What’s the show? Caligula, Episode 10.
Last week you lamented that the show had it’s “worst episode”, or close to it. Have things picked up this week? In true Caligula anime style, it’s slumps are never longed lived. In fact, nearly everything that I said that I missed in the previous episode has come back (at least in part) and something I said I wished would happen may in-fact have happened!
Hmm, the only thing I remember you saying you wanted to happen that hadn’t happened was a character death… Did a character die? Well, no. At least I’m assuming not, but an attempt was made! But that’s right at the end of the episode—we’re skipping too far ahead…
Right, so what happens in this episode that makes it better than the previous? Firstly it’s a lot more introspective than the previous one, which always makes for a good time—at least as far as this show is concerned! 99% of the episode takes place in the ‘Go Home’ club room, where the majority of our ‘good guy’ cast has been trapped by ~unseen forces~. They panic a little, try and get out before starting the blame game and pointing fingers at who could be the possible “spy” among them that sold them out to the ‘Musicians’. Our protagonist Ritsu is still M.I.A. so naturally he’s suspect numero uno.
And in what ways is the episode “introspective”? I was getting to that!
I know, I just thought that paragraph was getting a bit long… Right, so Musician defector and all around suspicious guy Kagi-P probes into each character’s back story, as they go around the room and explain what kind of people they were in the real world and what sought them to come to Mobius to escape their real life lives. As far as character exposition dumps go it’s about as overloaded as it gets, literally going from one character to the next as they give their backstories. I admit it’s not the most nuanced or subtle way of giving character development but it gets the job done. I thought Shougo’s tale was quite haunting and I like that despite the fact he’s the suavest, tallest and most adept fighter among them he’s the one who seems more emotionally broken up by recent events than any of them. I’m glad they didn’t go the tired cliche route and make all the girls emotionally weaker to the surroundings.
Wait, so is it good or bad, you just complained that it was too much character backstory all at once? It is, but it’s at least better than incomprehensible action and poor dialogue like we saw last episode. Plus there’s a great quote in the episode that especially resonated with me.
Do tell. It’s a simple one, after learning Kagi-P’s rather low-key real life troubles Kotarou complains to which Kagi-P says “Your hell and my hell are different types”. Which is a nice succinct way of saying just because you’re suffering doesn’t seem equal to another person’s doesn’t mean it’s any less significant to the individual that’s suffering it—a sentiment I can especially relate to.
Fair enough. So what was this potential ‘death’ you teased at the start of the episode? Well Marie comes a knocking and manages to open the door to the club room, except she’s not their to rescue them, she’s there to kill them and throws in a grenade. Turns out she’s actually a ‘Musician’, the one referred to as ‘Wicked’, with barely enough time for the smoke to clear and her school-uniform torn off to reveal her battle form she throws two more grenades into the smouldering chaos at which point it cuts away, and we’re left wondering who—if anyone—survived!
Dramatic. Except you’re already sure no one died, right? Yeah, I don’t hold it hopes that this show will do anything so dramatic as actually killing one of the main cast, even if so many of them are dispensable. After that scene it cuts to Ritsu, who is looking a bit different than normal and just relaxing on a sofa before the episode just ends.
I assume that’s significant? Well I guess the conclusion that could be drawn is that Ritsu’s back in the real world now. Which if that’s the case he’ll either have to save the ‘friends’ he left behind from the outside, or go back in to save them. Or just abandon them—but again—I don’t think this show would do something that dark. Only time will tell what will happen, and whether this show will end on a ‘good’ episode, or a ‘bad’ episode.
Previous Caligula Reviews:
Episode 1 Review
Episode 2 Review
Episode 3 Review
Episode 4 Review
Episode 5 Review
Episode 6 Review
Episode 7 Review
Episode 8 Review
Episode 9 Review
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