English Dub Review: Blue Exorcist – Beyond the Snow Saga “Distress”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Rin and Shiemi go on a routine mission while Yukio attempts to control his demonic powers.

OUR TAKE

Seems we’re doing some low stakes character building episodes to start us off, which is not exactly a surprise if you remember the last season, which started with some of those too before the plot really got rolling around the third episode. So, maybe we’re headed towards some major revelation or sudden tone shift starting next week, but for now I would like to appreciate that we’re even getting a small slice of peace with these characters in the interim between huge battles. Carrying on from last episode, Ban has already changed his hairstyle to be like it is in the Opening, as well as taking up a job at a sushi place or something to show that he is willing to be led and learn from others instead of needing to be a leader all the time. Rin and Shiemi get to develop their relationship a little bit since they’re both dense as rocks and are only now is Rin able make it clear to her that he has romantic feelings for her. I’m not exactly a huge supporter of this specific ship to begin with, I’m actually more ambivalent to it, but I do like these characters so hopefully they get to have a happy ending when all is said and done, even if it doesn’t end with them together.

And then we get to what seems like it will be a running undercurrent for the rest of this season: Yukio trying to unlock his own powers from Satan. This is clearly something that many have been expecting for him long before this was published in the manga, since the anime only filler arc from the first season of the anime delved into this as well by giving him blue flames and pointy ears like Rin has. But as you may recall, that arc is now essentially the “gas leak season” of this show so it didn’t happen, and thus we can explore how the manga (and therefore the anime adaptation) goes through it. Seems his power is more eye based since it triggered through his eyes…but also only appears when he’s in mortal danger, which is why he’s been trying to almost kill himself this whole episode. It doesn’t seem like they’re leaning towards making him a bad guy like in the filler arc, but he’s definitely going down a darker path, hence why he hasn’t seen Rin in awhile. I guess we’ll see where that takes us in the future.