English Dub Review: BEM “Judgment”

Overview:

A rigged trial takes place.

Our Take:

Bem is put on trial, which is broadcasted to both the Uppers and Lowers. The head is the new police commissioner, and he is pretty set in his viewpoints: the Alphas are monsters, and monsters have no place in Libra City. Of course, the trial isn’t even a real one. Bem is not given any defense lawyer, and is not even given anyone to speak on his behalf. The two people who testify, Daryl and the Doctor, are both against him, and the judges aren’t exactly sympathetic. As the police head describes, the trial isn’t actually to judge the crimes of Bem, but to decide what the city’s policy regarding monsters are. In this case, reinforcing what the head of police’s personal views are.

Compared to the public, the head of police is far more intolerant of the monsters. To him, they are threats ready to be exterminated, as shown by his willingness to use force as soon as possible. He wants to destroy all of them, no matter what, and he is the one heading the trial. The thing is that the public doesn’t necessarily respond the same way that he does. The public seems more curious about Bem. While they are of course, scared of him, and definitely don’t see him as a human, they also don’t seem that willing to kill him. They want to hear Summers when she speaks out, and they’re pretty passive. They may be scared, but they’re not necessarily out for blood. Daryl is, the police head is, but the general public seems to be more rubbernecking than anything else.

In the end, Summers decides to testify on behalf of Bem. She is for the first time, publicly honest about how she feels and what she thinks of the creatures. She admits that she was largely critical and afraid at first, and she still is fairly repulsed by Bem’s true appearance. Still, that doesn’t mean that Bem didn’t go out of his way to help her, and is still not guilty of the crimes that he’s charged with. Her pleas are mostly unheard by the judges, but she did still try. She fight back and apologizes to Bem for not being able to save him- but he still thanks her. In the end, someone did fight for him, and someone did believe in him. To Bem, who loves people, that seems to be enough.