Fire Force – 02 – About All Any of Them Can Do

With the Rookie Fire Soldier Games coming up, Captain Oubi has high hopes for young Shinra. But he’s not the only rookie assigned to Company 8. That’s right, it’s the Rival/Friend His Own Age Who Is More Like Him Than Not, Arthur Boyle, the self-proclaimed “Knight King.”

Maki and Iris are enjoying the nice day on the roof when the two prepare to go at it, but Lt. Hinawa puts an end to both Maki’s idle fire manipulation (technically against regs, but he’s a stickler) and the attempted duel. Instead, he rearranges the fight so Shinra and Arthur have to go up against their senpai Maki.

While both third-gens are unconcerned about taking on a second-gen, Maki’s military training, experience, wonderful muscles, and most important, her ability to manipulate the flames of others means both guys end up taking quick losses.

Maki may be a little self conscious about her “ogre gorilla” alter-persona, but there’s no doubting her toughness despite not being the latest generation of pyrokineticist. If Shinra’s a devil and Arthur a knight, she’s a witch—and a very accomplished one, at that.

Taken down a few pegs, Shinra and Arthur shift their battle to see who can eat the ramen Oubi treated them to faster…which is not the point of eating delish ramen. There’s also a mention of how much gear a non-user like the captain has to wear (and Hinawa has to maintain) for the job, while Arthur’s Excalibur and Shinra’ feet and Type 7 ax are sufficient for them. Speaking of which, the alarm sounds and the now five-person Company 8 answers the call.

The scene is eerily quiet but the Infernal is inside, the father of a girl who already lost her mother to “infernalization,” and dreads being next as a matter of genes (though it could just be a coincidence). When Shinra and Arthur take out their weapons in public, they are scolded by Oubi. The Infernal they’re about to fight was a human, with family. It’s not a glorious battle, but a solemn funeral. If the rookies think otherwise, they can leave the 8.

Oubi is proven right when they enter the house and find the girl’s infernalized father just sitting quietly at the table, the shrine of his wife nearby. Shinra wonders why they should attack an Infernal that isn’t doing anything, but Arthur corrects him: the person sitting there is in tremendous pain, and they must put him out of his misery.

As Iris says the prayer, all it takes is a single quick strike form behind with Arthur’s plasma sword to send the father to rest. A quick and dignified end, but no consolation for his daughter as she never saw it.

Before they went in, a cloud of flames above the house formed into a smirk, and after they defeat the Infernal, the house inexplicably comes tumbling down; fortunately Oubi is tough and isn’t injured, but he and Hinawa immediately suspect a third party that’s messing with their duties. Indeed there is someone outside among the crowd, who leaves smoke letters in the sky reading “Joker.” Huh.

Meanwhile, Oubi completes his duties by doing what he can to comfort the surviving daughter in her time of greatest despair. He posits that because his parents protected her so thoroughly from the flames, she’ll be safe form now on, even if they’re gone. The fire soldiers didn’t fight a battle this week; the Infernals did, for the sake of their daughter, and they won, because she’s still alive.

Neither Shinra nor Arthur can sleep that night (obviously they were assigned the same bunk bed), realizing that the academy could not prepare them for the most terrifying part of being a fire soldier: getting accustomed to what they do. But as much as they snipe and sneer at nip at each other, they’ve perhaps started to realize that they’d rather have one another by their side than not, to help deal with those solemn times.

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Violet Evergarden – 12 – The Train Has Left The Station

As Violet flies south from her mission, her intended destination is not home, but the town of Distery. That’s where Cattleya, Benedict, and a group of peace envoys will travel north to Gardarick via the completed transcontinental railroad. The military puts Gilbert’s brother Captain Dietfried Bougainvillea in charge of security for the mission. The troops Violet encountered up north were only the tip of an Anti-Peace spear that is not as decimated as the south believes.

This means that at some point Violet and Dietfried, her harshest critic despite knowing very little of who she’s become, will cross paths. Before that happens, he interacts with Cattleya and [], who bristle at his harsh words for Violet, who like everyone is doing her best…and her best means letters that “slip right into people’s hearts”. Diets can’t believe it.

Violet and her pilot are among the first to notice the first stages of the Anti-Peace faction’s plan, involving fires along the railroad. Their next stage involves infiltrating the envoy train with troops. When Violet spots the train halted in Distery, she has the pilot drop her off.

Vi reports what she saw to Dietfried and requests orders, rejecting the notion that doing so means she’s still just a military tool that needs orders to follow. She’s doing what she wants, and what she knows she can do: avoiding war and protecting her friends.

Once the Anti-Peacers execute their plan to separate the front and backs of the train (a nice microcosm of their larger goal to keep the continent divided), Violet is a half-step ahead…fortunately for Dietfried, who must rely on her in the absence of his troops. He heads for the engine to regain control, and orders her to protect the civilians. Atop the moving train, she encounters the very same unit that she encountered in the forest.

Their commanding officer bears the physical and emotional scars of the fall of Intense, the battle where Violet lost Gilbert. He wants the fort back, and while his monologue to Violet is tinged with the thirst for vengeance and the burning of the world, he argues his side’s case well. He and his comrades have been abandoned. Everything was taken from them. Under those circumstances, you can’t blame them for wanting to burn everything down.

Violet resolves not to kill ever again, no matter what, in doing so making her battle atop the railcar that much trickier. Between the need to refrain from fatal blows, keep fallen opponents from falling off the train, and her attachment to the green pendant Gilbert gave her, there’s simply too many variables working against her.

She’s eventually subdued by the general’s superior numbers. But before he can behead her, his saber is shot away by Dietfried, who proceeds to dispatch the bulk of the troops and their general, using deadly force Violet wouldn’t.

Upon saving her, Diets is furious that she attempted to stop the troops without killing. “What’s the use of a battle doll that won’t kill?”, he fumes, blaming that kind of foolish thinking for his little brother’s demise. No doubt he gifted Gilbert Violet so that someone (something in his mind) would always be by his side to protect Gilbert in his stead.

Diets can holler all night about Violet being the one who killed Gilbert for failing to protect him, but he’s the one who decided that Violet was a tool and nothing else. Gilbert didn’t see his dynamic with Violet as user and tool, or brother and protector. He made it his goal to make amends for what was done to Violet; to restore the humanity, individuality, and emotions he knew still resided within her. Her orders were to live, not kill.

In the middle of this spat, a suriving enemy soldier gets a shot off before falling off the train, and Violet dives in front of Diets, deflecting the bullet with her metal arm. The ricochet causes an explosion, which in a crucial railroad tunnel connecting the north and south, may mean Vi inadvertently did the Anti-Peace faction’s work for it, but the ramifications will have to wait.

For now, Violet is committed to following Gilbert’s last orders. And considering she intends to stay alive, she might as well keep putting her skills to use keeping others alive. If she couldn’t protect him, then she’ll protect Dietfried…even if he never stops hating her.

A lot of great reflected themes swirled around this episode. The war between north and south reflecting the war between Dietfried and Violet; in each case with a latter party that doesn’t want to engage. The fragility of the peace efforts reflecting the fragility of the railroad, tunnel, and bridge that peace must travel on.

Making Dietfried and Violet temporary allies of necessity was a great move to get them together, while the train setting gave the episode an excellent surging momentum—as train episodes tend to do.

It’s clear that deep down Dietfried indeed blame himself for getting his brother killed, but keeps using Violet as a scapegoat. That Violet was capable of moving on from the past makes him even angrier, because he hasn’t figured out a way. But if he can’t forgive himself and move on, he’s no different than the Anti-Peace faction, and their general was right: the war will never end.

Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau Dropped

It is with a not-particularly-heavy heart that I say adieu to Children of the Whales, a show that just hasn’t been doing if for me the last couple of weeks. Its appalling lack of focus and momentum, the blandness of its many characters, and its thoroughly incoherent mythos (glowing hands, anyone?) all conspired to sap away any interest I might have initially harbored. To sit and watch the show try to flesh out and humanize the magenta-haired sadistic murderer who’d been nothing but a detestable jerk this whole time…yeah,  I’m out.

Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau – 07

I asked for the battle to finally begin, and I got what I wanted…sort of? As intimidating as the looming Skylos appears out of the sandstorm and as meaty the score sounds, the battle largely lacks punch. Neri’s song is nice, I just wish more were going on while she sang it. As for the return of Mr. Pinkhair, lets just say I wish he’d stayed out of this; he’s a thoroughly uninteresting, annoying “crazy killer warrior.”

I am somewhat relieved this battle isn’t as large or lopsided a slaughter as the first; the Thymia-armed defenders, many of them kids, get their licks in before, say, one fighter lets her guard down and gets stabbed by Pinky.

The Elder who wanted to sink the whale also gets an excellent death, getting cut right down the middle of his face but using his momentum to send the two attackers plummeting to their deaths with him, saving several children.

Suou finds the elder, but before he can say goodbye properly, Pinky is there to torment him. Pinky is everywhere! How does he cover ground so quickly? At any rate, the Kamiya Hiroshi-voiced Shuan is poised to rescue Suou by giving Pinky a good fight. Not this week, though.

The raid on Skylos goes all too predictably well at first, until half of the force walks straight into a just-as-predictable trap right when they thought they were nearing the finish line. They all get slaughtered, though Lykos hung back, sensing said trap, while Ginshu guards the door with a wounded Nibi.

It would seem Falaina’s raiders were allowed to have their fun; now the hammer of Skylos is poised to come down on them, and hard. The commander was quite clear that all should be annihilated, even Lykos, despite her brother’s status.

Chakuro—I haven’t mentioned him yet, have I?—really doesn’t want to fight or kill, but did a decent job with his defensive magic. It’s clear Team Falaina is going to need more of it if what’s left of them are going to survive this thing.

Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau – 06

The people—specifically the youth—of Falaina prepare for battle. After a certain age even the Marked can’t use Thymia, so they’ll be depending on children to fight, many of them quite small, and like everyone else, tought their entire lives not to use their power to hurt people.

They must unlearn all that pacifist conditioning and learn to kill, which is what their enemies will be experts at right out of the gate. A seldom-seen elder makes sure Suou understands what leadership is: he’ll be sending children to kill and die. Suou seems to. I mean, what’s the alternative; just sit around and wait to be killed?

One Falainan who’s never had trouble hurting people with his Thymia is Ouni, and he mentally prepares for the task ahead with his old friend Nibi, who welcomed him into his gang when they were kids when Ouni showed him that things like the Bowels weren’t really that scary.

There are scary times ahead, but it certainly seems that Nibi will be by Ouni’s side for them. Whether that spells the end for him when they infiltrate Skylos and try to kill its Nous…this isn’t the episode about that fight, but the final build-up to it. And at that, it works generally well.

As one of the people going on the infiltration mission, Chakuro will be doing more than simply witnessing events, he’ll be a direct participant in them; forced to use his infamous “destroyer” powers for actual destroying; maybe of the Nous, maybe of fellow humans, maybe both. It’s uncharted territory.

Fortunately, Lykos will be by his side, and while her gradual falling for Chakuro was both inevitable and predictable, it sure beats her having no emotions at all, even if, as she says, “feelings get in the way.” It’s true! But without feelings, would life really be worth living? I mean, what are we doin’ here, trying to win a stoicism contest, or LIVING?!

While preparing for the battle that may decide the fate of many a person, as well as that of the entire Mud Whale, the show remains content to keep us in the dark about Neri and her apparent twin, Ema, or what is up with her angel wings of light.

Suffice it to say, she’ll play a more satisfying role educating Chakuro on the secrets of the Mud Whale perhaps nobody knows besides the elders; and some stuff that even they might not know. But for Ema to start spilling the beans, Chakuro has to come out of this in one piece.

The villagers throw sand at each other in a tradition called the “sand returning” which kicks up those who have been lost into the air. In a touching scene Lykos witnesses Chakuro doing this for the late, dearly departed Sami.

After that calm comes the storm—a sandstorm, of course! Skylos can be heard before its red lights can be seen, but the great battleship doesn’t fully emerge quite yet; we get the credits. That means next week will be the battle – no more procrastinating!

Tales of Zestiria the X – 19

Zestiria can still effortlessly deliver vista after gorgeous vista, but the excitement and urgency came up a bit short this week, and reminded me that it’s rarely been able to satisfying depth beneath its shiny surface. It also has a tendency to be clunky in its pacing, as demonstrated in this Alisha-focused episode filled with perfunctory talking scenes.

Giant tornadoes are threatening Ladylake…until they aren’t, as they’ve all dissipated so far. Alisha is waiting for the Big One, all while being branded a criminal by the sniveling Lord Baltrow, who is the worst kind of dull wallpaper paste villain. Unable to catch Alisha, he tries to bait her by putting her mentor Maltran on display to starve to death or be picked at by birds. Swell.

After Zaveid decides to randomly show up to save Alisha and her knights from a giant mud hellion, then leaves to go find and shoot a dragon (see ya Zaveid) Alisha sits by a pond, seemingly for hours, wondering what to do. Lunarre is another random visitor, basically asking her to change up her methods, since, like Ned Stark, her unswerving dedication to high-minded nobility and honor may well get her killed.

That is, if she didn’t have a Shepherd for a friend. She managed to contact Sorey last week, but he and the others take their sweet time starting off for Ladylake. I know their contact was cut off, but surely her saying “Ladylake is in dire straits” tipped him off that maybe he should hurry to Ladylake, which he, Rose, and the seraphim finally do at the end of the episode.

I can’t help but think some of the overarching stiffness and vanilla-ness of the show could be pepped up a bit with the kind of light humor in the previews. But those are fourth wall-breaking affairs, and Zestiria isn’t meant to be a comedy.

Still, it’s troubling that the biggest rise I got was from the preview, not from anything in the episode that preceded it. Alisha’s daring stealth raid on Ladylake looks like it might be interesting, but this week was a bit too leisurely getting her there.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 18

This week Sorey & Co. finally make it to Pendrago, but not before Sorey meets with Emperor Doran of Rolance, who is sympathetic to Sorey’s cause because he’s been informed of the existence of malevolence, just as have all of his predecessors, by storytellers like Mayvin. Sorey even learns about Velvet Crowe, some of whose exploits we saw in the first season.

While chatting with the emperor, who has decided to accompany Sorey to the capital should there be any problems with access, Rose is wondering what to do next. She’s done so much in the name of justice and righteousness, and yet she’s never seen the malevolence that is the true cause of the world’s ills, nor has she ever seen her “guardian angel” Dezel. She wants to rectify that.

To do so, Dezel tells her she must become the shepherd’s squire, as Alisha has done. Lailah goes over the pros and cons while everyone is en route to Pendrago, and while Sorey seems reluctant to tie his life to Rose’s (if she fails and he dies, she dies too), Rose is pretty adamant, and there’s never any doubt she’ll be Sorey’s squire.

When she finally does, it’s pretty abrupt, and in the middle of the city’s main church where the malevolence is intense and focused around a dead dragon. It’s a nice transition from what Rose sees before her transformation to after, when she can not only see the malevolence oozing from the dragon, but Dezel and all of Sorey’s seraphim pals.

When trying to purify the dragon on his own fails, Sorey pairs up with Rose, who takes on some of the malevolence flowing into him, and after some spirited synchronized yelling, and some tactical support from the seraphim, the blue flames overcome the red, the dragon is purified. The rains cease, the clouds part, and the sun returns to Pendrago. Not too tricky a mission, when all’s said and done.

Of course, the next crisis is just around the corner in a tornado-filled Ladylake, as Alisha reports to Sorey using her squire-telepathy skills. Rose is ready for her next mission as his squire, so they seem poised to head out immediately, having proven beyond doubt to the doubters that the shepherd’s power is not only real, but vital.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 17

Before Rose can “kill him”, Prince Konan turns into a hellion and grapples with Rose until the very castle towers around them crumble and fall, sending them into the lake below. Sorey grabs hold of Rose and the two end up washing ashore, none the worse for wear, at least physically.

Rose’s mental state is another issue entirely. Upon getting up from the beach, she wanders around listlessly, as if she’s no longer sure what to do next or what her purpose is. She tries to go out into the lake to “finish” Konan, but everyone, even Dezel, bids her not to go; that her work is, indeed finished. Hellion or not, Konan is gone, as is the object of hatred that has fueled her ever since Brad was killed.

As they continue on the long journey to Pendrago, Rose sulks in a wagon, periodically conversing with Sorey, who doesn’t leave her side, nor will he abandon their friendship, even though he now knows she’s an assassin. Sorey takes the hard line of all killing is bad, no matter how noble the cause.

It’s a position it’s not hard to see him having, considering the human emotions that drive them to fight and kill each other is directly responsible for the malevolence that is causing global calamity. When Rose asks if the ‘work’ she’s done killing people “who need to be killed” to help the greater good—the little guy—was all for naught; Sorey can’t answer in the negative. She’s strong, but she’s been directing and expending her energy the wrong way.

There are some nice moments this week between Rose and Sorey, I mostly enjoyed the road-trip flavor of the episode, and riding through a wraith-filled forest made for some decent action.

However I also feel like Sorey and his Seraphim have been repeating themselves of late, and I also had a pretty good bead on Rose’s background and her motivations up to this point, making the flashbacks of her meeting Brad and joining the Windriders feel necessary.

I’m also unsure exactly how Rose’s severe crisis of purpose and identity is going to be resolved. Maybe arriving in Pendrago will bear some answers.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 16

Rose has just learned the location of someone she’s been looking for for years, Prince Konan. She was betrothed to him as part of a deal for peace, but Konan betrayed her and her father Brad, and killed most of the Windriders. Now it’s time for justice, and Rose drops everything to seek it.

It’s her duty, both as daughter, scorned bride, and leader of men. Not to mention, killing people “who deserve it” comes naturally to her, having been trained to do so from a shockingly young age. If Prince Konan is “in sight”, unlike “unreachable ideals”, she’s going to take her shot…unless someone stops her.

Sorey sent Mikleo to follow and watch Rose’s “guardian devil” Dezel, and Edna accompanies him. Once they learn what Rose is up to, Mikleo rushes to get the Shepherd over there before Rose can succeed.

Prince Konan may be another dull, scenery-chewing villain, but it’s Sorey’s and the seraphims’ firm belief that no one deserves to be killed, and more to the point, no one deserves to have to kill. Considering all the malevolence flying around ruining shit, it’s hard to argue with them.

Somehow Rose fails to kill Konan in her first attempt, but the credits roll before we can see for certain whether she succeeded in her second, or if Sorey & Co. are able to stop her. If Sorey can’t save Rose—whom I’m sure he considers a friend despite not knowing about her other side until now—he may start to wonder who he can save.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 15

If Sorey & Co. stand around and do nothing, Dezel and Rose will be consumed by malevolence, so Sorey goes after Rose while Mikleo, Lailah and Edna go after Dezel. What follows is a good old-fashioned seraphim-v-seraphim battle.

Dezel’s giant tornado is met by Edna’s earth walls, Mikleo’s ice projectiles, and most powerfully, Lailah’s Great Ball of Fire, which dissipates Dezel’s storm. It’s a grand demonstration of the power these seraphim wield. I’m a little confused as to the level of collateral destruction, but no matter; the city is still standing, Dezel surrenders, and Rose is safe.

While safe, Rose can now sense Dezel stronger than ever, and is both surprised and not surprised to learn he’s been by her side all along, watching her back. He once went with Brad, the man who took her in and taught her how to fight and deal, but when Brad died, he became Rose’s guardian, devoted to helping her get rid of all the rich, greedy people who parasitize the common folk.

Now that Sorey has been to many human lands, he’s noticing a common theme: humans are always figuring out ways to fight each other, in an effort to Stay True To Themselves. Pride and principle override the human instinct to cooperated and succeed, stronger together. Wars are the result of a few people leading the many. Tribalism rules.

And so, it’s starting to become clear to him that being a Shepherd can’t jut be about purifying hellions and malevolence and minimizing damage; he must build bridges between the warring and feuding humans, otherwise peace will never be achievable, nor will malevolence ever be totally gone.

Just as Dezel devotes himself to Rose, no matter what methods she decides to use, Mikleo, Lailah and Edna reaffirm their commitment to supporting Sorey, a pure and honest Shepherd they can be proud to serve, and know will choose the right path. Lailah also mentions Sorey has his squire Alisha as well, and in time he may be able to hear her voice, even many lands apart.

Sorey can’t hear Alisha, but after she and a handful of her knights survive an ambush by Lord Bartlow, she hears Sorey’s voice when she asks him what should be done. The answer is to keep getting stronger. Alisha won’t back down. She wants to re-capture the royal residence in Ladylake, and will go from there. One foot in front of the other, backed up by friends and comrades who pledge and entrust everything to her.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 14

After a night of storming a church, putting knights in the hospital, and assassinating the bishop, Rose plays things super-cool. She’s up early for more Sparrowfeathers trading, and has breakfast laid out for Sorey.

When General Sergei stops by to apologize, she teases him. Sorey saw her trudge home late but says nothing about it, because it’s unlikely he’d get anything from her…so it just hangs there.

From there, Sergei is called into town when there’s a suspicious sinkhole; Sorey & Co. believe it’s caused by malevolence, and tag along. From the time Sorey uses Lailah to light the way with her flames to his impressive purification ceremony with Mikleo, Sergei is quickly and efficiently brought up to speed on Sorey’s abilities, and has no choice but to believe, even if it’s a lot to take in.

He also mentions to Sorey that the capital of Rolance has been beset by unending rain, which would seem to be this land’s “calamity” the way the dragon was in Hyland. Sorey sees that there’s a similar situation here with malevolence primed to blow, but neither he nor Sergei can get through the Blue Storm knights. The Church has secrets it doesn’t want to reveal to anyone outside their circle.

Rose and the Bones’ operation last night was meant to save lives by taking out the Bishop, but in the process, a dear friend and comrade was lost, and Rose, rightly so, feels responsible. She’s let her emotions in and they’re running wild, even though she pledged like everyone else in the Bones to put them aside for the good of those who need them.

It’s perhaps because she allowed he emotions out that Dezel, who it seems has always come to her side at various times in her life, starts to act on his own, either fueled by that emotion or perhaps simply with Rose’s lack of a strong “No.” Dezel has been watching Rose for a long time. He trusts her and knows her to be a virtuous person, so he’s willing to go out there and do the things she can’t do, at least without involving or losing more friends.

So a wind storm arrives around the secret-hoarding Church, poised to crack it open like an egg. That may not be the best approach for the root problem in Rolance – the building malevolence – so we’ll see if Sorey and his seprahim pals are able to stop him and get the job done the right way.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 13

How to they keep up with the news like that? And I thought this was supposed to be a fantasy…

Ready for more Zest in your life? I am, after getting needlessly concerned that the first twelve episodes were merely an elaborate advertisement for the game it’s based upon. Turns out the anime has more stories to tell, and to its credit, assumes we’re caught up. Only the Fall season separates its cours, after all; not five-plus years like Preston’s Blue Exorcist.

Jumping right back in to its gorgeous, detailed world, Zest goes right back to building it. The Seraphim usually just sit around this week, only active when Sorey is doing his Shepherd training. But that allows us much more time with Rose, and both we and Sorey watch her present her many facets: trader, negotiator (both with figures and kicks), and allegedly “noble” assassin.

She can not only try to get a good price on herbs, but is able to determine on her own that her trading partners are actually thieves. She also sees the profit in Sorey performing his feats before audiences, though she knows Alisha (also not present here) probably wouldn’t like that.

Focusing on Rose gives the episode more, well, focused, with the Seraphim more of a subtle spice whose running commentary isn’t overused. As Sorey enters Rose’s home base of Lastonbell, a lively trading city that isn’t yet feeling the Age of Calamity, he’s also introduced to Mayvin, a centenarian and explorer of the world whose goal in life has been to share his experiences and knowledge with the rest of the world – in a way, preserving it from the oblivion of lost memory/history.

We’re also (re-)introduced to General Sergei Storelka of the Platinum Knights of Rolance, who have been sent to “escort” Sorey; where, they don’t say. Rose confronts him in her own building and brings up the rule of law that says Sorey can’t simply be abducted; the General says Sorey is a unique threat that demands vigilance, and a bending of said laws. Mayvin diffuses the situation with ample amounts of wine, and he, Sorey and Sergei drink and talk peacefully long into the night.

Mayvin is old enough to remember the last Shepherd, Michael, whom Lailah was contracted with before Sorey. Michael seemed like a broodier, more cynical lad than the bright-eyed Sorey. He spoke of everyone having a heart tainted by malevolence, “slumbering deep inside”, even him. Still, what vexed him most were questions about morality that never seem to have simple answers, or answers at all.

Questions like sacrificing one or few to save or benefit many, or whethr accepting necessary evil makes people malevolent. The same night Mayvin shares these stories with Sorey, Rose goes into town, meets up with her band of Scattered Bones, and assassinates a bishop who is hoarding a mass fortune and a mass grave beneath his cathedral. Unlike the pure Seraphim (or the pure Alisha), Rose is the personification of those hard questions Sorey, like Michael before him, must wrestle with as Shepherd.

Tales of Zestiria the X – 12 (Fin)

This review has been updated to reflect news this anime will have a second season next year.

Things looked a little grim for the good guys last week, but everything ends up working out in the finale. A new, wind-element seraphim ally is introduced, as is a new Big Bad in the Lord of Calamity himself. Yet neither really makes much of an impact, being introduced so late in the game.

I mention “game” because the reality of the game this show is based on has always loomed in the background. I did not realize (due to not doing any research) that there will indeed be a second cour of the anime. But this first cour still felt more like an extended introduction of the world—a setting of the table—rather than any kind of satisfying narrative.

It’s taken the length of this series for me to admit that while many of the characters possess admirable traits, none of the elaborately-designed characters ever surpassed the generality of those traits. That wasn’t really much of a problem when I was simply enjoying the exploration of the vast world and the battles within it, but it does leave me feeling a little empty and under-invested when all’s said and done.

The Berseria detour, while a fun interlude, took up time that in hindsight would have been better spent developing the main Zestiria cast, or at least getting them together a little bit faster. Some shows pile on characters too fast; I’d argue Zestiria had the opposite problem, and the characters suffered as a result.

Even if Zestiria’s characters leave a bit of a bland aftertaste, and that it was content to show us a series of minor skirmishes and only hint at larger conflicts this season, I won’t forget the fun I had watching the last thirteen episodes (0-12), or the excitement and wonder the gradual unfolding of the world evoked, or the satisfaction of watching a technically impeccably well-crafted show. It never failed to look or sound great.

The post-credit previews were always a playful showcase of the characters’ chemistry that was rarely replicated in the actual show. If and when the next season of adventures arrives, I’ll be looking for less introductions (or re-introductions) and more Getting Down To Business. I also hope there’s a bit more to the vaunted Lord of Calamity than “Bwahaha, What Insolence.”