[DreamSword]

Episode 9

This is an episode that was very close to being perfect for me.

Like last episode, this one furthers the personal arcs of nearly every major character, with some left hanging in a way that almost suggests a 3-parter.

The plots are starting to converge too, with George now tailing Randy as a lead on Bima, and Randy in turn dragging Uncle into an investigation on what exactly went on with the missing parents.

As well, Ray's' hardships as a hero continue to worsen as, in a bout of desperation, many civilians are now beginning to actually work for Octopardo, as the monster essentially makes a monopoly on food. It's to the point that they can be easily convinced to attack Bima on sight.

And this raises an interesting moral dilemma: Is it okay for Bima to fight back against these regular people? Do the ends of defending Indonesia from Vudo justify the means of going through the very people Bima has sworn to protect? Unfortunately, this quandary is never actually addressed as outside of the initial beating from the townsfolk, such a scenario never happens again.

Instead the climax more just plays like the typical climax of your stand episode of BIMA, which, while in and of itself is not exactly bad, it does leave alot to be desired in terms of character development. It's an overall happy ending due to Bima saving the lives of the people who attacked him prior, thus winning their trust again, albeit one that sort of dodges the initial question, ya know? Such a great hook, but one that's a bit wasted.

So... yeah. I did enjoy it due to all the personal stakes at play, and it's not a bad episode by any means; I just wish they'd gone a bit further with it.