The Marquis whips up the populace, as the call to war becomes louder.
What They Say:
Call Checkmate on an Ash-Colored Chessboard
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the push towards war that’s rearing its ugly head more and more, tensions are certainly rising in the nation of Saubure. There are plenty of calls among the elite to not get involved in the war, but there’s still that underlying tension out there that people can’t shake as events continue to unfold. What drives things further to disaster is the revelation about Jupiter Roget, who is actually a Gray Wolf himself and that he’s inserted himself into the position at the Academy that he’s in so that he can rise in the ranks and eventually gain enough power in order to take over Saubure and re-establish the lost kingdom of the Gray Wolves with Seyrun. It’s a tense political moment as everyone watches on and Roget’s facade is sadly not well kept during all of it.
Because of how events have played out, the Marquis is now gaining more power after what he did to Roget and he’s definitely cementing it as the majority of the aristocracy agree with what he’s done. That in turn has inspired the common citizenry to take up against the Gray Wolves, fearing what will become of Saubure should they regain power within the small nation. Which is amusing as the Marquis continues to use Victorique for his purposes and advantage. But Victorique is not the type to be easily used and she jabs back at him in subtle ways at times, particularly when she goes on about how he viewed things when he was younger when it came to Leviathan. Understanding what it is that motivates him and moves him is definitely important, especially as he has his strange army now out there in the streetes.
What’s missing from most of this episode, and it does show in the first two thirds of it, is Kazuya. With him in the military now rather than going back to his home country, he’s going through some rough times to be sure, but his bond with Victorique is still very strong and it’s great to see just how much it means to him and how he externalizes it in a ring. The two have certainly grown close over the course of the series, which has been hard to see at times, but it’s definitely there and understanding what he’s going through while she gives in to what she’s been asked is definitely a good part of the show. Kazuya has been the real heart of the show and seeing the lengths he’ll go to in order to survive and to get back to her is certainly heart warming.
In Summary:
Gosick’s penultimate episode does a lot of groundwork to get to the big moment, which is in the last couple of minutes itself when the action really hits. The build up towards it is pretty decent as we see the manipulations going on and how the Marquis is usurping power through fear and terror. Victorique’s role feels a bit off as she continues to work for him, but you know she must have a different plan to get through all of it. At the same time, there’s a lack of Kazuya for much of it that is painfully noticeable as he tends to be the guy who goes and does things, makes things happen, whereas Victorique talks and exposes. With him off to the side for awhile, this episode comes across as a bit more introspective and quiet in a way. At least until the end when things just go completely chaotic and leave you demanding the final episode arrive as quickly as possible.
Grade: B
Simulcast By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
