First Impressions / High School DxD

「決戦、駒王学園!」 (Kessen, Kuō Gakuen!)
“Decisive Battle at Kuoh Academy!”

Now that’s how you crank things up a notch! The action-packed thrills, coupled with an overload of conspiracies, might have just made this episode the best of what we’ve seen yet. High School DxD is no bush-league in terms of the big plot – whether its character drama, action, fanservice or comedic gags, the show is second to none when it comes to straight-up entertainment value. Kokabiel, the mastermind of this freak storm, has finally taken the grand stage and there’s no denying it – the top boss is proving to be a big-time pain in the butt! The ten-winged Fallen Angel is clearly in a league of his very own – but before we can even get to the crux of the showdown, there were some other crucial affairs that needed to be taken care of first, not least of which is the outrage that surrounds the Holy Sword Project! Xenovia and the Church are evidently at the center of all this hoo-ha, and it’s safe to say there’s more to the swordswoman than meets the eye. The artifice and hypocrisy that prevail in the Church shouldn’t have caught anyone unaware – Xenovia, on the other hand, continues to be full of surprises and the latest revelation certainly adds to the intrigue! As it turns out, Xenovia is a bona fide Holy Sword wielder, all-natural and free of any artificial hocus-pocus! She is undeniably a force to be reckoned with and the fact that she has the Durandal, a full-fledged Holy Sword, at her disposal only makes the church minion all the more formidable! I’m not going to lie – I have a bit of a soft spot for girls with short hair and Xenovia is, no question, quickly coming up through the ranks as one of my favorites! Both an ultra-cool badass and a sub-zero stunner – Xenovia’s nipping charm fits into quite a unique niche and if she is indeed a new addition to Issei’s ever-expanding harem, I am certain she will have no problem holding her own against the rest!

The Durandal is quite an impressive piece of WPN to say the least – but Xenovia is not the only one who’s showing off this week. Yuuto was right at the forefront of the action and he has also gotten his hands on a pretty sweet new toy – the Sword of Betrayal, which is both a demonic and a holy sword! Unlike Issei, Yuuto was able to achieve the Balance Breaker of Sword Birth without sacrificing a limb, and such a striking feat is indisputably a testament to his growth as a character! The unease and disquietude that Yuuto feels are perfectly understandable – but there’s also a sense of hope and closure to this one. The unfortunate demise of his friends is no laughing matter, but Yuuto is perhaps being too hard on himself as well – all his comrades want is for him to be happy, not vengeance and certainly not self-reproach! It takes great courage to move beyond the abyss of revenge and now that Yuuto has come to terms with his tormented past, I have no doubt he has emerged stronger and more assured than ever before. High School DxD continues to set itself apart with the breadth and scope of its story, and I’m truly very impressed with the in-depth character dynamics that we’ve witnessed thus far. It’s not very often that you see so much respect given to a secondary male character and such an attribute is especially rare for a harem comedy of this kind.

Prince Charming is back to being his usual affable self and I’m sure no one is more relief to see that than Rias sempai, who as we all know, has been worried sick! Rias and her peerage are clearly no match for Kokabiel’s monstrous power and as things stand, their combined effort can’t do so much as a scratch! The Fallen Angel is probably the strongest opponent that Rias has encountered yet and it remains to be seen if she can win this one without the help of a third party – whether it’s the revered Satan or perhaps even the mysterious man who appears to be at close quarters! Speaking of the Satan, it looks like the leaders of Underworld have quite a fascinating relationship with their siblings – it wasn’t just Rias who seemed very reluctant to seek Sirzechs’ help, even Souna, the calm  and imperturbable one, was somewhat taken aback by the mere thought of Serafall Leviathan! The Satan duo probably have a rather imposing persona to match their reputation – but what we’ve heard thus far is nothing more than a tease and I just hope we will get to learn more about them in the weeks ahead, preferably in the flesh! Sirzechs’ army is supposed to arrive in an hour, but I’m not sure if the crimson-haired princess can even survive for that long – Rias needs all the help she can get and the first person that she goes to is, of course, her ever-so-reliable Pawn! Issei and his Boosted Gear will, no doubt, play a role of paramount importance in the incoming  showdown – the true potential of his Sacred Gear has not been made apparent just yet and while I have my reservations, it’s not entirely impossible for Issei to pull off a miracle again. There’s no two ways about it – High School DxD is hitting its stride on just about every front! The showdown next week is quickly shaping up to be a clash of epic scale, and the final few seconds of this episode certainly got my adrenaline pumping hard – hand in hand, Rias and Issei marched forward into the battlefield, just before we hit the ending credits!

Random tidbits:

  • Nothing illuminates my day like an orgasmic moan of pleasure. A boost of dragon power to start you morning! – Imagine the things Issei can do in bed if a mere touch can induce such ecstasy!
  • Marching into the battlefield hand in hand – That was quite an exquisite moment! Rias and Issei should just get married already.
  • “She’s holy alright!” – Irina was largely absent from this episode, but fret not, her full-bosomed presence can still be felt!
  • I just love Akeno’s Miko get-up! – That saucy transformation sequence makes it all the more better. How about a spin-off, Mahou Shoujo Akeno Magica?
  • “He’s a true seishun otoko!” – Issei’s unrivaled GAR just scored him a big one! Akeno sempai is definitely falling for him.
  • “I’ll put up a barrier around the academy” – I would have loved to see Souna kicking some ass! Her true abilities have so far remained a mystery.
  • A “jailbait” at its very best – Koneko’s fans rejoice! That quite an eyecatch, if I may say so.
  • My sincerest apologies for the slight delay in putting up this post! Just got back from a three-week business trip, and now that I’m no longer on the road, I should be able to meet my blogging commitments in a timelier manner. Thanks for bearing with me, love you guys!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – High School #DxD NEW 05: Action-packed thrills and an overload of conspiracies – now that’s how you crank things up a notch! #Anime
 
Full-length images: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35.

 

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68 Comments

  4. This episode was honestly kinda boring. Kokabiel just floated there in midair and allowed all the exposition to happen, which means he will more than likely destroy everyone in the next episode

    Getchman
    Reply

    1. Perhaps Kokabiel, is a cunning Guy. He intentions is to take the Weapons from their Enemies. See Yuutas Sword, Durandel. Stronger Weapons as Excalibur. I get the feeling, he want to Weapons to defend God and Satan, to rule Heaven and Hell… So that God and Satan must Work together to defend him…
      i am Pumped, too for the next Episode

      i know, this here i all fiction Anime. If we keep it all inside, then i am fine with that

      Germanguy
      Reply

    1. Arc Angel Gabriel?
      He is there. We saw him 2 times… He visit the Guy, that Summons Issei to spend time with him. And he is over-viewing the Fight now. I get the feeling, this Old Guy, that calls Issei, Can be God in Human disguise?

      Germanguy
      Reply

      2. Okay, i saw Ep 6…

        @Arcad you was right, it all cached me off guard.. I really dont saw this coming…

        But, well… the stuff Kokabiel said, is heavy stuff.. and the “end new member” was a bit to easy….

        Germanguy
        Reply

      3. But, i must say. I am not really surprised. In many old Animes, the Kami-sama is dead. Example: Dragonball

        Why is it in Nippon believe that kami-sama is dead?. My kami-sama life in my heart

        But, i know, this here is just Fiction.

        I see this so.. You know the Yin and Yan Symbol? Yin is With Yan is Black. Yin is Love, Yan is Hate… So There cannot be a void as long there Human hearts, or the World implodes

        Opps, sorry. I drifted off

        Germanguy
        Reply

  9. student council put school in barrier lock-down with all yikes that akeno’s even called rias’ brother to help give arrive in a hour.

    so time & options are few so battle is on yet rias’s crew had battle the hound of hades cerberus then xeno & kiba arrive also help in give all have doing issei’s power boost both rias & akeno sure beat the dog but not yet.

    cause excalibur sword is done with freed to used it then kiba go after valper til big light spear but ok then valper going like kiba’s pals were just tools & pieces to take their genes blah to find right item for sword & give to freed even toss a crystal of their remain to kiba.

    then kiba hold it & have feel, remembers, & realize to do from his pals’s crystal spirit all re-focus make sword of holy & devil powers with make sure tell xeno were in same page with xeno summon durandel to beat up freed & sword.

    & oh valper got blasted by kokabiel for being a toll then go like bring your best to challenge me with rias & issei go walk in to battle.

    xdy
    Reply

  11. That was fun, it was nice to see Yuuto’s plot get some resolution. The action sequences were most enjoyable too, sword spam is one of my favorites. BTW, anyone else feeling some Yuuto x Xenovia?

    Hochmeister
    Reply

    1. I’d totally ship those two sword masters!Issei can’t have every single girl now can he?(What am I saying,the aspiring harem king will probably prove me wrong on that!)Although a Yuuto x Kuneko pairing is more likely to happen if you ask me.

      MgMaster
      Reply

  12. My fave moments were Xenovia cleaving the Cerberus in half with One Hit Kill – and then turning up the power to eleven with Durandal!
    Yuuto was being saved from succumbing to his Dark Side twice this episode – once by the spirits of deceased nakama, second time by Big Bad enacting You Have Outlived Your Usefulness on Galilei.
    Also is it me or do I sense something of a faint Yuuto X Koneko vibes?

    ewok40k
    Reply

  13. Ah, when will the villain(s) learn to read from Peter’s Evil Overlord List? lol

    In Kokobiel’s case, from the end of the episode:

    40.) I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.

    …and I also predict probably…

    6.) I will not gloat over my enemies’ predicament before killing them.

    24.) I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line “No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!” (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

    1. I think Peter’s Evil Overlord List takes too much fun out of being a evil overlord in the 1st place(at least for a show like DxD).Even so,that’s no excuse for the “No,this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!” line. Kokabiel will get lots of minus boss villain points from me if I hear those words from him 😛

      MgMaster
      Reply

  18. Back from a three-week business trip? Guess you might be an adult already huh, and still giving us reviews and summaries of anime, indeed very seishun!!! Anyway. Goodjob on the reviews as always!

    GodOfTheSword
    Reply

    1. Thanks for your kind words. You’ll be surprised, I’m not even the oldest among the current writers. Anime and manga have a pretty broad appeal, it’s not just for kids 😛

      Seishun
      Reply

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