[Locke]

Decade 30.

Right, time for the final arc. I wasn't putting this off or anything, genuinely, I've just struggled to find the time lately to grab the remaining episodes and I don't really wanna leave my computer on all day unattended while I leave for 12 hours a time during a working a day. But I have enjoyed Decade more regularly than I haven't, so slowing down the ending doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me.

Like basically all of Decade's storytelling, the premise here was more interesting than the execution of that premise. There were so many interesting directions they could have taken this, but what we got in the end was this muddled, confused mess that managed to make a war between two dimensions feel like an emotionally bankrupt home movie, shot in a studio backlot with some spare crew. It's just pathetic how easily some of the Riders went down in this episode. Also Apollo Geist is like super important now or something? DID YOU GET IT.

I mean it held together pretty well on a thematic level, and episodes like this really allow Tsukasa to shine (while admittedly also showing all the wasted potential of his characterisation) plus Mari sure looked hot as the Fangire Queen. But I dunno, this all just felt sorta cheap and really big deals were just sorta shrugged off by the episode, if they were even acknowledged at all.