[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Really loved the way this one just continues blasting the status quo apart. As usual with this show and its cohesion, everything is all tied together by the specific theme of (again just like Amon said) people not knowing who to trust... you know, except for the one person who specifically assures us he's unquestionably on Kaoru's side, which does not at all stand out as suspicious in an episode where literally everyone else is questioning these things.

Time, Trust, Truth... Three Ts, all interwoven so wonderfully into this show's' narrative! Really looking forward to how it all plays out now that everything's been blown apart!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

First, I appreciate the meme image. Very nice.

Makes me wonder what a GARO Keyblade would actually look like.

Quote:

Second, you know I'll be completely honest, totally forgot Kaoru's therapist was a thing.

I don't blame you for that one. He's only shown up like three times so far and I think said his name all of like, once.

[Switchblade]

I think you're up to where my rewatch stalled out. I may have also caught the episode after this, but this is around where I got sidetracked. Really should go back and finish things up.

But yeah, great episode. Real escalation of the plot, to start, but Jabi is just fantastic. I don't know if I can still say she's my favorite Makai Priestess after how much a couple of other characters have developed, but she's definitely still a fantastic character and I am never, ever unhappy to see her show up.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

But yeah, great episode. Real escalation of the plot, to start, but Jabi is just fantastic. I don't know if I can still say she's my favorite Makai Priestess after how much a couple of other characters have developed, but she's definitely still a fantastic character and I am never, ever unhappy to see her show up.

She definitely makes a very strong first impression for sure! My current favorite of the Makai Alchemists is Luke from Vanishing Line, so we'll see how she measures up to him by the end.

[DreamSword]

Episode 19: Black Flame

Well Jabi certainly didn't last long.

Almost the entirety of this episode felt like an extended cinematic cutscene that you'd find in a modern fighting game.

And ya know, given that I'm an avid fighting game fan, that's a compliment! The action, while certainly fantastical, was still great all throughout this episode. Like, Garo and Zero fighting while their blades duel on their own? Just over the top and ridiculous enough to flip right back around to being cool and exciting to watch.

There's also of course the arrival of Kiba, the Black Knight, and the reveal that the Watchdogs aren't just working with him, but working for him. Of which I'll admit I didn't consider.

If I had to make a small critique of the episode though, it's that it just kinda glosses over the part that I was most invested in: Kaoru talking about how Koga straight up lied to her all this time about, well, nearly everything. Yeah, sure, he's doing his best to save her, but that doesn't change the fact that alot of this could've been avoided if he'd bothered to be more straightforward.

Regardless, while not quite as strong as the previous two episodes, there's still alot of strong character drama throughout, and the episode slows things down just a tad so that the audience can catch their breath, which I think is a good move. Such a shame about Jabi though. Was starting to rather like her.

Well, now the truth is out for everyone's' personal quests. I can only imagine things will only get more intense from here.

[Mesnick]

Yes, the secrets are revealed and the final battle is approaching. A very intense action episode.

[Enchilada645]

Yeah I'll admit I had to do a double take at what happened at Jabi in this episode.

That weirdness aside, yes, here's Kiba.

And sadly I checked and I never did comment about it on the Anime Garo threads, but it was around endgame of Carved Seal of Flames in which I was basically thinking to myself "Oh you've seen nothing, Garm is not the worst Watchdog by a long-shot" with this particular series in mind.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Yes, the secrets are revealed and the final battle is approaching. A very intense action episode.

I do hope that Kiba is actually the final boss. Given the trend of the GARO anime, maybe not, but it'd be cool.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

And sadly I checked and I never did comment about it on the Anime Garo threads, but it was around endgame of Carved Seal of Flames in which I was basically thinking to myself "Oh you've seen nothing, Garm is not the worst Watchdog by a long-shot" with this particular series in mind.

It makes me also wonder if the lore that we got about the East Watchdogs, with them actually being one immortal woman split into three, actually extends to Garm, given that she and the Watchdogs of the anime act somewhat similarly.

[Fish Sandwich]

I've really got hand it to this show for ludicriously epic it knows how to make its fights between Garo and Zero. Things are already awesome enough from last episode's climax, and then here comes the start of this one, with this really thoroughly considered escalation where it just gets more and more intense and brutal, to the point we've got the two of them just beating on each without even using their swords. You can tell how much attention was given to making sure the fight itself kinda has a narrative of its own, rather than simply being one beat of a larger story. Extremely impressive stuff.

Of course, that larger story was still just as good as they usually are lately. There's just as many revelations and twists as ever, but they all start to get us to a point where the protagonists can maybe start working against what really stands in their way, with some of the doubt filling the past couple episodes cleared up. This show has gotten me very, very invested in where it's going!

"Black Flame", though, huh? Could've sworn I remember a picture book with that in the title, but once again, I'm sure nothing about this is of any importance.

(Also, I'll just note here that Savior in the Dark is stuck in my head constantly lately, so, without taking back anything I said, I think I'm starting to understand why they couldn't resist making it the opening.)

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

"Black Flame", though, huh? Could've sworn I remember a picture book with that in the title, but once again, I'm sure nothing about this is of any importance.

Not gonna lie, I actually totally forgot what the title of the picture book was until you brought it up. Nice catch!

[DreamSword]

Episode 20: Life

A Mado Tank was not something I expected, that's for sure.

This episode is all about obtaining Varnacas Fruit in order to purify Kaoru, with Koga having to go it alone since all of the Alchemists he knows are gone.

If I might get my one minor critique out of the way for this episode, it's that there really wasn't any sort of smooth transition between the previous episode and this one. We're just kinda thrown right into the thick of things.

I don't really mind it too much though given that I still rather enjoyed this episode all around. Especially since, and maybe it's just me, but this episode felt the most videogame-like out of every episode so far? Am I out of line in thinking that the GARO franchise draws alot of inspiration from JRPGs?

And with that being said, it also doesn't leave me with a whole lot to say. The episode didn't come across as anything profound or "deep" to me, but then, I also didn't really expect it to. I'm just here for a good time and, hey, straightforward episode or not, that's what I got. It's Koga's' quest to set right everything he did wrong, and in the end, he makes a giant step towards it.

Rei also acknowledges that like it or not, he's gonna need Garo's' help in order to bring down Kiba. It's a small thing, but necessary in order to help establish how the two will interact going forward. And it also makes me wonder how, now that she's cured, Kaoru is gonna factor into the story at hand? Given that she's my favorite character in the show so far, I'm really hoping they don't just write her out of it or put her in the background from here on out.

Again, nothing I really feel I gotta go into detail about, but just a solidly put together episode all around. The piano and orchestral version of Savior in the Dark were nice too!