Kasper picks a fight with a mysterious Japanese intelligence agency, and Koko is drawn into the feud. The fact that it’s Tojo’s old associates only serves to complicates matters.
What They Say
Castle of Lies phase. 1 – Kasper suspects that Tojo’s old unit, the SR Unit, is trying to kick him out of Southeast Asia. Tojo gives his former boss a call to verify Kasper’s suspicions. Once both sides confirm who they are up against, each side begins to make their move!
Castle of Lies phase.2 – After Hinoki makes it clear that negotiations aren’t an option, the battle between HCLI and the SR Unit begins in earnest. But why has the SR Unit jumped to the foreground when they used to pride themselves for being an invisible ghost?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Since we’re dealing with another character introduction arc over two episodes, with part 1 having a narrative dump, and part 2 being primarily action, I thought it would simply make more sense to review the arc as a single narrative. But even then, Jormungand’s just doing what it’s been doing with mechanical efficiency. It’s not exactly dull, but I’m very happy we only have one more character to go before the finale.
From the last episode we know that Kasper’s business is drying up in Southeast Asia due to the machinations of a Japanese secret agency known as the SR unit. Their movements were mysterious, so Kasper decided to provoke them by killing the son of a client. Now, he wants to get Koko to assist, and it’s likely part of the reason why is because Tojo used to work for the SR unit. Tojo bravely, or foolishly, calls up his old boss, Colonel Hinoki, and tells them to stop messing with HCLI. When there seems to be no reaction, Tojo naively assumes that the SR unit will discuss things peacefully.
This misconception is soon rectified when a seemingly polite Japanese secretary tries to take off Kasper’s head with a samurai sword. Jonah and Koko soon become targets as well, and Tojo is forced to fight back against people he once considered his comrades in arms.
All of the elements you expect are here: Heavy political infodumps, jokes with Jonah, fanservice with deadly, crazy women, gunfights and explosions. There’s really not much more to say about it after we’ve seen a similar dynamic repeated so many times before. Perhaps it just feels somewhat disappointing this time because its focus on Japan feels rather dull when compared to more exotic locales we’ve seen in the past. Or because with Japan’s reluctance to get involved in foreign affairs, the story has to rely on a fiction like the SR unit instead of a more plausible scenario.
It also doesn’t help that this Jormungand arc can’t help but be compared negatively with Patlabor 2. Jormungand still lacks the grace and power of that film, so Tojo’s narrative comes up looking extremely weak.
Or maybe I’m just bitter because Valmet has been pushed to the background this season. Anyhow, while I enjoy the show, I’m glad it’s coming to an end soon. The episodic adventures are running out of steam, and I want to finally find out what Koko has been up to, rather than just having hints dangled just out of our reach.
In Summary
Jormungand does with Tojo what it’s done with the others in Koko’s crew. His past is revealed, his past is tied in with some recent business of Koko, and that business forces a conflict with his values or his past in some explosive way. Being so Japan-centric this time hurts the story, as its use of Japanese intelligence groups up to no good forces a comparison with Patlabor 2, an anime that is still unsurpassed in terms of its political thoughtfulness. Jormungand just comes up looking shamelessly juvenile in comparison. Now, we just have Wilee to go and we can finally get on with things.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Funimation
Review Equipment:
Sony VAIO 17″ HD screen
