Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis 06-07
They can tear Amira from the table, but we can’t tear ourselves away from the show!
Anata e, Legendary Saint & The Storm Rages
We’ve faced bouts and routs with crazy-eyed louts, through swamps of rats, bats, and bitey-bitey gnats . But no matter, we persevere and bring you a double tap of Bahamut to the Max! It’s been a few weeks, hasn’t it? In that time we managed to skip a recap, but that doesn’t mean we have any less an EPIC Battle!
The Wings of Angels
Saint Jeanne ain’t no slouch…
I was concerned that the program’s background would run roughshod over, what I consider the more interesting story of Favaro and Kaiser’s rivalry slash emerging frienship. But I am quite happy to see that the writer’s worked in into the larger fabric as natural as they please. A war between Heaven and Hell should have a human element to it (and a zombie LOLi one as well), and Shigeki no Bahamut is no exception. They’ve balanced the scales quite nicely, and it helps when the forces of Heaven find it of interest to keep them alive.
Nothing like Angelic writ freedom…
But, in going into the larger picture, the Angels have their work cut out for them. They are fighting a battle of many fronts, with several players working their own agendas and angles. Not only do they have to keep the chthonic dragon god Bahamut at rest, they have to contend with the theft of their God Key under mysterious circumstances. Add to the the trouble brewing Below, and the forces of Heaven need all the help they can get. It seems the best they can do it keep Amira, and thus the God Key, safe until they figure out exactly how to extract said piece from her half-angel-half-demon form.
Something the world has never seen
Two warring faction in one person…no wonder she’s so hungry
They mystery of who or what Amira is continues to compound. Lavalley is moving in the shadows, keeping her alive and in play. He says he is keeping her safe, and that he knows her mother, and even has her believing him to be her father. That’s quite a hefty pile of details there, and most of them might even be true. For my money, I think Lavelley is working a third agenda in this war, and is quite the undercover man while doing so. He does have the trust of perhaps the most powerful human around, Saint Jeanne. But what is his angle? I’m suspecting a sort of “human’s first” plot. I mean, if you have two powerful forces clashing, with you in the middle, how do you get out and away from the middle?
From humble beginnings
I’m always a bit wary of prophecy in fantasy stories. It’s never a surety, and it rarely plays out exactly like the hero thinks it does. But with Jeanne’s commitment to the protection of her realm, and with the Angels clearly on her side, it’s not that hard to subscribe. She can kick ass with the most horrible of them and come out a champion. And it helps having one of the most OP weapons we’ve seen in the story so far, not to mention a legion of spellcrafters helping her pull off some sweet aerial combat moves. But, how many of her accomplishments are her’s and her’s alone? How much does fate play into her abilities, and what does this mean for the likes of Favaro and Kaiser? Heroes can rise from the meanest of circumstances. With Kaiser that’s pretty easy to follow, but for our ginger mopped selfish bastard, might not be the easiest pill to swallow.
Pictured: selfish bastard
Woot! That was one hell of an exchange involving our Team Humans and the ultimate bastard in Azazel. I loved how he tried to play them both of each other, and he almost won in the end. It was a combination of the fullest of both Favaro’s self-determined nature and Kaiser’s willingness to self-sacrifice that really payed off the ending. At first Azazel found it hilarious to continue a minor game he started decades ago. But, he ain’t laughing now. Nice to see that Micheal coming into play at the end there, hopped up on dealing some righteous beat downs.
A few moving moments
It’s been a treat covering the show for another double tap, and this two-parter was a natural way to do so. The world’s background continues to develop a rich vein well worth mining, and so long as they kept us in stitches with Favaro and Kaiser, and the world’s best zombie LOLi, I will be pleased to follow Amira to the Nifleheim and beyond. What did you folks, think?
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
So I bit the bullet and tried playing the Rage of Bahamut card game. It is kinda neat, but it has the SHITTIEST UI EVER! There is like a million things on the main menu, all poorly explained. Plus, it suffers from the odd need to sexualize everything that isn’t a hideous monster. I don’t know how such an amazing anime came from such a mediocre game.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I have it on my Nexus 7 as of about four weeks ago…I’ve yet to get into it. But you’re report of a conflicted UI is enough to send me away.
As for how an amazing show came from such a game? Well MAPPA used it as an inspiration…as all great adapters do. They simply asked, what is cool about this, and how can we make a freekin’ awesome story about it. Looks like they answered those questions correctly…
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
Let me put it like this: I bet the Terrence and Philip Mobile game is better than the Rage of Bahamut game.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Touch the screen, make fart sounds? I would need just a touch more depth.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Honestly, I don’t see the point in having a recap for a show with only a dozen. It’s not like there’s a lot to go over. I’d understand if the anime was two-cour. Still, the series retains its awesomeness with two thrilling episodes. I’d love to see how Funimation intends to handle the English dub later on.
Agreed on how shorthanded the angels are. They’re spread so thin that it’s only a matter of time before Bahamut revives, whether Amira and the God Key are safe or not. The question is what her mystery contractor hopes to accomplish getting both keys. Surely he knows how important they are. What if the plan is to deliberately release Bahamut?
Now that Kaisar knows the truth behind his father’s demise, it’s safe to say all the animosity harbored against Favaro has evaporated. I can actually see those two becoming friends, though Favaro with his ego won’t easily admit such a thing.
I’m a little worried about what happens to Jeanne when the whole ordeal is over. Simply just by her name. That alone is a death flag in and of itself considering the known history surrounding the name “Jeanne D’Arc”. Something tells me part of the story will follow along those lines.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Are you not watching Shirobako? That’s what the point of recap episodes is: “Crap, we’re way behind and can’t make the schedule.”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Actually, no. Shows like Shirobako, Amagi Brilliant Park, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Sora no Method and Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru are so not within my interests that it’s a chore even trying to remember their names.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
You think that you’re so not into those shows? 😛 wait ’til you see my list.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
While you’re getting your list together, here’s mine for the season. It’s quite a lot.
Akatsuki no Yona
Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo:
Donten ni Warau
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Garo: Honoo no Kokuin
Grisaia no Kajitsu
Hitsugi no Chaika: Avenging Battle
Log Horizon S2
Madan no Ou to Vanadis
Mushishi Zoku Shou 2
Nanatsu no Taizai
Ore, Twintails ni Narimasu
Parasyte
Psycho-Pass 2
Selector Spread WIXOSS
Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis
Trinity Seven
Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete
World Trigger
Continuing from Last Season (Summer 2014):
Akame ga Kill!
Shirogane no Ishi Argevollen
Sword Art Online II
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I think we have different ideas of what list we are creating…
On the topic of divergent ideas: check out what I got on my wordpress. I think the Sora Lolion would like it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Shirobako, Amagi Brilliant Park, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Sora no Method and Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru ended up on my list of animes I didn’t cared about and after seeing the posts, I’m personally glad I never picked them up. Boredom would surely ensue. I dropped Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de immediately because it was intolerable and Terra Formars is on hold until all the episodes are available.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m wondering how long until you drop Parasyte, since it’s obviously my writing about a show that puts it on your ‘do not watch’ list. 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well, it’s not like I want comments for Sora no Method….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
@Highway: Oh, come on. Don’t play that card on me. You know my conclusion is based on what the show is about, particularly the genres, not who’s blogging it. 😉 Besides, Parasyte looks like it’s going to be a keeper if it remains on its current path.
skylion: So this is the LOLi Defender in his tsundere mode, huh? Fascinating. 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Lots of smirks and giggles in these exchanges.
@BB. Don’t analyse me, baka inu!
:-0
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Looks like someone entered their tsuntsun mode! 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I could go yandere, so be careful. Follow sorameso….
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well, this kingdom isn’t Middle Ages France, and they already call Jeanne a saint right now. So whatever flag she has, isn’t the historical one. That’s the problem with saints….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hopefully not because it wouldn’t be right if the same fate happened to this Jeanne. When certain historical figures take part in any show, based on their name, you begin to anticipate things. Some turn out with very unpleasant outcomes.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Caster says: Watashi no Jeanne! Ah… Kamisama, how cruel you are!
Enough of that. Everytime there is mention of Jeanne and suffering, Caster creeps into the picture.
All Jeanne has to do is use her saikyou hougu: La Pucelle!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
..the last four episodes of Za Fool? That was chock full of horrible historical outcomes. I’ll take Nobunagun historical mash-up any day.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Za Fuul was terrible from the start, and now I hear terrible at the end, so terrible all the way through?
Nobunagun was a lot of fun. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
For me it was pretty good at start, middling by the middle, less than middling as it muddled along, and finally abysmal by the end. I wanted to see it through, as I rather liked the idea of riffing on historical characters. I took some anti-bodies to watch it all.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You have no idea. The penultimate episode was such a mess I lost all motivation for wanting to watch the finale.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t mind some riffs on historical characters. Such as Nobunagun, where they used those figures to inform what the heroes could do. But ZaFuul seemed more like it was wholesale misappropriation and “We’re just going to use this famous name because we want to.”
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
So with misappropriation in mind, are they doing the same with Jeanne here?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Gimme my Fate/Grand Order!
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I have to agree with Highway here. I was only able to get through about 4 episodes of Nobunaga the Fool before I dropped it. It was just bad… 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I was just so curious @Irene, from a writer’s standpoint in how they would pull the whole mishmash off. So that is how I watched it. It was a bit of a lesson in both good and bad writing…
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Episode 6:
This was a really great episode with interesting information coming from both sides. We find some more of what Amira really is, we see some progression with Favaro and Kaisar’s relationship. We find that there is definitely someone, it looked like the new guy, Martinet, who is somehow tricking Amira into freeing Bahamut.
I’m almost sure that Lavalley is Amira’s father. However, is the guy some sort of hidden demon? If so, how can he use holy magic? And it might be a good thing that he moved her since Azazel is coming for her.
Also, is Amira going to be the holy knight to stop Bahamut instead of Jeanne?
It was quite sad to see Amira realize how self-serving Favaro really is. I wonder how that bridge is going to be healed? Also, will Kaisar find out the truth anytime soon? Will Favaro face the demon that killed his father? Will Favaro find a purpose beyond his own selfish whims?
Episode 7:
This was my absolute favorite episode of the series thus far. The epic awesome battles were just fantastic to behold. Jeanne was amazing holding her own against Pazuzu, and that last awesome shot against Azazel was just breath-taking. If this is was that mid-season battle is like, I cannot wait until the finale battle. I am so glad this show has the bottomless budget it has.
But even more than that, I really love the character development for both Favaro and Kaisar. Another blogger commented on another site that most people, especially someone as underhanded as Favaro wanted to seem, would have at least tried to proclaim their innocence in someway. However, Favaro has done the exact opposite and has fully embraced being Kaisar’s father’s killer. This in and of itself, tells us that Azazel’s theory is correct and I’m really glad that Kaisar realizes that. The fact that Favaro has allowed himself to become the villain just to give Kaisar, whose family seems to fall easily to calm suicide, a reason to live gives us a whole new outlook on his character.
The fact that Kaisar can do some underhanded things to and has realized what a friend he had in Favaro also shows extra dimensions to that character as well.
As for Amira, I did think her comedy bits about always eating was a little too much, especially with how cool she was in the beginning episodes. However, I hope it all builds to something. Some are suspect of Lavalley’s motives. I don’t know if he’s her father, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Firstly, we know that Amira says her “teacher” was the one that told her where her mother was in Helheim and we can all guess that that was all just to manipulate her to get the other half of the key. Well, we know that it was Martinet who told her to do that, and so by inference, I’m thinking that her “teacher” is Martinet. Now, I doubt that Martinet is the full mastermind, but he’s definitely part of it.
As for Lavalley, he definitely has something to hide, however, I can’t see him as the manipulator either. The manipulator mastermind would have recognized Amira from the get go since he would have been the one to send her out. However, it was shown that Lavalley didn’t recognize Amira at all until he saw her necklace by chance. Also, He’s had several chances to let Amira escape to go to Helheim to get the other key, and he’s never done that either. And if he was a demon, I highly doubt he could last so long among Jeanne and her knights. He’s able to use holy magic, which a demon wouldn’t be able to do, and this city seems to have traps that are specifically set up for demons. I think Lavalley is human, he has some kind of connection to Amira. I don’t know if he’s her father, but I don’t think he means her harm in any case.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I think the relationship that mixes up Jeanne, Lavalley and Amira is going to be an Epic in the making.
…until Rita slaps them that is…