Rating: B+
The Lawless City arc concludes with this episode, bringing to the table many of the signature elements the series is known for: Shadow engaging in the stylish grand battle sequence he so loves (and wrapping it up with a display of ultimate power), throwing in assorted storytelling quirks, and delivering very chunibyo-like consequences for the whole affair. It also adds in one element that has not been typical for the series to this point: Shadow Garden actually struggling with a situation.
Granted, they don’t exactly have their elite team there. Beta is one of the Numbered, but she’s supported only by three of the newest recruits (including the former Rose, whom the series seems determined to keep involved), and they have their hands full with Elisabeth the Blood Queen even before she’s fully woken up; that one of the episode’s most dramatic lines is “my Queen has always been a slow riser due to low blood pressure!” just seems to fit this series perfectly. We also get a double-dose of Beta woefully misinterpreting Shadow’s actions and a brief flashback showing the situation Beta was in before Cid rescued her from the mana overload resulting from her being Possessed, both of which are standard gimmicks at this point. So are the duos Skel and Po and Goldy and Quinton being in both awkward and later defeated situations.
This episode does spice things up with a couple of new gimmicks, though. Claire getting mortally wounded but saved by Aurora (who seems able to manifest through her?) is an interesting little twist, as is the whole business with Aurora appearing in a dream sequence as a modern day high school nurse, with Claire being a student in PE clothes. Despite the epic Shadow/Blood Queen finale battle, this is actually the most intriguing scene, and definitely the one most open to interpretation. Why is that scene playing out in that setting, when neither character involved is from that background? Is it just the series’ “this is an otaku dream” conceit, or is this meant to suggest something either about Aurora’s background or the setting as a whole? Nobody probably thought much of the Shadow Garden Numbered appearing in a modern-day setting during the first season’s OP, as transplanting a cast into modern day roles is a familiar gimmick for OPs and EDs (Bleach has done it multiple times per instance), but is it possible that wasn’t just a gimmick? I wouldn’t put it past the series to mess with viewers either way.
Of course, Shadow gets his big, flashy battle, but only after initially thinking there wasn’t a battle to be had after he so easily offed the lead vampire. He gets to use his “I am atomic” in a new way, too. . . although the more interesting twist is that Aurora was also trying to use it while manifesting through Claire. In this case, the actual battle is less important than the fallout, including the fox lady showing up back at home at the end of the episode. Claire has now gone full-blown, real-life chunibyo as well with the markings and power in her left hand – and yes, I have to think that styling what she really is going through as a bout of chunibyo is entirely deliberate, since the whole series is essentially a full-blown chunibyo scenario. It’s details like this which keep the series so intriguing.
Even so, I didn’t feel this episode quite came together in peak form. It was a good episode, but not among the series’ best so far.
USA Anime 