English Dub Review: Gleipnir “Beautiful Flower”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After knocking out Isao and Yota, Madoka gets Shuichi to quickly undo his transformation. Madoka gives them the option to join his group on the condition of sacrificing one of their own or not and he kills them all. When Clair asks him if Yota or Isao dies if it would count, and he rejects it. However, it convinces Madoka to spare her life and he gives them some time to choose what they’ll do. After receiving the impossible deal the group retreats to discuss what to do next.

Yota decides to fight, but Ikeuchi is against it since they’re weaker than Madoka’s group and Clair agrees as she thanks him for his sacrifice. After another idea faces rejection Clair goes to Isao who feels powerless with a request. Isao grows a pink flower at Clair’s request for their escape as Shuichi finds them. Shuichi tells her that she doesn’t have to do it alone and hugs her. Later the group finds out that Isao planted oleander which is poisonous even when it’s burning. Madoka’s group perishes in the poisonous fire as Koyanagi’s group successfully escapes. Meanwhile, Elena meets with the alien guy.

Our Take:

This episode ends the group’s first conflict with Madoka’s. It also affirms that Clair will do whatever it takes even if it means terrifying her allies.

Clair’s quick thinking plays a major part in this episode. Her wicked smile as a cue to her more sinister actions worked well in portraying that malicious mood. She strategizes their escape while manipulating Ikeuchi and Isao with her words. For starters, she plants a seed of fear in his mind that since he brought it up he’s willing to die for them, which he doesn’t for obvious reasons. Then there’s Isao with him thinking that he’s powerless to help the group. Clair gives him a path to save everyone with the oleander. The lack of light in his eyes as Shuichi finds them tells that he knows the effect of the flowers.

Clair’s realization that the only thing scarier than a strong ability is the person that uses that ability is terrifying in a good way. It marks her role as the strategist in the group. Furthermore, Clair’s willingness to dirty her hands so that the others don’t have to was good. It works well to bring up Elena and her actions from Clair’s perspective. After they escaped Clair resolves to save her sister after thinking about Elena’s reasons for her actions. Not to mention we get a bonding moment between Shuichi and Clair on carrying the burden of doing the dirty work. Their bond gets emphasized when they hold hands as the flowers burn around them.

Predictably enough Ikeuchi goes to Madoka’s group in hope of surviving and protecting Chihiro, but he dies after partially revealing Isao’s ability to the enemy. His death serves to cut off the loose end to Shuichi and Clair’s induction in the group since he was suspicious of them. Admittedly I have to wonder if his death was a part of Clair’s plan or just a coincidence. Either way, his actions gave the group time to escape which is ironic to me.

The similarity between the groups on protecting their own is something that I didn’t think the show would address, but it works well for what comes next with Madoka’s group. When Madoka and his group of idiots realize that Koyanagi’s group escaped and try to follow them through the fire. However, his group is poisoned by the smoke and his resolve to not leave them behind kills him in the end. It’s a fitting end for them to be defeated by Koyanagi’s group.

Overall it was a good episode showing that while Clair may not have powers, her mind is more than enough to defeat a group of monsters. With that last scene, I wonder if we’ll get more of Elena in the next episodes.