[DreamSword]

Episode 6: Negative Fragments

No GIF this time, unless you guys want me to GIF a specific moment from the episode. I'll do it if you do.

We open to Mitsuko thinking about how Jiro told her that, like most humans, he too has feelings, and wants nothing more than to be a family with her and Masaru. Hattori then comes in, saying that with his investigation into Dr. Kohmyoji comes rather... interesting, news.

...And then Count Dracula attacks.



Needless to say Hattori is no match, and Mitsuko is abducted by the Golden Bat.



Meanwhile with Jiro, he continues to play his guitar, as the events of last episode weigh heavily on his mind. Especially the words of Miyuki:

"If we don't have something to believe in, then life isn't worth living."

It's then that the Bat challenges Jiro to come and save Mitsuko, whom he has captive in an abandoned mansion.

But don't be fooled! Like last episode, Jiro is actually taking a backseat this time. This episode is all about Mitsuko and her family history, to the point that Jiro won't be showing up again for quite awhile!

The episode is nearly all dialogue with very little action. I honestly don't think I can talk about it too much at length without simply retyping the script as-is, but there are a few details that definitely stand out most to me.

First off, Dr. Kohmyoji used to have a son. His name? Ichiro.



Second is probably the biggest one. The details not only concerning the house, Gill, and Mitsuko's' family, but just who exactly the Count is. And I gotta say, the interactions between him and Mitsuko are MORE than enough to carry this entire episode. A big part of that thanks to the actors at play here.



Dracula here is played by Michael McConnohie, who has done a metric ton of voice roles over the years, and when it comes to grandstanding villains, he always does awesome. He too was in Big O, where he also played a character who delivered some harsh truths of the story. Funny coincidence, that.

While they don't go super deep into it(which is for the better, I feel), the conversation the two have touches on alot of things. Like the nature of humanity, the role machines and AI play into everyday life, and the consequences that children bear due to the actions of their parents. It makes for compelling stuff.



It's no wonder Mitsuko is so shaken by the end of it all. And while the Bat has certainly shown himself to be quite different than the Robots that Jiro has fought before, it's interesting to see how at the end of the day, he actually yearns to be just another machine.