[DreamSword]

Episode 23: Emperor

There it is. My favorite moment in the entire show.

Takuto's' utter despise for his father is the sort of thing that I feel alot of people won't quite understand, especially with how subtle it's been the whole show.

It's the sort of thing, however, that anyone who grew up with an abusive, neglectful, or abandoning parent will be almost entirely sure to understand immediately. All of the contempt built up over the years, released at once.

And it's not even the punch itself either. It's a major part of it for sure, but it's also the fact that Takuto knows outright how manipulative Head is, and he's not having any of it. No conversation, no debate, no argument, no words. Only fists. And he's absolutely in the right for it.

But this episode isn't really about Takuto; or atleast not entirely. Infact, it's mainly about Sugata, and how the events leading up this point get him to take up Head's' offer on joining the Glittering Crux Brigade, under the codename King with the position of Emperor. Or, in other words, becoming the new leader of the Crux in one fell swoop.

I remember back when I first saw this moment play out I was a tad confused by it. But now, on rewatch, and with some hindsight, I think I get it. We've seen many times that Sugata was just sort of coasting through life, with his only real purpose being to protect Wako. Then, when Takuto comes into the picture, he begins to ask himself questions. He's uncertain about the futures of both him and those around him, and he's desperate for answers.

Add in that he's wondering just what in the world is going on with Keito, and that gives him the push he needs to dive head first into the Glittering Crux, and try to get everything sorted out once and for all. It's a bit of irony too, that at the start of the episode Sugata tells Takuto to rely more on logic, only to then have alot of his action in this very episode be driven my emotion. I could see some viewers crying foul about it, but overall I think it really works. Plus seeing him get turned into the Eccentric Tau Missile was neat.

For this episode I decide to highlight "Hunger" which is a battle song which plays during more desperate situations. Which is infact seen here with Takuto having to take on three Cybodies at once. It's one of the better fight sequences in the show, and very much showcases just how skilled in combat Takuto actually is.

Is this my favorite episode overall? Probably not. But man, that punch will forever stick in my mind, I'm sure. Certainly has so far.