Let’s drive this thing to Mexico!
What They Say:
Episode #3: “The Forest Where the Hero Dwells”
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It’s not very surprising that Chaika’s coffin starts attracting unwanted attention. The trio is on the move, heading toward their next objective, but getting the hairy eyeball from everyone during their trip. In a world where public transportation consists mostly of slow moving wagons for the peasant class, the broke saboteur siblings and their client certainly stand out.
In fact, Gillette and his crew aren’t having a very difficult time tracking them. Vivi, the orange haired and spirited member of that group, is determined to catch Toru and make him pay for insulting Gillette. She sets off to the town where the leads have ended up, coworker Zita-the-pantsless in tow, to apprehend the fugitives.
Toru, Akari, and Chaika stop off in an inn for a bite to eat and to plan their next move. The discover the ruler of the town was a hero of the war, and has formidable sounding powers. They also realize equally quickly that they’ve been followed by Gillete’s group. Luckily, help finds them before the enemy does.
Although their ‘help’ is far more ominous and mysterious than one would expect. Chaika’s informant offers no explanation for why he is helping Chaika, has what appears to be unlimited knowledge to go along with his cute face, and can give the group no identity behind the fake name of ‘Guy.’ I can’t help but feel the ghostly apparition of a boy is just a disguise for something that has evil ulterior motives. Toru is no idiot, he brings up all of these doubts, but the group has little choice but to use the information he gives them. Plus, they need their own wheels badly.
I was absolutely shocked that Chaika not only appears to be familiar with the strange, tank like vehicles they come across by the lake, but that she knows how to drive them. Not just that, she repairs one and manages to get it into working order while Akari goes gathering and Toru sets traps. It’s strange that Chaika needs to physically plug herself into the vehicle for it to run. Chaika also has to plug herself into her gun from the same port at the base of her skull. I’m dying to know exactly what magic users in this world are.
About that gun… Chaika uses it once again to attempt to cook something, blowing up a perfectly good chicken. This is after she ends her test drive half into the lake. Chaika is both magnificently knowledgeable and lacking in good sense. She certainly must have many shadowy eyes looking out for her well being.
Gillette’s group remain back in town as the trio make their way into the forest in their new wheels to find the hero and get back the next of the remains. It’s time for Gillette’s group to wonder what exactly they are after. The Chaika we know is not the only one who was suspected of being the Chaika, princess and demon spawn. Some of the other suspects sound like simple misunderstandings, while others the organization apprehended were suspicious, taking their own lives rather than being interrogated. The cat boy among the group wonders if Emperor Gaz even had a daughter. The antagonist group is already questioning their quest? They clearly aren’t the bad guys here, but who is? Chaika’s memory is spotty, even she is unsure of parts of her past. We probably haven’t even seen the real villiain of this story yet.
Even the hero that the trio is going to meet to get back the next missing body part is a good leader of the town they were just in. When Chaika’s group is ambushed by more of the magical fayla creatures en route to find her, the hero they seek comes to Toru’s aid.
In Summary:
Now that the trio has some wheels of their own things are looking up for the wayward princess and her saboteurs. Except no one really knows what the deal with Chaika is, including herself! Amnesia is so overplayed, but since it’s not Chaika’s defining feature I’ll let the trope slide. Motivations remain a mystery, and Gillette’s group is already starting to question orders. So many sides could be playing against each other at the prospect of gaining those missing bits of immortal emperor flesh. However, the newest mystery is if the dragoon knight might actually be a friend, or at least not a foe.
Episode Grade: B
Streamed by: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment: 27” iMac running OS 10.9.2, via Safari 7.0.2, FIOS 15/5 Mbps connection. Your milage may vary.