Before I begin with the review, I am going to give you a major heads-up and warn you that there WILL be spoilers in this review. If you haven’t watched the series, please have a look at my first impression of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, it’s spoiler free!
In order to get my point across, I have to write about what took place, so make sure you watch the episode before reading on. If you don’t mind spoilers, then read at your own discretion. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Manato is dead. No, I am not pulling your leg or teasing you, he really is dead. Manato, no!! The first chunk of the episode proves to be entertaining and progressive, as we learn that the team has gained new skills that aid them in battle. We actually get to see them in-use too, which look great. This shows progression for our characters; we see they are moving up little by little since they can take down 3 goblins now. Good for them, right?
From here on is where the episode becomes intense. After a nice chat with each other, we can see our characters feeling better about their situation. I would even go as far as to say perhaps they’ve become arrogant. Manato mentions they can take down 4 goblins if they strategize enough. Whereas before, they would hesitate to even think about such a bold move. Such thinking could cost them, and lo and behold, it did. Haruhiro saves Manato from being shot with an arrow, only to take the shot (an arrow to the leg and not his knee). From here, we see the episode turn dramatic and now it’s all about getting out of there to survive. Although they escape, it seems Manata takes an arrow to the back, unbeknownst to the other characters. This leads to Manato fainting, only to die in front his team and friends.
This is where the atmosphere becomes saddening. With Haruhiro and the rest taking Manato to his priest in the hopes that he can save him, it seems not even the head priest can do anything. Seeing the reactions of the characters hits the feels. From Shihoru crying, to Haruhiro mourning over his dead friend, the emotional impact was strong in this episode and the music added to the value of it all. What’s worse is that they have to cremate him or he’ll turn into a walking corpse of terror; the world of Grimgar isn’t all it seems to be, eh?
In my own opinion, I knew we were going to get a character death eventually with the given setting Grimgar has given us, but I didn’t think it would be this quick. But the moment I saw Haruhiro’s monologue about Manato’s analysis of his team, I knew he was going to die. Everything felt better with this episode. We got slight progression, emotional impact, and an important moment in the story. The feels were strong with this one and with Manato dead, I guess we will never find out what he was up to with that symbol…
Check out the other Winter 2016 Anime season related articles!
(Screenshot Credits: FUNImation)
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