“Ken” is a Scottish word which can be translated as “one’s range of knowledge or sight,” or can be used as a verb to mean “know.” I’ve noticed lots of k-words going on and within the episode titles; this show continues to impress me with its many little creative details.
In this episode, we see that the Red and Blue clans have wasted no time in teaming up to take down the JUNGLE thugs. While there are some individuals from both clans who express doubts about being allies, they admit they can’t deny that both clans actually complement each other when it comes to enforcing the rules and putting away lowlifes.
Elsewhere, Shiro, Neko and Kuroh are visiting the Gold Clan. Shiro speaks to his deceased friend, and we see via a flashback that Shiro has a stack of documents regarding the Dresden Slates given to him by Izumo Kusanagi of HOMRA. This must be the information that the Green King is after. Shiro talks to Lieutenant about his sister (am I the only one who is hearing about the sister for the first time?) and reminisces about the past. In the picture Shiro holds, him, his sister and the Lieutenant reminds me of Shiro, Kuroh and Neko. Maybe this is intentional? Lastly, with Shiro’s permission, the Gold Clan announces they are bowing out of the current war between the clans.
Up in the Prime Minister’s office in some fancy office building, Reishi and Seri are putting some pressure on the Prime Minister to basically bend over and do Reisi’s bidding (now that the Gold King is gone). The end result is that effective immediately, Scepter 4 is responsible for watching over the Misahara Tower and the Dresden Slates. They will also have the Gold Clan’s sole authority to issue orders to the other government agencies. Reisi’s sure going on a power trip, eh? He can insist that it’s all to ensure peace and combat the Green Clan, but is that all the Blue Clan is up to? After the previous scene with Shiro and the Tokijikuin clansmen, it seems like perhaps the Blue Clan is taking over the Gold Clan’s role of peacekeeper. Or are they…? (dun dun duuuun ~ (⊙△⊙✿) )
In the following scene, some members of HOMRA hanging out in their bar and discussing current events. Izumo flashes back to his talk with Shiro, who mentions that Izumo should keep a close eye on the Blue King. A tantalizing hint about Reisi’s wellbeing is revealed – his Sword of Damocles might be deteriorating because he killed Mikoto Suoh, the former Red King, in the previous season. Now I’m wondering, is this decline reversible? Will Reisi end up just like Mikoto?
But the biggest reveal is the final scene, Shiro’s big tête-à-tête with Nagare Hisui atop one of the school buildings. The main reason for the private meeting is quickly unearthed – the Green King wants to form an alliance between their clans -and only their clans- to promote the evolution of mankind. After the offer of an alliance, one bombshell is dropped after another: the Dresden Slates are evolution accelerators, and they are what create the Kings. The deceased Gold King, Weissmann’s friend the Lieutenant, was the man keeping the Slates protected and under control, and we already knew he’d been keeping Weissmann safe too. Among all of the tidbits revealed in this scene, the most important thing we as viewers learn is that Nagare is the one who has been behind not only this season’s events, but the whole plot in the first season too. Everything that has happened since the beginning of K was designed to bring the Silver King out of hiding, so Nagare could approach him and offer himself up as an ally. The Green King’s dream is to promote the evolution of mankind.
I was very happy with what was revealed this episode, and aside from the softcore porn-y shot of Neko’s crotch near the end, this was one of my favourite episodes so far. The graphics were beautiful as always, and the music was a little toned down, which I appreciated as a change of pace. My favourite moment in the episode was when Neko recalled (in an exaggeratedly cute voice) how Kuroh got his butt beat by Reisi in an earlier episode.
K: Return of Kings continues to impress me with its pacing. Unlike some other shows I’ve seen that suffer from pacing issues, Return of Kings knows just how much information to feed to its audience and when. Here in episode five, almost every plot point I’ve questioned in previous reviews had hints and small pieces revealed, leaving me with more questions and excitement than I had before. Way to go GoHands!
I’m especially amped up about next week’s episode. Going by the preview, the Green King is going to unleash some holy hell on the other three clans, so shit might start getting real!