Welcome back to Anime Rants with Mono. I’m still two weeks behind schedule, but having fun going at my own pace. It’s a lot easier to cover four or five series than nine or ten in a given season. Now, let’s get on the episode reviews.
Contents
- Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc Episode 3
- Kowloon Generic Romance Episode 3
- Lazarus Episode 3
- Your Forma Episode 3
Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc Episode 3
Episode Rating: 7/10
The visuals and music for this season of Black Butler have legitimately impressed me. Cloverworks is a good studio and I’m glad they’re actually trying to make this anime look high quality. This episode was intense and uncomfortable, but very important for the progress of the story. Any time the torture of Ciel is mentioned, it can get disturbing. This episode showed us a grim flashback. In addition, it was hard to watch the part where Ciel was forced to undergo the ritual. Even though it was necessary to save him, it brought back visceral memories of the torment he endured in his past.
I’m not clear on what exactly happened to Ciel or who he was talking to in the flashback. I get that he was cursed and there was a lingering effect that resulted in blindness. He also seems to be having a psychological breakdown, reacting hyper-defensively to everyone. But is that really Ciel? This is Black Butler, so there could be some weird soul-switching stuff going on. What if that other kid from the cage somehow got switched with Ciel? Or perhaps Ciel has an alternate personality who has taken over to protect him. We don’t know the truth yet.
As for the werewolf, there’s no way it’s just Wolfram, right? That’s way too obvious. He’s literally designed like a wolf and has wolf in his name. I assumed all that was an intentional red herring, but maybe it’s as simple as it seems. Anway, I want to see Ciel get his eyesight back, so I’m excited for the next episode of the Emerald Witch Arc.
Kowloon Generic Romance Episode 3
Episode Rating: 6/10
Since the audiovisual quality and mystery elements are still good, I can only lament this episode so much. However, it disappointed me. I was afraid this would happen. Miyuki Hebinuma, the snake guy, is a major recurring character who will continue to prey on our main female protagonist. Also, apparently, nobody at that workplace cares about calling out sexual assault. I can’t help wondering why an author would include such a scummy, over-the-top character to an otherwise excellent cast so far.
That’s not my only issue with Hebinuma. There’s also the glaringly obvious problem that he falls in the “evil queer” trope, which is sadly common in anime. Bisexual/pansexual anime men are usually written to be predatory perverts because that’s the image that homophobic Japanese culture wants to give to the LGBT+ community. If there were some good queer characters in the cast, and the harmful trope were less common, I wouldn’t be bothered. As it stands, however, Hebinuma’s bisexuality is obviously being painted as an evil, perverse thing.
Besides Hebinuma, this episode was a bit frustrating because of Kudo. He told Reiko that he didn’t like her at all. Of course, he’s allowed to feel that way, and communicating his feelings is appropriate. But I’ve started empathizing more with Reiko and it’s hard to see her so depressed. I think Kudo is being an asshole because he gave her hope last time by holding her hand, only to say “I hate you” (Japanese: omae wo kirai) when she tried to show some appreciation. I hope Kudo sorts out his feelings soon.
This episode was a bummer for me overall but I’m still planning to watch because I love the character of Kujirai B and I want to know the mystery of Reiko’s identity. Also, I’m curious about the sci-fi technology in this world. Am I the only one who thinks the moon has been replaced by an artificial space colony? Isn’t that what “Generic Terra” actually is? The show hasn’t confirmed that, but I think I’m on to something.
Lazarus Episode 3
Episode Rating: 10/10
First and foremost, I’m very impressed with this episode for featuring a trans character – even in a minor role – and not saying anything problematic. Axel accepted that his friend was trans with smiles and compliments. That was very wholesome. It was also great that the trans character, Jill, referred to herself with the exact words, “Transgender woman.” Stating terms openly and correctly makes erasure harder, so it’s always good to see it in anime, which usually lacks good representation.
Side Note: Jill was voiced by Yuuichi Nakamura, a talented male seiyuu I admire. Of course, ideally, Jill would have been voiced by a real trans woman, but I understand why that’s harder to accomplish in Japan. I think Nakamura did as great a job as a cis man could with the role. It’s always a pleasure to hear him.
Lazarus is so openly pro-diversity that I bet some angry, white cis men have started calling it “woke.” (Hehe! They’re so stupid.) Anyway, there was a lot to enjoy in this fun episode. I loved the part with the little girl playing pretend who saw Leland as a prince. Also, I love Baklava, so I was so jealous of Axel and Leland for getting to eat the homemade treats from Belinda. Middle Eastern deserts are great.
This is random, but I wonder if the “rare tulip” in Belinda’s house was the source of a cure for hapuna. I might only think that because I watched Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto, where the rare red tulip was key to the story. It would be interesting if I turned out to be right. I also wonder what that pill is that Christine found in Skinner’s home. It could also be a cure or a clue toward one. That’s all for my brief notes.
Your Forma Episode 3
Episode Rating: 7/10
While the visuals in Your Forma are not astounding, I’m enjoying them a lot. The character designs, art style, and scenery are right up my alley. The music, as I mentioned last time, also continues to be great. I loved the parts of this episode where Echika and Harold searched the country villages outside London for the escaped criminal, Furman. The scenery was really pretty. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing the lamb plushie in the gift shop.
The car chase scene was a lot of fun and this episode as a whole was quite exciting. There were some intense and well-executed scenes, such as when Echika shot Marvin to save Harold. Also, the suspense of the last few minutes was great. There’s a big secret about Harold’s system code, and Furman is trying to force Dr. Lexie to go public with it. I suspect the secret is that RF Models can outgrow the Laws of Respect. I know that was brief, but I don’t have more to say right now about this episode.
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
