#DirtyPairCember Episode 12: The Little Dictator! Let Sleeping Top Secrets Lie

Remember when I wondered when the Dirty Pair would get some kind of win? Well, it happened in this episode somehow. Weird bit of a surprise, but it’s nice considering the stakes.

This episode’s plot is pretty easy to explain. Kei and Yuri are invited over to 3WA headquarters to deal with a security issue. A security issue with a new system called Algernon that remains a bit of a mystery until the second half of the episode. This episode focuses on new members of 3WA not put into lime light. Dr. Fangoria of the research division and her many weird scientists that test animals. That slow escalation of things being normal until rats are all over the Chinese restaurant area show how wild things can get. Algernon with intelligence put right into him just like his girlfriend mouse. With the continued escalation of rat attacks and the Dirty Pair trying to solve the issue for their three week vacation, the story ends tragically with the female mouse living her intelligence and Algernon jumping to his death. Yes, it’s based on Flowers of Algernon.

First thing to get out of the way before going into the chaos, there is a horrible Chinese stereotype in this episode. The way he did martial arts, the way he spoke, and so many other things make it the worst sort of experience possible even if he’s only on for a few minutes of screen time. These things matter a lot. There was that one chinese guy selling noodles in another episode, but Kei didn’t interact with the guy that much. That guy didn’t even have a line, but this guy…man…

Other then that, the growing chaos of this episode was amazing. I loved seeing Mughi being captured by mice that he was terrified of. I also loved the fact that Kei and Yuri had an army of cats thrown into the 3WA building even if they were defeated by well commanded and powerful mice. Not to mention, doesn’t having flees that can reduce intelligence instantly sound scary? Same with just giving mice super intelligence too. I suppose that just plays with the themes of the tale of the Flowers of Algernon in a unique way as well. The tragedy of how intelligence changes a person and possibly makes them crueler, except this one didn’t go that way completely and I think it’s a stronger episode for that. Just the dangers of intelligent animals and a battle of wits. I don’t believe that intelligence makes a person crueler so this is the better version of the story that breaks away from a stereotype that I don’t like.

So yes, very fun episode with a lot of chaos like usual and stuff and a very good battle of wits.