[DreamSword]

Episode 23: Golden

Life comes at ya fast, and so does alot of things in this war sequence!

It's funny though. Me, being a viewer from the future who came in via the anime, probably had a bit of a different reaction to this one than viewers at the time did.

Like, the entire plan of Ganon; to rip open a hole between Earth and Makai, and in turn flood the world with Horrors, was literally the exact plan that Mendosa was gunning for in Carved Seal of Flames.

And really it makes me appreciate the anime more, as it took a similar premise yet showcased it from a totally different angle. But, hey, I'm a sucker for some good action too, and this episode sure as heck ain't short on that! It's nonstop battle from start to end, and if you love CGI models then boy is this for you!

But yeah, like I opened this with, alot of info is thrown our way in very quick succession. Rei's' horse is named Ginga! Mado Rings can work like Walkie-Talkies! Knights and Alchemists have a super duper powerful team attack that we've never heard about until now! Amemiya really likes both Legend of Zelda and Castlevania! It's alot being thrown every which way.

However, the most important detail, other than Tsubasa being alive and still kicking ass, is probably that Steel Knights exist. I could see this being a big surprise to viewers at the time, but given I come from the timeframe where Inheritor of Steel is a thing, I just sorta figured we'd see them eventually. And given what very little I know about that show, I must wonder if the existence of "Generic" Knights was hotly contested back in the day.

Because thinking about it, I can see why they might be: Up to now, every Makai Knight has been something unique, and there was no real reason to figure otherwise. But on the other hand, I don't think even Amemeiya had the kinda cash to design and create like 100 unique suits, and since the story really wanted to lean into Garo being something special, having "Standard" suits of armor helps lend credibility to that idea. And on a personal note, I'm a fan of Knights of the Zodiac. The concept of Steel Knights are nothing new to me.

Regardless, I had fun with this one, and am looking forward to seeing how this fight ends tomorrow.