[Locke]

Faiz 08. Probably one of the best episodes so far, thanks to some really surprising twists and turns.

This show is going in a very odd direction. I know Japan don't care much for villains, choosing instead to largely just create rubber suits to knock down, so it's amazing that so far that any Orphenoch that can last out more than two episodes, becomes more relateable, more sympathetic and have had much more relevant character focus than any of our 'heroes'. Hell, given Yuji's whole killing the Orphenoch that ruined Kaido's life thing this week, they're starting to feel a lot more like heroes as all Faiz has done this far has killed random monsters.

I'm sure we can all remember heartbreak, betrayal, bullying. Times when we hated the world, and everyone in it. No I didn't actually go out and murder someone, but sometimes you were just that close. I can certainly relate to it more than wanting to be a Beautician - seriously how much of this episode needed to be dedicated to that shit?! - and the vaguely supremacist statements from Mr Drycleaner.

I get that this all leads to Takumi wanting to protect dreams but there's been at least three episodes where he's claimed to be all in, before going back on it the next episode. So I've kinda stopped expecting that to change.

Another great action helping as well, loved the obvious foreshadowing in the action and I loved the music they layered over the top. Plus fuck yeah Auto-Vajin and better than Kamen Rider W quality CGI somehow, and the fact his throttle is a...lightsaber?!

That said, the Orphenoch they revealed this week, what was the point of them? They appeared, and died, in about the space of a minute and served no purpose in that time.