“The Infant Child and the Green Fortress”
What They Say:
The world is rules by a diversity of inhuman beings, who persecuted humans and drove them to near-extinction. One day, the forest guardian Golem meets a human girl. This is a chronicle of a journey that would bind a member of the dying “human” clan to the forest guardian Golem, as father and daughter.
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
A small emaciated child listlessly wanders through drenching rain, her neck and limbs are shackled and the life within her eyes is gone, the only reason she continues is unknown even to her. A lanky metal covered golem continues its patrol through the forest until it comes to the wreckage of a wagon, upon inspecting the shattered debris it discovers the drivers are dead and the same can be said for the cargo inside – several human slaves locked inside cages with their appendages manacled. Once the automaton walks away, a many tailed feline mews to attract its attention and leads him over a hill to a tree, it is there where he sees a small girl huddled within a hollow. Not saying a word the golem quietly observes this scene, but as the child lifts up her head to see who has come, a spark begins to grow within her eyes and with it a small but infectious smile spreads across her lips – all climaxing until she finally breaks the silence and calls the stranger by a new name … Father.
The Golem has begun telling Shizuno of the first time he met the girl now called Somali as the small oni warms himself in front of the fire, sipping his tea, pausing for but a moment before he continues. The small girl begins to follow the golem as he continues his vigil over the forest, with him constantly reminding her it is forbidden for outsiders to be in the woods and therefore she must depart immediately. Coldly striding ahead the automaton easily climbs a steep earthen incline, but with her limbs still shackled, no matter how hard she tries the girl cannot surmount the obstacle, awkwardly stumbling backward with each attempt. Watching this pitiful trial the machine once again shows no emotions and continues on its way, calmly stating to himself the human does not fall within his responsibilities, thus it should not concern him as he continues his patrol, ignoring the human child and quickening his pace. After taking a moment to rest and commune with the animals, the machine is surprised to hear a rustling behind and the child pops out of the bushes, happily declaring she found Father. Sternly stating he does not acknowledge such a title, the golem once again warns the human not to follow any further, but if the child does he will be forced to remove her by force if she continues this useless chase. However as the speech grows in forcefulness, a loud rumble breaks into his one sided conversation … it is the girl’s stomach.
In Summary:
As the series quickly approaches this season’s finale, it is extremely satisfying to finally witness an expansion of how the automaton and Somali first met, which is only touched upon within the opening sequence. And while we knew Golem’s relationship was initially cold, it is boldly surprising how much he rejected this intruder to his forest, with the logical reasoning laid out within the episode. And yet as we watch him begin to accept her, the ultimate reward is knowing how their connection has grown as the series progressed, resulting in how Father now continues their journey all in an effort to keep his daughter smiling.
Grade: A+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
