English Dub Review: Ishura “Kazuki the Black Tone”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Yukiharu the Twilight Diver encounters deadly mercenaries.  At Okahu, a legendary gunner approaches.

Our Take:

At this point, we’re left wondering when we will get to the Royal Games, the real meat of the show’s plot.  Well, considering the vast number of characters it’s introducing, especially in this season, I guess that it will not happen anytime soon.  There have been several episodes that warrant its mature themes and plot progression, but others tend to grind its overall story to a halt.  This week’s episode seems to be somewhere in between, as it focuses on another new Shura as well as some familiar faces.  Like the previous episode, “Kazuki the Black Tone” features another small cameo from Yukiharu the Twilight Diver, a reporter investigating the mysterious murders occurring in the land, and his mysterious ally hidden inside the box he carries around.  Whether his role is crucial to the storyline is still difficult to tell, but I assume this won’t be the last time we see Yukiharu.  Plus, the character reminded me of Tanjiro from Demon Slayer, in which he, too, carries someone (Nezuko) inside his box.

Afterward, the episode reunites us with Shalk the Sound Slicer, following his appearance in season one, indicating that some of its characters aren’t just one-and-done.  As Shalk continues to find the truth about his past, he winds up joining forces with the other mercenaries of Okahu to hunt and kill Kazuki the Black Tone, a female gunner skilled with her two shotguns.  Additionally, Kazuki has an incredible singing voice provided by her voice actor, Morgan Berry, which is enough to make her action-packed moments fun to watch.  Unfortunately, her agility and gunman skills are no match for Shalk’s even greater speed, resulting in her swift demise.  Considering her formidable presence and skills, this was a disappointing way for Kazuki to go, but the episode did show some signs of plot progression through Shalk’s reappearance.  So now the question is when we’ll see more of his journey of self-discovery.