rise Invasion. Ugh. Chef Mask still has his memories. He loves necks. Cutting them, that is. Chef Mask claims his mask has a defect where he can hear the Commands, but he does what he wants. And the Mask gave him “abilities.” I’d like to know more about how that stuff works. Mayuko says, “Bring it.” Okay, how about a bag of heads, then? I’m glad we saw that short flashback of Mayuko’s terrible orphanage experience, otherwise that trauma and guilt she feels for surviving would be out-of-place character development. Blam! Yuri ex machina! I like how she remembered to take her sock off to make sure her foot doesn’t slip out of her improvised snare. Also, it’s a gift for feet fetish fans… Mayuko called Yuri a god, so the “Angels” need to deal with her now, right?
What? Chef Mask is still alive? Hilarious! Chef Mask is angry that the girls tried to murder him! Murder is wrong, don’t those girls know that? Hahahaha! Insane cannibal. Mayuko makes the finishing blow. Mayuko’s facial expression looks like mercy. Okay, we’re back to vicious satisfaction now. There’s that cartoon violence. Blood is so red in High Rise Invasion.
Uh oh. Yuri trusts signs too much. Please be the skeptical one, Mayuko, for Yuri’s sake. Masks aren’t the only villains in High Rise Hell. Mayuko, yes! Watch over that sharpshooting airhead. These “ally-seekers” know about the God project. This means they know what higher-order Masks tell them. Survivors have tiers in High Rise Invasion too. Oh nice. Yuri takes skeptical advice to heart. Haha! Kuon and Sniper Mask saw the same taped-up poster. I like the contrast between the two teams.
Kuon wants to check out the ally meeting, but first, we need to ogle another bodacious body. This girl is too trusting. She’s letting a stranger look through her phone! She’s into the High Rise Invasion version of Instagram. Still, Sniper Mask likes her shots. What! Kuon took a picture of a sign that explicitly said, “This area is a facility for creating God.” And “Please look for the ‘God Code’ within the area.” That’s hilarious, official looking, and exactly what the Command Voice told Sniper Mask. Meanwhile, the signs for “ally-gathering” are home-made.
Oops. That’s a dude in a mask. That’s not good. And someone without a mask tased Yuri. It’s a setup. Masks aren’t the only villains in High Rise Invasion. Whoa. This gang wants to test masks to find a good one and they kidnap other people to make them wear them. That dude taped up the mask so he couldn’t see the glowing code. Obviously, some masks affect the wearers differently and these guys are looking for “jackpots.” Uh, but then what? Wearing a mask makes a person become a slave to the Command. If they find a “jackpot,” what do they do with it? “Ending the realm” if they get one sounds like an urban legend.
High Rise Invasion just turned the dial to eleven. Literally, Kamen Rider walked in and started slaughtering the gang. Uh, Rider Mask must be wearing a “jackpot.” Congratulations, idiots, you found one! Hahaha. Rider Mask knocking heads off is hysterical! He’s only hitting people who threaten him, so he invites Yuri to take a shot. Be smart, Yuri! Uh oh. Mayuko made a love confession before she put on that mask!
Nice suspenseful cut to the Almost-God-Almost-Angel Duo by High Rise Invasion. Sniper Mask also wants to stop looking at Kuon’s panties. Stingy. And suddenly the disco ball turned on for some reason. Interesting. Rider Mask can talk to the Command Voice. His mask is a “jackpot,” all right. Mayuko is technically an Angel now. Oooh! Mayuko attacked Rider Mask, not Yuri! One Punch Mask became One Arm Mask. What is going on here? Mayuko must have put on the Chef Mask! She’s going to be okay! Rider Mask, not so much.
The complete season of High Rise Invasion streams on Netflix.
