Overview (Spoilers Below):
Shinoha attends the award ceremony at the Prime Minister’s residence. Kiwami is there to celebrate this honor with his friend… but the festivities turn into a nightmare when the Glass Children suddenly storm the building. Gamute declares the beginning of a deadly game involving the civilians, and the wheels of fate begin to turn for Shinoha and Kiwami!
Our Take:
The stage is set for the world’s most dangerous game that’s eager to put Battle Royale to shame. Unsurprisingly, this came at the worst possible time, as Shinoha was about to receive a special award from the Prime Minister for his book report. Following the “Great Burial of Love” arc, this lethal game hosted by Gamute should have the opportunity to turn the series around, with Gamute seemingly becoming the big bad. As a result, Kiwami is left to survive on his own, while Shinoha fights his way to save the civilians from Gamute’s wrath. Meanwhile, we see Zanzo back in action, as he utilizes his shapeshifting abilities to confront Order and Attacker, the former pro gamers who use armor-piercing missiles.
However, given my reaction to the show overall, it might be too little, too late to gain the upper hand in this underwhelming, insufferable conflict. This latest episode further showcased how far I’ve reached the bottom of the barrel and how impossible it is to climb out of it. It was nice to see Zanzo getting his chance to shine again following the battle against the biker army. However, regarding his fight against the pro-gamer duo, he deserves better treatment than what I got. Not even a flashback of Order and Attacker’s tragic past is enough to get me to feel things. This further highlights the show’s push to make the antagonists sympathetic, akin to shows like Demon Slayer, yet it falls flat in every conceivable way due to its melodramatic tone and poor vocal performances.