[DreamSword]

Episode 4: Under Siege

This episode got really real really fast.

Not so much for the events themselves(though that too), but moreso how much of it can be applied to the current time that we're living in.

To give you an idea, the title of this episode could've easily been called "Under Lockdown."

So let's get started. After the previous episode's' attack ontop of the new potential for an outbreak of the Amalgem Virus, XAT places the entire city under martial law, and demands that no one is to exit or enter for their own safety.

All the while there's rioting, blood samples being taken, people's' trust being broken, and the constant fear of abandonment.

Sound familiar?

Anyway, what really made this episode work was the various different character moments sprinkled throughout. Such as Amanda making sure to check on Malek despite the chaos of her job, ontop of her surprising intuitiveness in discovering that the infection is spread by blood spatter.

Speaking of Malek, man, I really felt for this kid. Due to all of the chaos of the world around him and the constant bullying he's been put through, he starts to wonder if even God has abandoned him, since it certainly feels as though society and even his own sister has. Even Yohan, his best friend, betrays him to join the very bullies who've been harassing them both. Heart breaking.

Lastly there's Joseph, of whom the episode is none too shy about outright saying that he and Malek are one in the same. And ya know, I feel like now is the time to emphasize this more than ever... I get the feeling that Joseph is meant to be our "real" main character of Blassreiter. Not solely due to his increased focus in these past two episodes, but also due to the very blatant Kamen Rider inspiration that the anime has.

Just take a look at Joseph as an Amalgam. He's someone who fights his own kind, rides a Motorcycle that is outright stated to be a unique model, is an outcast of society at large, and his helmet looks to have tears, further representing the inner pain he feels while fighting.

Sound familiar?

And I gotta say, I really hope I'm atleast half wrong on my prediction. I was actually pretty hooked on seeing where Gerd's' arc was gonna go, so I'm really hoping that he's not going to just be outright replaced by Joseph. If they wish to be co-protagonists, great! But, only time will tell I suppose.