Quite the interesting episode! A lot of hints at future plot points, some great sakuga scenes, and a huge reveal. The ball is climbing ever higher for this show, I just hope it doesn’t drop it too soon or at all.
Jumping directly from the end of episode one, Yuliy is rescued from the river and cared for by Dr. Hanada and his daughter Saki. The doctor seemed fairly normal and straightforward, although anime has taught me to be wary of doctors with daughters. Saki on the other hand was well characterized as a little, innocent ball of sunshine to rub off on our gloomy Yuliy. Her mother passed away from heart disease, sending Dr. Hanada into a guilty slump for failing to save her. It’s a tragedy that pushes the doctor to experimenting with artificial hearts. We’re even given a glimpse of a pumping heart deep inside the doctor’s workshop, quite possibly the heart of his wife!
While Yuliy is recovering, the other Jaegers conduct some research and discover the interest that the vampires have taken on artificial organs. This leads to the obvious possibility that they’re building a Frankensteinesque monster, which would fit with the battle of supernatural species that Sirius the Jaeger may be establishing. This is definitely an important plot point for the future, and quite possibly one of the end game fights that Yuliy will have to tackle. Hopefully it puts up a better fight than Agatha did, who was honestly disappointing for a high ranked vampire.
It also seems the radical Hyakko party committed a terrorist attack, killing both civilians and police officers. It’s a rather short but brutal scene, with the words, “Divine Intervention” painted on the walls with blood. I’m not too sure on what hints were dropped here, but perhaps the cat is of importance? An oranged eyed cat is present at the scene, growling at police officers. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was another being in disguise. We also see a red haired man with two swords, almost like a kabuki costume, but quite a bit more menacing. His swords are dripping, his face has tattoos, and he has a moustache! Definitely antagonist material.
As for best girl Ryoko, she’s still somehow head over heels for Yuliy. Going as far as to travelling to Doctor Hanada’s home, in hopes of giving him a ‘get well’ basket. I still have trouble believing a girl of her standing falling so quickly, but I suppose she is quite young, so it could definitely be that quick. Unfortunately for her, she arrives in the middle of a vampire attack.
Mecha-Agatha appears with a sword leg, triggering a decent fight with Yuliy. However, the largest casualty of the skirmish is the loss of Dr. Hanada. Not only does he get turned into a ghoul right in front of Saki’s eyes, he attacks her, and is eventually reduced to dust. I’m honestly feeling very bad for Saki, having gotten over the death of her mother to disease, and now witnessing the death of her father as a ghoul. Not only that, her father’s corpse topples onto the tomato plants that held sentimental value in connection with her mother. It’s brutal, but symbolic!
My prediction of Major Iba being the third party wildcard has come true! He stops the Professor and Dorothea from heading to Doctor Hanada’s house, and unknowingly sets forth all the events we mentioned. It makes sense why he would be suspicious of our Jaegers, but it’s a bit infuriating. Hopefully in the future, he sees the bigger picture and becomes a solid ally for our protagonists.
The final bombshell is the reveal of Yuliy’s believed dead brother! Not only is he alive, but he’s the one who shot Yuliy last episode, so perhaps he’s working for the vampires now? The scars all over his face make me believe that he should not be alive, with some supernatural tampering being the only reason he survived. It’s also possible that Yuliy’s brother is the character that Phillip was talking about to Saki, the one who caused him a lot of trouble and pain. Only time will tell!
Overall, the episode had some great track and sakuga, and a lot of plot development! I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.