Tower of God

Episode 6

I think what makes Tower of God such a wild ride is its complete disregard for filler. Particularly during a transitional episode like “Position Selection,” which introduces new warrior classes for our contestants, the effect is a bit like trying to keep up with an especially enthusiastic D&D dungeon master. Webtoon author SIU has his clear inspirations (I'm going to add Naruto to the list based on Bam's new wardrobe change alone), and it feels as though the most vital lesson he has picked up from battle anime is that momentum is everything. From confusing plot points to pointless melodrama, anything can be forgiven when it's delivered at a breakneck pace.

I only read the first ten chapters of Tower of God, but I'm not deaf. Nearly every interaction I've had about this show has been a request to not think too highly of Rachel. This week, I got the first inkling of why she might not have such a great reputation: she asked Khun to lie to Bam about her identity in order to keep him away. It's a fascinating development: when Bam professed that chasing after Rachel was his entire reason for entering the Tower, I thought it was daring for Tower of God to show its hand so soon. But Rachel's attitude shows that Bam is just as far from his goal as he was in the beginning. Rachel's reasoning, that she and Bam are one another's weaknesses, is logically sound and even backed up by experience. After all, Bam not only lost the Crown Game he was seconds from winning, but also got seriously injured when he encountered Rachel. It's enough to convince Khun to lie on her behalf… but not enough to keep Rachel from stress-eating all of the chocolate bars Rak was looking forward to. Coming in fresh, it feels like much ado about nothing, but luckily there's not much time to mull it over.

Bam takes five days to wake up (much to the badly concealed chagrin of tsundere Rak) but fortunately doesn't miss much. Since he's a Wave Controller according to the hastily explained new class system aka Positions, he's got a day to spare. I was pretty confused when Lady Yuri was described as a “Fisherman” before the system rolled out, but once it was described it was easy to understand. It was not even a little surprising that Rak is a Spear Bearer. I'd guess Khun is a Light Bearer based on the descriptions... just looked it up and I was right. I wonder if the Position assignments will change the team makeup, too. Since Anaak left Shibisu and Hatz in the dust, will they begin battling alongside our main three? With everything moving so quickly, I'm unsure if this was explained. One thing that I'm definitely not 100% certain about is the Princesses of Zahard system. First Anaak's a “fake,” then she calls Endō.rsi one as well. It's clear that princesshood has nothing to do with blood, so what does qualify these women? Especially since not all of them are in possession of one of the 13 month swords. I could look all this up on the Tower of God wiki, but I want to see how the anime decides to reveal this information while it's still airing.

It's only after the episode is over that I start reflecting on the details doled out and wondering, “Wait, did I really get that right?” During the show, the story is nonstop fun that feels like no time has passed at all. I especially loved watching the well-matched fight between Anaak and Endō.rsi. Endō.rsi's easy movement even in such perilous surroundings shows her skill as a seasoned fighter. It's still not clear to me why Endō.rsi is the target of Anaak's revenge, but as Crunchyroll director of brand and title marketing Carter Hahnselle says in an ANN interview, “The mysteries are what make the story so enthralling! As a viewer, we are introduced to a world that is shrouded in the unknown, and throughout the journey, we unravel bits and pieces through Bam's perspective.” I may be a little lost but that's kind of the point. I'm excited to learn more about the tower along with Bam.

Tower of God is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist and model kits at Gunpla 101.