Holy freaking crap Garo! Just….damn….I don’t even know how to feel because I have too many…just…damn. We’re at the penultimate episode and he show does not holdback from being huge and setting up for things to be so insane in the final episode. There’s alot to talk about so lets jus dive in.
Our heroes encounter Octavia with her new evil makeover. And I must say, I find it an interesting design. While clearly monstrous, like other Horrors, she’s also sill holding her human shape, and the entire design feels and looks like a twisted version of Makai armor. She even is able to expose her face and reveal it was her the entire time. She’s ready to kill them all as part of her obsession with Mendoza.
Like, seriously, we’ve known pretty much the first time she glanced at him, she wants him, though he’s made sure she knows he’s not interested. Here…well, once she sees his severed arm (you know the one Herman cut off to help bide the group time), she..uhh…goes a bit nutso.
She not only fondles the dismembered piece of flesh, she forces it into her own body, making just the kind of sounds to make you know exactly what she’s feeling and its…really creepy. Its clear now she’s like this…she’s not holding back by any stretch. So, she goes to fight our heroes, but Alfonso and Emma distract her so Leon can fight Mendoza. However, no before the episode confirms that Leon and Emma are not just a one time thing.
Sigh….I really wanted this pairing in the beginning, and to some degree I still do like it. Its just…Lara and Leon were so freaking cute…and it just sucks she had to die, and while this pairing makes sense and has alot going for it, there’s part of me that just can’t fully get into it. I mean, why make a love interest just to kill them off? Even if you do it well, its still just…ehhhhhh. Anyways, the groups break off and so I’ll deal with each group’s part so I don’t just go back and forth.
Emma and Alfonso fight Emma, and its a pretty awesome and crazy fight. I mean, first its in Mendoza’s lair, then they pull out that fake modern city, then finally its outside in the roofs of Santa Bard. I’ve said it so many times, the fight scenes are really cool and epic and omg so nice.
Then there’s the part that I really…really don’t like in this episode; Garm. See, now we learn, despite the episode and show never telling us, how Garm is going to destroy Anima and wipe out all these horrors. While Herman had a different plan, Garm apparently is all for wiping out an entire city to destroy horrors, which is not only twisted and messed up, apparently its something none of he other watchdog tower people would do in the live action series. Its so stupid, and it ends up causing Alfonso, rather than helping Leon, need to fight to protect the city against their giant glass mirror laser in the sky (which apparently they have). I know it makes it so Leon has to face Mendoza alone but it just feels so asinine, especially since you get the idea Garm won’t have any repercussions for trying to nuke a city of innocent people.
Anyways, Alfonso throws himself at this laser blast and dammit, the only redeeming thing in this scene is how badass Alfonso is. He is literally holding back something that can wipe out a city on his own because they’re his people and he will fight to defend them. I know so many could dislike Alfonso for being a boy scout, for being your typical heroic prince, but dammit, he’s committed to saving everyone.
So freaking epic.
He manages to stop it, but is beaten to utter oblivion by it. Meanwhile, Emma has her final bout against Octavia, and manages to defeat her, but not before taking a peg leg machine gun to the stomach.
This is the end for Octavia, as the armor she asked for is draining her body and soul, but she’s quite happy. From her point of view, she got exactly what she wanted, served a cause for one she cared for, and can die knowing she was of use to him. Its really sad as she dies, and it really begs the question; did Mendoza manipulate her, and throw her away without her realizing it, or did he genuinely decide to give her what she wanted, and upheld his promise? Its an interesting question, I actually think the latter is he case, if any because it makes Mendoza more nuanced than just being a capital E evil villain.
Though to be fair..he totally is. We see even more how messed up he is when Leon finally gets to him. And sadly…we find out the truth. Herman…is dead. Mendoza is quite happy to describe how he was torn apart by Horrors and then shows the latest addition to Anima’s sacrifice.
This is just…sad but something we could have seen coming. The death flags have been popping up since he slept with Ximena, and have kept going onward. Its really tragic, and it is also the ultimate test for Leon’s growth. Now Mendoza has killed one of his parents again, and pokes and prods him. He says how now..both their souls would be devoured by Anima (which is so severely fucked up I can’t even dwell on it too much). However, Leon refuses to falter, and shows he’s not falling for Mendoza’s shit anymore.
Now as you can expect, he doesn’t stop Anima form reviving, otherwise we’d have to deal with a very very boring finale next week. Even as he pierces Mendoza through, Anima forms and now, Leon’s pretty much on his own against a super powerful terrible monster that is supposed to be the biggest Horror ever. When you need to seal something because you can’t kill it, you know its a big deal. And of course, its design is weird, creepy, and with much sexual imagery.
Never would I have expected a final monster boss to be a giant headless woman impaled with a cross, but it still fits this show more than the mecha. Well, we’ve hit out quota for the darkest hour, with things well and truly fucked over. Now, to wait for the conclusion, which I’m excited for. I want to see what this all builds up o, and if everything is wrapped up well. We’re almost there!