Death Parade #10 – Decim goes to Nona with a declaration that he no longer believes the existing judgement system is right. Nona probably intended it this way from the start, but allowing him to come to that conclusion on his own allows her plausible deniability. Or at least it would have if it weren’t for Clavis unwillingly tipping the big boss off to the plan. The last couple episodes are setting up to be a big confrontation with Oculus and the backstory of how he wound up literally playing God.
Decim decides he’s going to try judging people a different way, and fate serves him up a softball in the form of Sachiko the manga author (not sure why the US subtitles turn her into just an illustrator), who embodies everything he respects in humans. Over a nice quiet game of Old Maid, he’s easily able to make a determination about her.
The Dark-Haired Woman– Chiyuki, as we know her now– is left with the extra card, the one that doesn’t fit, which perfectly symbolizes the role she’s been playing. She’s the one who arrived alone (as far as we’ve been shown) rather than in a pair, and as Sachiko points out, it’s a card that typically overrides other cards. I think she has some more overriding to do before she’s done.
(FUNimation – AnimeLab – Viewster)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders #34 – And it’s back! JoJo has stowed the juvenile humor and pulled up a new opponent clever enough to give the whole group combined a proper challenge. Adding to the serious tone is that, being a manifestation of Osiris, D’Arby’s Stand does not deal in physical combat but rather the acquisition of souls.
Polnareff, being the team idiot, was never going to have a chance, but watching D’Arby dispose of Joseph is fascinating. Joseph isn’t an intellectual giant, but he’s got the street smarts that make him a formidable opponent in this situation, and D’Arby has to really find a clever cheat to beat him. Now it’s probably down to Jōtarō to win everyone’s souls back. Good thing he seems to have inherited some of his grandpa’s cunning.
This week’s ’80s music reference is Terence Trent D’Arby.
Yatterman Night #10 – After a night infiltration of the Yatter Metropolis, a near-execution, and some very silly last words, the Dorombos are admitted into the inner sanctum of the Yattermen to discover that the real truth is… what the viewers were clearly shown at the beginning of episode 1. It’s Dokurobei, the boss villain of the original series, who really attacked Hokkaido and set up the alleged Yatter Kingdom.
So, no real suspense about that reveal, but there is about what else is going on. Did Dokurobei attack while the original Yattermen were still alive, and if so, are they in fact being kept alive in some hideous manner? Or is that just a cover for Dokurobei ruling for generations?
One other possible clue about what’s coming in the last couple episodes is that offhand remark from Leopard about what to do next if they actually overthrow the rulers. What do you do with millions of people who’ve grown up in a society so tightly controlled that they’ve never been explosed to so much as the idea of other forms of government, let alone any experience of how they actually work?
(FUNimation – AnimeLab – Viewster)
Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! #11 – Another hero-villain meeting, but this one was so strongly telegraphed in advance that it’s another great, funny moment in a series of great, funny moments this episode provides. Of course those mysterious doors discovered by the student council and the Earth Defense Club were the same door. The end credits have been explaining this is all really about Atsushi and Kinshirō since episode 2. And those speeches about curry (which is practically the national dish of Japan these days, so not an odd choice at all) were, as we have come to expect, critical to the climax of the episode.
And that cut to Gora right after Hireashi and Zundar were discussing material for the perfect monster? No way that isn’t foreshadowing.
The theme of the school festival, “Boys·美·Ambitious”, is a punny reference to quote which is famous in Japan. 美 is the first character of the high school’s name, Binan. “Boys, be ambitious!” are the parting words attributed to William S. Clark, a Civil War veteran and internationally famous academic who was invited over to Japan in 1876 to help with modernization efforts. He founded what is now Hokkaido University and is remembered by that quote and several statues around Sapporo.
(Crunchyroll – FUNimation – AnimeLab – Viewster)
Yona of the Dawn #23 – Well, that was anticlimactic. Yona’s surprise encounter with Soo-won only lasts long enough to establish that they still have feelings for each other and remind the viewers that Soo-won has chosen to nobly sacrifice his reputation for some still-unexplained greater goal. Everyone parties until they drop, and Jeaha joins up with the team, still in denial that he’s being compelled to do so.
Most disappointing is that we never got to hear Gigan’s story. She’s an interesting character and deserved to get a chance to explain how she wound up as a pirate captain. I suppose we’ll be seeing her again someday, if a new season gets greenlighted.
The last episode looks like a quick introduction for the Yellow Dragon and then a cliffhanger ending. As long as we get to find out what Soo-won is really up to before the end, that’ll be okay.
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