「アッシュの影」 (Asshu no kage)
“AHSMB’s Shadow”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Majestic Prince is in a league of its own when it goes all-out with the action-packed buzz! Every space battle has so far been a crackerjack of choreographies and the latest confrontation has, no doubt, featured some of the best extended action sequences in mecha history – they were intense, riveting and gorgeously animated! The supposedly straightforward rescue mission turned out to be a highly suspenseful thrill ride, and Jiart’s sudden reappearance was most definitely a big part of the reason – not only did he manage to singlehandedly manhandled Black 6 like a toddler, he was also able to go up against Izuru, who was in his berserker trance, with relative ease. Yes, it appears that Izuru, the usually calm and dorky leader of the Zannen 5, has another side of him that we’re not aware of – a trance-like fury that is very similar to that of Kuroki Ange’s alleged “split personality”! Izuru’s seeming rapture has fascinatingly evoked a certain transformation to his humanoid mecha, and it goes without saying the souped-up version of Red 5 was quite a marvel to behold – it has an appended pair of eyes, the incorporation of new weapons, and an ameliorated get-up for both its wings and tails! Not to be overshadowed by Izuru, Jiart was also capable of entering a state of ecstasy of his own and his bio-mecha came across a similar metamorphosis that gave it an eye-catching new form – one that comprises a whip-sword as a weapon and a peach aura which shrouds the entire machine!

It’s certainly quite a testament to Jiart’s prodigious skill as a pilot – and perhaps the Wulgaru’s supreme edge in warfare technology – that he was more than competent to hold his own against the entire squadron of Earth’s elite. Izuru was the sole combatant who stood the slightest chance of withstanding his fast-paced carnage, and no question, this week’s epic duel has simply served to reinforce Jiart’s ostensible fascination with Izuru. I highly doubt this will be the last time those two face off and if what we saw in this episode is any indicator, the extravaganzas to come can only be grander and ever more larger-than-life! Teoria, the lovely Wulgaru defector, has also made her reemergence this week, and it was her words of encouragement that spurred Izuru on to strike his enemies in such a dauntless fashion – and by extension, the mere reason why the young pilot is even alive! The exact nature of their relationship remained misted in enigma and there’s definitely more to it than meets the eyes. I don’t think anyone would question the mutual attraction that exists between those two, and the brief but exquisite moments that they shared were, needless to say, beautiful, poignant and highly sentimental in its effect!

The latest happenings have introduced a whole new dilemma for the current “love triangle” – or should I say, “love pentagon” – and Izuru certainly has a tough choice to make when his day of reckoning comes. Teoria has become a sort of confidante for Izuru, and her solacing speech was what reassured the young pilot when his apparent self-doubt was eating him alive. Kei, on the other hand, has been supporting Izuru quietly from the background, and while her intention appears as clear as a bell to the audience – and perhaps Toshikazu – it sure as hell does not look like Izuru has caught wind of her seeming affection just yet. For now, I would say Teoria has a slight upper hand, and the mysterious past that she shares with Izuru is bound to come into play again in the forthcoming character expositions. Interestingly enough, there seems to be another romantic subplot – independent of the pentagon cited above – that is slowly but surely brewing in the backdrop. Tamaki, the lovestruck “baka” of Team Rabbit, might have just hit the jackpot, and it must be to her greatest delight that Patrick Hoyle (Murase Ayumu), one of the hotties from Team Doberman, has fallen head over heels in love with her. I’ll be honest – I can’t, for the love of Mike, see Tamaki in any serious relationships, but such a development is most definitely worth keeping an eye on – if it doesn’t amount to anything momentous, the character dynamics should, at the very least, set the stage for a good chuckle or two!

Random tidbits:

  • This episode was mecha porn at its very best! – I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve replayed the last 5 minutes!  It was simply marvelous and my second-rate writing can never do justice to its sheer grandiosity!
  • “Let’s borrow something more intense from Randy” – Toshikazu probably just wants the porn collection for himself! I shall direct him to High School DxD. Rias sempai will take care of him real good!
  • “I think it’s very normal for guys our age to be interested in sex” – I commend Izuru for his candor, but it seems like their quest to revisit the porn stash has failed miserably!
  • Those are some pretty exquisite child-bearing hips! – Let’s play a game, guess whose ass is that?
  • “What about Ange chan? Don’t you ever call me that!” – Ange’s all dere dere for Izuru. I wonder what’s up with that!
  • “Ouch, my tummy!” – Ange was able to outclass everyone is almost everything, so much so that she gave Ataru a Toshikazu-like stomachache!
  • “It’s like a waterslide, ohoho!” – I love the goofy faces that define everyone’s quirkiness and Tamaki has some of the very bests!
  • “Isn’t that just a blob of sugar?” – Ataru totally deserved that “death glare” from Kei. Nobody insults her, Kei’s just perfect the way she is!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – #MajesticPrince 14: There’s no denying it – Majestic Prince embodies the very definition of a mecha porn. This series is perhaps the most epic action piece that you’re not watching this season! #Anime
 
Full-length images: 02, 06, 11.
 
Preview

45 Comments

  1. I…fucking….love….dem fights….like seriously. Even if everything else would fall apart (thankfully it didn’t, loving the rest of the stuff the show has to offer as well) the fights are truly something to behold. Teoria is good too but Kei still has my support!

    Catsrofl
    1. I’m rooting very hard for Kei too :3
      The story-telling has been pretty solid so far – Yoshida Reiko’s reputation as a scriptwriter is quite impressive and I doubt it’ll fall apart any time soon.

      Seishun
    2. I like Kei over Teoria, mainly because I don’t think we know that much about Teoria yet.

      That being said, “unrequited love for the MC from a comrade” raises some worrying flags, while “princess from other side of a war” often works out well.

      Rasen
  2. Red 5 was practically channeling Unicorn Gundam only without a pretentious protagonist. It was without a doubt one of the best action sequences I’ve seen in a while. The pictures don’t really do it justice, it was fast and tense and exciting. But what really caught me was the cinematography, I love it when action sequences like to use a lot of dynamic camera angles and multiple shots. That sort of thing isn’t really common in action anime much less in mecha.

    As for the “Love Triangle” I’d be more invested in it if Theoria would actually show that she’s a viable love intrest. As it stands they’re just telling us that she and Izuru have a thing. Have Theoria do something that makes her a viable of match for Kei because she doesn’t have anything other than being well-endowed. Heart to heart talk? Bento box making? Cliche “not-a-date but looks like one” where a jelly Kei stalks Izuru? Come on MJP throw me a bone here.

    fragb85
    1. You’re right, its cinematography and camera work were very impressive – the intensity of the moment was captured extremely well!
      At this stage, it doesn’t seem like Izuru is even aware of Kei’s affection for him – I’m rooting very hard for Kei, but she has a lot of catch-up to do, that’s for certain!

      Seishun
  3. With absence of Majestic Prince manga in internet it hard to judge how far in story anime going, but with more half-way point passed I begin to fear what ending can be disappointing. I mean wikipedia state what in Japan there is 3 volume of manga published and it’s still ongoing, meaning what there is no ending and with 10 more episode to go I wonder what they cram in there. So far Majestic Prince was not dissapointed, be it story, art or action scenes, but if manga not ended there is only 2 possible outcomes with both plus and minus:
    1) creating their own ending, but here are very big chance of falling in story then executing it, we can see end of story, but I can count with fingers on one hand examples of anime with their own good ending what was on par or better than manga versions of their endings
    2) creating second season of anime, but there is very chance of falling in quality of anime or worse, never see the end at all. There is many examples of manga being adapted intro anime but as manga continues quality of anime drops or fillers begins airing, rating of anime drops to floor, eventually production of anime either stops or the create their own ending what rarely is good. How much season of Majestic Prince they can create? I think 3 at best, rarely I can remember manga-anime with 4 or more seasons (naruto, bleach and one piece doesn’t count, they super popular not only in Japan, but in rest of the world). If manga won’t end we risking not see ending or see bad ending.
    What you prefer? First or second choice? Or will you hope what manga will end before they finish airing anime?

    omegadir
  4. This has really turned into a great weekend for me. I just got back from seeing Pacific Rim(Awesome movie btw),sat down to watch Majestic Prince ep 14 and…….HOLY SHIT…..DEM ACTION SCENES….brings tears to my eyes,if this keeps up, Majestic Prince will surely go down as the best action anime of 2013. My only concern is whether it can properly tell its story with just 10 episodes remaining.

    1. It definitely has my vote! This episode was so amazingly awesome! I absolutely loved seeing Izuru being such a badass!! You see that Ange, that’s why he’s the leader. From the looks of the preview, we might not see Izuru go back to that mode for a few episodes or so, seeing as it looks detrimental to his health :(.

      I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good ending!!

      Jani
  5. That was one edge-off-your-seat, nail-biting duel between Izuru and Jiart. Even Ange in his/her berserker mode was no match for the Wulgaru ace, which thankfully gave a chance for Izuru to show what he’s really made off towards the newest member of Team Rabbits. Although that transformation of Red 5 when Izuru entered his berserker mode seems to point to a big secret in Izuru’s past. That chainsaw-like sword weapon definitely gave off a sinister air to the transformed Red 5, raising doubts in my mind on whether this new power is actually a good thing for Izuru. In fact, I’m starting to warm up to the theory that Show Spoiler ▼

  6. This episode, is just simply brilliant…
    The combat gave me the adrenaline rush that only a few mech anime could.

    Now, I’m glad that I did not drop this series due to rather (IMO)weak starting.

    Bakaro
  7. There’s no denying it – Majestic Prince embodies the very definition of a mecha porn. This series is perhaps the most epic action piece that you’re not watching this season!…………………..hmmmm,a bold statement. designed to entice HOWEVER, the cgi from this so-called “porn” after 3 episodes has left me limp D!cked and unable to C@M. but im gonna take all these reviews to heart and watch this episode…this should be interesting

    BROOKLYN otaku
  8. I dunno, but Black 6 looks not Fit into the Team so far. He/She? is not insert in the OP so far. Well, hope they will manage somehow, like how they add 1 more Person to K-ON.

    Germanguy
      1. Looks like with Episode 12, they began to perpetrate a New Director in charge. Because this Episode was mere Easy going and Fan-service.
        In Episode 13 Black 6 made a Impressive Appearance. But the same Way how Black 6 Join in with his “trigger” Personality. Red 5 is now in Episode 14. What’s next?
        It the Mission of the New Director to get the Anime more Sparkle?, more Mecha Fight Porn?, More Story Progressing?. But i wonder how much long we have, to see all that.
        24 Episodes? 2nd Session confirmed and here 1st Session will end with a Life or Death Cliffhanger?

        Excuse me, but this is all easy predictable. Why not doing something out of the Box? You dont want to Angry the Spectators? And anyhow, the Story of Hunt genes that they Seed into the Universe. I think there was a Anime in the Past with the Same Storyline. Human Skin, Human Muscles and so on. But with my Age i forgotten the name of this Anmie. it was with a dead Earth or something, and Machine Drones

        But, the Action Sequence, are really Top Notch. But, dont leave to much time, if you plan to bring every on onto Black 6 + Red 5 Sync Rate. I wonder how you will manage that with the Purple 2, She was to lowest Sync rate so far. Oh Anime Magic? with Love triangle? Oh, i hit all Spots?

        Germanguy
  9. “my second-rate writing can never do justice to its sheer grandiosity!” Actually, reading your posts together with watching the episodes almost makes it twice the fun:) I also like it very much that you’re stuffing your text full of images! So no need to be so modest;)

    Libelula
  10. ISN’T IT AWESOME HOW ANGE IS BETTER THAN EVERYONE AT EVERYTHING THEY DO? DOESN’T THAT MAKE HER SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER?

    Ok, now that I’ve got that out of my system, the second half of this episode wasn’t bad. The fight looked amazing, and it actually established that Ange isn’t a perfect god.

    Though frankly that’s not surprising. Ange is the 6th Ranger in every possible way. That means by default she’s better than everyone, but that the Red Ranger will get a super mode to be better than her. Those are the rules. And this show, as beautiful as it is, has fallen full-tilt into being a power rangers show since the introduction of Ange.

    KaleRylan
  11. Personally, I would think this is the true Izuru that we are seeing in this episode.
    The very hero nature of himself who will protect all of his precious people with everything he got and proven that he has that potential and capabilities to be “The One”.

    Joybot
  12. Valvrae who? Gargantia who? With only half of their money (just for being a 25-26 eps) MJ delivers the magnificent mecha space combat that the bigger studios promised but never did.
    For glorious 5 minutes, the Izuru vs Jiart battle took me back to the epic Kazuma vs Ryuhou duels from s.CRY.ed, with a full metal, fast action-packed space duel. And to think that Red 5 was in his light weapons ordinance…

    SeedStriker
  13. Okay, looks like will we soon see an Red 5 Upgraded Mecha. So that the Machine can handle the Pilots requests. i guess… It seems that the Mecha was on it’s Limit and was working on Overdrive. Lucky for him, that the Attacker was interrupted. Well, let’s see. if they give Black 6 no Pit Crew, perhaps we will see an lightly Upgraded Red 5, just witch a few different design changes (Budget!!). My Bet goes to stronger Reactor Core and more durability Joints Sections

    Germanguy
    1. Well, what will they do, if black 6 get heavy Damage in a Fight, without Repair spare parts?
      Oh, i think. If that came true. We will see an Automatic Pit stop. Where robot hands rip off the broken Parts and plug in the New ones…

      Germanguy
  14. i think i just had a fanboy orgasm. that was one helluva scene. and horrifying as well. izuru just snapped into bloodlust and the music switch was epic.

    now it makes me wonder, if izuru’s berserker mode is linked to the juria system and tamaki is second only to him in using the system, then would she at some point get out of her moe character and also go berserk? (oh god! they’re teasing a potential tamaki x patrick. the guy is from team doberman, for crying out loud!)

    flamerounin
  15. Orange Studios have done it again. The CG fight was absolutely amazing. Apparently Orange’s goal is to make CG mecha and animation main stream, they did the battle sequences for Code Geass Bokuko No Akito. Both are amazing.

    SoulBullet95

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