EPISODE CONTEXT

Arriving at episode 17 of 43, this episode lands at roughly the season's midpoint, following a stretch of episodes that have steadily developed the contrast between Comet's warmth and Meteor's guarded rivalry. 'Meteo-san's Tears' recontextualizes Meteor as a character with genuine inner conflict rather than a straightforward antagonist, a shift that adds meaningful dimension to everything that came before. How Meteor is perceived and written going into the back half of the series likely traces directly back to what this episode establishes.