Land of the Lustrous

Episode 8

An idyllic winter scene gives way to existential horror in this week's Land of the Lustrous. In “Antarcticite,” things get serious during an unseasonably sunny winter's afternoon. Life and death intermingle at Chord Shore, the place where all gems are born and, we soon discover, one of them is doomed to die. Breathtaking symmetrical imagery and painterly compositions form a gorgeous, thought-provoking background for this tense, memorable, and devastating episode.

At first, I thought this might be a humorous episode about Phos walking around with newly stubby arms, but I couldn't have been more wrong. These armless antics give way to mystery as soon as Kongo orders the pair to visit Chord Shore, “where all of you were born.” It's magical to see how Land of the Lustrous continually doles out enigmatic sacred settings even this late in the season—this world is still teeming with mystery and we don't know the half of it yet. Chord Shore is full of fossilized organisms undergoing metamorphosis into gemstones, but as we watch a gem smash to the ground before it has a chance to fully form, we learn that it is only on the rarest of occasions that they are born like Phos, Antarcticite, and their brethren. This reveal also emphasizes how sheltered the gems are. Once they are born, they are taken under Master Kongo's wing, where they are taught about their world from him alone. It's no wonder they love Kongo like a parent and revere his every move. If he were, as I suspect, concealing something about the Lunarians or his relationship to them, it would crush the gems' hearts.

Antarcticite finds nothing but gold and platinum to serve as Phos's arms, a less than ideal substance considering how soft and malleable these metals are despite being unwieldingly heavy. But somehow, these temporary gold arms take a liking to Phos, immediately engulfing the gem's body. It's right then, at the worst possible time, that the sky opens up and the Rorschach inkblot that precedes a Lunarian visit appears. Antarcticite puts up a valiant effort, insisting that they won't let these creatures steal their memories of Sensei. This makes their fate all the more tragic—this gem wanted nothing more than a few head pats. For his part, Kongo isn't able to make his intended last-minute rescue because he is impeded by Lunarians as well, grabbing at his robes and trapping him with fog. This makes me suspect more than ever that Kongo has unfinished business with them—why are they so interested in him when he doesn't seem to be of value to them like the gems?

It's up to Phos to rescue Antarcticite, but these new golden arms are anything but manageable. For a portion of the episode, they even enclose Phos in a cage, covering their mouth with countless liquid golden hands. It's the terror of having your own body betray you in such a viscerally awful way. When the Lunarians are right in front of them, Phos is finally ready to fight back. In their rage, Phos has blossomed like a monstrous golden flower, molding their new arms into huge fluid ropes that heal cracks as quickly as they form. It's a beautiful and terrifying new form, following a desperation to Phos's actions that we haven't seen until now.

The final moments of the episode, after Kongo arrives too late, are like a eulogy—Phos and Kongo unite in a mutual grief so profound that there is no room for words. This episode cuts so deep that there's no room for the regular ending sequence, instead depicting Antarcticite's absent bed. This is an episode that will sit with me all week. How will Phos be able to return to their vain, silly self again after this latest tragedy? How will Kongo cope with losing one of his most loyal gems, who he nurtured from their rare birth at Chord Shore and must consider to be like one of his own children? It's a turning point for Land of the Lustrous, a powerful tragic moment in the dark of winter that will surely influence its characters' actions for the rest of the series.

Rating: A

Land of the Lustrous is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.