“Resistance”
Tanya’s squadron faces off against a battalion of Allied Kingdom mages in the skies above the English Channel with Anson Sioux at the head. A fierce battle ensues that eventually sees the bogeys repelled after a number of close calls. As the Republic forces pull back and surrender Parisee, Tanya realizes something is amiss.
WeekendOtaku
In terms of using the tools this series has at its disposal, this latest episode was fairly comprehensive. It brings back the aerial mage combat that had been more or less absent for two episodes while not ignoring the large scale strategy that had been in recent focus, and even features a little of the show’s typical humor. It also shows that Being X is still influencing things behind the scenes to create problems for Tanya.
The latest problem being Anson Sioux, who in this episode is clearly shown to be either powered up by Tanya’s supernatural adversary or even under his control. The aerial battle here is better than the ones we’ve had, with a lot of nice scenes created though use of camera angles and special effects. The design of the British Allied Kingdom’s mages are nice too as they ride devices that resemble broomsticks.
But apparently even a battalion sized force isn’t enough to take out Tanya’s small company, even when Tanya’s attention is strongly forced to focus on Colonel Sioux. Given how this battle turned out for him it’s no wonder he didn’t tell his family he survived. As ready as he was to give his life to carry out his goal, Viktoriya’s quick thinking and Tanya’s plot armor prevents her untimely death. Killing Anson with his own gun was salty though, since audiences have many more reasons to sympathize with him over Tanya.
Of course, with one episode left this wouldn’t be the last of her worries. Recalling history (but perhaps mixing a couple wars together again), Tanya understands what the Republic’s ‘retreat’ really is. Her anger over being prevented by top brass to secure the peace she worked so hard to create is noteworthy as she takes out her frustration with her tiny fists. The series had, since the second episode, given the impression that Tanya was meant to learn despair, and at long last we might be reaching that point.
Good
– Great aerial combat scenes and magical effects thanks to Sioux’s upgrades.
– Being X and other forces outside of Tanya’s control threaten to sabotage her victories, revisiting one of the series’ original threads.
Bad
– Tanya’s plot armor apparently extends to the rest of her battalion too.
KimmieKawaii
Despite all the setbacks, vague direction, and shifting tone, viewers can all agree this battle scene was epic. Vivid explosions of color amid sharp camera angles and aerial maneuvers. Also there was a good mix of bloodshed (which anyone knows is what makes a battle worthwhile to witness).
Overall, this conflict is an all too realistic snapshot of how warfare truly is. Tanya realizes that the Republic withdrawing from the capital is not necessarily a means of victory for the Empire. Despite voicing her concern over allowing enemy troops to escape, the Empire disregards her proposal to take action as an unnecessary upset. The high ranking officers conclude that confronting withdrawing enemy troops will threaten diplomatic negotiations and the peace that will surely follow.
What separated this confrontation from the rest was that Tanya’s weaknesses are actually highlighted. In previous battles, Tanya significantly dominated enemy forces, even when the odds were against her. In incidences where she is significantly outnumbered, Tanya somehow always manages to stave off the enemy until reinforcements arrive. In this episode her small stature is shown to work against her as she is practically manhandled during combat. While this could’ve been a running disadvantage for Tanya throughout the series, it was refreshing to see it touched upon at all.
This is one of the few, if only, episodes that ended without an after credits scene to entice viewers to tune in next week. With the finale slated to air, perhaps writers surmised that would be enough to garner views. Regardless, after witnessing the last battle and Tanya confrontation with Anson, I am truly anticipating what will happen next.
Good
– Stunning battle execution– sharp aerial maneuvers, vivid colors, rising/falling action.
– It was refreshing to witness Tanya’s size working against her for once.
Bad
– I’m good with this episode, so I will default to whatever WeekendOtaku mentions 🙂
Random comments
WeekendOtaku
This show seems to consistently inflate military units by at least one order of magnitude. Last episode, Tanya had 3 fire teams that could collectively be called a twelve person squad, but is instead referred to as a company. The size of her entire group, which has been called a battalion (normally at least 2 companies, or 300 men) since episode 5, was at most shown to be a bit more than platoon size, and never reached even a low strength company size of 80. Their opponents this episode are similarly called a battalion by Viktoriya, but you can count them in the above picture. Not even a full platoon of 50.
Tanya being a stickler for rules and her comment about Anson’s trench gun was a nice touch. He was using a Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, which took on the ‘trench gun’ moniker after Allied forces began using it in WWI for its close range firepower. The Germans did indeed object to its use under Article 23 of the 1907 Hague Convention Treaty which prohibits the use of “arms…calculated to cause unnecessary suffering,” referring to the indiscriminate nature of buckshot compared to the single bullet fire of a rifle. Anson’s use of it this episode, combined with his magically charged shot, show off its effectiveness quite well.
This post is part of our seasonal episodic review series. To view all the posts in this series, click the following link: Viewing Party
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