First Impressions / SOUL EATER

Summary:

While Maka is still recovering, Sid gets word from Azusa about a research facility belonging to Arachne’s Arachnophobia organization. Sid and Nygus go to investigate the magic tool that’s being built, but Black*Star overhears them discussing the situation before they leave, and he secretly decides to go as well to get revenge for what happened to Maka. Unbeknownst to Black*Star, Angela and Mifune are at the research facility along with Mosquito. Sid arrives there first though and sneaks in with the help of Azusa’s special ability to map out an area. The alarms go off while he’s inside, but it’s not because he’s been discovered; it’s because Black*Star has arrived and is creating a commotion by beating up guards. Mosquito, Mifune, and Angela all head out to see what’s going on, and the latter two immediately recognize Black*Star. With Mosquito holding Angela close, Mifune has no choice but to fight the opponents he still considers to be children.

After tossing all his swords onto the battlefield, Mifune charges at Black*Star, and despite his love for kids, he refuses to lose to the same opponent a second time. Black*Star has Tsubaki transform into a kusarigama, but Mifune avoids all the sweeping attacks and uses his swords to pin down the chain. Acting quickly, Tsubaki changes into her smoke bomb form and saves Black*Star from Mifune’s subsequent attack. As Black*Star then has Tsubaki go into her youtou mode, Mosquito realizes that Tsubaki is descended from a weapon that Arachne made. Regardless, Black*Star brings the full force of his powers down on Mifune, however Mifune is able to block everything and counters with a technique that involves hitting his opponent with more and more swords. He uses twelve in total on Black*Star, multiplies the hits by two, and wins the fight in this manner.

Afterward, he informs Tsubaki that Black*Star’s wounds are shallow and tells her to take him away, but Tsubaki first questions why a samurai like Mifune is working for a witch. She tries to appeal to Mifune’s gentle side and suggests that someone like him could become a teacher at Shibusen, and although Mifune is tempted, he knows that he can’t take Angela with him to Shibusen. The most important thing to him is to protect Angela, and he recalls how he had saved her from the mafia. When Mosquito orders him to finish off Black*Star, Mifune has no choice but to do it because he knows that Angela would get no rest in a human society, and so she needs Arachnophobia’s protection. Fortunately for Black*Star and Tsubaki, before Mifune can kill them, he’s interrupted by Mosquito getting sniped and part of the facility exploding.

The persons responsible are Sid and Nygus who had earlier taken pictures of the morality manipulating machine that was being built before laying down some dynamite. Sid is currently using Azusa in her weapon form to do the sniping, however Mifune blocks the next shot, and Mosquito survives by sucking the blood out of an underling. In light of all this, Mifune turns to leave with Angela and Mosquito, and when Black*Star tries to stop him so that they can settle things, Mifune advises Black*Star to be patient. He suggests that Black*Star move forward and understand the other existence inside of Tsubaki – if Black*Star does so, then Mifune thinks that the youtou will respond. Mifune also tosses Black*Star a piece of candy to give to the friend who suffers from the curse since Tsubaki had earlier told him about how they wanted revenge for Maka. In the aftermath, Black*Star returns to Shibusen and gives Maka the candy, but she finds that it tastes of konbu.

Preview

I found it a little curious that there was no new OP this week since it’s overdue by now, and so I was surprised when they started playing it at the beginning of the second half of this episode. In fact, the entirety of the song – PAPERMOON by Tommy heavenly^6 – was featured, and it capped an incredible Mifune vs. Black*Star fight. I’m so glad that BONES is in charge of this series because they’ve delivered one great episode after another. This episode showed that Mifune has some crazy cool moves and that Black*Star still has a way to go before he can match up. And so much happened this week that it felt like two episodes despite being still the normal twenty-something minutes – it’s probably because this episode covered two chapters of the manga whereas the norm is usually just one or one and a half.

Fortunately, the story doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. The preview shows that the real Medusa will be back next week, and she’ll be in a very cute chibi form.

41 Comments

  12. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! IT’S LOLI MEDUSA TIME!!!

    But really, lol. Am I the only one that finds it funny that Black*Star screwed up the entire infiltration plan, just to have a rematch?

    lol_matt
    Reply

  15. Loli Medusa!!!

    BTW, I kinda want to know if you or Divine will cover anymore of Kuroshitsuji (since other shows that you guys have mentioned already got covered for the 2nd episodes, and from the first review, it sounds like you like it just fine) Sorry for asking about it in Soul Eater’s section, but I just got curious.

    Kaitune
    Reply

  25. This just solidifies my belief that they will not change the OP for the whole series. resonance is actually pretty good and meaningful for the series, so they probably want to keep it.

    Oooh yeah, the story is moving along now. Screw Medusa. Time for the real fights soon.

    Panther
    Reply

  28. I think the Free episode was only one and a half chapters or something like that? I may be remembering incorrectly. Regardless, this fight was amazing, and the end was beautiful, with all the swords shooting off to form that circle around them… I might have to double check, but I believe that was some anime flair 😛

    PhantomX
    Reply

  32. That was a great episode! Didn’t think after episode 2 we’d get a Black*Star and Mifune rematch. Just shows how incredibly powerful the guy truly is. Black*Star and Tsubaki threw everything they had and all they gained through the series at him and it just wasn’t enough. Honestly I’m looking forward to a round 3 since at this point it almost has to happen. Mifune is like a measuring stick for the growth of Black*Star. He was more serious in this one without going off about being Big or a great Star.

    Honestly liked the new OP being inserted into that fight and it just made it more intense. Guess they are holding it back for some plot reason. Hopefully will be put in eventually. Overall a great episode.

    FlareKnight
    Reply

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