Kuizzu desu – Who was it that nobody cared for until I put on the mask!?
Well to absolutely no surprise, Ange spends most of the episode under water with the remnants of Arzenal. Also to absolutely no surprise, Commander Jill’s kinda gone a bit crazy. Still reeling from the assault on Arzenal, she’s now gone down the path of being Little Miss Machiavelli, willing to sacrifice anybody who aids in Libertus (including potential DRAGONs). Of course, Ange and Tusk (ah fuck it, I’m invested enough to refer to him by his real name now), think that isn’t cool and thus have to make a daring escape now that they realize everybody sucks but DRAGONs.
After the rather unexpected welcoming parties in the last episode from fighting old friends to random crotch grabbing, this episode’s events is rather expected fare. Given Ange’s propensity to both attract and piss people off between worlds, it’s expected that she immediately reacquaints herself with Arzenal. Thankfully it is only Commander Jill who’s really losing it while the rest of the characters actually take their return with much eagerness. Hilda gets rather frisky with Ange, but thankfully none of it is in the vein of the Alpha Waifu so many episodes ago. She’s truly taken a shine to Ange, but how that’ll change from here is anybody’s guess. Will HildAnge become the new Korrasami? Who really knows, but at least the former will have personality on both sides of the relationship.
Speaking of relationships, this episode is chock full of people questioning where they stand with others. Tusk, unlike Ange, has known Commander Jill for a longer period, and can sense a change of personality. Ange, after initially being reluctant to Commander Jill’s machinations for Libertus, finally chooses to side with the DRAGONs and employ a Libertus that involves less death, resulting in a climactic knife fight between hope (her) and despair (Commander Jill). It’s a nice showing how far along Ange has come as a character. Had she maintained herself in a fashion like the former Princess Alektra did, without the realization there can be camaraderie beyond dimensions and not just between Norma, she would succumb to the myopic revenge that colours Commander Jill’s current disposition.
However, Commander Jill’s not necessarily wrong either, for she reminds Ange of what happened to her and her initial eagerness to destroy the current world order. Her anger is well-founded, but it has gone to the point of desperation that she’ll ruin the entire world just to have it. Come to think of it, it may have been subtly implied given how she handled Ange’s shock after the revelation of DRAGONs actually being humans. She becomes so invested in her cause that she has lost all curiosity over the strangeness of her world and is totally dedicated to the mission at hand, and despite the weirdness all who are under her wing follow her (even the Mana-using overseer who’s now a pitiful drunk). It is good to see all that coming to a head in this episode and then given a timely denouement without overstaying its welcome.
Now, with Ange already experiencing the hospitality of DRAGONs and rogue Norma, it seems like she’ll be experiencing the hospitality of Embryo. It’s another in a long line of episodes setting the foundation of the finale, with all the players giving their reason for doing what they do. Can’t wait.
Rondo of Notes:
- More new features in the OP, including new shots of the Aurola/Aurora (the Arzenal sub) as well as a Tusk being eyed by Hilda and Rosalie. Oh my.
- Also more alterations to the ED, with much more dynamic character stills than just pasteovers from the first. This new one is particularly promising.
- Shit, those breather masks are tiny.
