Every week I get more and more excited about this show! I really hope there’s more people out there enjoying it as much as I am. It’s incredible that just in 5 episodes so much has happened. The episode starts with the two leftover members of Grand Paladin having dinner at a family restaurant. The old man is having a steak while he tells Yosuke a story about Takashi and how he came to be his son. It’s a little bit like Superman, but then he says he’s joking, but is he?
The scene changes to contrast the tender and juicy beef he’s having to Soya eating a daikon radish steak. I think I’ll be so happy for Soya whenever he gets to have real beef, if it ever happens! There are a few interesting discoveries in this episode. First off, we learn that Soya had an older brother and he’s remembering more stuff from when he was in his planet. We’re also shown the fact that Nozomi is quite observant as she’s able to accurately conclude what’s in Soya’s mind just from analyzing his behavior. We also learn more or less what the ‘sealing’ that the Nebula faction is trying to do means. Nezuya did quite a 180, which concerns me deeply.
Soya described his attitude as growing up, but losing his fire. I thought this was interesting as I believe the author of the original work is someone who likes to write about what adults are or should be like. The concept of the weapon showing a sort of illusion of what you desire in order to seal your motivation of getting that is quite cool too. I was puzzled as to why Nezuya had been the one to succumb to it while the other members who have come into contact with these illusions were able to eventually overcome them, even if they did indulge themselves a bit. Maybe that will come up later.
In this episode Soya also mentions the fact that he is an alien. I thought it was funny he denied it right away too and made me think that maybe Takezo denying Takeshi’s origins was a lie too. I must hand it to Nozomi for being so gracious in accepting this information, though I would probably react the same way if it were myself hearing it. I don’t want to discredit someone I respect and appreciate! Even if what they are saying might be hard to accept. Their interaction during this scene was so cute, too! How they kept apologizing to each other and thanking the other.
Once the weapon appears this episode, I was impressed by the design. Not just because of what Takezo said, the world being food and food being life, but because of the nod to the belief that the world is a disc that rests on elephants which themselves rest on top of a giant turtle who walks the world to oblivion. It was cool to see it and then see the twist of the rice and the snake on top.
It was Takezo’s turn to go inside the core this time and he enjoys the drinks, the food and the women for a bit before setting out, but then he sees his wife inside the weapon and he admits it was hard to leave her, but he has to go back to Takeshi’s side. Yusuke is outside and they’re both shocked to see the snake is a different weapon in itself. Soya is quick to show up and destroy it in one attack though, which is impressive in its own right as well.
Then the showdown between Soya and Takezo begins, as Takezo knows that whoever destroyed the weapon is the next target of the Nebula soldier. On a different side of town something much more interesting is happening! We are revealed that Shiraishi was in fact working with Nebula all along and Generalissimo has come out to fight Takashi. The episode ends just as these two showdowns are about to begin, but there’s also so many questions in m mind!
What’s going to happen with Grand Paladin? Will the two factions inside Nebula cross each other soon, too? I’m really looking forward to what will happen next!
I came across another review of this series whose writer is also a big fan of Mizukami’s works.
They said Souya’s imposed vegan diet could go in 2 ways considering Mizukami’s style of playing with expectations – either it has an Important effect on the storyline later on, or it’s just some quirk Mizukami put in for personal laughs with no long-term meaning to it. (I hope it’s the former.)
Yeah, I could see it going either way. I think in this case I lean heavily towards it having some significance because Takezo already has the steak habit and I’d see that as the quirk, but in Soya’s case there is so much emphasis on the restriction!
It just occurred to me it might lead to something related to a Nebula Weapon illusion later on, but I think I would find that slightly disappointing haha. Either way, it’s kind of fun sharing his frustration and rooting for him.