English Dub Review: The God of High School “fear/SIX”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Mira defeats her opponent in the regional preliminary round of the God of High School Tournament and with this victory she joins both Mori and Daewi to advance into the nationals. The national level features team battles that will force Mori and his friends to work together and understand one another if they want to continue to see success. The trio are optimistic about their future, but much of their time here is spent on getting ready for what’s to come and considering the best ways to become stronger. As everyone contemplates the next obstacles that the tournament will throw at them, Mujin assembles a team of powerful assassins to combat a rival organization that’s looking to make an example out of him and the other commissioners.

Our Take:

The God of High School is an anime series that progressively feels like it’s at war with itself. It’s an anime that’s supposed to largely trade in tournament battles, yet so often these conflicts are quickly rushed through and the larger battle seems to be between the anime’s many different, yet competing, interests. “fear/SIX” technically brings Mori, Daewi, and Mira closer to their goal, but it’s also an episode that shies away from action right when it seems like the most important time to embrace it.

“fear/SIX” is an episode that spreads its attention across the anime’s growing cast of characters and so while the focus it gives to Mori, Mira, and Daewi can feel minimal, they all manage to make personal progress in their own ways. As the trio head towards the national round of The God of High School Tournament they all consider if this is really what’s best for them in life (although Mori couldn’t be more resolved in his decision to compete). For a moment it looks like The God of High School is going to set up mentors to help train each of these characters and as much as this would help add some more variety to the series, it appears to just be a fleeting thought. What’s given greater significance is the role of Mori’s grandfather and how it appears that Mori may not just be the Key here, but that he wields a generational power that previous members in his family have also contributed towards.

The God of High School has been selective with the details that it reveals regarding Mujin’s larger story, but “fear/SIX” makes major strides in the area. This material begins to become as important as the tournament itself and it’s an interesting idea to juxtapose Mori’s fights with an even larger battle that puts the entire purpose of the tournament at stake. It’s unclear how all of this will turn out, but there’s a bleak nihilism to how Mori and the other fighters have no idea that all of their work is essentially just a means to an end for higher powers. There’s likely going to be a power shift at some point during the season’s midway point and hopefully The God of High School won’t be afraid to unpack the larger discussions about class and society that are inherent in the tournament’s power structures.

It’s respected that The God of High School is playing the long game when it comes to these bigger elements, but if it doesn’t eventually resolve them in a pleasing manner then fans are going to be even more frustrated. At this point it still feels like The God of High School wants to be a tournament anime more than an a mysterious conspiracy thriller, but if the series doesn’t quickly reconcile this balance it’s going to be left with a messy hybrid that doesn’t satisfy anyone.

“fear/SIX” is another encouraging step forward for The God of High School, but as the anime gets closer to the halfway point it’s only fair to hold it up to a greater level of scrutiny. “fear/SIX” advances all of the anime’s stories forward, but some of this progress is incremental and feels perfunctory more than it does exhilarating. This is still an anime that looks gorgeous and features incredible fight sequences, but its frenetic and impatient style often doesn’t let the right material breathe.

“fear/SIX” is an episode with a lot of unnecessary downtime that feels like it’s biding its time until the national round begins. However, The God of High School is also reaching the point where non-stop battles are beginning to feel repetitive. This is difficult territory for the anime to be caught in, so hopefully the upcoming episodes will rise to the occasion as the tournament heads into its next stage. There’s still a lot to love in The God of High School, so with any luck the second half of the anime’s first season will embrace what works and not take what’s special and pummel it into oblivion.