English Dub Review: Gleipnir “Staked Claims”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The group starts their search for the coins in the mountains and them across a marked territory. Since their group doesn’t have a lot of fighting strength they opt to go around and scout ahead. However, when they get a riverbank Clair suggests that they head back since the open terrain makes them easy targets. Then they spot a group high above them and a monster goes to them at a frightening speed. The monster, Morita catches up to them and threatens them to collect the coins for his group. If they don’t, they’ll end up dead like a girl who wandered into their turf.

Yota uses his power to beat the monster up and Shuichi comments on his power. The other group finds out Morita and the boss, Madoka goes after them. Meanwhile, Isao uses his powers to grow a tree barricade as Clair gets out of Shuichi’s mascot suit. However, Madoka mows down the barricade and punches Isao while claiming revenge for his henchman. Yota punches him, but Madoka knocks him out as the others tremble from Madoka’s strength. Madoka’s attention turns to Clair and he asks for Clair’s name.

Our Take:

This episode was a good start to the battle between groups in the mountains. It also shows the group struggling with more powerful enemies going forward on the path of the spaceship. However, with only four more episodes the search for the coins might not end if they confront more groups.

At any rate, Koyanagi’s speech was a good warning to the group since they’re entering a lawless territory with stronger opponents. While the other groups are strong, they have their intelligence, and that they won’t start pointless fights. The little break they have before continuing their trek worked as a good bonding moment. The scene diffuses some of the tension to the dangerous trek, but the tension recovers with Clair’s observation of the terrain of the riverbank. In addition, Isao’s ability to grow watermelons and trees helped with the group’s bonding and escape.

Their encounter with Morita was a small sample of what they have to deal with next with Madoka. He uses the head of the corpse as an intimidation tactic and his group’s goal is just to get whatever they want with coins rather than ruling the world or destroying the human race. The scene is simple and effective with Morita holding Koyanagi hostage and Clair and Shuichi getting thrown at a tree. Now Yota’s ability wasn’t flashy, but strong enough to knock the monster back. His backstory on his ability was interesting as he used his fists to protect a friend at school. Later he gets superhuman strength using the coin and now protects the group. The fact that he erected a grave for the deceased was a good moment to show the difference between the groups.

However Gleipnir shows an interesting take on the other group as the boss, Madoka pulls out one of his teeth to demonstrate his care for Morita as the boss of the group. His actions are twisted but it shows that while this group is utterly disgusting even they look out for each other. Then when Madoka the boss crashed through Isao’s barricade and knocks the gentle kid down assuming that he’s the one responsible for the dislocation of Morita’s jaw. Yota in turn says that he’s the one who punched Morita and he gets knocked out. It leaves Koyanagi’s group stunned and an effective show of Madoka’s strength and an assurance that the group isn’t going to come out of this encounter with all of them alive.

Overall this episode was good with the linear pace of Koyanagi’s group coming into the crosshairs of Madoka’s group. How the group is going to get out of the situation is something I look forward to watching since Clair could devise a plan to get out of the one-sided deal.