[DreamSword]

Episode 13: Seimei

This was a very emotionally charged episode and I'm all for it!

It's the direct aftermath of the previous episode, where not only is everything in the capital going to Hell, but so too are the relations between our main cast.

And true to the title, despite multiple characters getting the chance to shine here, Seimei is the one who is, for the most part, front and center, with her arc possibly coming to its conclusion.

The overall atmosphere of the episode is great, which really helps to enhance the emotionally weight behind the entire scenario. Heck, the scenario itself was really interesting to me, because despite this being an episode how the capital being under siege, there's very little action in it.

True to most of the rest of the show so far, the action side of things takes a backseat for increased focus on character drama, and as I've said before, I'm totally here for it, though I can see how it might annoy viewers who were more expecting a balance akin to that of the previous anime. I'm a sucker for well done dialogue scene, what can I say?

As well, the episode in all ways does a good job at being the conclusion to what was built up in the last couple of episodes. It brings the idea of Seimei and Raiko's' lives being linked(both literally and metaphorically) to the fold, discusses how Seimei choosing to save Raiko was not only her own personal choice, but the practical one in the long run, and Raiko realizing that his life is every bit as precious as anyone else's', and that's it's foolish to just throw it away.

This all culminates in Seimei literally facing her inner demons, and Raiko managing to break the seal on Garo via his own inner strength, resulting a new look for the golden armor that gives it more of a samurai motif. Not to mention the ultimate payoff of Seimei pinning Xehanort to the ground and just pummeling the hell out him. That was awesome. Though the ending also suggests that Seimei might be out of the show now? I certainly hope not, as I rather liked her character and her dynamic with Kintoki and Raiko was a big highlight.

All in all, this was a great episode that could've easily served as a finale to the show. If nothing else it made for a great season finale, even though we're technically slightly past the halfway point. There's still a few minor loose ends, but for the most part the major character stuff seems to be wrapped up, so I'm rather interested in where exactly the show is gonna go from here.