So, back to Garo. Honestly, with the setup last episode, I was certain some shit was going to go down. Some horrible calamity that would shake things up and have our characters go through a twisted and dark series of events. However, I was really wasn’t expecting what we got; a more basic, episodic plot. Honestly, its not bad, it was just…not what I was expecting. It makes sense for the show to have episodes that are more breathers, but I’m wondering if the bad things will be held off for later episodes like in the first half.
First, we find out that…being a prince, especially one filling in for a king…kinda sucks and is a lot of work.
Not only does he need to keep up with all the studies he has to do (I never understood how learning astronomy was necessary for royalty), and dealing with running the kingdom while his dad is sick. You can add in he’s exhausted if he’s been continuing to remove Horrors as Garo at night, meaning he’s being quickly worn out by all of it. I mean, that’s an intense workload. While at first it looks like he’s ditching his princely duties for r&r, it turns out that isn’t the case.
Actually, he’s gone because he wants to see how the people’s doing, ala Henry V. Even when he’s ditching his work, its for the sake of the people. He’s a real upstanding guy. Of course, the first time he gets a chance, he falls asleep because honestly, he spends a good deal of this episode utterly exhausted. Naturally, the random carriage he decides to stow away in is highjacked by bandits.
Soon he’s joined by some poor dope they kidnapped, and he remains in hiding for the trip to the castle. The only thing of interest about the castle was that it was home to a knight and his wife, with the legends on how a rival knight wanted her affections and the constant noble battles they had.
But hey, you guys might be wondering, where the heck is Leon in all this? Well the short answer is he is not in this episode. Mostly its just him being with Lara, and by random chance, meeting Emma. They chat, Leon’s caught up on whats been going on with Alfonso, and they leave. Not much else happens, but it wasn’t bad. Its clear though Emma meeting Leon was more for giving her screen time as it seems rather a coincidence they’d meet this way.
Speaking of coincidences, who should be hanging out at the bandit’s castle when Alfonso reveals himself but….
To be fair though, there is a reason he’s here that we’ll get to in a second. Its soon all figured out, the bandit’s in this castle, the boy he kidnapped is his daughter’s boyfriend he doesn’t approve of. For the ‘insult’ of being with his daughter, he was charged a fine, which he didn’t pay so he stole from his family’s caravans and kidnapped him for ransom. If that all seems confusing its because it is. And it really glosses over how Herman and him met and became friends too, but even Herman can’t get that guy’s behavior.
One reoccurring thing that happens in Garo is things not being what they seem, in that the creepy person who seems to say everything is fine is actually behind something bad. And this is the case here, with the story of the knights fighting over the lovely maiden. This was hinted a earlier, but apparently this tale has a darker spin on it. Apparently, the lady was a witch, who killed Roland and then killed her husband as he killed her. And the flowers the castle is known for are cursed in turn.
The flowers, by the way are the main reason Herman is here, and it also connects to the reason he isn’t all over the bandit’s daughter. He came to get them for his lady friend, and its really interesting seeing him be more romantic and kind than being just lecherous. I really like how even though he won’t admit it, he’s pretty much become smitten.
However, this wouldn’t be Garo without a monster to fight, and sure enough, our drunken, violent bandit guy turns out to be a prime candidate for being possessed by a horror. Who’d have thunk, right?
And once again, “witch” in his land really means “Makai priestess unfairly blamed by history.” Apparently both knights let themselves be possessed by horrors to fuel heir rivalry,and she deal with both, svn sacrificing her life to seal away her husband…who the unwary couple wandering around the place release.
The only real effect this reveal has is on Alfonso. who grew up with stories of knighthood and chivalry and of these two heroes in particular. It makes him really downcast to find out the dark, tragic truth. Man, the guy just seems to live to have his ideals and trust broken in everything. First Mendoza, now these guys. This has just not been his last couple months.
So, while the one Horror possesses the dad, the other is free and they prepare to go at it. Its really interesting, seeing two Horrors fight each other due to who they took over rather than working together. And hey, it means double the crazy monster designs for our heroes to fight.
They defeat the horrors and thats…pretty much it. Alfonso says how much leading is wearing thin on him, and Herman says he needs to find a new place to get flowers for his lady friend. Honestly, this episode was a step back from the previous one, but it makes sense. For a story’s runtime, there are going to be some episodes that are more like filler than others. I guess I was feeling that, with the stinger at the end of the last episode, we’d get more of a payoff of that. Also, the previous seeming filler episodes had a point with the general theme, but I’m not sure what the theme here is supposed to be. Otherwise, this is a fun, but overall rather pointless episode. I’m wondering if the next episode might focus on Leon more, and how soon he’s going to be thrust back into this. You can only make farming onions compelling for so long, show!
“You can only make farming onions compelling for so long, show!”
Bullshit, Silver Spoon did it.