English Dub Review: Sparks Of Tomorrow “The Steadfast Girl”
Overview:
Netflix has dropped the latest episode of Sparks of Tomorrow, which sees Kihachi and Inako come together and help a widow process her grief, all with the power of electricity.
Our Take:
Last episode, Kihachi was haunted by a riddle involving a mysterious “moon princess.” Naturally, this was a reference to the fairy tale of Princess Kaguya and the bamboo cutter, a story well-known to anime fans. Thanks to it, Inako and Kihachi helped develop a new lightbulb with the help of bamboo. This was the “Electric Full Moon,” a balloon that outshone and outlasted gas-powered lights.
More importantly, Kihachi regained his faith in his brother and his hope for the future. This comes in handy, as he encounters a widow who feels trapped in a state of grief over her late husband. Inako can also easily empathize, having lost her own mother. Kihachi takes it upon himself to help the widow with the power of electricity. However, this brings up the question: can electricity connect the living with the dead?
Before anyone gets any ideas about this turning into a Frankenstein retelling, they decide to create an electric hot spring to at least comfort the grieving woman. Unfortunately, Kihachi learns the hard way not to combine electricity and water. Our anime Einstein decides to help the woman with a placebo, combining a phonograph with a phone and having the widow’s son talk to her, pretending to be his own father. It may be a lie, but the woman is given a second chance to turn her life around.
Ultimately, this is a touching story about grief, loss, and the importance of hope. However, the story still offers its lighter moments. Honestly, the duckface Kihachi makes when waxing lyrical about his idea to help the widow honestly makes the story worth it.
