Good gracious, I really don’t know what to make out this episode. Is it bad to say that I was laughing hysterically because of how ridiculous everything was? Because the first thing this episode reminded me of was the just for laughs Aquarion EVOL! I mean, sure it’s all fun to watch, but the character’s reaction to everything was almost a joke. Unfortunately the strange and inconsistent animation made it even more difficult to take seriously. I mean, it wasn’t bad but it was like they couldn’t make up their minds of which style they wanted to go with!
As horrible as this is going to sound, I found the fight between War Lord, Shinhen VS Oda was a bit pathetic. I think it might be because I just couldn’t take anything seriously. I mean, the first part where Shengen was overwhelming Oda was a lacklustre, and then BOOM Queen Himiko of Yamatai makes a grand entrance and drops off a Regalia for Oda to use (since he didn’t have one yet) and that’s it- that’s the fight.
Speaking of the devil, major props to Queen Himiko for her cunning ways. I am fairly certain that everyone in the audience knew exactly what she meant by “…an alliance must be forged between our families through a bond.” But man what a mess this is going to turn out to be for the romance aspect whenever that comes into play.
I was slightly disappointed to see Jeanne be a bit passive again. Thankfully though, she did make an effort and bit back at Oda after he made the remark that the battlefield is no place for a woman with, “My name is Ranmaru, then treat me as a man on the battlefield”. Unfortunately she did end up as bit of a helpless damsel in distress with the whole fire situation (that I’m willing to overlook because she was reliving the traumatic event). I am sure she will eventually overcome her fear of fire, and take Oda’s advice to stop relying on God to save her and start actively saving herself. I am crossing my fingers that this will be a crucial aspect of her character development because without a doubt, it will be something all of us will immensely appreciate.
While I’m on the topic of heeding’s another’s advice, I am also hoping to see that Oda will also start reflecting on what Jeanne had told him today, “You’re like a child who’s only interested in his toys.” and how he basically needs to start doing his responsibilities instead of entrusting it to Mitsuhide or someone else. And true enough, by neglecting his duties already leaves a bad impression on the geezers and his father in the War Council.
Nobukatsu on the other hand… what a precious boy he is.  He is also shown to be the most warmhearted since he is uninterested and lacks the resolve of taking a life. Of the entire clan, he is probably the only one who has unshakable faith in Oda which is why he requested Jeanne (Ranmaru) to stay by his brother’s side and take care of him. One of the things he did mention was Oda’s integrity, which is something we have seen through the past three episodes. Oda is without (despite his flaws) is a great leader. His presence on the battlefield and taking down the War Armor with measly arrows (like a sniper) boosts the soldiers morale to fight. It’s a bit sad though that despite the fact Oda does neglect his duties, the geezers in the war council aren’t appreciating that special trait.
As whole, it was mostly a weird episode. It is basically a 50/50 for me because there were things that I liked and thigns that I didn’t. We’ll see how things unfold next week since the Western Star folks (Caesar, the Captain and twins) will probably be making their landing. It appears they were informed (or at least Caesar possesses some knowledge) about Jeanne.
There was one interesting but very short scene involving the masked person that we saw last week. They claim themselves to be “The World” and “will bestow a future upon this star and its people”, so I get the idea this person is the leader (or the God) of the Western Star. Whether this is King Arthur or not, that is still a mystery. There is so much potential for a twist, that I am not going to dicuss on this mystery character any further.
Oh and one last thing: Was I the only one who thought Ichihime sounded like a Vocaloid while she was singing? I seriously though I it was a Vocaloid, I’m not kidding. It wasn’t bad, I liked it- but that’s exactly what it reminded me of!

Eva

Blogging Anime since Summer 2009, & Founder of AngryAnimeBitches Anime Blog ...I may or may not be addicted to writing

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. WandererYS

    Noticing this from the OP, but Jeanne had a Regalia this whole time… I wonder if Oda’s gaint war armor will be able to change Regalias, or is Jeanne getting her own machine? Well, time will tell.

    1. Eva

      Oh yeah you’re right!!! I can’t believe I missed that, and it’s been glowing every time they used the war armour! XDD
      Man it’d be super badass if Jeanne were to get her own War Armour, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

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