Ao no Exorcist 25 (Fin)

Shura, Triple A, Yukio, and Rin join forces to attack the Gehenna gate, but there are too many small fry in the way. Bon, Izumo, Renzo and Co. execute a plan to telegraph sunlight from the Vatican in Rome to Japan, in order to weaken the demons. Rin and Yukio ride Kuro up to the now-cleared gate and envelop it in flames, closing/destroying it. One month later, things have returned to normal at the True Cross Academy, though Rin is more proactive in interfering in higher-ranking exorcist operations. They also visit their mother’s grave – their birthplace – in the forest.

This was a somewhat disappointing finale. I was having a hard time staying invested in the face of a lack of any significant peril, and lots of strange, random things. I mean, wtf was the deal with those mirrors? Where did that come from? Throughout the episode, you see swarms of small black demons flying around, but not attacking their prey, but simply flying by as people yell “there’s too many of them!” With Shiemi out of harm’s way and Yukio back to his old self, no characters were in immediate mortal danger this week. No suspense. Also, Yukio is suddenly able to hear Rin’s cat now, and transforms like his bro when he unsheathes the sword? Huh?

The “everything’s back to the way it was” epilogue wasn’t the best move either. It only reinforces the fact that nothing that happened in that big climax was any big deal. Even visiting the place where their mom gave birth to them fell flat for me; I mean how is someone who slept with Satan a “wonderful person?” Offspring bias, I suppose. And while Kuro is proof that some demons can be tamed, why is Rin rushing headlong into battles he’s not authorized to fight? Or, more to the point, if he’s capable of taking care of demons, why’s he still in school? I dunno…not a great ending to what was a pretty decent series.

Rating: 2.5

Ao no Exorcist 24

Yukio is possessed by Satan, who swears a lot and laughs like a jackass. Shura, Shiemi, and Rin try to get Yukio to snap out of it, but only Rin succeeds, after sufficient yelling and a few tears. They manage to free Yukio, but Satan is still on the loose, and the massive Gehenna Gate remains open.

The Satan in this series just doesn’t work for me as a character. I just hate him. I know, we’re supposed to hate him, but he’s so implacably evil and unlikable, there’s never any doubt that he will ultimately be cast aside and defeated. I hate that he’s a weak, goofy, one-dimensional villain. Why there was a flashback episode with Yuri and Satan I don’t know, but it certainly didn’t rouse any sympathy for the Satan character. He’s a big jerk, period. And yet this whole episode does nothing but prove that point ad nauseum, along with provide the predictable heartfelt beseeching Yukio to wake up.

Thankfully, Cardinal Ernst didn’t have any stupid longwinded religio-political speeches, but the line of the episode had to be (former) Paladin August’s: “But genocide using a weapon of mass destruction contradicts the Order (of the True Cross)’s principles!” Seriously? That line was written? And it actually had to be spoken by somebody?

Rating: 2.5

Ao no Exorcist 23

Ernst mixes the blood of Rin and Yukio to open the Gehenna gate, but the Messiah weapon proves ineffective. A swarm of demons bursts forth from the gate, along with Satan. A flashback chronicles how Rin and Yukio’s mother Yuri became mixed up with demons to the point that Satan joined with her and gave her twin sons. Her own father Ernst was going to burn her at the stake, but Satan intervened. Fujimoto and Pheles were sent out to kill her and her demon spawn, but Fujimoto can’t do it. Back in the present, Ernst is sucked into Gehenna, while Satan possesses Yukio.

Yukio displays baffling naivete, Ernst lets out an evil laugh as he describes his diobolical plan, and Rin screams in that horrible way he screams that’s worse than nails on a chalkboard. Not a good start for the penultimate episode. I was also worried when the flashback had a flashback – nothing kills the thrust and momentum of a story in the present like a tangent into the past that occupies most of the episode. The series would have us believe that this story had to be told in great detail, but I for one was fine with some of the past being unknown or muddled. Some mystique was lost.

Also, if being possessed by Satan turns Yukio into such a wild, raging maniac, why does that same satan so calmly and vividly tell Yukio the story of how he and Rin came to be? He’s Satan; the ultimate unreliable narrator. And while he’s busy telling this intricate tale, the other characters are sidelined, doing absolutely nothing. So now, we have a Satan-possessed Yukio, who’s screaming a lot, but at least his screams aren’t as awful and shrill as Rin’s, but of course he’s upset, so he’s screaming too. I would hope that next week’s finale has a minimum of screaming, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Rating: 2.5

Ao no Exorcist 22

Ernst overthrows the existing bureaucracy and names himself Pope, and rises Yukio to the rank of Paladin and head of the Japanese branch. Rin and all the other members of True Cross Academy are armed and given a new edict: kill as many demons as possible. The weapons absorb demon blood for a ritual to open the Gate of Gehenna and destroy Satan for good. Rin is the sacrifice to unlock the gate, while Yukio transforms into a demon himself.

This episode covered a lot of ground. One could almost say the series is now in a hurry to wrap things up. Ernst showed up a couple episodes ago, and we have no idea who he is or what made him so evil; all we know is, he’s a Bad Guy with plans for world domination, and he’s ensnared an extremely naive (and stupid) Yukio with a promise to save Rin by restoring his full humanity. The force of all the sudden change is so great this week it sweeps everyone up before they can even complain.

This episode also sets a firm morality concerning the fundamental role of exorcists. They’re supposed to slay demons, but not all demons. There are good ones, like Kuro the Cait Sith, Izumo’s foxes, and countless demons who protect forests, rivers and the like. In this regard, our protagonists should be on the side of Princess Mononoke. Like humanity, there is an entire spectrum of demonhood stretching from good to bad. What Pope Ernst has ordered upsets the balance of things. He’s bad, and our ragtag group of students – and Rin, if he’s still alive – must stop him.

Rating: 3

Ao no Exorcist 21

Neuhaus’s wife ends up at Shiemi’s place, where Shiemi takes care of and takes a liking to her. Rin & Co. learn Neuhaus that she’s a “quickened”or resurrected corpse possessed by a demon, but he didn’t do it. The Paladin gets wind of her and he and his men arrive to kill her, but Rin stalls him until he’s summoned back to the Vatican and met not by the Grigori, but by Ernest Frederick Aegin, who’s taken over with Yukio by his side.

My God, the volume of pseudo-religious political babbling that goes on in this episode brought back bad memories of the most tiring episodes of Index. This week a little bit of Gundam megalomania was sprikled in, with the new Phantom of the Opera (Frederick) revealing an enormous church armory that will be used as a base for a new offensive against the demons. The implication is that up until now the Vatican had only fought defense against Satan; he means to take the fight to them. But this week those larger considerations are only the bookends.

Michelle the spider-woman hangs with Shiemi until everyone descends on her quaint little garden wanting her head. Shiemi convinces Rin not to hurt her, though, and it’s her wishes that drive him to defend Michelle from August and his henchmen, though in vain, as Michelle ultimately takes a bullet for him. More importantly though, Yukio seems to have changed his allegience behind Rin’s back. The imminent face-off between brothers will either be as dull and predictable as another religio-political speech, or something more consequential and satisfying. Here’s hoping for the latter.

Rating: 3

Ao no Exorcist 20

The attacker of Rin and Yukio’s monastery is a masked stranger who writes in Polish and uses a nasty spider-web like silk to envelop his victims. When Rin gives chase he immediately has his ass handed to him, and has to be saved by Yukio, who continues the chase and runs into Professor Neuhaus, originally believed to have retired.

After a “rest” episode, it was good to get back to the main story, but I feel like most of this episode was simply rehashing what’s already been said, done, and/or established. Rin should know by now he can’t just rush headlong into threats he doesn’t understand. He almost gets killed in the first five minutes thanks to his impatience and hardheadedness. He should know by now he can’t just do what he pleases – the Vatican has him on a tight rope as it is. All this just…seemed to have slipped his mind this week. At least later in the episode he finally gets the candle training right, and uses his flames like a scalpel, not a sledgehammer, to remove the webbing from his allies.

The enemy-of-the-week is also pretty boring at first. I mean, spiders crawling across his face? Seriously? Rin has already fought the Paladin and the Earth King…after those bosses this guy never seems like much of a threat. Things do get a little more interesting when a hostage standoff ends with the Paladin arresting Pheles for suspected illegal research, while Neuhaus shows up again, claiming the then un-masked woman is his wife. Yukio, getting more angsty for not being able to protect Rin, is suddenly summoned by…his grandfather, of all people. One we didn’t know he had…

Rating: 3

Ao no Exorcist 19

*Clicks tongue*…surprise birthday party episode. But hey, I didn’t mind it nearly as much as the previous filler ep, the one with the kitchen demon. Perhaps because, like the best episodes of any series with a vibrant ensemble cast, it gives everyone something to do and allows for some very nice character interactions. Considering how much everyone’s been through the last three weeks, a break was inevitable, but also far better than expected. Also, by this point, we know everyone a lot better, making them more fun to watch even during filler.

When else would we learn that Bon is good at papercraft? Or that Konekomaru could work out his awkwardness with Rin by helping him bake? Or that Renzou and Paku have such great chemistry? The party is being planned for Izumo, who then keeps bumping into her friends as they plan. Most distressing is when she keeps seeing her best friend on an apparent date with Renzou, and her ill-fated undercover spy mission is cute, if misguided. I enjoyed the increased role of Paku; she may not exactly stand out, but she was fun to watch this week.

There are a whole lot of nice character moments in here, and I’m not going to pretend the episode was much more than that…but it did have at least a minor twist: the surprise was ruined (thanks to Izumo’s spying), so the party becomes one for everyone, not just her, by her request. Meanwhile, Yukio observes the festivities from a far, still having told no one about his ominous, worsening malady. Just to segue back to business, the episode ends with a report Rin and Yukio’s monastery is under attack. Wash down that X-mas cake and get movin!

Rating: 3

Ao no Exorcist 18

Konekomaru’s fear of Rin leads him to reluctantly make a deal with a crow-like demon called Gale to kill him. Honestly I didn’t think Koneko had it in him. Frankly I didn’t think he had anything in him, since he is one of the more underused supporting esquires, although not as mysterious as puppet kid.

Here’s hoping there will be no more doubts about Rin’s loyalties. Even after Konekomaru tries to kill him more than once, and makes it look like Rin’s attacking him, all but trashing whatever trust Bon had in him, Rin still comes to Koneko’s rescue, wasting Gale and catching him in mid-air. I’ll admit I’d be pretty annoyed if Rin was my classmate, but deep down he’s a nice guy, and as he says, it isn’t like he got to choose his father.

Heck, Rin even lets Koneko save face when he finds him at a bus stop ready to quit and take off. The bald shrimp fails to realize that fear is necessary in this line of work, and while it can be used to protect you and it can work for you in other ways, it can and should never be totally eliminated. Those without any fear whatsoever are the ones who can’t be trusted.

Rating: 3.5

Ao no Exorcist 17

Ao no Exorcist keeps impressing, to the point where I almost wish it were a series the length of say, Soul Eater. The chemistry between characters – both positive and negative – is that good. And it would only get better with time…like wine. This week the big cliffhanger is resolved relatively quickly – Rin wakes up and is reunited with his sword and quickly dispatches Amaimon.

But while the Vatican is willing to go along with Phele’s gamble for now, Rin is going to have to win back the trust of some of his friends, namely Bon and Konekomaru. I like how everyone reacts differently to this new truth about Rin, and those reactions fit their characters. Particularly good is Izumo’s little pep talk at the end, which hints that she too may be half-human.

There’s even some nice moments between Yukio and Shura (no, not that nice), as the two were siblings of a kind in the past. Yukio has a lot on his plate: not only will his brother be killed if he goes berserk again, but he also has to make sure Rin passes the Exorcist’s exam six months from now, or…be killed.

Even better is Bon’s complex reaction. He did a lot to save Rin, but that doesn’t mean he won’t kill him hesitationless if he hurts anyone he cares about. The people most uneasy about Rin are those who lost loved ones to Satan. Can they trust his son? Can Rin control his powers? Hopefully, they can. We’ll see.

Rating: 3.5

Ao no Exorcist 16

The last fifteen weeks have basically been building up to this: Rin’s friends now know the truth: Rin is the son of satan. I honestly didn’t know how all the various characters would react to this news, but fortunately for him, most of them sided with Yukio and Shiemi, who want to save him. The new Paladin, Arthur August Angel, shows up to take Rin into custody and put Pheles on trial with the Grigori court for treason.

This episode keeps two distinct story points – Rin’s trial and his friends’ efforts to repair the sword that seals his blue flames – and it keeps them both interesting. During the trial, Mephisto Pheles goes to bat in Rin’s defense, and though we still aren’t sure we can trust him, it’s clear he’s the only one who can save Rin. He and his angry brother Amaimon, who shows up just in time for Pheles to suggest they sic Rin on him to prove he will be useful fighting against Satan & Co.

Yukio also does Rin a solid by telling everyone the whole story, and how Rin himself has only known about his lineage for a few months. Shiemi in particular is, predictably all for saving him no matter who is dad is, but it was good to see at least one dissenting voice…but to my surprise it was neither Izumo or Bon! In fact, Bon recognizes the sword as once belonging to his temple, and suggests a trip to Kyoto to get it fixed by the 11th Yoshikuni, a girl with purple hair and a really weird accent.

The mission to retrieve jewel steel for the repairs is interrupted by a battle with Mara demons who try to lead Yukio and Bon astray, but Renzo and Izumo are right there to snap them out of it. In all, this was one of the best Ao no Exorcists to date. It was action-packed, well-paced, never boring, and was a very good payoff to all the building up to date. But it isn’t over: Rin still has to wake up and defeat Amaimon, and his sword still needs to be fixed. But so far so good.

Rating: 4

Ao no Exorcist 15

Rin is released from the grip of the giant moth demon that grabbed him last week, thanks to some quick thinking from Bon. Bon is getting increasingly frustrated with Rin’s puzzling behavior: how can such a loser keep saving the day?

As we know, he misunderstands Rin’s desire to fight alone. Rin doesn’t want him to see what he is: a son of satan. But this week, it becomes impossible for Rin to keep it secret. Amaimon crashes their training party, sticks a bug in Shiemi that puts her in a docile trance, and threatens to have his way with her. Rin ain’t gon’ stand for that.

So Mephisto Pheles finally gets what it seems he wanted: Rin draws his sword and goes all out against Amaimon, proving to be more than a match for him. He also does this in full view of his friends (though some are conveniently un- or semi-conscious). Still, it looks like the cat sith is out of the bag…and even worse, Rin seems to have lost all control.

Rating: 3.5

Ao no Exorcist 14

Going camping in ordinary school uniforms? That’s just weird. But anyway, this turns out not to be a throwaway camping episode, but the start of a major challenge that will determine which three of the class of esquires gets to take on missions first. However, that turns out to be a conceit, as the mission cannot be carried out without teamwork and rock-solid strategy.

It also requires Rin’s superhuman strength, which is starting to cause heads to be scratched. When he senses Shiemi is in danger, he even spews a few blue flames that catch Bon’s attention. Rin really needs to learn to relax. He also should find a good time to explain exactly what he is, in conditions he can control. Bon and Co. will either understand or they won’t…but if he continues to keep it a secret and the powers come out right in front of all, there will surely be…issues. Friends will feel betrayed. They may even attack him; he is the son of Satan, after all.

I love it when everyone on the show is working together to make something happen that couldn’t happen if they worked alone, and this episode is another good example (though this time, Shiemi is only useful as bait). By episode’s end, two esquires are still on their own; one has lit their fireworks, signaling they retire, Rin’s about to be eaten by a giant moth, and everyone is watching. Mustn’t…summon…blue flames…Rating: 3

Ao no Exorcist 13

The pieces of the Shura picture fall into place this week, as does Rin’s ultimate goal: to rise to become Paladin, this proving his dad right. This episode also did quite a lot to galvanize the legend of Fujimoto. This guy was truly something; a tamer of wild things. He molded Shura, once a feral, directionless terror, into his apprentice. He raised a son of satan not as a weapon against said satan, but as a son. He even tamed Kuro the cat sith.

Shura misunderstood why her master would go and throw away his life for a demon, but combined with her own demonic past and the love and kindness she sees in Rin during their “interrogation”, she concedes her late master’s wishes. It’s her job to toughen him up, while making sure he keeps his inner rage under control. Another thing we learn about Shura; she’s practically always had an aversion to shirts. Seriously, she’s so silly-looking.

Finally, we see that Mephisto is still hiding his true intentions. He says he abandoned Gehenna to help maintain peace and balance in the human world, but we have every reason to doubt him; I mean, look at his get-up, and the ridiculous decor his office. While Shura will probably become Rin’s tough-but-fair mentor, Mephisto and his ‘brothers’ are sure to make trouble for Rin in the future. Rating: 3