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Thunderbolt Fantasy
Episode 12

by Gabriella Ekens,

How would you rate episode 12 of
Thunderbolt Fantasy (puppet TV) ?
Community score: 3.1

It's time for the penultimate episode of Thunderbolt Fantasy. The party's almost over, but that doesn't mean that it's reached its peak yet. Last week, Juǎn Cán Yún and Dān Fěi lost the guard to Xíng Hài and Shòu Yún Xiāo, who ran off to sell it to Miè Tiān Hái. Shāng Bù Huàn failed to con Miè Tiān Hái with his impersonation of Lǐn Xuě Yā, and now he's on the run. At the beginning of this episode, he runs into Juǎn Cán Yún and Dān Fěi. The former, frustrated and wounded, starts calling the wandering swordsman out. Lancer still has no idea what the stranger's deal is, and he can't stand how he's so chill in this situation. When Shāng Bù Huàn explains that he doesn't even have a title, Juǎn Cán Yún mockingly dubs him the “Edgeless Blade” in reference to his strong but clumsy sword strikes. But when Miè Tiān Hái's lackey, Diāo Mìng, finally tracks them down, Shāng Bù Huàn finally explains himself.

The truth is that he's so good at swords, he doesn't even need a sword. He can chop your ass in half with a stick he picked up off the ground, as he proceeds to do to Miè Tiān Hái's manservant. In fact, the weapon he's been using up to this point is just a hunk of wood that he painted silver. Shāng Bù Huàn's rationale for this is that he wants to feel burdened by the weight of each kill, which is considerate in light of the fact that the two other sword guys we knew were mass murdering lunatics. Shāng Bù Huàn was probably a famous warrior in Xī Yōu, but nobody knows who he is in Dōng Lí. Juǎn Cán Yún is flabbergasted by this and takes back all his shit talk. Together, they run off to see what's happening at the temple.

Some people might be disappointed that we don't receive more concrete information on Shāng Bù Huàn's past, but I think what we got was sufficient. Gen Urobuchi has a history of not revealing more about a character's backstory than is necessary to justify their ideology, and that seems to have been his plan for every character in Thunderbolt Fantasy. I'm cool with it – it means that the characters are immediately endearing based on their actions in the present and contributes to the economy of his storytelling.

Back at the temple, Xíng Hài and Shòu Yún Xiāo have shown up to deliver the guard to Miè Tiān Hái. At the same time, Lǐn Xuě Yā hides outside in order to see what they'll do. Miè Tiān Hái acquires the guard and uses it to pull out the sword. As he does so, the floor collapses, revealing a cavern that houses the slumbering demon Yāo Tú Lí. Shòu Yún Xiāo is shocked, but the rest of them aren't. Miè Tiān Hái is just like “huh, so that's where it was,” while Xíng Hài becomes actively gleeful. You see, she was never in this for the money or even to keep the Heaven's Retribution Sword out of Miè Tiān Hái's hands. Rather, she wanted a chance to revive Yāo Tú Lí, who she figured might be sealed beneath the sword on account of not being anywhere else. Miè Tiān Hái is okay with this because the apocalypse seems like a great opportunity to use all of his cool swords. Of course, Shòu Yún Xiāo isn't so into it because the demon would slaughter most of humanity, which would make it hard to spend his loot. When he gets violent, Xíng Hài kills him, hanging him with her whip and dropping his body into the pit. Their business accomplished, Miè Tiān Hái and Xíng Hài pose at each other for a while before parting ways – presumably so Xíng Hài can prepare to revive the demon lord, and Miè Tiān Hái can go jerk off to his completed sword collection.

But on the way out, Miè Tiān Hái notices Lǐn Xuě Yā. To recap, Vape Thief's entire shtick is that he'll take whatever is most precious to someone in order to destroy their misplaced pride. Until the end of this episode, he wasn't absolutely sure what was most precious to Miè Tiān Hái. He was initially after the sword to mess with the Hù Yìn Shī, but while doing that, it seems that Miè Tiān Hái caught his eye as a more entertaining target. However, while eavesdropping on his earlier conversation, Lǐn Xuě Yā learns that this baddie isn't actually all that interested in the sword's capabilities. If he were, he would have been disappointed that the Heaven Retribution Sword's power comes from it acting as a seal and not a super powerful weapon. As it turns out, Miè Tiān Hái already has absolute confidence in his ability to achieve whatever he wants with his skills alone. Owning the Ultra Best Sword was just supposed to cement his status as the Ultra Best swordsman. So in order to break Miè Tiān Hái, Lǐn Xuě Yā needs to steal his self-confidence, not the actual blade. There are a couple of ways that I can see him going about this. The first is simply beating him in a swordfight. The second is rendering him somehow unable to wield swords, like cutting off his arms. After explaining all this, Lǐn Xuě Yā brandishes his own sword, which he'd conveniently hidden in his pipe bong.

This ending suggests that Lǐn Xuě Yā could be strong enough to take down Miè Tiān Hái on his own. I'd be disappointed if that were true – it hasn't been foreshadowed at all, and there's already another hero whose entire deal is Being Good At Swords. Either way, Lǐn Xuě Yā just took a hit off his pipe, and he only does that before he's about to do some illusion-y stuff, so I'm betting that this is another gambit. As it stands, the endgame consists of taking out Miè Tiān Hái, Xíng Hài, and the demon.

Everything is now in place for a thunderous conclusion. Our heroes are Shāng Bù Huàn, Dān Fěi, and Juǎn Cán Yún. Shā Wú Shēng and Shòu Yún Xiāo have died. Xíng Hài has turned traitor. Lǐn Xuě Yā has turned double triple ultimate traitor and nobody can tell whose side he's really on. Miè Tiān Hái got his sword, and there's a giant preying mantis with a skull for a face that wants to eat everyone. Somewhere, Gen Urobuchi is having a blast, and I am too. It'll be a shame to see this one end.

Grade: A

Thunderbolt Fantasy is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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


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