[DreamSword]

Episode 11

George went the way of Kiriya Kujo.

But hey, Andre, the kid who got beaten with a traffic cone, got to live, so that's something. Still a very violent episode though for sure.

The first half of the episode actually has a very interesting hook: With Ray in a coma from his injuries, Mikhail has to step back into the foray as the only one who can possibly stand up to the Vudo Empire.

I also liked how they called back to how Mikhail discovered that Ray could become Bima in the first place: With Mikhail offering a blood transfusion to save Ray's' life. They did link blood in the first episode, afterall. Unfortunately, it's part of what left Mikhail weak enough to be captured by Vudo.

The second half, while nice, is simply a reaffirmation of Ray's' heroic resolve. He might be battered and beaten down, but he's still willing to put his life on the line to save the planet he loves so dearly, with the fight against the Valcus Monster being a nearly one-sided beat down until Bima can find the perfect opening to exploit. It's a victory, but things are only looking to get worse from here.

But, yeah, the whole episode played out like a cross between a hospital soap opera and a superhero show, and I rather dug it. If there's one thing that BIMA has nailed almost consistently it's the atmosphere that it's gunning for, and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. The longer it goes, the more I'm looking at it like Kuuga-lite(something I've seen OOO called), and trust me, that's only a compliment in my eyes.