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Rating: 9.7/10

Impressions:

The quality is quite inconsistent this episode, though most of it is animated well (especially during the action scenes). Speaking of which, there’s quite a bit of action this time round thankfully, though still no real full on battles. Knowing these types of shows, there probably won’t be a real battle until the last few episodes, where the climax of the show is in need of some serious beefing up. Anyway, I’m not exactly sure but it seems like we are finally getting to Tatsuma’s side of the story. Quite a bit of this episode focuses on him, as well his unknown identity and background.

As the main character, it seems like Tatsuma is the most special out of the taskforce, and will probably have the main and most important roles of the series. At the moment, he appears to be at an equal fighting level to Kyouichi, though I believe he may rise in power in order to fulfil whatever roles he will obtain in the future, or whatever family name he has to live up to etc. The number of episodes this show has is still in question, but it does seem like it’s reaching a climax with the current enemy. Hopefully though, the show will be of two seasons length in order to develop the characters more, and to extrapolate the world of Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpoucho.

This episode is a pretty good indicator of how much closer everyone is. Kyouichi decides to train Aoi this time round, instead of neglecting her and claiming she is of no use on the battlefield. Daigo is still as infatuated with Komaki as earlier, though his relationship and tolerance of Kyouichi and Tatsuma seems to have improved. Komaki is overall a friendlier person now, while Toono appears to have lowered the priority of finding scoop, and is now close friends with everyone. And if there’s ever any love in this show, we now have a perfect pairing system, consisting of Komaki and Daigo, Kyouichi and Aoi, as well as Tatsuma and Toono.

I really love the red sunset lighting effects of certain scenes which this show employs. A great example is the end of this episode, where the simultaneous fights occur. There is some great cinematography; clever use of angles and slow/quick motion. This is what makes the fighting scenes exciting and suspenseful to watch. Once again, I must commend the animators for knowing how to create gruesome monsters. With all the bursting limbs, bloody corpses and the horrific oni-fied former archery club member of Komaki’s, the impressiveness of the show becomes almost epic.

Anyway, this episode is essentially about Komaki’s archery club friend, who has become an oni to locate and take Komaki’s shooting arm. In doing so, she kills masses of people with insects, which we see inhabit her own body. With some training and nice bonding moments between the oni-fighting team thrown in as well (complemented with some Tatsuma mystery), the show comes to a climax where the oni attacks Komaki at the same time Kozunu attacks Tatsuma. In the end, the oni is reverted back to a human, and the now grieving former friend of Komaki’s commits suicide by falling off the top of a building. Kozunu’s fight with Tatsuma fails to finish as he disappears again.

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