And when you think things couldn’t get worse, they really do. I don’t know why the possibility of a cliff never crossed my mind, maybe it was because tiny children actually being able to climb a giant wall seemed impossible enough. That broken look on Norman’s face as he walked back to the group was really hard to watch, I can’t even imagine what this poor kid was thinking as he walked back to everyone, especially when that was his last bit of hope.
The show continues to do a great job in building tension and showing emotions. How the camera focused on Norman’s back when he went to fetch Emma water, his emotional breakdown building up with his hand twitching, dropping the cup and just letting the water run as he finally has the alone time to really show what he was truly feeling, not pretending he was okay just for Emma’s sake. Because really, everything came crashing down. Emma’s leg is broken and won’t heal for a couple months, and Norman’s shipment date is actually the next day. The time they thought they had is gone now and they’re all scrambling to figure out a plan to save Norman. Ray comes in and with Emma tells Norman that he’ll escape on his own. Sort of. Ray finally showed them what he made to destroy their tracking devices, which just seems to be a taser. Their plan is to have Norman run off and destroy his tracking device, and the way Ray has it set up is that it won’t notify Isabella, and he can hide until the others are ready to escape. Norman can also use this time to inspect like they had planned before. Of course Norman shuts this idea down, because if he were to hide they would probably take someone else in his stead.
So Emma suggests that Ray break is arm or leg so he won’t get taken. The demons want the perfect meal and Emma being injured or sick won’t do, so if Ray hurts himself then he should be okay. Though there isn’t enough evidence for this, but it makes sense. While it was nice for the kids to come together like this and smile in this dire situation, it was also really sad. The talk of breaking bones and getting colds was like they were in denial, and just the fact that they would resort to purposely hurting themselves badly to stay alive…it’s really serious, heavy stuff.
Ray mentions something interesting, though I will say the presentation of this was left to be desired. He mentions that he’s known about the truth from the beginning. Unlike most people, Ray doesn’t have infantile amnesia and he can even remember being a fetus in the womb. It’s not too vivid but he remembers in fragments, which is pretty amazing because most people can recall their earliest memories until the age of 2 or 3. What he was telling them was fascinating but it would have been even better if the anime had actually animated the scenes of what he was recounting, such as the groups of humans and kids, being separated into groups of five, and then the tunnel. It would have made the scene even better but it ended up being a little lazy and a huge missed opportunity from giving us a little taste of the outside world. But at least we were able to find out that the tunnel, being the gate, leads directly to HQ.
Ray brings up a good point of most of the security being at the gate, and the farms not being able to up security as much without messing with the lives of the children. There can’t be guards or demons, so they do have some chances. Norman running off and hiding and inspecting the wall was a great plan…
Until he came back with a dead expression on his face and told Emma and Norman that what he found was a cliff. That tiny shred of hope they somehow found again was burned right in front of them. Again I say that the only thing maybe saving them is whatever is in that box in Norman’s drawer but wow are they really teasing us. The only choice the kids have is that tunnel, unless there’s another way but I can’t think of anything. But if Isabella knew this, then why would she be so desperate to break Emma’s leg? Then there has to be something else…right?
I feel like the next episode is when things are really going to go crazy. Norman is going to get shipped, and either he’s actually going to die or the kids are going to make their escape now. Either way, action has to take place soon.
