I’ll take the Orange from Code Geass, thanks.
What They Say:
Lord Saazbaum decides to hold back on chasing Slaine, and instead tracks as he flees to Earth. Meanwhile Inaho and friends have arrived at Tanegashima, a mysterious location.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The destined meeting of Inaho and Slaine is imminent. The two come across as something of mirror images of each other, something that Urobuchi is particularly adept at depicting, and as such the eventual convergence of the two is always an exciting event to build up to. Given the circumstances, the two work together against a common foe, and by all means should continue to do so for their mutual benefit, but Inaho must be convinced that they have to follow in the footsteps of some predecessors of sorts and declares Slaine to be his enemy.
Oh Inaho, I wish I didn’t have to keep shaking my head at you every episode. But while there may be some lingering issues with his personality, I can’t say this episode doesn’t deliver on the tactical intrigue department. Inaho has been showing off his skills in this area for most of the series so far, pretty much any time he’s on screen and not staring blankly at a situation that should elicit some emotions, but the battle this time gives him more opportunity than ever, also providing him with some help from Slaine but ultimately using that to further display his craftiness. He still seems a bit too talented for his character as we understand it at this point, but with each new trick, he does make himself a bit more enjoyable to watch.
Inaho not only stops his opponent from killing him and the rest but also uses her own attacks to his benefit, both for the conflict at hand and to further protect the civilians under his watch. In the process, he inadvertently uncovers some plot development, continuing to answer some of the questions left by Heaven’s Fall (I swear Urobuchi et al named it that to make me constantly mistype “Heaven’s Feel” before correcting myself) and give the Earthlings more of a fighting chance for when they come across some soldiers a bit more competent than these minions given fancy robots. Although it’s largely Inaho’s own ridiculously proficient level of expertise that wins the battle, it does take some teamwork with Slaine before either really says anything, and Asseylum provides just the inspiration necessary for Slaine to do his part successfully. This kind of collaboration from various characters with different contributions is always a strong way to conclude a battle like this, cliché as it may be.
The amount of CG this kind of fight demands is starting to hurt the visuals a bit, although the choreography and cinematic direction mostly make up for it. The music is also in full force here, setting these pieces to a few different vocal tracks, one of which is apparently considered an insert song although Sawano has pretty much blurred that line entirely by now. I could see this heavy use of music with prominent vocals as a bit distracting and overplayed, but I think it backs the action of the scenes very well.
In Summary:
As Inaho and Slaine finally meet, Inaho makes another questionable move given the situation they’re in. Before his final declaration, though, they work together in a way that shows they were really meant to fight alongside each other, and despite everything else, Inaho in particular impresses on a level even beyond what he’s displayed before. It’s mostly simple action, but the soundtrack makes it more powerful than it has to be, and there are bits of plot intrigue thrown in.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Custom-Built PC, Sceptre X425BV-FHD 42″ Class LCD HDTV.
