The cycle of violence is a theme that’s tackled in several of the most classic and popular anime series, such as Attack on Titan (especially the later seasons). For the most part, Orb spends time on themes like inspiration, change, the wonders of knowledge, and hope across generations. But violence – and in particular, religious violence – has always been a significant factor in this story. In episode 21, we see violence come full circle in the case of Frei.
When he was a child, his parents of the Orthodox Catholic Church were slaughtered by a violent heretic faction. At some point, Frei discovered the Heretic Liberation Front and joined up. He soon became Schmit’s right-hand man. But it was all an act. Frei was waiting for the right time to betray the heretics and bring ruin on them all. He never stopped hating heretics, living his life to spite them.
Unlike the faction that murdered dissenters in the night, Schmit’s organization is definitely more right. They were mostly justified in their violence, since it was against the brutal tyranny of the Church. I’m not saying that violence is never justified. I’m just saying that if one commits to a violent path, the only certainty is that it will fester and repeat itself in a vicious cycle. With that out of the way, let’s discuss the other interesting parts of Orb episode 21.
Episode 21: The Times Are Changing
Episode Rating: 9/10
This episode’s big plot twist was the treachery of Frei, but there was another story development of equal importance. Draka gave up both of her most prized possessions in order to help the mission. When the knights needed cloth, she surrendered her shawl. When the type letters for the printing press broke, she offered her father’s coins. These could be melted down into lead for new letter molds. The cloth and money were precious mementos of Draka’s father, so why did she suddenly give them up?
Draka was carrying on Jolenta’s feelings. Jolenta’s mission would be continued by Schmit and company, but her “heart” would soon die if not properly remembered. That’s why Draka decided to “inherit Jolenta’s heart.” She would make sure to carry on the bold woman’s name and memory. She also took Jolenta’s warning seriously about not becoming enslaved to one’s own convictions. By giving up her most treasured possessions, the materialistic Draka honored Jolenta even at a cost to herself.
One of my favorite things about this episode was the changing dynamic between Schmit and Draka. Despite his emotional reasoning with regards to religion, Schmit usually behaves rationally and coldly. He is focused on the long-term mission and rarely expresses emotion. That’s why it was so cool to see him developing trust and respect for Draka over the course of this installment. He can see her passion and brilliance.
On a side note, it was deeply gratifying to know that Jolenta’s name will be on the cover of the book (if it ever gets printed in full). Although Oczy wrote the book, he didn’t do it for the credit. Nether did Jolenta, but in her case, she always longed to publish something under her own name. By listing Jolenta as the publisher, Draka made her dream come true and prolonged her legacy. I’m so glad Draka is honoring my favorite character so much.
Now let’s talk about the treachery of Frei. He reported the heretics while in town and killed the horses that would have allowed everyone an easy escape. Then he attacked Schmit. The two men had an epic sword-fight as the sun set. I enjoyed the art and animation for this scene. Schmit won the fight, but rather than killing Frei right away, he asked the reason for his betrayal. Frei explained that he had always hated heretics and planned to ruin their most important moment in the name of “God and justice.”
Frei tried to make Schmit “repent” and become a “true believer,” so he could have a chance at going to Heaven after being killed by the inquisitors. Schmit responded to this “Christian love” by stabbing Frei through the neck. Honestly, that was satisfying. I have no real sympathy for someone as hateful and extremist as Frei. He died raising his fist to the sky, imagining that he was holding a crucifix, and feeling justified.
Schmit quickly relayed the bad news to everyone. With knights and inquisitors on the way, there was no chance of escaping with the printing press. At this point, the best thing anyone could hope for would be to survive. Draka explains that there’s two main options: they all run in different directions and try to escape individually, or they entrust their future to one person and make sure that person escapes safely. That one individual would be charged with the task of publishing the book.
Draka boldly proposed being the person to escape, promising that she could still get the book published. The details of her plan have not been completely revealed, but based on what we heard in this episode, it sounds like Draka wants to convince Nowak to come to their side. At first, I wondered if Draka even knew Nowak’s name, but then I remembered the letter. Jolenta passed a letter for Draka to deliver. It was probably a farewell note to her father containing information like his name and hometown.
The idea seems to be enlisting Nowak’s help in publishing Jolenta’s book. I’m skeptical that this plan will work. Draka realized it was a huge gamble and decided to flip a coin to decide. She lost the coin toss, so everyone should now start trying to escape on their own. However, at the last minute, Schmit told Draka he would protect her. He ordered everyone to go with Draka’s plan. The men agreed. To be continued.
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
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