Nezumi’s plan is put fully into motion, but there are prices to be paid for the action.
What They Say:
The plan to rescue Safu is going as expected. But the further Sion and Rat go inside the facility, Sion’s attitude changes dramatically.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
For Sion and Nezumi, they’ve gone to what can only be described as hell in order to rescue Safu. The abyss in which they were dumped in the previous episode is nothing but a mountain of rotting, festering bodies that Nezumi labels as the foundation upon which No. 6 was built. It’s a brutal thing to see, even with the way its impact is so heavily reduced here visually, and the psychological impact on Sion is significant. He had some warning going into it from Nezumi, but in truth there is nothing that can prepare you for that kind of experience and what it will drive you to do afterwards, either to make right or to avenge in some way. Sion’s personality may not put him in vengeance mode, but it’s going to compel him to act.
Being the only ones alive in there, and needing to climb that mountain of bodies, is even more disturbing when it plays out against the beautiful backdrop of events happening in No. 6 itself as we see Sion’s mother going through life along with everyone else. Shifting between the mountain and the bright blue skies and inspiring life inside of the dome draws the contrast very, very hard. And in the middle of these two extremes we get Dogkeeper who is doing her best to get involved and provide the materials needed for Nezumi to go to the next step of rescuing Safu. Their entry into the dome is rather amusing as it causes the smell of the outside and that particular area to filter into those working there, and the residents of No. 6 there are just unable to handle it in the slightest.
With the two angles of attack going on, there’s a lot to like here as they move further into the facility and as they’re discovered, since it kicks on the alarms and security. The two pronged plan is pretty simple considering the number of people involved and it’s definitely getting more dangerous. What helps to accent the episode is what Safu herself is going through in the containment that she’s in as she communes about the future and her role in it, as well as thoes that are coming to get her. She’s in a bit of a dream state of sorts with it all, likely drugged to a good degree, and it has a surreal feel as she’s experiencing that while the amount of violence going on outside of her plays out with her unaware of it all. Nezumi’s attempts to free her are very, very driven and it’s fascinating to see how far he’s going for someone, and the pain he’ll have to endure to do it.
In Summary:
With only one more episode to go in the series, No. 6 puts in some big moments here as Sion and Nezumi storm the castle so to speak while Dogkeeper makes her moves below. It’s violent, brutal, disturbing and well executed in a way that makes me wish we saw more of this tight writing and pacing earlier in the series. A lot of what came before was made to allow us to connect better with the characters, but it did the opposite as it was easier to care less and less for them as it progressed. Who they were at the start worked better but the need for that exposure is important. Sadly, it didn’t unfold well and left us rather bored with it at times. Still, the events of the final minutes of this episode are not reduced in impact because of this as it’s still horribly fascinating and resonates well. But it also reinforces the desire that this kind of work was seen more throughout the series rather than as the bookends to it all.
Grade: B+
Streamed 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.
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