The eleventh episode of Otherside Picnic returns to something I’m a little more familiar with, after adapting an episode from a part that I haven’t read yet and an anime original episode. We’re finally getting chapter five adapted.
American soldiers are stranded in the Otherside, so Sorawo and Toriko take it upon themselves to help them out.
Sorawo’s not pleased to have her picture taken when she’s trying on the hat
As I’ve mentioned, this episode adapts chapter 5 of the light novel: “The Operation to Rescue the U.S. Forces at Kisaragi Station”. That chapter title also serves as a pretty good synopsis. I would say it’s a bit on the nose, but we do also have “Attack of the Ninja Cats”.
Yep, Sorawo and Toriko return to the Otherside with the intent of rescuing the American soldiers. As they try to escape, they find themselves being pursued.
Toriko’s white flag is shot at
The light novel chapter begins with Sorawo, Toriko and Kozakura having a meal together, as Sorawo’s way of making up for that time she abandoned her in the Otherside. Of course, the anime as changed the order of events, so we don’t actually get too much Kozakura. Which is unfortunate, because she is particularly great in the light novel.
Besides that, the passage into the Otherside pretty much goes the same way in both versions. The general gist of the chapter from the light novel is here.
Toriko helps Sorawo get used to her rifle
This should be where Sorawo picks up her M4 CQBR for the first time, but because the anime shifted events around, she had before now. Apparently they’re just going to ignore that, though, as Toriko has to show Sorawo how to fire it. You know, despite the fact she has already fired it before… at least in the anime.
The light novel has a lot more talk about attachments for the rifle and a bit more information on the Gorgon and Owlbear vehicles. I can understand why that was cut out, though.
Toriko & Sorawo in the Gorgon
Talking of the Gorgon, it looks a lot more impressive in the light novel. It’s one of the few illustrations we get, and it looks beastly. Probably far too complicated to animate properly, though, hence the version we get in the anime
Kankandara
The phenomena threatening the soldiers in this episode are described as “mossmen” in the light novel. The anime doesn’t particularly give that impression, though. They seem more like “mudmen”. Either way, they’re a threat.
But its what appears right at the end of the episode that is the biggest cause for concern: Kankandara. Next episode is going to be quite something.
I don’t have any major issues with this episode. It does a decent job of portraying the story from the light novel. It’s not identical, but it will do.
Next episode looks like it will be the last one. As such, I’ll be writing a review next time.
Rory Muses 
There’s also the weird inconsistency of I’m pretty sure the anime already had Hasshaku’s hat destroyed. But it’s magically back here. And then the comment out “it’s been a few days” and Toriko and Sorawo being confused makes so much less sense, since we’ve seen a “few days” pass in the anime since they last visited them XD
It’s eternally odd they went for events out of order, I get throwing in a couple anime original episodes, but yeah. Could have axed the ep from the future, done things in the right order, and still gotten to the toriko. Ah well. As I’ve said before, it’s been an enjoyable watch for me. Not the ideal sort of adaptation, but I’m not upset with it or anything.
To be fair with the “it’s been a few days” line, I had the impression that more than few days have past in the real world (I’d think at least week) so to me there confusion makes sense, just for the opposite reason as in the light novel.
If I had to guess why it was rearranged, they probably thought the military rescue would make for the most exciting finale (whether that it better or worse for the adaptation as a whole can still be discussed, just pointing out a reason as to why it would be rearranged)
I personally think the thing that ends out LN 2 would have been more exciting. But if they really needed to end out with that, they didn’t have to mess with the timeline, and could have just done a bit of skipping around times. Imply that things happened, but don’t explain it yet, and then at the end, “well this is how things happened…” and you get the final episode explaining the “epic showdown” when attempting to save the Station February soldiers.At least then you wouldn’t get hit with weird inconsistencies.
But I just really really wanted to see the bird box chapter animated….
Interesting choice of a season finale boss. Should be a cool way to get anime viewers to rush to the source for more afterward.