GARO THE ANIMATION

Episode 9

Oh GARO, why did I ever doubt you? After one baffling and one entertaining (if slightly meandering) episode, you return full force with -NEW HOPE-, the best one so far. It's the culmination of Alfonso's story, which feels impressively whole considering he's only had about an hour of screen time.

This episode, León and Alfonso both set out to train by defeating the same Horror, the Chimera of Orvien. Awkward. It's not a coincidence, however - they've been sent that way by the Makai Knight's leader/communications officer/who-knows-what, a supernatural being known as Garm. She takes the form of a young girl and gives commands from a pocket dimension that resembles a surrealist painting. On their way to take it down, León and Alfonso run into each other and immediately hit it off. Later that night, they're confused to find that they're heading in the same direction, until they realize that they're on the same quest, and a battle begins. The Horror is formidable, nearly killing both Alfonso and the besuited León. Rafael arrives to sacrifice his life to hold off the Horror, passing on his power as the Makai Knight Gaia to Alfonso in his final moments. Alfonso takes up the mantle, eliminates the monster in a single strike, and then collapses in sorrow over his master's death.

I'm relieved that we've finally gotten to interactions between León and Alfonso. Both are on a quest for power this episode, but while Alfonso clearly wants power in order to adequately protect his kingdom, León's motivations are more complicated. He's got a good heart, but also a hankering for revenge and a troubled relationship with the expectations foisted upon him since birth. Now it seems like he's developing an inferiority complex too, after consecutive losses to both Bernardo and the Mausoleum Horror. I wonder - can slaying giant monsters really be the path to strength in León's case? It seems like what's really holding him back are his conflicting emotions regarding his purpose and legacy. I wonder what it'll take to snap him out of that? Alfonso, by contrast, was ordered to hunt down the Chimera by his master, Raphael, who was concerned about whether he could properly train the boy within his limited lifespan (signaled to the audience through the traditional Anime Impending Death Blood Cough). Overall, this episode was a game changer, and I'm glad that GARO isn't a series that sticks to a single status quo for very long. It reminds me more of Fullmetal Alchemist each episode.

Another important revelation - Mendoza's propaganda that Alfonso isn't the king's son might have some credence after all. Alfonso inherits Raphael's status as the Makai Knight Gaia here, which I'm pretty sure is only possible if you're a blood descendant of a previous holder. This is substantiated by the fact that Raphael seems to imagine Alfonso calling him "father" when he's really calling him "master." What's the story here? I mean, I expected something like this to happen - our two main characters eventually need to get suits, and Alfonso's only avenue before this seemed to be taking over Garo - but this is still sooner than I thought it would happen. The next episode will feature a lot of Esmerelda, so hopefully we'll get some details there. Either way, kudos to this show for not delaying revelations past the point where they become unbearably obvious, whether they have to do with Alfonso's inheritance of the Gaia suit (completed) or his parentage (speculated).

There's been some wonky animation in the past few episodes, and it turns out that they were saving all the good stuff for this one. (There seems to be a general spike in quality during Alfonso episodes.) The fight at the end is full of motion, and the Mausoleum Horror in particular is the best-looking Horror yet, unique and genuinely terrifying. It takes the form of a skyscraper-sized mausoleum gate, guarded by twin grim reapers and carried forward by the tormented, ghoulish souls of its former victims. Our heroes have to clamber atop it to fight it, and it nearly defeats León by crushing him between its side and a cliff. I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be the Chimera of Orvein that Garm describes earlier in the episode - that speech is accompanied by images of a a regular lion-headed snake-tailed chimera - but damn does it do the job. The monster designs are better when they're more "hideous freak of nature" than "rote fantasy creature," and I'm impressed by how consistently this show manages to be scary. The locations this episode were also great, and utilized very well within the action. From the backgrounds alone, Valiante looks like a country with a distinct history and geography - it's dominated by white cliffs, forested mountains, and pale sunlight.

In a sense, GARO THE ANIMATION has it all. It can pull off drama and comedy equally well, has a unique and well-executed aesthetic, and the story might be gearing up towards something special. It's an understated series, but I've never seen a show function so well on so many levels while receiving so little attention. Kudos to the guys behind this. I'm glad it's getting a second season.

Grade: A

GARO THE ANIMATION is currently streaming on Funimation.

Gabriella Ekens studies film and literature at a US university. Follow her on twitter.