This episode definitely went a way I wasn’t really anticipating. We start off where we ended off last time with Seth getting the jump on the Domitor and we get some one-on-one action between the two. What’s really interesting about this fight that Seth and the Domitor have very similar backgrounds but came out to be starking contrasts of each other. It honestly felt like Seth vs Bossman all over again but the Domitor is far more violent than Bossman. With Bossman, he rather just rob people senseless and make a break for it, leaving the people defenseless. However, the Domitor went out of her way to put all of these people in danger because they deserve it after how much people have caused the infected and sorcerers to suffer.
So far, all of the Sorcerer villains have been what Seth could have become if not for Alma’s teachings and morality. Like I’ve said before, the antagonist sorcerers have legitimate reasons for hating people and constantly begs the reason as to why they should even bother trying to help normal people. However, Seth is asked the question of which side he takes that Piodon had posed for him last episode. Is he fighting for the people and seen as a traitor by the infected and sorcerers or continue to be seen as a monster by the people by protecting his own kind. It’s honestly a lose lose situation, especially when nothing has changed between the two sides for generations.
It was rather of naive for Seth to think that taking out Konrad would fix everything in the town. Just because you take the main cause of the issues in something, you still have to deal with the general public’s opinion. Especially if their opinions have been molded by the person manipulating them. Even if you take Konrad out of the picture, the people were still the ones who used violence to deal with the infected and immigrants. They are the ones allowing these type of things to happen. No one is standing up for the infected and sorcerers. No one stood up against Konrad, seeing him as wrong. They embraced everything they were told and carried out everything the Inquisition asked of them like a mindless hive mind.
However, Seth also brings up a good point of the Domitor acting out just like Konrad did, which was destroying everyone they didn’t like. It’s a terrible cycle and both sides end up mimicking each other but carry it out for different reasons. Though it is an interesting point to bring up that you don’t HAVE to be on one side or the other. There has to be a side no one acknowledged as a possibility. Be as it may, I’m having a hard time visualizing how things can change. These two sides’ relationship is cemented into the hearts and minds of people and sorcerers.
Action-wise, this fight was rather simple. However, I feel that the characters emotional battle was the main fighting force. Two sorcerers with similar backgrounds but went about things very differently. I think the visuals of Seth’s past as the Domitor commented on the things that happened to them was so powerful. Everything the Domitor said that the people did to them, Seth experienced it personally. I was confused at first as to why Seth would deny these things. It felt as if he were desperately trying to deny his feelings of hatred towards people, even though he knew oh so well what the Domitor was talking about. Though, after watching the scene a few more times, I realized it was Seth denying the Domitor’s statement of them being different. And the cut to the two of them on the same page, separated by a black line told so much as well. They are two sides of the same coin.
After several moments of denial, Seth finally comes to an agreement. Deep down, Seth really did have a hatred towards people and the persecution he and Alma faced because of them. It was painful to hear that despite him proclaiming he’d save everyone from the Nemesis, he couldn’t forgive them. Not only that, but he’s even THOUGHT about killing people. This was the first time he’s actually admits his true feelings. After denying how he and Bossman were similar, he’s finally come to terms that he had agreed with the feelings of hatred other Sorcerers have felt towards normal people. They have given him no reason to fight for or protect them.
Seth has the power to get back at them, but he chose to hold them back because of Alma’s teachings. Which makes me wonder, where exactly did these morals of Alma come from? Was she given a reason to why she shouldn’t just hate everyone? I doubt we’ll find out by the end of the season though. I’ll probably just read through the manga since from what I’ve seen, it is SO much better than the anime adaptation.
Anyways, despite Seth’s hatred, he refuses to become the monster the people expect from him. He wants to try to stop the cycle of hatred, even if it kills him on the inside because of his persecution. I was actually shocked to see Seth use the Domitor’s moment of vulnerability against her and pin her to the ground. Though I found it intriguing that instead of taking sides, Seth chose to try and change her. He wants to change her mind so that little by little, he can change the status quo of the world. If he can change at least one heart, whether it be sorcerer or normal person, he can be one step closer to his goal. If he can’t change the world, the least he could do is change her heart. I also like how Seth questions what good did it do for the Domitor to become “the bad guy.” Does there have to be a necessary evil? What actual good does that do? It just causes suffering on both sides.
I kinda had high hopes that the Domitor would join Seth’s little ragtag team, but sadly it did not come to pass because everyone in the Inquisition sucks one way or the other. Yes, even Dragunov. As long as he isn’t getting along with Seth, I can’t condone his behavior. But we’re not talking about him right now. But it’s interesting that the Inquisition members can actually use some type of ability called “miracle.” Though that’s the only highlight about them I can talk about because they freaking killed the Domitor, who revealed her name to be Hameline. I was pretty bummed that she was killed off, especially since she seemed to have good chemistry with Seth. Not to mention I feel like she’d be a really good member in the group. But alas, the Inquisition makes it so we can’t have nice things in this world. I was actually starting to like her. Her death was actually pretty sad because Seth not only was able to change a little of her heart in their brief moments together, but she was able to imprint some of her feelings onto Seth as well. Both were able to change the other just a little bit.
This episode definitely gave me a lot to think about and so many things that were addressed earlier in the series came back as a moral struggle for Seth. I absolutely loved the moral conflict between Hameline and Seth. Though I think one of the bigger things that was dropped was the fact that when the Inquisition was naming off a list of crimes Seth was being accused for, despite not knowing what any of those things were about, he had a faint feeling of familiarity. Though unfortunately I actually do know why since I ended up spoiling myself on that. Whoops…
In any case, I’m excited to see what will happen next since the preview basically spoiled that Seth is going to go crazy over the death of Hameline.
