The enemy of my enemy is a jerk, but useful.
What They Say:
Episode #5: “The Emperor’s Fortune”
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
After the shocking events of the previous episode (well, maybe only if you haven’t been paying attention) the Chaikas have been captured, and Toru along with them. Toru is useless to the sorcerer in charge and is ordered executed. So are the demi-humans who Izhmash hates so much. This guy is not so bright telling them flat out he’s going to kill them and that they’re useless.
The Chaika’s aren’t put under very heavy guard, but our Chaika doesn’t even think to fight back until she sees red Chaika trying her best to. They manage to knock out their guards quickly, and Toru quietly bides his time until he can make his move to break free. The bad guy’s goons really didn’t take any of our heroes seriously, but good help is hard to make. Did he honestly think they would be so easily taken out considering they made it past all of the islands crazy defenses?
The Chaikas decide on a truce and work together to try to get to their friends and escape. On their way down the corridor they find themselves back in the lab with the pigtails girl. Chaika decides to free her as well, and lets her out of her restraints. The girl who is called Niva Lada licks a cut on Chaika’s finger and says something about a ‘startup sequence.’ That doesn’t sound ominous at all!
Akari and Frederica sneak in and come across red Chaika’s pals. She almost doesn’t help them out but the prospect of being owed something is too good to pass up. They also come across the demi-human brother and sister, who also beg to be let free. By this point Izhmash learns that his prisoners have escaped and wants all by Niva Lada killed. He releases all of the cloned monsters to hunt down everything else.
Of course with three groups all trying to escape and unknowingly cooperating with each other the island’s systems are taken down one by one. The entire group eventually meets up and the demi-human siblings lead them to a tower which controls all of the man-made monsters on the island. The goal quickly switches to taking out Izhmash’s personal clone army.
As the others fight off the monsters Chaika takes up position to attempt to blow up the tower with her gundo. The first shot fizzles when it hits the tower’s magical barrier. That’s when the real surprise reveal of this mini-arc happens as Niva Lada lends her power to Chaika in order to take out the tower. Niva is a humanoid weapon, one who could only be unlocked by a Chaika. Savior or Destroyer huh?
The group of temporary allies split back up after taking out Izhmash and go their separate ways, leaving only the question of why Guy sent them all to the island in the first place. Is it all just part of Emperor Gaz’s plan?
Elsewhere the powers that be are discussing a fighting tournament being held with the prize being some remains of Emperor Gaz. The redevelopment team is sent out to investigate because of the potential Chaika connection. Of course the one holding the tourney is Hartgen.
In Summary:
It was good to see a temporary truce between a group that really shouldn’t be fighting each other. I’m honestly a bit annoyed at Toru and Akari for not encouraging Chaika to seek the truth like she clearly wants to. Despite everything happening Chaika is the lest likely candidate for causing world peril, and yet Emperor Gaz seems to have set her up to potentially cause it. I’m dying to know what his true goal was, and Hartgen probably knows more than any of the other heroes about the Chaikas and the Emperor. Next week should be the start of something even more interesting.
Episode Grade: B +
Streamed by: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment: 27” iMac running OS 10.9.5, via Safari 7.0.6, FIOS 15/5 Mbps connection. Your milage may vary.
