I look forward to it! In the meantime...

---

Episode VII: Sorrow Beast

This is the first episode that I didn't really care for, if I'm being honest.

It felt to me like it was two separate episodes fused into one, and one of the those episode being one the show had already done, but not as well executed.

The editing is also pretty weird in this one. The biggest offense being when we cut to a scene of Leon getting chased by a bunch of Royal Knights, only to suddenly flash back to... 5 minutes ago, where he starts being chased by said knights. Was that really necessary? What did it even add?

https://i.imgur.com/av01SX9.png

I guess if I had to choose the highlight of this episode, it'd be the appearance of the Black Knight, who we'd only heard about in a previous episode. The way he Morphs is pretty cool; Being kinda similar to how the Riders in Kamen Rider Blade transform. And I like that every Knight does use a different style of swordplay. Though it does make me wonder how he was able to recognize that Leon was trained by Herman.

After that we get the second episode, where Leon gets amnesia and people confuse him for a man named Pepe(and no I'm not going to do the obvious joke). The entire second half of the episode is, as a result, predictable.

https://i.imgur.com/NUaIA1l.png

The mystery has a predictable answer, the twist involving Leon's' memory loss I saw coming a mile away, and even the lesson about revenge being a corrupting force was done way better with the Bloodville episode.

https://i.imgur.com/A5Jw8oI.png

I guess what I'm trying get at here is... what was even the point? If it weren't for the Black Knight showing up at about the halfway point, I'd almost recommend skipping this episode entirely. Even the ending scene, which I was liking, got ruined by and ill-timed and unfunny antic with Herman. Atleast we got to see why Hakai Knights do their best to remain hidden, I guess?

The only other real positive I can think of for this episode is that, in terms of action it was... okay, I guess? Seeing Garo run on his own tassel was cool, even if it'd be impossible in real life. Outside of that and the Black Knight just being inherently cool... yeah, can't say I dug this one. Sorry!

Nah I'll be real, this and the next episode are honestly pretty iffy for me to be frank. So I don't blame you for not really caring much for this one in particular. Like they both have some real good stuff in them, but then they have these weird like other things happening that just aren't as interesting.

I nearly checked out of the episode prematurely because of the whole amnesia Leon plot thing. So again, don't blame ya.

Episode VIII: Full Monty

https://i.imgur.com/IClMpvY.png

I feel like this one screenshot sums up the entire episode pretty well.

And to give this episode some credit, I suppose this one is a bit better than the previous episode, a little?

Episode 8 is all about what Herman was doing while Leon was missing during episode 7, and I suppose is what is meant to serve as a sort of breather episode, or atleast this show's' idea of one?

The main issue is that the episode itself isn't really funny to me. I did laugh a few times yeah, but they ran the gag of "Herman is naked!" for too long, and I actually got a bigger laugh out of the incompetent guards who were chasing him, mainly thanks to the acting of the VAs who did them.

I will definitely give Full Monty one major point over Sorrow Beast though; the plot of this one is actually pretty important to the overall narrative. Heck, the opening of this episode means you can infact outright skip Episode 7! But the main reason it remains relevant is due to the bit with Emma(pictured above) which happens at around the middle point.

We get to see a bit of backstory concerning Herman(then referred to as Roberto), Anna(Leon's' mother), and Bernardo(the Black Knight). How they grew up training together as Makai Knights(and Alchemist in regards to Anna), a glimpse into their group dynamic, and how Bernardo fell from grace. It was really cool to see, and it really made me wish the entire episode was all about that, rather than just being relegated to about 3 minutes of a subpar episode.

Overall, I didn't really hate this one. It was mostly just "whatever" to me. Even the bits I didn't find funny, I at the very least didn't find them annoying, which trust me, that's a huge victory in comparison to other shows and movies I've had to suffer through. I'll take "dead neutral" over "actively angry" any time.

---

Glad I'm not the only one who could've went without the amnesia plot. Like, I'd've liked it more if it'd served any sort of bigger purpose, like maybe making Leon reconsider his life as a Knight by giving him a direct comparison to the simple life of a villager, but the episode really didn't go there or even do much of anything with it other than to have a subpar mystery element.

Ah yeah, it's honestly a shame they didn't do that and it was basically just there to have like a subpar mystery. Would have definitely been interesting.

As for this next episode, yeah it's basically the better of the two, on principle of well, Germán's antics are pretty fun to follow to an extent, and we get some real good backstory out of this episode. But after that, it starts to wear on you and these two episodes definitely don't pair up well watching one after another.

That being said, if next episode is the one I'm thinking of then we're finally moving into some fun stuff.

Episode IX: New Hope

https://i.imgur.com/7jnnA12.png

Star Wars joke.

Now that that's out of the way, this episode was friggen AWESOME. MAN what a way to make up for the previous two episodes!

This episode has Leon and Alfonso's' goals lining up. Leon wishes to fight stronger Horrors to grow stronger, and Alfonso wishes to complete his training to become a full fledged Makai Knight. You know what that means?

https://i.imgur.com/QKoTWIQ.png

And their interactions are great. There's a nice bit of comedy that comes from Alfonso being clueless about how to interact with commoners as well as Leon's' bickering with him. Plus, the two do have great chemistry once they become friends and begin to work together.

And yeah, working together is basically the only option once the two reach the Horror they've been assigned to fight. It's here that things kick into high gear. The action really showcases the advantage that animation has over live-action. From the effects, to the choreography, to the absolute scale of the Horror and the very creative interpretation of what a chimera is.

https://i.imgur.com/ach3Xkz.png

Heck, even the music really stood out this episode. Every track chosen was perfect, and made me really wanna hunt down this show's' soundtrack later on. I won't spoil how the episode ends, other than that I was wrong. I predicted that Alfonso would become the next Silver Knight, but he instead becomes the next Magenta Knight. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. He earned the spot, and Raphael passing the torch was a great moment.

https://i.imgur.com/ayaunbd.png

Overall this was a great episode. Definitely my favorite so far.

---

Is that how you properly spell his name? German? Because I've just been spelling it how the dub pronounces it, with an H. Props to the dub for going with Spanish pronunciations of things, by the way. Considering the show takes place in Spain and all.

I'm not sure how much weight this will carry, but the soundtrack was done by Studio Monaca, the guys best known for their work on Drakengard, NieR and Automata. They've also done a lot of Tekken stuff too.

Still though, glad to see you enjoyed this episode, had a feeling you would.

Also yes I believe that's the official spelling, it's just you know, pronunciation and names, the G is silent though you can kinda hear it sometimes depending on how it's said. So it sounds like Herman but it's really Germán.

Bruh, those are some of my favorite soundtracks! It's official. I definitely gotta hunt down this anime's' OST once I'm done watching it.

Episode X: Fallen Blood

https://i.imgur.com/lnkLwCW.png

This episode went places, man.

First off, props to the title of the episode itself for actually having multiple meanings in terms of the plot itself. I love when titles manage to do that.

https://i.imgur.com/6butkoG.png

Second, we actually get some backstory on Mendosa and Octavia. Their ambitions, the reasons they became the people they are, how Mendosa's' Forbidden Artifact came to be, and how Mendosa's' hatred blinded him to even those who valued him as a friend and ally. It took up like a third of the episode and I didn't mind at all.

Speaking of which, I'm actually kinda surprised we're at this point in the story already. In most other stories of this ilk, this would be Final Battle territory. Does GARO technically have two seasons despite being listed as one whole?

https://i.imgur.com/taHVf1f.png

Third is what I think shined the most about this episode; The character interactions. Everyone is together now and how they play off of eachother is totally on point. From Alfonso and Leon bonding over their sacred duties, to the excellent comedy resulting from Alfonso trying to get used to the typical antics of German and Emma, everything in terms of character was on point here. They even made the Naked German joke way funnier than the entire episode centered around it!

Still, it is a shame that Emma won't be around for the raid on the castle, but I suppose that was a way to hint at the audience that this technically isn't the endgame back when the anime was airing. Speaking of Emma though, her attraction to German kinda came out of nowhere, but whatever.

There's no real action to be spoken of in this episode, but that's a-okay, because this episode ends with a pretty big promise to fill the action quota during the next ep, with probably the best "next time" hook they've done yet:

https://i.imgur.com/ihzs3Nd.png

Seriously, having Bernardo suit up just as the episode ends? Fantastic way to get me craving for the next episode!

I guess you could say that this is Part 1 of 2 of the first Garo Anime, which is funny because I do believe like normally through Volumes and like digital stores. Part 1 consists of Episodes 1 to 12, while Part 2 is 13 to 24.

In a sense this episode is basically setting up for the Mid-Season Finale and hoo boy, what a Mid-Season it is going to be.

Episode XI: Shadow Slasher

https://i.imgur.com/HaNf35u.png

Shadow Slasher sounds like the name of a Megaman weapon.

With that out of the way, this episode is all about Bernardo. His past, his vendetta against the Makai Knights, and his rivalry with German coming to a head.

There's also this B-plot about Leon and Alfonso hunting down Mendosa inside of the castle but like who needs that? Bernardo and German are the real meat to this episode, through and through.

https://i.imgur.com/NifxVJM.png

I really dug the extended flashback brought about by Bernardo telling him story to German. I'm sure you've all heard the old phrase "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." And it's no more true for Bernardo. His desire to keep his friends safe becoming twisted and working against him in the end.

I also really liked Mendosa during this whole sequence. Not only does he tell Bernardo exactly what he wants to hear, but the way he heals Bernardo; Destroying his old body and replacing it with an all new one, if a fantastic literal metaphor for what happened to the Black Knight, ontop of being a really cool effect in its own right.

https://i.imgur.com/0ksdSQE.png

And this is of course all topped off by an excellent action sequence, wherein we get a nice demonstration about what two veteran Makai Knights can really do; Their battle literally tearing the entire castle apart piece by piece. In the end, German claims victory, resulting in the death of the Black Knight, but he gets to, if only for a brief moment, see the man he called friend again. It's a pretty heartfelt moment, and I approve.

I assume the next episode will be the "final" battle. Looking forward to it!

Episode XII: Blood Moon

https://i.imgur.com/Lb5RkCM.png

Real quick tangent. I decided that, what with the whole waxing red moon and all, I should note something that's been in the back of my mind the entire time I've been watching this anime, and I kinda hinted at it before with my whole joke about this being an anime of a JRPG.

GARO The Animation is straight up the closest we'll ever get to having an animated adaptation of The Legend of Dragoon. If you've never heard of or played it, and you like JRPGs, I highly recommend that you do, as it's one of my favorite games of all time, and trust me when I say that any comparisons I can make between this show and that game is only a compliment.

With that out of the way, it's the final fight against Mendosa, and man was I surprised at seeing that he could throw down. Granted it makes sense, him being an ex-Makai Alchemist and all.

It also, given everything we've grown to know about the characters so far, made total sense that this episode went the way that it did.

Mendosa triggering Leon with horrific images of his mother, to the point that he basically becomes a Horror himself? Leon fully giving into his desire for revenge, given that his mother's' murderer is right infront of him? Alfonso putting his duties as a Prince above all else? This entire episode played out in an entirely logical and well thought out way, and I really appreciated it for that. The great action sequences really helped too.

https://i.imgur.com/NbpGoTM.png

It also makes sense that Leon in the end wasn't strong enough to take down Mendosa or the Horror. Not only due to his own personal demons, but also because he's not the one who dealt the killing blow on the Chimera, Alfonso was. Alfonso, being royalty as well as growing to become a JRPG hero in his own right, also shows the right to become the hero of legend, with or without Zaruba. By the way, showing Zaruba getting outright overloaded? Nice touch there. Alfonso also has a nice cape. Case in point:

https://i.imgur.com/tDL3AjM.png

From what I'm told, Alfonso's' version of the GARO armor is actually a direct reference to one of the heroes from the live-action series, though I don't really know any specifics, having not seen that yet.

By the end, the group has now split apart in a way that I imagine none of them are happy with, most especially Leon, and I'm very interested in seeing where the show goes from here.

Alfonso's Garo Armor in general is basically the standard version we see in the Live Action series. It still keeps some of the bestial anime stylized elements because you know, distinction. But it looks a lot more like classic Garo then Leon's more broken version.

Speaking of variations on Garo Armor, Leon's berserk form is basically a reference to the Lost Soul Transformation in the Garo Series. Basically, anytime a Lost Soul shows up it's real bad and not a good time.

But yeah, everything comes together for a real nice mid-season climax, you've got German who bested his old friend turned enemy, Alfonso is able to take on the armor of Garo due to his bloodline, and Leon well... Leon's a mess.

For good reason, stuff like his isn't exactly the easiest to get over. But that's the thing about Makai Knights and Garo, their primary goal is to protect humanity. They are the shadows that strike and protect humanity and don't get themselves involved. The idea of revenge, and vengeance, even with those allied or using Horror's, isn't the right mindset for a Knight to have.

And unless Leon acknowledges his failings and the core goal of a Makai Knight, well he'll sorta just be stuck in one place forever.

So in other words if Alfonso ends up being my favorite character by the end I can totally just buy any random GARO figure and easily headcanon it as him in the suit. Nice.

Thank you for the info, by the way!

Episode XIII: Burning Ashes

https://i.imgur.com/TCy96nO.png

This episode did alot of things that I didn't expect.

The first of which being opening with a disco number. Not that I dislike it per se, but like... odd choice? I do prefer the first opening though. Love me some JAM Project.

Onto the episode itself, this one is all about how everyone is dealing with life now that Valiante has been saved and Mendosa is gone. German finds a woman he doesn't immediately want to bang, Alfonso is being The Hero...

And Emma? It was a small scene, but I felt like it spoke volumes. Despite her voiced distaste for the Makai Order, she still went to the head of the Knighthood anyway. Why? To try to find Leon, whom she truly values as a friend and ally now. You can tell she doesn't like it, but it said alot how she was willing to swallow her pride some for the sake of someone she cared about.

Oh, and Leon? Leon's seen better days.

https://i.imgur.com/WQs52wK.png

Not gonna lie, this episode made me dislike "Shadow Beast" even more, and makes me want to promote the idea of outright skipping that episode even more. Why? Because this episode did damn near everything that one did. Except in a WAY better way.

The only action seen in this episode is a 1-minute tussle with a random Horror, easily dealt with by Alfonso and German. The rest of this episode is all about Leon and him trying to find a new purpose in his life. And yeah, I definitely really felt for the guy in this one, and the episode did good by having the family he meets be written in an incredibly likeable and relatable way. Abuella is the best because she acts exactly like my Grandma and I will not hear otherwise.

While German was right in saying that Leon's' best help was himself, I did like how the episode showed how good influences can and do have a great impact on people. I'm sure many of us have had depressive episodes like what Leon had, and speaking solely for myself here, I would not have made it out nearly as well if not for the people around me. And on that note, I really appreciate this episode for having the message of "Even if you feel you've lost your purpose in life, you can always work to find a new one." Powerful stuff.

And for the second time ever, the last shot of the episode totally got me.

https://i.imgur.com/Tlm3nLx.png

Because it was at this moment I realized. "Oh shit, they never actually learned about Octavia!"

I really enjoy B.B. a lot as an opening theme, and in true Garo fashion, we get a different song once we hit mid-season, if it's a 24 to 25 episode season anyway. Though in the cases of the Live Action stuff, we usually get more instrumental chanting tracks than actual music for the first half before switching over to your usual serving of Jam Project.

I was waiting for you to get to this episode in particular after your watch of Shadow Beast. Purely because yeah, I guess you could call it foreshadowing, but that's a stretch. Because man, is that concept done way, way better here! While Leon was fairly interesting before, this second half, this is where I truly ended up enjoying him greatly as a character and think he shines the most.

Also hehe yep, while we're definitely in a more calm and relaxed state than the first half, we've still got some things left hanging that'll fill out the rest of the season.

I should point out the during it's original airing there was roughly a month between episodes 12 and 13 (could have sworn it was more then that but then I looked up the dates)
So imagine finishing episode 12 and then having to wait a minth to find out what happened to Leon

Do any of the live-action openings feature a disco dance? I gotta know.

I can just imagine me if I'd watched the show as it aired. I'd've been like "Is the show over? Did they really go for the downer ending. Dang man..."

It's more rock songs I'll be honest and a lot of sword swinging. Tbh, B.B. is insanely different from what I remember of all the Jam Project songs because it just has that real nice jazzy funk to it.

Episode XIV: Geste

https://i.imgur.com/liYalIk.png

This was a fun one.

Whereas last episode was all about Leon, this one focuses almost entirely on Alfonso and German, while having a small sidestory about two lovers too.

One question that immediately came to my mind that Alfonso took it upon himself to not only be the Prince, but also Valliante's' personal vigilante was "How does he even manage to balance that?"

The answer to that question is "Barely." In another logical step taken in the show's' writing, it's shown that the dude is basically starting to sleepwalk through his days. And who can blame him? The kingdom is still recovering from a crisis, and being a Makai Knight the rest of the time gives basically zero time for rest.

Alfonso's' sneaking out also showed that, while small, he does have a mischievous side to him, which I liked seeing. And later on when it comes to dealing with the bandits, I again loved the dynamic the show has going where Alfonso keeps being naive in thinking that German is some noble hero, and German, not wanting to disappoint is nephew is all "Yeah... you got it!"

https://i.imgur.com/BiEGMok.png

That's not to say that Leon gets nothing though. I really liked the scene between him and Emma. Emma doesn't belittle him, or even make any jokes at his expense. She honestly congratulates Leon for being able to find a place he belongs. Also I know I said before that I don't like the Armors being the only CG thing in the show, and I still don't, but can I just real quick say that I love this show's' artstyle otherwise? It's very appealing to me.

This episode isn't perfect though. There are a few contrivances to keep the plot of it moving forward, the exposition is very blatant, the twist anyone could see coming a mile away, and I felt the ending was too abrupt. Not saying I hated this episode by any means though. I still had fun with it, and this being a blatant oneoff episode helps me to overlook its shortcomings. The characters and their interactions are the primary focus here, and I am all for that. So I guess I'll this one off a screenshot of true love:

https://i.imgur.com/oRYZQlC.png

Find you someone who'll jump off a building and get you saved by a mystical knight in shining armor, folks.

Episode XV: Project G

Wait, Project G? Was GARO a a distant prequel to Agito all along!?

Jokes aside, I mean... kinda! In this episode we get to see Julio again! And right away I wanna address something.

https://i.imgur.com/QlyVKcQ.png

What the heck was this scene? Do video cameras exist in this show's' version of ye olde Spain? If so, that raises so many questions! Does TV exist? Is the entire anime secretly a Movie set? WHAT WAS UP WITH THIS??

Speaking of one off scenes, there's another one in this episode with Leon back at the farm. I get what they were going for with having Farm Girl(I'm bad with names, have you guys noticed yet?) seeing his scars, but it does run contrary to what we've seen before, as Leon has been shirtless in other episodes. Not a big deal, just something I noticed.

The real meat of this episode is Julio and his fellow blacksmiths coming together to try and forge their own Makai Armor, inspired by Alfonso's' heroics as GARO. This type of plot has been done alot in superhero shows. Heck, Kamen Rider has done it plenty of times(like the aforementioned Agito), but I still liked this.

Speaking of meat...

https://i.imgur.com/rwOYEy2.png

RIP Sebastian, you were too pure for this world.

But yeah, this was a nice little slice-of-life episode. It was cool to get a follow-up on one of the side characters, and provided a nice break from the typical dark action stories that the show typically provides. I liked that in the end, the "beast" really was just a normal grizzly bear and not a Horror. Them giving the Robo-GARO a Rocket Punch was hilariously awesome too. And gotta admit, this scene made me laugh a little harder than it should've:

https://i.imgur.com/Tm6ZUVO.png

That reaction was priceless to me.

But yeah, nice little episode. Fun times.

Ah yes here we go, a few filler episodes to help ease in and destress after the very hectic finale and aftermath.

Geste is a fun treat mostly for Alfonso and German's continued antics together, the fact that Alfonso is clueless and German continues to get away with shit is the best. It's also just nice to see that Alfonso, despite all his proclamations and what he's been through, is just as human as everyone else and ends up run ragged by all of his duties.

A real big fan of Project G also because well, I'll be real I got really worried when the premise started out of people wanting to create their own Garo because of Alfonso's heroics. There was just something in the back of my mind that was like "Something's going to go horribly wrong isn't it?"

Surprised to say that nothing did go wrong which was wonderful. I was only worried because while this exact plot wasn't done prior in the Live Action series, the idea of creating something on par with a Makai Knight to take their place has been, and well, it didn't go well let's just leave it at that.

Yeah the dynamic the two share is highly amusing and entertaining. I know it's gotta end eventually, but man did it supply some of the best comedy in this show so far. I love it comedy can be derived solely from how characters would naturally interact with eachother. To keep going with the Agito comparisons, it's the thing that basically saved that season for me.

And yeah, it's good to see another side to Alfonso. He might be doing to best to be the prototypical hero, but having him show little cracks does alot to make him more believable.

Yeah I'm glad they went with the more uplifting route too. Stood out as a great contrast to the darker aspects that the series is gunning for in comparison to other Toku of its ilk.

Episode XVI: Cure

https://i.imgur.com/c7Iw3Pq.png

I dug the Horror in this one. Both itself and the human it possessed.

Mikhail quickly shows that he's willing to murder to be a doctor, and that's what the ensuing Horror is all about. It results in a unique gimmick later on.

That aside, the primary focus of the episode is German and his new friend from the local inn, Amena. Leon and Emma don't show up even once in the entire episode, and Alfonso gets a mere cameo.

Another point I'll give this episode is that it's one of the few pieces of media I've seen that seems to remember that Plague Doctors were just that, Doctors. And their uniforms were specifically designed as early Hazmat Suits in order to try to help combat the spread of the plague.

While the episode does still fall into the old "Plague Doctors being bringers of death" cliche, it's done moreso here out of an ironic perspective, rather than the actual belief that Plague Doctors did nothing but bring death to others, like what I've seen in other media. That really made this episode rather refreshing for me, as well as seeing German being a bit more of an upstanding guy in this one.

https://i.imgur.com/GTsd9uu.png

I did love the bit at the end too, where the Horror's' own gimmick ends up working against him. It was a funny little twist. Speaking of twists...

https://i.imgur.com/8VKG5cS.png

Is Mendusa a name I'm supposed to know right now? It's way too similar to Mandosa, who's dead, so I have no idea if we've heard already at this point or not. Though I do like how this is probably the first show I've seen where the "Rangers" in general can't stand their Boss. But the final scene did make me wonder, where the heck even is this place, and how do the Knights travel there and back so fast?

Oh well. Not too much to say about this one. Just that it was a nice little character focused episode.

Yeah not much I can really say on this episode, some nice character focus for German. That's about it.

I will address this though, the Watchdog's are kinda unique in the sense that well, I'll be real when I say most of the time their insufferable beings that the Knights have to just put up with. I can think of a few that are pretty alright, but that's about it.

And really, there is no specific spot to travel, the way the franchise itself sets it up there are just various gateways all throughout the district or area a Knight is in. They usually do something special, in Garo's case, flash Zaruba, to open up a gate that leads directly to the Watchdog's hangout. I guess you could say it's a pocket dimension.

Thanks for that.

Speaking of Zaruba... the heck did he go? Is he attached to Alfonso now? Is he just dematerialized right now because Leon can't use the Armor?

I imagine it'll get answered later, but I'm curious.

Episode XVII: Snow Fall

https://i.imgur.com/WT5Qu6L.png

I had to screencap that moment just because how foreign of an expression that is on Leon. Like, wow.

Also it's funny that the episode where I ask "who the heck are the Knights' bosses and where the heck is their base" is literally right before this episode, which answers that very question.

They're the Watchdogs, and they have magical gates all over the place.

https://i.imgur.com/hEIlN8b.png

It also, surprisingly, answered my question about Zaruba! He did infact make a new pact with Alfonso. Stuff like this might seem small to other viewers, but for me? I'm just glad that the writers bothered to answer stuff like this. It's nothing super in-depth, but it definitely shows that they're paying attention to their own work.

In this episode, Leon and Alfonso are reunited. What follows is essentially a much more in-depth version of the scene we got between Emma and Leon a couple episodes ago, and it's just as great as that one is. Like Emma, Alfonso actually praises Leon, congratulating him on being able to find a place to call home as well as people that he could connect with and be willing to protect.

Unfortunately, although Leon has now accepted that he's no longer a part of the Knighthood, that doesn't mean the Makai Realm is just going to leave him alone. And I'll admit, while I did see what was coming, it didn't make what happened hurt any less. Tragedy strikes, and in yet another JRPG comparison for me to make, I will say that this anime did a great twist on the "doomed hometown" aspect a ton of classic RPGs use; Having it happen in the middle instead of the start.

It's understandable how hard Leon takes the entire experience, and as messed up as it sounds out of context, it was good to see Alfonso took the experience hard too. Not only does it show he truly cares about the people of his kingdom as well as his family, but you can tell full stop that he blames himself for what happened. Infact, both cousins do. The entire event plays out with everyone in character and everyone doing exactly what you'd expect them to do in the given situation. No sudden out-of0character lapses in judgment to be found.

The main strength of this show so far as been the character writing and interactions, and that definitely didn't change with this episode. And I hope it keeps going strong as we move forward.

https://i.imgur.com/7YxXcsH.png

Starting off the morning with some good old Garo Suffering I see!

Yeah I didn't answer about Zaruba immediately since you were coming up to this, surprisingly though Zaruba himself is a lot more talkative in most of the entries aside from one in particular for certain reasons alongside this one. So it was odd seeing him mostly silent here tbh.

But ah this episode, do you like the credits now? The credits with the final shot that gives you hope only for this episode to dash them right in front of you... I know this episode hit me pretty hard. I was like, "Oh, Leon is so happy with Lara, I'm so glad for him." and then tragedy strikes and I'm like. "Oh..."

It wouldn't be Garo without some pain and suffering.

To be fair despite the trademark pain and suffering in the Garo franchise- this was (and still is IIRC) the only time in the franchise the love interest of the golden knight was outright killed

Very fair, I do believe you are right on that point.

So it hurts a lot more this time around.

Episode XVIII: Scar Flame

https://i.imgur.com/6nEp8uP.png

That uh... that can't be good.

This episode is all about farewells, and moving forward in life. Not just for Leon, but German too.

To get German's' section out of the way, it was nice seeing how he'd at last last found a woman that he truly connected with. But just as in real life, sometimes the job comes first, and it can pull people apart.

Ximena(I think that's her name) is obviously heartbroken, but she knew it was coming eventually. I did really like how he left her a white flower as a farewell gift. A nice nod to a few episodes ago. I got a giggle at how Alfonso started learning of German's lecherous ways, too.

We also get to see that German made his own demonic pact; His with a magic bracelet named Jiruba.

Now, as for Leon...

https://i.imgur.com/yusYUTd.png

I really loved this entire sequence. The visuals alone made for a great look into Leon's' head; His inner demons literally made manifest. And of course, we got a great resolution to his character arc out of it too. Of course he's heartbroken and angry about what happened to Lara, but he's learned how to channel the fire inside him into a desire to make sure such a thing never happens again.

This is followed up by what is hands down the best fight scene in the entire show so far.

https://i.imgur.com/sQ0dXTl.png

Seriously. Huge props to whoever was behind the entire dueling scene between Leon and Alfonso. From the choreography, to the stakes it has in terms of our characters, to just the sheer coolness factor of having the two leads duke it out, everything came together in just the right way. Heck, I took that screenshot in particular just to show that they were even paying attention to tiny details; Having Leon's' sword crack under Alfonso's' sheer strength gotten from Raphael.

I also really like how we never actually see who won the duel in the end. This lets you not only deem whichever character you think deserved it more as the victor, but whether he won or lost, it doesn't matter, because Leon most definitely shows himself as being worthy of donning GARO once more. To the point that later on, his armor has evolved into being a hybrid between his old suit and Alfonso's'. Also fanservice for fans of the live-action show, as based on what pictures I looked up Leon's' new suit is almost the live-action suit point for point.

Yeah, with a new attitude comes a new outfit.

https://i.imgur.com/WSmpOxH.png

The episode ends with a big twist: That Mandosa is still alive! So I guess it was just a dub mistake that Watchdog chick called him Menduza? Regardless, I predict that it's actually Octavia masquerading as him, but we'll see. I look forward to see how this is going to shake up the group dynamic, what with German's' new job and all.

Overall, this was a fanTASTIC episode; Probably my favorite yet!

Oh yeah the good stuff, this episode just shines in a lot of ways and it's just nice to see Leon right here and right now and compare him to him earlier at the very start of the series. Dude did a lot of growing, it took some happiness, pain and suffering to get to this point, but he's finally on the right track.

Oh yeah no that's accurate to the Japanese version, it's a voice quirk, Garm calls Mendosa, Menduza or rather accentuates his name in slight disgust in the Japanese audio as well, it just goes to show how little respect Garm has for Mendosa really.

Just wait, you'll get to mendoza' backstory soon, and while his grudge against the makai order is "somewhat" justified, he deserves everything that happened to him

Ah okay. That was the first time she'd done it so I was unsure. Although maybe it would've helped to have it be more obvious? Granted, this is totally my childish sense of humor speaking, but I'd've giggled if she'd've called him "Man-douche-a" or somesuch, lol.

Looking forward to it!

Episode XIX: Tempest

https://i.imgur.com/TwHAl2q.png

Oh yeah, this is an episode I've been waiting for: Emma's episode.

And I did like this episode... for the most part. Anyone who's read my Kikaider breakdown could probably guess what I'm alluding to.

Before all that though, this episode focuses on Emma, and her search for a man named Luthiano. We get a rather nice look into her backstory. Her quest, her distrust of the Knights, and the loss of her husband.

https://i.imgur.com/rXaIUrh.png

This all culminates in a really creative action sequence featuring a fighter jet Horror, umbrellas transformed into paper planes, and Emma becoming Spider-Man. And special shout out to that giant spider web in the sky she made at the start of the episode. It's another thing this show shares with Kikaider.

AND SPEAKING OF THAT, the way this episode ended almost entirely killed it for me. Just like Emma's' sudden attraction to German earlier on in the show, her and Leon share a sudden, no build-up attraction now too. You might've guessed it: The episode ends in them making love, and I hate it. The two shared no chemistry at all that way, for starters.

Next, the way the conversations between Emma and Leon go throughout the episode seems to imply that, with taking Emma to bed, Leon is fully a man now? Shallow, first of all. Second, Lara JUST DIED, Leon. Apparently you got over it pretty quick, huh? It's a sequence that lasts maybe one minute at the very end of the episode, but I audibly groaned when it happened. Is this just gonna be the trend now with shows covered in this thread?

Overall, like a certain Kaikaider episode, it's good, but almost killed by one simple decision that's abrupt, is really out of character for those involved, and seems to a carry a really shallow meaning behind it.

Episode XX: Double Dealer

https://i.imgur.com/3j6ArbG.png

My sinus headache won't let me sleep, so let's do another episode!

This one is all about Octavia, and I most certainly liked this one alot more than Emma's' episode.

https://i.imgur.com/t1YzAXZ.png

So let's focus on Octavia, right? I loved how much this episode fleshed out her character. Not just in terms of her backstory, which does help, but in terms of her personality and skills too.

It's revealed here that Mendosa is infact still alive(although aged by about 30 years), and with the events of this episode, it's easy to see why he values her so much. Not only is she extremely loyal to him, but every action she takes throughout the episode shows that she's a quick thinker.

From keeping an eye on Alfonso keeping an eye on her to [i]having her own leg severed to trick Emma's' trap[i/], Octavia is someone you won't get the upperhand on so easily. Her backstory also helps shed some light on why she would choose to aide someone like Mendosa too. Both humanity and religion both have failed her, so she lashes out in kind.

This marks the second time I've been wrong about my predictions about which way the show was headed, and I think that's for the better, really. It really goes to show that sometimes the best twist is no twist. There's alot of fun to be had and alot to appreciate about stories taking a simpler route, especially nowadays, and I feel it's something alot of people fail to appreciate. Buuutt I suppose that's me getting sidetracked, sorry.

So yeah, I really liked this episode. Not one of the best episodes of the show by any means, but there's alot to appreciate in it. Oh, and it does a nice job at hooking you for the next one too:

https://i.imgur.com/5Y5PBWU.png

Episode XXI: Knights

https://i.imgur.com/jXWV5mG.png

This episode is all about what it truly means to be a Makai Knight.

All the while the discussion is framed around a duel between Leon and German, and even goes into a little bit of their time together as Leon was growing up.

And I'll be upfront here, while the fight itself is cool and all, it really does pale in comparison to the duel between Leon and Alfonso. Not that this fight is badly done by any means, it has some really good stuff in it, it's just that, well, they blew their load early, ya get me?

https://i.imgur.com/8Hjr0dF.png

I also found the revelations of the Watchdog Center's' ultimate plan to be a rather interesting twist on things in terms of the toku meta. Essentially asking "What if the Zordon of the show was just as insane as the villain was?"

Infact, it's such an interesting hook that I'm telling you all right now, if later on they try to pull something like "Oh we were just testing your resolve!" or somesuch, I'm gonna be a little mad. You've already invested with setting up a sort of revolution plot, follow through with it! Or at the very least stab Garm. Either way!

Anyway, the bits with Little Leon and Young German were nice to see. It helped reinforce that, while yes, Leon is constantly annoyed by his father's' antics, he does ultimate still love him and took alot of his advice to heart. Speaking of German, is his armor called "Zero" or "Zorro?" I keep hearing both, and I really hope it's not the latter because Zorro is Spanish for Fox, which would make no sense for a suit that's so obviously Wolf themed.

https://i.imgur.com/d8p0OAy.png

Everything ends with German winning the duel and Mandosa's' final gambit revealed, and it promises a battle of epic proportions. Not only that, but German leaves Jiruba with Leon. I'm assuming it was so that she could be given to Alfonso, since he doesn't seem to have a Mado Artifact of his own now that he's given Garo back.

In any case, we're now in the endgame, and I'm definitely interested in seeing how this will all end.

Episode XXII: Dreadly Focus

https://i.imgur.com/c8SNQJH.png

Today I learned that souls are shaped like Tetris blocks.

Anyway, here's a question I've had for awhile that I keep forgetting to ask: Why do only the Silver and Black Knights get horses?

Like, is it some epic level perk that only veteran Makai Knights get? They're clearly alchemic in nature, and considering the point of the show we're at I don't think horses for Garo and Gaia are ever going to actually show up. Just curious.

Oh, and it's revealed that even though the Watchdog Center still plans to let Mandosa have his way, German does not, and tries to take the now old man out directly. As expected. This does lead to one moment where Octavia gets burned by merely touching the Armor and... is that a thing? It's never come up until now, so I guess normal people aren't allowed to touch? Okay.

Anyway, we get to see that Mandosa took good precaution in setting up a ton of barriers on the way down to his lair, further showing his skills as an alchemist. Still makes me wonder why he's old now and how he survived getting eaten. But the one thing that stands in particular is a teleporter trap that sends the team to...

https://i.imgur.com/SjThNBO.png

Modern day Japan?

I mean, the effect is cool and all, and I assume it's another shoutout to the live-action series, but this raises some serious questions. The main one one being: With this kind of power, how could Mandosa ever even be caught? If they were sent to another world/dimension, why not just hop to a different one, prepare all of your stuff, then come back? And if it's instead time travel, then that just raises a whole 'nother set of possibilities that I don't wanna think about.

Anyway, Mandosa also lends his magic to Octavia, who uses it to not turn into a Knight despite her drawing a halo, but instead, a Horror. One with a very Toku design, I might add.

https://i.imgur.com/mLHBPuR.png

Overall the episode isn't bad. It mainly exists just to explain that German isn't a lunatic and that the Witch Hunts were all a method of working towards a ritualistic sacrifice. It's just that, in the venture to do cool stuff to keep the episode going, it raises some questions that I feel they're not gonna answer. Such a shame.

Funny, I always thought souls looked like this.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20140331120053

Though I have also been shown they look like this.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20190416105041

Frankly, I don’t know what to believe anymore.

Ok I'll clarify a few things:
1. Mado items don't just get passed on randomly between knights- just like Zaruba will always be in the hands of the golden knight, jiruba (silva in the LA entries) will always be passed on to the silver knight zorro/zero- both are right by the way

2. The Golden knight does have a horse- called Gouten- a golden knight acquires the right to use him after passing a trial that becomes available after a golden knight slays 100 horrors (we to this day have no idea if the conditions for other knights are the same though) which for unknown reasons was never included in any of the anime entries

3. Octavia did not become a horror- she simply donned a madou armor- think of it as the prototype to makai knight armor

Gosei pretty much hit the nail on the head with all the answers basically. Though I do think we see Gouten and I think Gaia's steed... possibly in the movie? It's been a while since I saw it but I seem to recall more horses than the usual ones.

Also yeah Zorro/Zero, both function similarly to where you can kinda just swap their names both being Silver Knights. But are still very different from each other in regards to a few key features.

Been a bit since I checked in, wow we're pretty close to the end. Can't wait to see how that goes.