Black Bullet 13 [Final Impressions]

Let me start off by saying this episode kind of cemented this anime as more than it seems. I’d watch more of this anime and I feel highly invested in almost everything going on, even the more forced and awkward things. The best part of the episode actually has nothing to do with the giant fight scene. That’s saying something since the giant fight scene had it’s share of emotional pulls and some really cool angles.

Seitenshi even starts the fight off with a ceremony straight outta freakin’ tangled. Then every member of the team rushes in to support Rentaro’s race to Alderbarn – and surprising he seems to pull it off rather easily. It’s when the bomb is in his stomach that everything seems to go awry- jerkface from last episode messed up something with the bomb, likely a battery for the reactor beacon, and Rentaro knows he has to defeat Alderbarn. . . even if it means sacrificing himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rentaro knocks out Enju and goes to sacrifice his life, only for the varanium corroding fluid to break down his leg. Shoma steps in.. . .and decides to make the sacrifice himself. Afterall, it was his forbidden use of the tendo style that messed everything up for him, and he feels he should take it with him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shoma dies to set the bomb off, and the battle is won. But Rentaro’s battle isn’t done, and neither is Kisara’s. The two of them confront the man responsible for this issue in the first place, Kisara’s brother. The two are to have a duel over the fact that he knowingly skimped money on the Varanium in the pillar that was attacked. This was the reason Alderbarn could destroy it and even get close to it, and he had done it all for money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kisara manages to defeat her brother and even spares him after getting the truth. . . or it seems so, until they leave, and her new Tendo style meant to defeat her brother….splits him in half. In utter horror, Rentaro slams the door.  . .and Kisara smiles at obtaining a piece of her revenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say the revelation of Kisara’s true evil was. . .pretty fucking awesome. I did not see it truly coming, I expected love to conquer all and their relationship to be the final peg on the episode. But no. . . it was something else. Rentaro lost the two people closest to him- Shoma, who he had finally seen after all these years, and Kisara- who was too obsessed with revenge to find the light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rentaro realizes they will likely become enemies, and the next day they attend a funeral for all the girls who the bomb killed. Yet on the way home.  .. Rentaro collapses onto Enju and begs her not to leave him. He says death is beginning not to affect him and it terrifies him. . . and Enju cries with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This anime. . . is going to have a second season right? Because I have to keep watching despite knowing the painful truth: everyone involved in the show who is left threatens to lead Rentaro to evil or in fact may die themselves. Enju is now the one person Rentaro knows he can trust and believes in, but he can remember how close she is to death. Just looking at her brought tears to his eyes.

This episode sealed this anime as above average for me. Had it ended the way I thought it would, with a cookie cutter ending and no real differences, I might have found it bland. But the relationship between Rentaro and Enju and how they both so painfully want to believe in the good out there is just…heart breaking.

The visuals are an A plus, many times I found the right level of animation kept me invested when I might otherwise not be.

The music always contributed but I’m not fond of music in anime much, and the opening was generic, so that is a C+.

And the plot. . . I have so much I want to know. My interest is piqued and I NEED A SECOND FUCKING SEAAASOOOOON

I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

sobs

Oki