You know, it’s not often you leave a twelve-episode anime feeling fulfilled. With very few loose plot threads and a fulfilling character arc for all of the major characters. It happens, but it’s rare and Special 7 manages to be one of those rare anime that pull it off. Episode 12 was everything I wanted from this show and more.
We pick up the episode with Seiji and the others fighting against Warlock, who has now summoned a giant dragon. Similar to the one we saw at the mall to fight, though it doesn’t fight for him. It fights as him, he is the dragon and the dragon is him and he is powerful due to the belief of his human followers. During the fight, Ichinose gets a call from Nijo telling him to bring the fight down into the park below. Ichinose relays the message to Nanatsuki who throws Warlock over the edge of the building.
You know, the scene later in the episode when Nanatsuki gives up his dragon power is cool and symbolic and all but like, how is he going to deal with his immense recklessness streak without his immunity to taking damage from doing dumb things like jumping out of glass windows or tackling people off of tall buildings!?
Well, once they are down in the park. Warlock is approached by two additional opponents. Nijo, and Luka, the man he used to have under his control. This is where his confidence starts to shake, because with the revelation that he couldn’t even control one person shakes him and shakes the confidence of the public in him and his power. As people cease to worship him, his powers begin to grow weaker and eventually he loses them completely when he is abandoned alone and can’t even find confidence in himself.
The beast known as Warlock is defeated. Luka Mizuma decides not to stay with the group but seek his own justice, Seiji Nanatsuki does stay with the group and evolves from ‘Rookie’ to ‘Partner’ in the eyes of Ichinose, the group is there but with the fall of Warlock, they aren’t going to have a lot of assignments. Though, there will still be a few such as the murder seen at the end of the people. People really don’t know when to give up, do they?
We get one last instance of the group coming together and one final call from the boss “Special 7” move out.
The last thing i want to note is the parting scene of Luka Mizuma. As he goes to take a flight from the country, with a new passport and a new name. Set up by the informant that Nijo spoke too throughout the series. His new name was an odd one, one with the number ‘seven’ incorporated into it. With that number, he is never alone and with that number, he feels he can carry on justice as he sees fit.
Final Impressions
Special 7 was a show that grabbed my interest from the seasonal preview and held onto it as it kept going on throughout the season. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m an absolute sucker for dragons. Dragons on their own wouldn’t have been enough though, it was the characters and the over-arching mystery that really grabbed me. In the first episode, it was Ichinose that grabbed my interest. As the series went on, it was Nijo and his quest to either get revenge for the loss of his brother or to return his brother to him.
Everything about Special 7 just worked for me, from the intrigue to the comedy. The only real complaint that I have is other than Belle, Nanatsuki, Ichinose, and Nijo. The rest of the group didn’t get a lot of screen time or time to properly develop their characters.
Though, I suppose it wasn’t their story. They were just players along for the ride, even Belle wasn’t really central to the plot but she was adorable and she got her own episode so I’m going to count her among the main players because I can and because she’s a Ninja.
I also mentioned in a previous episode that the show had a little problem of just enough foreshadowing vs being too obvious. The reveal that the mysterious man with Warlock was Luka? Executed flawlessly, just enough foreshadowing that it didn’t feel out of left field but not too obvious. Nanatsuki being part Dragon? Way too obvious foreshadowed far too much. The boss being a dragon? A split between being too obvious and foreshadowed just the right amount. It was kind of a delicate balance all around.
Anyway, overall I feel like most of it was really well executed with a few shortcomings here and there.
I’d definitely say if you like the supernatural, cop dramas or just shows with fun characters that you might like Special 7. It’s a really solid show and for as short as it is, it’s amazing. 9.5/10.