Rating: A-
Given Hestia’s persistently undignified behavior, it can be easy to forget that she is actually a goddess. Even with her divine powers curtailed, she is still the supreme power in Orario within her domain: that of purity. Unfortunately for Freya, that domain is the one that stands most directly opposed to the allure of Freya’s charm. With the right stage set, Hestia (known as Vesta to the Romans, hence the episode’s title) can counteract even Freya’s city-wide charm, all in the most glorious scene she’s had in the whole franchise to date. And all it required was recreating a semblance of her heavenly altar across the length and breadth of the city without triggering the charm’s protective elements.
So does this mean that we can now start referring to Ouranos as a sneak old codger now? Because that was certainly a devious stunt he pulled with the firewood, one that Hestia apparently somehow caught onto. (The main failing of this episode is not elaborating more on this point, which the novel does do.) We’ve known since the beginning of the franchise that gods can use their ichor (i.e., blood) to inscribe Falna onto their followers and update their statuses, so it stands to reason that ichor could be used in other ways to apply a god’s blessing. In this case, Hestia had her ichor dripped onto firewood distributed across the city. When lit, it would effectively create a giant magical seal keyed to Hestia across the city, which would allow Hestia to manifest her heavenly temple in the Lower World. The sacred flame isn’t part of Hestia’s personal symbol (as seen on Bell’s back) or her familia’s symbol without reason, and it cleanses all impurities. This does beg the question of whether Hestia would lose this power if she ever did the deed with Bell, but that’s a thought for another day. . . What matters here is that it incontrovertibly shatters Freya’s charm. And that’s going to bring big and quick consequences, not the least of which is affirming that Ouranos is not someone you ever want to get smug with.
While that’s the episode’s most visually dramatic sequence, what’s going on at Freya Familia’s home is at least as important. Horn has released the imprisoned Ryu in hopes that she’ll be enough of a distraction for her to confront Bell (though it certainly seems like Hedin may have covertly helped make this happen). Even over Bell, she’s in the most difficult situation of everyone. Because of her bond with Freya, she’s privy to Freya’s heart more than anyone else, and she can’t stand to see the goddess she idolizes fretting through romantic uncertainties like any ordinary woman. But she’s also trapped in that her loyalty to her goddess is at odds with what she feels is best for her goddess. The big problem for her is that sometimes people can’t always correctly understand what’s best for themselves, and in this setting that applies to gods, too. Horn is theoretically ideally positioned to play that role for Freya, but she’s too close, and like too many of Freya’s other followers, she’s too possessive or fanatical. Ottarl sometimes gives the impression that he understands that, but he’s not the kind of person who could ever talk to Freya like that. Hedin isn’t the kind of person that anyone could talk to about emotions, either, but his actions are increasingly suggesting that he does understand that what his goddess claims and what she really wants aren’t necessarily the same thing. In his own way, he may be trying to maneuver Bell not into being the person that Freya wants, but into the person that Freya needs. That bears watching going forward.
And let’s not forget that Bell’s confrontation with Freya is the boldest and most confident he’s ever looked, and that is a treat in itself. Like everyone else, Freya has underestimated him, but this time in terms of his emotional convictions. As much as she might want to, he’s not going to let her deny Syr or the genuine feelings she showed as Syr. He’s not going to let her hide behind the veneer of a goddess’s capriciousness anymore. Hestia mentions that Freya’s big mistake was abandoning Babel, but an even bigger one was letting Bell see her real feelings. Presumably, something about this is going to be at stake in the upcoming War Games; though Freya is proposing it, it’s also probably the only way to settle the rampant city-wide anger at Freya’s actions.
I also have to add praise again for the animation effort, which has been at the top of its game once again. Ryu’s battle scenes looked sweet, but the range of expressions Horn goes through as she rants at Bell was also impressively well-animated. Solid musical support, too, especially in the confrontation scenes.
With this episode, the adaptation of novel 17 ends. Next up, with adaptation of novel 18, is the arc’s climax: the War Game against Freya Familia.
USA Anime 