Zetsuen no Tempest – 20

Hakaze prepares to transport back to the past to investigate Aika’s murder and report back. Her findings will determine against whom Mahiro exacts his revenge, even if Hakaze herself turns out to be the murderer. She transports her flesh to the skeleton on the island and uses magic to travel to Aika’s hometown. She runs into her on the street just after she arrives four hours before she meets her end, but it’s no coincidence. Aika follows Hakaze to a rooftop and introduces herself as the true Mage of Exodus, then draws a massive magic sword.

Aha…of course Aika is the real Mage of Exodus! Without going into excessive detail (or resorting to whiteboard diagrams), it makes sense after everything we’ve seen. Aika always seemed to possess an aura of wisdom and sageiness beyond her years, and being the mage explains that. If she wants to confront her Genesis counterpart (no, not Collins), it also explains why Hakaze would fall for Yoshino. The desire to determine the truth for the man she loves led her right into Aika’s burdock-like clutches. The moment they cross paths is filled with tension, and that’s before Aika tells Hakaze who she really is.

As soon as Hakaze announced she was going back in time, the gears in our heads started to turn. That decision leads to a course of action that leads to her confrontation with and, at least in the first go-round, eventual killing of Aika, which results in the present timeline these past twenty episodes inhabited. It’s a chicken-and-egg paradox: Hakaze becomes the very person she was looking for: Aika’s killer. She needs to die as she did before if the timeline is to be preserved…but judging from the size of that sword, killing her won’t be easy, assuming that’s what Hakaze intends to do.

Rating: 9 (Superior)

P.S. Samon finds another opportunity to demonstrate his singular wit – that wig joke was GOLD.

Kotoura-san – 08

Kotoura comes down with a  fever, and Manabe takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health. He discovers she can’t read his mind due to her cold, so he’s able to carry on with his fantasies without rousing her ire or embarrassment. When she returns to school she learns the truth, and to make it up to her, Mifune orders Manabe to take her out on a date. They enjoy themselves thoroughly, but at the end, her psychic ability suddenly returns in force, knocking her unconscious.

Well, it happens under some rather unusual circumstances…and under orders, but it finally happened: Manabe and Kotoura go on their first date. And pretty much everything about it is frikkin’ adorable: their surface insistence that it’s not really a date (sorry kiddos; it counts!), their reaction to everyone around them commenting on how first-datey they’re both acting; their little conflict when Manabe goes too far in the clothing store; their quick reconciliation; Kotoura’s little locket. It’s absolute bliss. Early in this date, they’re both extremely nervous, but as it progresses, they loosen up and revel in the fun they’re having.

Neither comes right out and admits they’re dating, but they don’t really need to. Prior to the date, when Manabe takes care of her, it really underlines how much tough he has it, not being able to have any private dirty thoughts about the girl he likes – a luxury all men not dating telepaths take for granted. We also saw that Mifune’s mission is still foremost on her mind: the whole point of the date is to stimulate Kotoura into regaining her psychic ability so she can use her later. And the ploy works, just in time to crash the cute, happy ending. Poor Kotoura-san…can’t even live one measly day as a normal girl unburdened by omniscience.

Rating: 8 (Great)

Spring 2013 Season Preview

You know the drill. If you don’t, here it is: around halfway through the current season we take a quick look forward at the next season’s batch of anime, usually by skimming through Moetron’s always-helpful charts. Sequels to Railgun and Oreimo are coming, if you’re into that. We are, so they make the list. We’ve amazingly never seen anything from the Space Battleship Yamato franchise, so we’ll be taking our first stab at it with 2199.

Carryover-wise, the only Winter series continuing into the spring is Chihayafuru 2 (unless MAL is lying to us). Girls und Panzer only has two more episodes, so that doesn’t count. We suspect one or two may continue either in the spring or summer, but we’ll decide what to stick with on a case-by-case basis. We don’t usually enjoy being surprised at the last minute with second cours.

With only one confirmed carryover, we have a pretty clear schedule to populate with brand-new series. Still, we’d like to stick to ten total series or under. As always, if you know of a series not listed here that you think we should watch, let us know and we’ll consider it. We currently have three “definitelys” and four “probablys”, so there’s room for two or three of the five maybes.

Definitely Watching

1. Chihayafuru 2
(episodes 14-25)

2. Girls und Panzer
(episodes 11-12)

3. Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai.
Aniplex, A-1 (Comedy, Slice of Life, Seinen) – 7 Apr

Probably Watching

4. Aku no Hana
(The Flowers of Evil)
Starchild, Zexcs (Drama, Romance, School, Psychological) – 20 Mar

5. RDG: Red Data Girl
Lantis, P.A. Works (Fantasy) – 16 Mar

6. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
J.C. Staff (Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Super Power) – Apr

7. Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199
(Space Battleship Yamato 2199)
Xebec, AIC (Sci-Fi) – 7 Apr

Maybe Pile

8. Ginga Kikoutai: Majestic Prince
Dogakobo (Action, Mecha, School, Sci-Fi, Seinen) – Apr

9. Hataraku Maou-sama!
Lantis, Pony Canyon, White Fox (Comedy, Demons, Romance, Shounen) – Apr

10. Shingeki no Kyojin
(Attack on Titan)
Production I.G., others (Action, Drama, Fantasy, Super Power) – Apr

11. Suisei no Gargantia
(Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet)
Production I.G., Lantis (Sci-Fi) – 9 Feb

12. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru.
(My youth romantic comedy is wrong as I expected.)
Brains Base, TBS (Comedy, Romance, School) – 5 Apr

End-of-Month Rundown – February 2013

It was always going to be tough to follow the excellence of Fall (which featured four series with an 8 average or above), but this Winter so far slightly above Summer (6.968) and Spring (7.077) 2012 in ratings, and is right around the site’s all-time average, if we were to convert all of the seasons to the current rating system.

Where this Winter differs from those similarly-rated seasons is that over halfway through, it lacks a discernible “king”: a show (or shows) that camp out atop the rankings and stay there, lording over the rest. Spring had Nazo no Kanojo X and Sakamichi no Apollon. Summer had Natsuyuki Rendezvous. Fall had four kings, two of which are still running (though K, which was about kings, wasn’t one of them).

Winter, meanwhile, has no new series one could label as true kings. There’s a power struggle at the top. The second cours of Fall carryovers Zetsuen no Tempest and From the New World serving in that capacity, maintaining the high standards both shows set in their first cours. Regents, if you will. That’s not to say a king won’t emerge, but we’re eight weeks in, so we won’t hold our collective breath.

11. Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited – Hyoubu Kyousuke – 8/12 (6.375) – Has proven easy to follow despite our having never seen the series it spun off from. It has some nice-looking setpieces, but overall the production values are underwhelming. It makes up for it with nice character work. Stopping the momentum to tell Hyoubu’s backstory irked us a little

10. Vividred Operation – 7/12 (6.571) – Unlike The Unlimited, this show has brilliant animation throughout, as any maho/techno shojo series should. Until the seventh episode, which ends in a cliffhanger, the girls’ primary challenge wasn’t the Alones at all, but trying to befriend Kuroki Rei, who has sword to destroy what they’re trying to protect

9. Amnesia – 8/12 (6.750) – Amnesia is being very deliberate in unveiling the situation the heroine is in. Yes, bumping into Orion caused her to start jumping from universe to universe, but they seem to be getting more and more threatening to her well-being

8. Tamako Market – 8/12 (7.875 ▼) – Someone from Dera’s island finally shows up and half-dropped the bombshell at the very end of episode seven: Tamako, perfectly content to live her life as a mochi-maker’s daughter, may be the fated bride for the island’s prince. But in the meantime, Choi hangs around as Dera did, and we’re left wondering: can anyone escape this lovely shopping district?

7. OreShura – 8/13 (7.250 ▲) – This continues to be far more enjoyable than it should be, giving each girl in Eita’s harem a specific personality and a specific motivation for liking him. Though intelligent from the start, Eita’s involvement with all these girls seems to have dulled his perceptiveness vis-a-vis Fuyuumi Ai. Or maybe he just trusts her when she says she has a boyfriend (when she really doesn’t)

6. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha – 8/12 (7.625 ▼) – Maou and Yuusha are changing the world, and the battle of Bright Light Island was a big step forward, but things are getting ever more complicated as Maou must return home to renew her license, while back in the world of men, the church brands her a heretic, which is never good

5. Kotoura-san – 7/12 (7.714 ▼) – A crucial tripping-point in the Kotoura-Manabe relationship is that despite the fact they both care for each other, Manabe is still a hostage to his dirty thoughts, which ruin potentially romantic moments every time, which is getting old. Though he did a good job hiding his thoughts while preparing a surprise birthday party, which we’ll admit was an awesome gesture

4. Chihayafuru 2 – 7/25 (7.857 ▲) – It’s last two weeks have been on fire, following one of the best karuta match episodes with one of the best character-focused episodes. It’s becoming clearer and clearer to Taichi that he has little chance against Arata (either in karuta or with Chihaya), but hasn’t given up, nor has Sumire given up on him

3. Sasami-san@Ganbaranai – 7/12 (8.000 ▲) – Even though we’re no experts of neither Japanese mythology nor Shinoism, we’re really enjoying the emerging power struggles between gods old and new with one unmotivated girl in the center. The latest two-parter put her in danger like never before and underlined just how reasonable her desire to live a normal life is. No one should be drugged and forced to conceive children to perpetuate some nutso cult. Whatever the risk to humanity, you can’t put that on one person’s shoulders

2. From the New World – 21/25 (8.375) – It’s official: the remaining humans on earth are royally screwed. Yakomaru is breeding human children to become mindless fiends and using them as weapons against their own kind. Maria and Itou were the parents of such a fiend, who destroys what’s left of Saki’s village. Tomiko has officially passed the torch to Saki, who has no idea what to do, but she’s narrating this whole thing so we figure she comes out of this okay

1. Zetsuen no Tempest – 19/24 (8.500) – Yoshino confessing to Mahiro that he is Aika’s boyfriend is perhaps the biggest revelation yet to befall the series (even though Hanemura called it earlier, softening the blow a bit). It’s not as big a deal as he thought it would be, and the fact remains, Aika’s killer is still unknown. Now Hakaze is going back to the past to find out, which should be interesting

Tamako Market – 08

Kanna builds Dera a birdhouse, but he has grown too fat to fit inside. Choi orders him on a diet. Because Tamako’s father and grandfather are quick to show mercy and feed him, they must keep a constant eye on him. To this end, Choi attends school with Tamako, Kanna and Midori, and meets Shiori. They then take Choi to vintage stores to try on clothes more suitable for Japan in the Fall. Dera eventually loses weight, though only in his lower half, and Kanna and Midori present Choi with a coat.

Beyond the addition of Choi and the rough goal of getting Dera a bit slimmer (he has been letting himself go), this week is straight-up slice-of-life, seasoned by those anomalies. Choi has been walking around in a linen shift and bare feet all this time, but it’s getting colder, and if she intends to stick around, she needs to dress a bit warmer. It’s pretty funny that the girls treat her as a canvas for their own fashion ideals, and she is willing to defer to their judgement.

Meanwhile, Dera the fat-ass complains at first, and his stomach growls, but he eventually bears down and loses a few pounds. He is a proud bird, after all, and his whole raison d’être is to assist Choi with her divination, he must improve his physical condition. The end result of his labor is visually hilarious, as the top half remains haughtily broad, while his overall shape is that of an upside-down teardrop. While we interpreted Choi as picking out Tamako as her prince’s bride to be last week, we were either wrong, or that plotline was merely shelved this week.

Rating: 6 (Good)

Amnesia – 08

The heroine is now in a world where Toma is her boyfriend, as well as her childhood friend. He is very attentive and caring, but in the course of the next few days, her mailbox is filled with garbage, someone misses her head by a hair with a dropped flower pot, and she is accosted by Ukyou, who warns her she’s about to die. She stays at Toma’s place, but while shopping she goes off alone, and the Ikki Fan Club corners her.

The show is called “Amnesia”, but this week it could might as well be called “Paranoia” – full as it is of shadows and secrets, threats and intrigue. The heroine starts this next chapter out of it to begin with, but like no other episode before, she’s a marked woman, and there’s the sense she’s on borrowed time. She may not be dating Ikki, but she’s still meeting him periodically in “The Back Alley”, so his fangirls are as ferocious as ever with their acts of psychological warfare and outright assault. And then there’s a particularly sinister Ukyou, who’s acutely aware that she’s jumping from place to place and dating a different guy each time.

He rather flippantly informs her of her impending death (jerk). Orion’s nowhere to be found, and Toma is doing all he can to protect her, but he can’t be awake and by her side at all times, and every time he isn’t, she gets into hot water. We’re curious what the fangirls think they can get away with in a busy mall, but one thing is certain: the heroine has gone with the flow thus far. If she doesn’t want to end up dead, she may need to take a more active role in preserving her life. Though every other time she’s “died” she’s simply woken up somewhere else.

Rating: 7 (Very Good)

Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited – Hyoubu Kyousuke – 08

In the continuation of the flashback, Captain Saotome Eiji picks Hyoubu to duel with the new Zero prototype fighter, piloted by the officer Fujiko knocked over. Hyoubu is able to shake off his father’s misgivings and summon the power to defeat the Zero. Just then, an American submarine enters Japanese waters, chasing down three dolphins who use telepathy to request asylum. The ESP team and Hyoubu save them, but a few years later, when Japanese surrender is imminent after the first atom bomb is dropped, Eiji shoots Hyoubu in response to one of the dolphins’ premonitions. Hyoubu doesn’t die, kills Eiji, and swears revenge against all normal humans.

Watching Hyoubu’s past, we can’t help but look back to Muv-Luv Alternative, which wasted no time painting the picture of Yui’s horrible, bloody past and engendering our emotional investment and sympathy for her character throughout the series. Rather than tell Hyoubu’s story early in the series, The Unlimited chose the middle of this cour, putting the present-day story on pause. We’re not sure we’re on board with this order. Don’t get us wrong; the last two episodes were great backstory, but it came at the expense of the present story’s momentum. Muv-Luv’s Yui’s story being told before we meet her as an adult was a clear calculation to put us firmly in her corner.

Perhaps this was also a calculation: show us Hyoubu the Bad Guy first and let us form our own opinions, then show us his past to either reinforce or subvert those opinions. In any case, everything we’ll see of Hyoubu (and Fujiko) from this point onward will be informed by the knowledge he was built up and then discarded by the military, and was powerless to stop the defeat of his country. Things went downhill for him so fast; and Eiji’s decision to eliminate him before he could muster an ESP army and destroy mankind…that was a rough hand to be dealt. But just because we’re kinda sympathetic to Hyoubu doesn’t mean he’s not every bit the threat to humanity Eiji believed.

Rating: 6 (Good)

Chihayafuru 2 – 07

At home, Chihaya sulks in a pile while her sister Chitose thinks about quitting acting and getting into a college, based on bad reviews she reads online. When they see the concert band struggling with tight accommodations  Chihaya tells her Miyauchi to let them use the second floor for storage, as a gesture of solidarity with another school club. Chihaya’s mother takes her to the Oe’s store to buy her her own hakama for the coming nationals. Chihaya’s improved mood inspires Chitose to giving acting another try. The concert band plays an impromptu four-verse school anthem for the karuta club as thanks and to fire them up for the tournament. The eve of the nationals arrive and the club is at an inn, Sumire asks Chihaya who she likes; she calls Arata later, as Taichi looks on.

Chihayafuru’s second season is really hitting its stride. After a string of tournament episodes and the nationals coming up next week, this week stock was taken in both Chihaya’s character and the collective character of the karuta club. You’d think the last think you’d want to do on the eve of a national tournament is to allow a band to store instruments on the floor above you, especially while practicing a game that requires silence and concentration. However, Chihaya sees it as good for karma, and one thing they didn’t have in the regionals was luck. We love her arc in this episode. She is so extremely down in the dumps, she affects both her sister and mother, motivating them to action in response of what they’re witnessing.

Her mom, a little guilty about ignoring her for so long, buys her a hakama (and Kana’s mom hooked her up with a boss payment plan!), which really helps lift her spirits, which then lift Chitose’s when she sees her nutty karuta freak of a little sister isn’t giving up. Sumire’s upfront question also seemed to get Chihaya thinking for the first time (maybe…a little) about who exactly Arata is to her. Sumire obviously wasn’t trying to manipulate Chihaya into calling Arata so it Taichi could watch and get upset about it (she’s not that diabolical), that was the result of her questioning. But she’s not giving up on Taichi, and this trip is a good way to take action on that front, if she so desires.

Rating: 9 (Superior)

P.S. Great little comic moments we wanted to mention: Oe breaking the fourth wall – adorably – when Chihaya asks about the show’s title; and Miyauchi having zero patience for Sumire’s horny preening.

Vividred Operation – 07

Mizuha informs Akane that her grades are dropping as a result of her busy schedule. Aoi, Wakaba and Himawari organize a Saturday study group at her house. They each invite Rei, who turns them all down, but comes anyway when she learns who Akane’s grandfather is. Unable to take any more “niceness”, Rei leaves, just before a new Alone alert goes off. The girls defeat the Alone easily, but Rei manages to shoot an arrow into a fragment, causing it to regenerate and attack an off-guard Akane. Her Vivid suit overloads and she starts to fall from the sky.

We were a little shocked when we found out Rei didn’t know Akane was the granddaughter of Isshiki Kenjirou. If the name wasn’t a giveaway, the giant satellite dish behind Akane’s house should have. At any rate, this episode starts off with the girls trying to become friends with Rei, not understanding she puts her wish to bring back her parents above everything, including friendship and her own happiness, and with only six feathers left on her tattoo, finally manages to make a dent in the Vivid system, knocking Akane out of the sky and grabbing victory out of the ashes of defeat.

We liked the new alone that generates a continuous EMP that makes electronics go haywire, and it seems a little easy that the girls’ suits are immune to it, and is more evidence the Vivid system is more magic than science. But that’s really okay, because they don’t end up getting home in time for Momo’s delicious home-cooked supper. For once, Kuroki Rei seems to have the advantage, and we’re not sure how the girls are going to get out of this mayo-topped pickle. Catching Akane before she hits the ground would be a start.

Rating: 7 (Very Good)

P.S. Rei finding Kenjirou’s human body in the fridge is a great moment of quasi-horror.

OreShura – 08

Masuzu still isn’t convinced Ai has a boyfriend, so when the opportunity presents itself, she orders Eita to go on a double movie date, in which Chiwa will be Kaoru’s date. Chiwa gets upset with Eita and Ai getting so close and tries to sabotage the mission. They then end up projecting their quarrel upon the two main characters in the film. When it’s over and Eita asks Ai what was going on, she tells him it was nothing.

I wasn’t sure I needed another episode of Fuyuumi Ai’s utterly ineffectual attempts to court Eita. She basically needs Kaoru there at all times to stay on point, and even then, she’s so committed to maintaining her lie about ‘Michel’, she totally undermines any gains she hopes to make with Eita, who’s decided to be a bit thick and not pick up on her body language and behavior as signs she’s into him. The thing is, with sufficient patience and time, both will eventually come around. The only problem this week at least, is Chiwa’s presence.

Aside from it being impossible to snap incriminating pictures in a dark theater, Masuzu badly miscalculated by involving Chiwa. Not that she or Hime would be any better in that role (they wouldn’t). Of course, none of this investigation would be necessary if Ai simply owned up to not having any boyfriend. Now, though, it should be clear to both Chiwa and Masuzu: they have a new rival. She’s currently inept and Eita is still oblivious, but it won’t stay that way forever. At least, we hope it won’t; things need to keep moving.

Rating: 7 (Very Good)

P.S. Poor Kaoru…he’s somehow a fifth wheel amongst only four people. Chiwa totally ignores him. We really wish he had the backbone to set Ai straight.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha – 08

 

With Maou away to renew her license, Yuusha tries to use Maid Ane to fill in for her, using the magic ring. However, the young merchant isn’t fooled. Yuusha takes him to Gate City, demonstrates its value, and offers to sell it to him in exchange for showing him something that “cannot be expressed in loss and gain.” Onna-kishi wants Yuusha to officially knight her, and he assents. A messenger from the Holy Capital informs the Winter King the Crimson Scholar (Maou) has been branded a heretic and must be arrested. The King goes to Yuusha, who will give the church Ane, disguised as the Scholar, then rescue her later.

Kings and Politicians are just another kind of merchant: peddling influence and resources. But they are driven by a desire for power, total victory, and the destruction of their foes. But true merchants understand there can be no business if there’s no one to do business with. Thus, every gain comes with a loss, and a balance is maintained. This is what Maou and Yuusha want: not for the demons or humans to defeat and rule over the other; but peaceful coexistence. This is already happening in Gate City, which Yuusha shows to the merchant to prove it’s not just a pipe dream.

The soldiers are gone, but the merchants remain, and they dont’ care if their business partners are demon or human. The city is offered to the merchant in exchange for his help in finding that elusive place beyond loss and gain they’re searching for. Onna-Kishi also moves forward: even if Yuusha will never be hers, she wants to be his; their quiet little knighting scene is wonderfully presented. This is just when her former charge, the church, has made a move against Maou. Were she in the human world, she’d probably let herself get arrested as part of a scheme. But she’s indisposed, so the hero must improvise.

Rating: 8 (Great)

Zetsuen no Tempest – 19

Hakaze meets with Yamamoto and Hayekawa and tells them Hanemura won’t reach his full strength unless the Tree of Exodus absorbs one final fruit that must be raised. Yamamoto shares with her the theory that the tree(s) are an extraterrestrial weapon designed to head off rival civilizations on other worlds. Yoshino and Mahiro wander around, finally meeting by chance at the graveyard. Yoshino admits that he is Aika’s boyfriend, but Mahiro is surprisingly calm about it. They return to the apartment together, and the next day Hakaze announces she’ll be returning to the past, to a time when Aika was still alive.

We actually really enjoyed how Mahiro took the truth about Aika’s boyfriend. It was certainly a big moment, and a possible turning point for the show, but it was handled with a surprisingly light touch. Yes, there’s the Hamlet-like meetup at the graveyard at dusk; the graveyard; the stare-down…but Mahiro had time to think about things, and once the most logical choice came to light (thanks to Hanemura earlier), when Yoshino finally told him, he’s not that upset about it. It could have been worse; she could have been with some random dick. Yoshino he knows to be a kind and decent guy. That said, having the truth revealed doesn’t release him of the pain of losing the woman it turned out he always loved and continues to love.

Mahiro can’t fault Yoshino for hiding the relationship – and his grief – even after Aika died, because he did the exact same thing: hold it all inside and let it stew. However, Yoshino wants a Tempest ending, a Hamlet ending will do for Mahiro. They may yet become enemies; just not over Yoshino dating Aika. We enjoyed how everyone around these two was prepared for Mahiro to lose it, and their shock when he doesn’t. We also like how neutral parties like Yamamoto and Hanemura talk about their nagging doubt. And since the mystery of who killed Aika remains, Hakaze is going to the past to find out firsthand, which could be interesting, as she’ll essentially be time-stalking Aika and Yoshino of that time…

Rating: 9 (Superior)

From the New World (Shin Sekai yori) – 21

Shisei tries to rally the townsfolk to fight back, but explosives beneath them are set off and queerats attack from underground. He holds them at bay, but when the fiend enters the town, his attention is divided. Saki and Satoru flee to the Temple of Purity, where a gift from Saki’s parents is waiting for her. But first, she and Satoru meet with Inui, whose unit was killed by the fiend, who was accompanied by queerats. Saki learns Yakomaru used Maria and Mamoru to conceive a fiend, the first in an army he will ultimately use to conquer the world.

Throughout the run of this excellent series, we have heard the narration of an old Saki, and what we are watching are her reminiscences  The end has already been written, she just hasn’t shared it with us. But her presence above the story gets us thinking: what are her present circumstances? Is she on her deathbed, as we saw Tomiko last week? Is she in some kind of purgatory or afterlife, with ample time to tell the story of her life? Is she the last human alive who isn’t a fiend made by Yakomaru by foul craft? Part of us is immensely curious about her, because things are going so far downhill, she risks backing herself into an impossible corner.

It’s bad enough there’s a fiend on the loose, and it is somehow being controlled by the queerats as their secret weapon (akin to a nuke, really). But far more twisted is that this is unquestionably (judging by the hair and eyes) a child of Saki’s friends. We shudder to think whether they had a say in matters or not, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t. As for Yakomaru’s plan to steal infants and use them as material to breed domesticated fiends – well, it’s despicable beyond belief, but in his belief (and that of his loyal soldiers), it’s an eye for an eye.

Rating: 9 (Superior)