The dos and don’ts of survival
Darwin would be very pleased with this episode. Not only does he get free press, when Belle mentions ‘survival of the fittest’, but he also gets to watch the very speaker of those words eat dirt. As a human being, there’s nothing quite as enjoyable as watching someone who totally deserves to eat their words do just that.
It’s still a little bit of a conundrum that Belle was able to take on Casshern, Ken, Takeshi, Joji, Kaan, and Emi at the same time, at least for a little bit, but no harm no foul? While the chance of Belle switching sides was basically nonexistent, it really seemed like Joji’s final plea for her was close to breaking through. Unfortunately, she lacked the one thing Kaan had in excess. Adaptability.
Surely, if she had tried to, a conversation or negotiation could have been had. The girl just wanted some fresh genes. Now, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Kaan. Flexible and endearing, he managed to come to the realization that he didn’t actually hate his father and was psychologically released from his inner prison cell.
Maybe Belle and Kaan should have traded notes though because the lack of compassion Belle had certainly would have come in handy for Kaan in the end. Kaan’s death really seemed forced, for a number of reasons, but I’ll be damned if there wasn’t some emotion bubbling up when he called Casshern over to ask if he made it yet. And the animals gathering around his grave. Oh my gooood, Kaan, noooo.
His death looked like it happened because it had to, as a form of atonement to show he had really changed and to boost Emi’s maturity. To accomplish that, they really dropped his power level from when the heroes had to fight him. Not unexpected, just a bit disappointing is all.
The boys are back!
What a nice interjection of comedy with the elevator scene. Man, this episode really has it all. Emi is opening up to her friends again and the gang is all living under a single roof once more. Hurrah! What better way to celebrate than a hotpot and a deep conversation on a patio overlooking a city’s night skyline. Let the goofball banter resume. Casshern tricked me hard with the, ‘this is good’ line. I honestly thought he had regained his sense of taste for a second and I was more excited than I care to admit.
This episode did really well with restoring the status quo. There are many things to like about this series and the pacing is definitely one of them. Though short-lived, seeing them all gathered around the dinner table was as important to us viewers as the inevitable fight scene we’ve come to expect in the extremely near future. While this mostly was a set-up for next episode, we still got to see the resolution of an intense fight, Emi’s return to ‘normalcy’, the departure of Kaan in all his glory, and the comeback of the group dynamics. Kudos to this show for being able to deliver on several different fronts at nearly the same time.
Emi’s growth spurt
Level up! Maturity +1. It’s about damn time, Emi. Using Kaan’s death as a catalyst, it was nice to see Ken steering Emi in the right direction. He’s definitely taken a special relationship with her as compared to the others. 
Her selfish nature aside, the introspection and depth of feeling she showed towards Kaan’s sacrifice were very telling. Not to mention that she originally threw herself into the battlefield because her heart of hearts wanted to see the team again.
Clearly, she’s been growing from the start but, to see it all fleshed out in her discussion with Ken is a great juxtaposition. This also came through earlier in the episode when she opened up to her friend about Kaan’s death. From crying to an apology for previously lying, and then having a laughing fit, Emi’s attitude has improved tenfold from the whiny, edgy teenager she used to personify. And boy was that a good personality to leave behind. I’m sure this mentality of hers will last a long time and not be interrupted by anything…
Back to square one…
Aaaaand, it’s gone. Forget everything I said about development in the last section. Dad is back in town and he does not look happy. Did Emi remember to drink her milk? Shit, did she pick coffee by accident!?
This does bring up the question, why does her dad only now delete the heroes from existence? Is it something he can only do when he’s physically in the same world as her? If so, that means he’s also essentially saying that he doesn’t care if she dies. That was the whole point of him not being there. Anywhere he was would inevitably cause her death. Hence, destroying the universes.
Now he’s just being neglectful. Tsk tsk. Maybe that’s what happens when your existence becomes a flaming ball of rage and regret. Who knows.
It looks like it’s up to Friender and a piece of paper with a motivational quote on it to save the day. And Dammy.
Come back Dammy!