What They Say:
After Julie fixes an abandoned van, the group is ready to set out on their journey. But what are they going to do about the unconscious boy Scar found in the back seat? This new encounter takes them to the Land of the Deceased, Ortus!
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As the show has shifted its narrative a bit from what it seemed like it would be at the beginning with the death of Hampnie in the previous episode, Sunday Without God gives us a bit of a classic road trip here to kick things off with. As the now core trio gets underway in a beat up old van that Julie has fixed and is able to drive, they’re off to the next phase of their adventure, which cutely has Ai looking out the window like an adorable puppy. Of course, before the trip can really get underway, they have to deal with the fact that someone was already in the van, an element that escaped by Ai and Julie when they were going through getting everything fixed and prepared to get going.
Apparently drugged by bandits before being tossed in the back seat, the group tries to get a handle on the young man named Kiriko. He’s an unusual sort from the get go, potentially owing to the drugs the bandits gave him, but it makes for some amusing moments as he confused who Ai is. As it turns out, Kriiko is an apprentice in the Ortus government, which is known as the Land of the Deceased. This is a pretty dangerous thing for Ai as Julie has made it clear that the number of those that are dead and no longer want to move on are pretty much overwhelming at this point, and her role as a gravekeeper is something that will get her hunted down and killed by many of them. Though she’s one of a small number that can help people move on, the world has changed so much since all of this began that the dead no longer want that, and what better way to ensure you won’t move on than to eliminate those that can cause it.
Because of the closed way that Ortus operates, Kiriko ends up helping the group a bit with some trouble they’re having with their van, but they’re limited to how far they can actually go within Ortus because of how it controls things. Bringing back Kiriko opens some doors for them though and we get an intriguing look at some new characters, or character, that can play up the duality of genders within one body pretty well. And there’s a lot to like with the innocent and child-like nature of how Ai handles dealing with them, and to get further inside Ortus than the others think is safe or wise.
Ortus is certainly an interesting place compared to what we’ve seen before, and with Scar saying she wants to go in as well, as though she’s drawn to someone or something, hearing a voice that’s calling to her, we get to see a couple of good flashes of the place that highlights a lot of its appeal and that it’s definitely civilized compared to some of the out of the way and very rural places that has populated the series so far. It’s an interesting setup, one that also puts a lot of danger into the mix as we see how Ai and Scar are told to stay indoors and away from everything until Julie and Kiriko come back. And for a young woman like Ai, that’s just too much temptation when all she wants to do is to see the city.
In Summary:
While the show has a fair drop off considering the events of the previous episode by not lingering on it or exploring it more, there’s still a whole lot to like here. Shifting into the next arc of the series, we get to see a slowly growing bond around Ai, Julie and Scar, with plenty of material ahead that can work towards expanding all of them and their connections to each other. By introducing us to the city of Ortus and what it represents, along with a greater sense of understanding from Julie about what’s going on in the world with those that have died but cannot pass on, everything feels like there’s nothing but danger around the next corner. Yet, we don’t really see it for a lot of it and it just feels like a heightened state of worry over nothing. Except that you do know that something is coming, and that tension definitely makes this work.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
