Izetta: The Last Witch

Episode 11

Despite how much I like this series, it has frustrated me at times with its missteps: giving Izetta little personality beyond her devotion to Finé, the credibility-shattering introduction of cloning, along with logical gaps like the Allies not investigating the possibility that they have a spy, or the Royal Guard sniper not continuing to cover her target until the body was secured. Even more annoying is that some of its missteps are intrinsically tied to good points: Izetta's personality being weaker complements Finé's stronger will, cloning allows the introduction of original White Witch Sophie and all her emotional baggage, the carelessness of the Royal Guard was necessary for moving along a major plot line, etc. However, the series also has its purer strong moments, and this episode is one of them. It's just a shame that the series took until its penultimate episode to finally crystallize what it does right again.

We don't have to wait long to find out how the Magic Stone broke. It happened when Sophie was seized, and Sieg's ancestor saw it as symbolic of breaking the nation's trust with the White Witch. This is a great call, as it makes the upcoming climactic battle between Sophie and Izetta even more fraught with symbolism: one user of the stone represents trust, the other betrayal. Showing Sophie's royally pissed-off expression even back then is a welcome touch too. That the Archduchess's hideout was discovered and raided by the SS (once again mixing imperial and Third Reich elements), or that Izetta would claim the stone despite knowing the cost to save the day were more predictable turns, though the art and animation production still impressed as Izetta used pieces of masonry to shield herself from gunfire in the more confined spaces of the bunker. Berkman taking this opportunity to turn against Otto was also entirely predictable; he made it clear last episode that his loyalty is more to himself than to Germania, so siding with Eylstadt was his only viable option at this point, especially since he knows all too well that Izetta is the only person who can stop what Otto is planning. Just how he knows all of these specifics when he was falling out of favor enough to be eliminated is more of a stretch, but Berkman is smart enough to get information his own way, so I can buy that he could have found out even if he wasn't fully in the loop anymore.

This sets up a trio of great scenes. The first is the meeting between Berkman and Sieg, the intelligence masters on each side and easily the two smartest figures in this story. This makes for a good comparison/contrast opportunity that expands Sieg's character further, gradually making him a fairly strong and likable supporting character. I also loved the scene where Izetta literally slaps Finé out of her defeatist funk, as it's both the first time where Izetta has been the dominant personality and the first time that she calls Finé by name. However, the biggest treat is seeing Izetta and Finé flying together just for fun. For all of the magic, scheming, occasional cutesiness, and warfare elements, the heart and soul of the story has always been in the Finé/Izetta relationship, and that scene is the epitome of their rapport. The execution of the scene is lovely to watch, especially the shot of them sitting on the mountaintop protected by a light bubble of magic. But what is Izetta talking about at the end of that scene? We'll have to wait until the finale to find out.

Regardless of what its conclusion might be, everything is set up for a dramatic ending. The series now has its act together better than at any point since the first couple of episodes, so now all that's left is to finish out properly.

Rating: A-

Izetta: The Last Witch is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.