I will have to separate the episode into two parts since due to how the episode was pacing it is more like two episodes in one. I really wish it could have been two episodes as there's a lot of thins they could have done to expand it.
Episode 4, Part 1: Mock Battle...literally.
The episode does a nice job showcasing Ikta's tactics and planning. Its nice to actually be able to see how he set up the situation instead of it just happening too. Its also very nice to see that at least one of older brothers is actually smart and mature.
While its clear that majority of budget went to that fight in second part, the episode employed some nice use of aerial view to showcase the battle progress and seeing how Ikta's "not quite" a victory comes too.
The Mock battle ends up being a very nice mockery towards Bully brother, showcasing his insignificance and making the words Ikta said to him last episode ring true. I can only hope wherever he goes with his life, he will end up learning from this experience.
The segment ends with nice speech by Ikta, which outlines his rationalism. It was obvious to me before, but it is quite nice to see it outlined. Ikta is a realist, a rationalist. He HATES idealism and the unreasonable logic that follows it. So he presents an alternative and this is one of the first time he gets to openly declare his way of thinking, as opposed to being just viewed as Lazy.
Now obviously there's a lot of comparisons that can be drawn between Ikta in that scene and the legendary Yang Wenli from Legend of Galactic Heroes. Ikta's speech here resonates in similar way as Yang's "drink tea speech" and Ikta's confusion and behavior after everyone starts cheering for him is a very Yang-like thing to do.
At the same time the sequence ends with Ikta asking Torway if he won the war of attrition. Now it obviously refers the mock battle going on, but at the same time there's a deeper theme at play here too. We have seen implications that he older brother mistreated and bullied Torway before. Torway never got to stand up. He was suffering this treatment and in this mock battle he got a chance to stand up against his brother and show his worth. That is the hidden meaning Ikta has been refering to as "War of Attrition" in both this and previous episode. Torway finally got the chance to stand up for himself after suffering for quite long time.
Episode 4: Part 2 - Everything is Red
The second half episode focuses on the princess being kidnapped by her guards, but what's more it is a story of corruption and consequences.
The fight that follows is clearly where majority of budget was focused upon and it was very nice to the eye, but what is most important here is characterization.
If the first half of episode shows glory and success of military leadership, the second half shows the blood-drenched reality of both empire's corruption and military life itself
Yattori gets some nice characterization here showcasing that she is not infallible or perfect - not only her plan almost falls apart(and only succeeds because the rebel troops like their commander too much to follow his order), but she also gets pinned down and we also see the fragility hidden behind her knightly self, via one of the best directed shots near the end.
Red is the theme of this part of the episode. Yattori, a soldier with red hair, is drenched in red of people she killed. Chamille gets drenched in blood of people her family wronged.
As Ikta says to yattori, those weapons are REALLY heavey. In more ways than one. The outcome, the scene drenched in blood is not a victory like in the first half. Its not paint and there are no cheers. A bunch of good people who followed and loved the general they worked for laid down their lives. Nobody is a hero here and nobody is a villain. And its a counter-experience that is bound to shape and scar those people there for life.
Easily 5/5 Best episode so far. |