Episode 4

**The Birthday Party** is the 4th episode of the Gekidol anime.

## Summary

The next play that the Alice in Theater will perform is announced and this brings up insecurities surrounding Seria's acting style. As it also so happens, it's also Seria's birthday soon.

## Plot

The Alice in Theater's "Snowy Planet in a Midsummer Galaxy" play is set to begin and Seria as she detailed to Makoto that she's not in the play, but handling ticket stubs. Soon after her job is done, Seria receives a text from her grandmother who informs her that she won't be able to make it home for her birthday. The revelation leaves Seria despondent.

Kaworu announces to the troupe about the success of their "Snowy Planet in a Midsummer Galaxy" play and backtracks that it made "killer profits". To that point, Kaworu announces their next play will be Alice in "Deadly School", which is historically their most successful and lucrative play. Airi suggests that Seria play Yuu the lead role and Seria refuses to play the role due to her inexperience. To that point, Kaworu agrees and assigns Akira and Manami to reprise their old roles. As for who will play the lead, Kaworu states that she used her connections to hire a famous actress named Jinguji who was impressed by their Snowy Planet in a Midsummer Galaxy. Everyone in the troupe is elated that they're going to have a successful actress play in their troupe. Also, Kaworu gives Seria a script and copy of the DVD recording of the last Deadly School play, and states that a small role will be available for her. At home, Seria finished watching the DVD and is moved to tears by the performance, noting her inadequacy to live up to the same standards to the play she just watched. Switching over to the news, a news story on the 5 year anniversary of the Global Synchronic Urban Disappearance and immediately, Seria switches it off.

Within a dance hall Izumi diligently practices her dance moves as she's told by Tomoko that the next dance class has arrived. Apologetically, Izumi says sorry for holding them all up and when the two walk down the hallway of the studio they catch an interview of their producer Hirokazu Takezaki on the TV. Although Tomoko praises him, Izumi states her disdain for him saying, he's a person that's up to no good. A dream of Hirokazu's past is shown where he was a survivor of a bus crash and he sees a lone girl staring off into the distance. Awakening from the dream, Hirokazu continues his espionage of the Alice in Theater troupe. In the rec room, the troupe members rehearse one of the scenes to their next play. Seria's performance is stated by Airi to be a lackluster as she said to simply copy her predecessor's. Hearing this disheartens Seria and Akira steps in and details that there are two types of actors. Those who build character and those who reproduce, obviously Seria is the one who reproduces while Airi is the one who builds. Airi then advises Seria should be more flexible and develop a more malleable character forte. Reflecting on what Airi told her on the rooftop, Seria is approached by Doll who offers to help her in anyway way she can. So Seria asks Doll to rehearse with her and they do. Meanwhile, Mayuri asks Kawori about what they'll be doing with the cake and it's revealed to Airi that Seria's birthday is tomorrow.

The next day at school, Makoto talks with her friends and spots Seria engrossed in reading her script to the upcoming play. After school, Airi meets up with Seria and the two go on a date together. They have a wonderful time together and at the end watch some fireworks and hold hands during it. At the bus stop, a scene occurs where Airi kisses Seria and she wishes her a happy birthday. Distraught by this, Seria flees the scene leaving Airi upset with herself with what she had done. Seria returns to the Alice in Theater and finds Doll who stands by the stage and welcomes her. Emotional, Seria hugs Doll and confesses that it's her fault for something that happened to Alice. It's then that Synchronic Disturbance starts to occur in the surrounding area. A flashback reveals that Alice was Seria's twin sister and that they were polar opposites in personality. This drew a wedge between her and her parents and made Seria copy Alice's personality. On the day Alice and Seria's birthday which was the same day as the Global Synchronic Urban Disappearance. Seria lost both of her parents and Alice who were caught in the middle of the disappearance. Back in the present, a hologram Alice appears before Seria and forgives her. Happy that Alice forgave her, Seria then spots a holographic cake and elated by this, Airi is seen at there too furious that Doll was with Seria.

## Characters

* Makoto Higuchi
* Seria Morino
* Kaworu Sakakibara
* Mayuri Nakamura
* Kazuharu Yamamoto
* Airi Kagami
* Manami Fujita
* Akira Asagi
* Izumi Hinasaki
* Tomoko Hinata
* Hirokazu Takezaki
* Doll
* Makoto Higuchi