Akame ga Kill / First Impressions

「絶対正義を斬る」 (Zettai Seigi wo Kiru)
“Kill the Absolute Justice”

Wow… Even though I was expecting it for quite some time now, you never know how hard it’s going to hit you until it comes. And Seryu comes with full force ready to eliminate the Night Raid. There are so many ways that I can express how I felt during this episode… it starts off with another successful raid from Tatsumi and Leone, but then when Seryu arrives, it turns into this twisted battle that really leaves me oblivious to how it’s going to end. I was completed blown away by the outcome of the battle and it’s not because I’m ignorant to how battles go, but it’s probably because there’s so much action going on that I only have time to absorb what’s on the screen. Before you know it, a member of the Night Raid has died and my jaw hit the ground (well it would’ve, if I wasn’t on my bed). The entire final 10 minutes of the episode had me in denial, brought up a ton of questions, but most of all, I actually felt angry for Mine. I completely understood how she felt and it was surprising how I’ve developed such an attachment to the characters in a short amount of time.

Now that my mind has settled down and the initial shock has dispersed, I take back what I said about Akame ga Kill being predictable or episodic. Hell’s no is it in anyway similar to something I’ve seen before in anime – and I love it! Rarely do I see anime kill off secondary characters so quickly; especially after dedicating a whole episode to their development. I think it takes a lot of guts for a writer to kill characters that are loved by the public and regardless how much time Sheele was actually on screen, I feel fond of all the members of the Night Raid. I applaud the writer for being able to create all these different emotions within a short period of time and the anime has done a great job illustrating this scene. Sheele’s death was quite impactful even though I knew that someone had to die and the wave of emotions from shock to sadness to anger was exactly what makes me feel so hyped up for Akame ga Kill.

This anime is so crazy both figuratively and literally… because Seryu is one crazy a** b*tch. I know people warned me, but I still like to come to my own conclusions about characters and give people the benefit of the doubt. I was wrong. Seryu is just one of those characters that can’t tell wrong from right because she’s so obsessed with what she thinks is right. It drives me insane every time she smiles or laughs at the pain of others and I think this is probably the definition of a psychopath. She is in fact, mentally damaged and given her history of family dying around her as a result of the Night Raid, I would not expect her to behave any other way. In fact, I feel rather sorry for her despite all her wrong actions and I think, given the right up-bringing, she could’ve been a good person. Unfortunately, that is not the case and she’s become so consumed by this hatred for the Night Raid that she even scarified her own limbs in order to destroy them (this must’ve been what Captain Orge gave her, referenced last week). It feels like she’s even lost her humanity in the process and it scares me because its people like her that have nothing to lose, but everything to gain that drives them mad. I haven’t even mentioned Koro at all this week… but d*mn, that is one OP deformed animal (I hate holes…). I can see why he’s compatible with Seryu now but more so, I’d like to know how to destroy him. Could his core could be embedded in Seryu herself?

By the end of the episode, I was definitely upset, but I was more pumped to see the next confrontation between Mine and Seryu. It doesn’t look like it’ll be next week, but hopefully somewhere down the road, Seryu will suffer the consequences of hunting down the Night Raid. It’s aggravating to watch characters that you know deserve to die, continue to waltz around like nobody’s business. Knowing Seryu’s background now, I wonder what Esdeath is all about and what she brings after coming back to the capital. Surely another slaughter of more members of the Night Raid will be coming up…

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: No matter how prepared I was for it… it still hurts to see the first death of a “major” character. And Seyru is indeed one crazy ass bitch. I will never understand how someone finds pleasure in someone else’s pain like that.

 

Author’s Note: The comments section is beginning to get out of hand with spoilers and unnecessary spam. Please be courteous of other visitors and use the spoiler tags (<spoiler> </spoiler>) if you’re going to be referring to future manga chapters or any content that anime-only viewers would not know at this point in time. Also, please keep the comments relevant to the episode and the topic at hand – if I think something is inappropriate, I will delete it and you will only receive one warning before I remove your privilege to comment. Thanks for understanding!

 

Preview

118 Comments

    1. I also thought Seryu was relatively sane. but she went from sane to nuts awfully quick.

      https://randomc.net/image/Akame%20ga%20Kill/Akame%20ga%20Kill%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
      normal(ish)
      https://randomc.net/image/Akame%20ga%20Kill/Akame%20ga%20Kill%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2010.jpg
      angry
      https://randomc.net/image/Akame%20ga%20Kill/Akame%20ga%20Kill%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
      crazy
      https://randomc.net/image/Akame%20ga%20Kill/Akame%20ga%20Kill%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
      fucking nuts!

      Impel Down Hippo
      Reply

      2. Well she’s Number One on my list of hated characters in AgK universe.
        Number Two is her dog.
        Number Three being Mr Fat Prime Minister..

        Seryu being ranked higher than PM coz PM knows himself to be evil,
        but Seryu believes that everything she does is right….
        along with her annoying screams of Justice!!!!

        As for the dog being ranked higher than PM, well, it directly killed and ate Scheele..
        There’s also another factor but Show Spoiler ▼

        Techim
        Reply

    2. Just to clarify what Dillon posted and for those crying spoilers, downvoting or whatever. It’s a video review of this same AgK episode, and what Dillon talks about is that reviewer and Cherrie’s reaction are similar.

      Kamui04
      Reply

      1. Thanks Kamui04. I should have been more specific about my post with the video. For a second there, I thought Cherrie was the person in the video lol. Anyways, happy watching!!

        Dillon Mack
        Reply

    3. Don’t really like watching video reviews of anime… this video was kind of long o_o but I kind of wish she did film her reaction. Mine was just a mixture of jaw dropping and potential tears. If I was truly a violent person, I might just scream at my screen and punch my pillow >_< lol

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. OMG. Are you sure you aren’t the same person? lol. I actually emailed her yesterday for the heck of it and she said something very similar to what you just said. Feeling both shock and sorrow. She said something along the lines of wanting to see Seryu killed in a horrifying way because of Sheele’s death and wanting to punch her screen the moment the brutality occurred. But then again, I think everyone felt the same way…

        Dillon Mack
        Reply

      2. LOL! No…. that’s not me =P I don’t think RC would approve of seeing my face on video haha. My dp on twitter has my face on it though. I think generally most people would have the same reaction, especially since I haven’t read the manga, any “major” death would make me go O_O!!!

        Cherrie
        Reply

    1. This story is full of monsters but what sickens me of Seryu is the following: 99% of the powerful warriors that serve the Empire are mosnters and the remaining 1% are just hypocrites who under the I did what I was order crap; most of the monsters now they´re monsters, they have no problem with murdering, raping, torturing, etc… Seryu is this delusional monster who thinks she´s actually human and as you said Cherrie, that sadistic smile of hers drives anyone crazy along with all the justice nonsense, she´s by definition what true evil is all about.

      haseo0408
      Reply

  7. Where can I order a Coro plushy, preferably with a small plastic arm hanging out of his mouth. So cuuuute!
    Seriously, that was a brutal episode, though I expected a Night Raid member to be killed by Justice Girl thanks to all the spoiler hinting in earlier comments.

    boingman
    Reply

  9. Ok now that was awesome. The fight was so over the top couldn’t help but grin and chuckle during most of it considering how well it would have fit in, say, Jojo or similar “action” oriented shounen series. Gib meh more of that uncensored goodness and I’ll start looking forward to Akame 😛

    Not all is peaches and cream, however; I disagree on the impact of Scheele’s death Cherrie as it fits into the previous criticism levelled at Akame regarding the dichotomy between its lightheartedness and seriousness. Killing off a secondary character so fast is definitely props worthy, but the moment was then overblown through a good third of the episode devoted to its “impact”. Scheele’s death would have been more felt if she simply died without all those flashbacks; IMO the way it was presented here was more cringing than sad. The more ideal way to have handled it is how the Chimera girl in FMA was treated. She like Scheele received minimal development, yet was more impacting was there was no intense lingering over it.

    Akame’s main weakness IMO lies in its writing more than its premise or story at this stage. The show continues to want both its humour/lightheartedness/pulp action and seriousness without understanding that one can only be accentuated at the expense of the other. Akame needs to learn that the best way to invoke emotion in an audience is show and not tell rather than beating them over the head with the “this is what you’re supposed to think and feel” stick.

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Oddly enough that’s my grievance as well. They spent way to much time trying to much the audience sad with that scene. Sheele was not a developed enough character to warrant all those flashbacks with overly sappy music (though i like the music in it’s own right). They try to make force you to feel something for a character that really didn’t have that much screentime. I’d prefer if they saved all that stuff for the aftermath instead. The anime doesn’t need to scream at us that we should be sad. The shock of someone dying is split second. You don’t have time to think about everything they have done for you or how important they were. How the characters react to said death is where the sorrow should come in imo.

      leatherhead333
      Reply

      1. Pretty much any scene that’s showed up in the anime has appeared in the manga.
        And so far the episodes haven’t even covered 20 chapters in the manga. Nonetheless I can’t say you’re exactly wrong, but still. This is no fault of the manga.

        Kabble
        Reply

    2. @Pancakes: Agree with you in part.

      — “The more ideal way to have handled it is how the Chimera girl in FMA was treated. She like Scheele received minimal development, yet was more impacting was there was no intense lingering over it.

      Agree – Overblown attempt at force feels with the violin music & stills of “happier times” did more harm than good.

      — “Killing off a secondary character so fast is definitely props worthy.”

      Disagree. Don’t see why the speed of killing off a character in and of itself is so “props worthy”. In this case, it seems counterproductive to me. If viewers/readers had an appropriate time to form a real attachment to Sheele, you wouldn’t need all death scene theatrics.

      — “The show continues to want both its humour/lightheartedness/pulp action and seriousness without understanding that one can only be accentuated at the expense of the other.”

      I agree that the execution is off here in term of combining the two. It’s not the easiest thing to do. However, on a conceptual level (which you seem to be suggesting), I disagree. Gate – Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakeri manga does a fine job IMO of blending both comedy and serious moments.

      daikama
      Reply

      1. I give Scheele’s death credit as it’s not often we have shows of late willing to kill off characters considered part of the “main cast” in a short period of time (what can I say, I’m a sucker for such things :P). The issue as has been laid out is in the follow through, there’s simply nothing else there to lend strength to the event, no matter how much Akame tries to beat it into us with the flashbacks.

        As for the split between seriousness and lightheartedness, where I am going with that is not that Akame needs to do one over the other, but better intertwine them like other shows have done as you have pointed out. For example when focusing on the “edgy” things, don’t bring humour into it, don’t erratically jump from one feeling to another as it jolts the sense of immersion. For this episode that means not going from a shounen staple over the top unrealistic fight into a total serious mourning over the death of a secondary character, it breaks the momentum and lends to the viewer asking “where was she supposed to elicit that degree of caring?”

        If anything it’s a writing problem as mentioned, it’s a reliance upon shock to patch over the superficial character development which the show then belatedly tries to use to draw emotion out of the viewer.

        Pancakes
        Reply

    3. The fight scenes are the only things the show has going for it. Everything else is just fluff.

      It’s as you said, they try to beat the emotions into you, and unless you’re easily swayed by “emotional scenes” everything other than the fighting in the show feels super flat and cheap.

      James
      Reply

    4. Yeah, my “sad reaction” is more of a very generalized type because of them killing off a cute girl, something I can apply to many a female character in many anime.

      It didn’t really elicit any much deeper feelings though, unfortunately.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

  10. Is it bad that I’m starting to root for the justice girl? Honestly she might be the only villain in the series who hasn’t done anything despicable to anyone (yet anyway). So I’m questioning why exactly do people think she needs to die? Just think about it. From her perspective (that of a common soldier) the Night Raid are just a bunch of killers that threaten the capital. They killed people close to her so why is it unreasonable for her to want revenge? In my opinion she has done absouletly NOTHING wrong yet.

    She seems rather unaware of the bad stuff that goes on under her nose that night raid takes care of. She’s just a soldier fighting with her own sense of justice. Same as the Night Raid if you think about it. Just because she killed one of the cast doesn’t mean what she’s done is unjust imo.

    Did enjoy the episode as it was kept mostly serious. The fight was certainly over the top in many ways like Sheele being able not only move but also talk while being cut in half or how Seryuu has a gun hidden in every orifice of her body ( i wouldn’t be surprised if she had one hidden in her *ahem* lady parts). Though I really just don’t understand why Sheele ran all the way to save Mine when she could have just killed Seryuu which would have stopped the dog from crushing her as well as winning the fight. Ah well.

    I suppose it’s saddening to see Sheele die but considering they JUST properly introduced her last episode I didn’t really have any attachment to her yet. The music playing during her final words was absouletly beautiful though. Gotta love old school Taku Iwasaki.

    leatherhead333
    Reply

      4. I didn’t personally think that was much of a spoiler either but I’ve edited your comment regardless. Please be aware that readers don’t like being spoiled about “upcoming surprises” even if your point isn’t plot specific. I think the element of surprise is one thing that AgK has going for it so it keeps people on their toes.

        Cherrie
        Reply

    3. I kind of agree with the fact that justice girl isn’t exactly evil. Merely, her sense of her so called justice is skewed and distorted. Everyone hates her (and for good reason), but if you look at her perspective, she thinks she is punishing evil and she doesn’t think she’s wrong. Although most of the hate also comes from her psychopathic tendencies that make her creepy and unrelatable.

      Later on, the series will have time to not only give core members time to develop, but also the enemies of night raid and you can see things from their perspective as well, so it doesn’t remain so one-dimensional.

      chromenova
      Reply

    4. RE: Seryu Ubiquitous…

      From what I know and see, I have to agree with you. Thus far she has not done any evils to the general public. She’s a public servant and she’s discharging the duties of her office albeit with an overzealous sense of black and white. Beyond that, it’s unfair to lump her together with the rest of the criminals.

      Like some have said, her experiences of seeing her parents get done in by NR has shaped her this way.

      What I believe to be the main question(s) is/are, how is evil defined and from whose perspective. Secondly, does the end truly justify the means?

      c2710
      Reply

    5. Well, seems Seiryu is turning into one of those archetypical “Absolute Justice” kind of characters. Those who will do or justify anything in the name of bringing Justice. I can see her killing some poor sap even if he just stole some bread to feed his hungry family or killing someone because he’s obstructing Justice by staying neutral or blowing up a refugee ship with hundreds of civilians just to kill a single criminal. examples are made up or based on other similar anime/manga characters

      So I couldn’t just sympathize with her yet, till she’s shown to be otherwise.

      Kamui04
      Reply

    6. >] “So I’m questioning why exactly do people think she needs to die? Just think about it. From her perspective (that of a common soldier) the Night Raid are just a bunch of killers that threaten the capital. They killed people close to her so why is it unreasonable for her to want revenge? In my opinion she has done absolutely NOTHING wrong yet.”

      If Seryu were a common soldier, I’d probably be more sympathetic to your argument. She isn’t though, not even close.

      Do you honestly believe that if, for whatever reason, Seryu suddenly weren’t a soldier anymore, she would stop meting out “justice” against what she perceives as “evil”? Of course not, because what she does has absolutely nothing to do with a soldier’s perceived duty; it’s all about satisfying her own twisted ideology. For her, the title of a soldier is nothing more than a pretext for her to carry it out.

      And, actually, her carrying out her own vendetta of revenge against Night Raid only serves to prove my point even more. That had nothing to do with her role of a soldier. It was all about satisfying herself.

      >] “She seems rather unaware of the bad stuff that goes on under her nose that night raid takes care of. She’s just a soldier fighting with her own sense of justice. Same as the Night Raid if you think about it. Just because she killed one of the cast doesn’t mean what she’s done is unjust imo.

      I’ve already laid out my argument as to why Seryu is most certainly not “just a soldier fighting with her own sense of justice,” but I would also argue you’re wrong when you say that she’s just like Night Raid. The difference between them couldn’t be more stark.

      Night Raid, along with all of its members, genuinely seek a better society and are willing to stain themselves in blood in order to achieve that end. Regardless as to whether or not you agree with what they’re doing, you have to admit that they don’t turn a blind eye to it; that they’re murderers and that they could be killed at any moment in the process. Akame made that perfectly clear at the beginning.

      Seryu, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. Honestly and truly, she doesn’t give a damn about society’s well-being or really anyone else for that matter, regardless of how much she spouts about her so-called “justice” and punishing “evil.” It is all about self-satisfaction with her, nothing more and nothing less.

      In the end, she is nothing more than a broken little girl burdened with the proverbial crutch of her father’s death that she was never able to come to terms with, and so she turned to trying to fill the gaping hole in her heart by killing everyone whom she deems “evil,” which is really just another way of saying that she sees them as being exactly the same as the people who killed her dad.

      Ryan Ashfyre
      Reply

      1. I don’t see anything wrong with her committing self gratification against a group that is wanted for disrupting the capital that she protects. Yeah her grudge is personal against the Night Raid but I haven’t seen any evidence that she knew about her master’s underhanded ways. The Night Raid kill him and others she was close to. From her perspective I don’t see anything wrong with her seeking self gratification. As a solider i find it hard to believe many people wouldn’t feel the same if they had her power.

        For the record I’m not saying she’s a perfect sympathetic villain. But compared to literally EVERY other bad guy we’ve gotten so far? Yeah I’d say she is as close as you can get.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

      2. @leatherhead333

        Revenge is never right, and intentions matter. Even if what she did is considered just – Sheele was a murderer too, though the defense of an evil government and corrupt laws muddies the waters – it was still not right. It was still evil.

        Evil done in the service of justice is still evil. You can’t walk so deep on the dark side and still call yourself the hero. At the very least, you’re the lesser of two villains.

        Note: Just because it’s wrong doesn’t mean it’s not understandable. Revenge is a very human desire. It’s still wrong though.

        Dammit Cherrie, now I wish I was blogging this.

        Stilts
        Reply

      3. >] “I don’t see anything wrong with her committing self gratification against a group that is wanted for disrupting the capital that she protects. Yeah her grudge is personal against the Night Raid but I haven’t seen any evidence that she knew about her master’s underhanded ways.”

        As I explained in my previous comment, Seryu really doesn’t care at all about protecting the capital. For her, the title of a soldier and its implied duty are nothing more than convenient excuses for her to met out “justice” in a futile attempt to try and fill the hole in her heart left by her father’s death.

        If you disagree however, then you’ll have to argue as to why it is that Seryu genuinely wants to protect the capital and provide at least one example to back it up.

        >] “The Night Raid kill him and others she was close to. From her perspective I don’t see anything wrong with her seeking self gratification. As a solider i find it hard to believe many people wouldn’t feel the same if they had her power.”

        To be fair, of course most people in Seryu’s position would feel a desire for revenge if someone close to them had just been killed. Actually following through on that desire is another matter entirely and implies a certain level of corruption, which is precisely what happened. Needless to say, if an actual soldier pulled that kind of crap, it should go without saying what would happen to them.

        That aside, I feel you’re giving Seryu far too much slack when you say you “don’t see anything wrong with her seeking self-gratification.”

        For the record, I’m all for a person doing fulfilling work and finding what satisfies them, but that’s not an at all apt comparison to Seryu’s psychopathic obsession with eliminating “evil.” In fact, it would be a stretch to even say that satisfies her at all, because even that’s really just a distraction for her to avoid facing the reality of her father’s death.

        >] “For the record I’m not saying she’s a perfect sympathetic villain. But compared to literally EVERY other bad guy we’ve gotten so far? Yeah I’d say she is as close as you can get.”

        We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. Ultimately, to me, she’s just a coward running away from reality.

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      4. Yeah, not to derail the topic into a different debate, but to put it simply I agree and basically see her much more like Sasuke in Naruto in terms of the whole “vengeance” and “justice” motif she’s using.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

      5. I see no evidence for all you say that she doesn’t care about the general public.
        We have never seen her interact with a situation where she might sacrifice people for her goals.
        In her introductory episode, she offered Koro death row inmates as a meal,
        Not simply any inmates, DEATH ROW inmates.
        Which shows even among criminals, she distinguishes between levels of crimes,
        (To which the said level of crimes are decided by the government)
        And does care about whether someone will or will not die anyway.
        Thus, from that point, it seems highly unlikely she would indiscriminately kill random criminals,
        Or sacrifice the general populace. She sees serving the government and protecting
        The upperclass citizens as just. However, even in the slums, she serviced Tatsumi
        Showing she’s just a generally kind and upbeat person,
        HOWEVER, towards those she and the people she serves or looks up to
        Perceive as evil, she is willing to do ANYTHING, to dish out what she thinks they deserves.
        In fact, her reasoning is so strong, so basic, that she is arguably the most sane character in the show.
        It seems to be as follows:
        If you are considered evil by the people around me, I will do anything to kill you.
        She follows that to a t.
        She is simply administering justice as what justice is considered to people of her stature in their society.

        Lisbeth
        Reply

  11. There is nothing more ruthless than blind pursuit of justice.
    I was so wrong thinking that Seryu will not stand a chance against seasoned assassins teamworking against her. Not only her fanatical devotion to perceived justice made her tougher opponent, she really had some aces up her sleeves… quite literally.
    And, Sheele is gone. This hits really hard after Tatsumi was getting finally a close friend in the organization. I wonder how many more will fall now the Icy General of the North has returned to capital – and by all reconing she might be even more dangerous than Seryu!

    ewok40k
    Reply

  14. Fuck Seryu
    It takes a lot for me to hate a character and in the manga I hated her but watching this in anime form just took it to a whole different level. I wasn’t the biggest Sheele fan (Not saying I hate her, she just wasnt a favorite of mine but I did like her) but her death did get to me and those memories just got to me. Not to mention it wasnt bad enough she had to die but her weapon is also left in the enemies hand as we saw it on the ground.

    VsAllGaming
    Reply

  15. Holy shit. I just caught up and had no intention of picking up another summer show but damn am I glad I did. Seryu is one crazy sumabitch. Cannot wait for the next ep!
    You just KNOW Tatsumi is gonna assasinate her real good.

    Miaminights
    Reply

  16. Am I a bad person for hoping that she finds out the truth about everything just before she eventually dies or something along those lines? Like… fall into despair because everything she’s worked for, people she’s trusted… was all a lie basically.

    I’m not sure why but this is the reaction I usually have when it comes to these righteous, extremely misinformed/tricked type characters.

    On another note, I still had hopes that Seryu would come around some time but with the gun coming out of her mouth… I think that, to me is the nail in the coffin for her.

    Also Leone’s transformation is kinda a little underwhelming to me. Kinda wish she went a little more feral in terms of design… like Three from Hamatora or Shina from Bloody Roar (granted she was a Leopard).

    Azuma
    Reply

    1. Am I a bad person for hoping that she finds out the truth about everything just before she eventually dies or something along those lines? Like… fall into despair because everything she’s worked for, people she’s trusted… was all a lie basically

      Uuuuuh I’d say no. She’s far too deep into the rabbit hole to accept the truth if she’s ever made aware of it. She would likely deny it and ultimately end up completely insane. Who knows what the writer has in store for her, though..

      Helvetica Standard
      Reply

      1. Yes Seryu Ubiquitous is the definition of almost brain washed. Justice is supposed to be blind but she is following her Justice blindly! She not interested in the facts or evidence. To her Night Raid and properly anyone associated with them are Evil in her mind.

        Koro probably selected her as his master because of that mentality. The fact the he is a fixated killing machine is why he rejected any normal soldier that didn’t have that in them.

        Ani_BEE
        Reply

    2. I used to be very hopeful with AgK… but then again, after reading all the comments and judging by the pace of this show, it doesn’t seem like characters are able to turn 180 very easily >_< The "justice" that Seryu seems to be going after is too embedded in her mind for her to see it any other way. I'd LIKE to see her die after realizing "Omg, I've been idolizing the wrong person all my life and I see my crimes now!" but I don't think that will happen =S

      Cherrie
      Reply

    3. Not bad at all! It is good to have hope. Only, this show is about tragedy =/ Oy… but the future is not yet determined (the manga isn’t finished either) so who knows!

      Spoiler Alert
      Reply

      1. Isn’t it more like the tragedy is just so well done that it lingers in people’s memories more than the good parts… I love the characters and the comedy and the relationships.

        Watcher
        Reply

  18. “I feel sorry for her”
    Wonder how long that’ll last.

    Sigh…I dunno if I’m up for going through the series all over again. This fight completely refueled my un-ending hatred for Seryu.
    Apoplectic doesn’t even begin to describe things.

    Kabble
    Reply

  20. Well, I for one, didn’t actually mind sheele dying.. afterall, i think of her as a girl tht’s only good at killing and hence joins a assassin group, and is learning that she could be a shoulder to lean on, for our main characters… But, Seryu on the other hand sincerely believes in the justice she’s delivering.. and actually is right, other than the fact that she seems oblivious to the evil on her side.. so, this Ep., I’m glad it turned out the way it did, cuz’ if seryuu would’ve died, I don’t think i’d wanna cheer for our “good guys” anymore..
    Then again.. tht’s just my opinion.

    A_wAnNaBe
    Reply

  21. Dont worry, im pretty sure Seryu had EVERYONE fooled in her initial introduction, manga readers and anime viewers alike. Even I thought she was a lovable character until the events of this episode happened in the manga.

    I will say this (dont think spoiler tags are needed cause its not really a spoiler), Seryu’s next major battle wont happen for a very long time, Im not even sure if the anime will get that far.

    Esdeath is still cool with me though, I still love her even in the latest manga chapters. Because while she’s cruel, she at least know what shes doing and isnt a complete psychopath.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

    1. You should check out AgK Theater Episode 06 then,
      since chibi Esdese is there..(http://tinyurl.com/k8eb948)
      Though I think next week’s main series episode might have some rushing since that theater episode is Show Spoiler ▼

      Techim
      Reply

  22. I have to agree with the others that Sheele’s death didn’t have the emotional impact it could or perhaps should have. I liked Sheele well enough (both manga and anime), but IMO readers/viewers really didn’t have much time to form any attachment to her, and the uber grim-dark nature of the show pretty much indicated that someone in the group wasn’t going to be around for long. Plus, there were all those comments about “we may die at any time”.

    On the plus side, Sheele hung around longer than say Senju (who I liked quite a bit) from Black Bullet who was killed off in EP 04. Even so, Senju’s death had more of an emotional impact for me than Sheele’s. Agree with others that the contrived violin music + flashback stills of “happy times” had a more negative impact than accentuating the poignancy of Sheele’s death. YMMV

    Overall, a good, enjoyable action-packed episode. The story is starting to hit stride now that the basic introduction parts are over. I do have a couple quibbles. First, IDK if the same is true for anyone else, but while I realize all the stills are per manga, they don’t seem to integrate as well in the anime. Perhaps some of that is due to the frequency of use. Regardless, I’m starting to find them obtrusive rather than adding to the atmosphere.

    A personal peeve of mine – I’m NOT a fan of the “mouth gun”, especially if said mouth is not a robot’s of full-blown cyborg’s (e.g. just the brain is kept or something). Seryu still seems to have at least a human torso from what we’ve seen so far, so how does that work exactly? I realize that it’s “over-the-top” (OTT) on purpose, but it’s too OTT for my taste. Feel like I’m obligated to make some bad joke like “So… does she eat bullets to reload?” Meh. The series is good enough IMO to avoid something so OTT silly. JMO

    FYI regarding Seryu – for Ogre it is personal with Night Raid, that’s not true for her father: Anime (horrible subs – Yay! Uncensored!): “Father died in the line of duty, fighting villains LIKE you” and manga “For my father who fell in the line of duty to villains LIKE you.” [caps added for both]. For Orge she specifically states that Night Raid killed him (e.g. Anime: “And you killed my mentor, General Ogre!”.

    Back on point, I don’t find Seryu a sympathetic character. Even if Ogre hadn’t been killed, I highly doubt that would change anything. IMO, she’d still be judge, jury and executioner without a care in the world as to actual guilt or the degree of said offense. Jaywalking – torment and death followed by, or in conjunction with, feeding Koro. After all, this is the same girl who idolized Orge. “Crazy a** b*tch” works for me.

    But Seryu is just the sadistic psychopath “vanguard” now that Esdeath has arrived. Akame’s just getting started folks. Check your “feels” as the door, sit back, and enjoy the carnage.

    daikama
    Reply

  23. My, I’m impressed. Though Akame Ga Kill is still very much a flawed piece of popcorn entertainment, they really took it up a notch with this episode. I could still see the seams directing me what to feel (rather than it just flowing naturally, but then, this show is anything but subtle) but in this case, it actually kind of worked. Scheele’s death was brutal and kind of sad (though I didn’t know her well enough to truly be hit in the feels) and I like the implication it gives: shit just got real. Quite a shocker, in that regard, and since I quite like shows where side-characters can die easily, that brings some more tension into this whole show. And while her death was a bit overwrought, they did nail the reactions of the other characters to it. I could relate to them, and I despise Seryu with a passion now.

    I mean, it’s one thing to have a nasty villain who’s unapologetic about their actions, but it’s so much worse to have a self-righteous psycho who can do no wrong in her own muddled little mind. I feel not a shred of sympathy for her. She just needs to get stabbed. In the eye. With a chainsaw.

    Good to see they’re immediately bringing out the big guns too now that Esdeath’s shown up, that should be interesting. I’m actually looking forward to seeing where this show’ll be going now.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  29. Didn’t fell anything about that girl’s death. I guess 6 episodes isn’t enough to make me care about a character.

    But the episode was overall awesome. Really cool fight with that crazy mutant dog.

    André
    Reply

  30. I wish it was the other way around. I like Scheele so much more than Mine.
    Now that I think about it, this was the reason that made me stop reading the manga. I was quite attached to Scheele

    Kentaiyoshimi
    Reply

  32. Oh crap! They got Sheele!

    And man I thought Seryu and her dog were kinda cute til I saw what she feed it last episode. Still didnt know how crazy she was.

    It just got real.

    Rick Anime
    Reply

  33. I like this show.. but is anyone else noticing the artifacts(among other things ) have an UNCANNY resemblance to the artifacts in “Flame of Recca” … Both in form and function.

    Lithonite
    Reply

  35. Got to be honest, I was rooting for Seryu, I simply didn’t like Sheele or Mine, so I didn’t really care all that much about this death, I also find Seryu to be a much much more interesting character compared to Sheele or Mine.

    It’s good though that this happened, I don’t think this death is very powerful, but it does set the stage for future battles having some degree of unpredictability since this shows that the author is not afraid to kill off characters.

    Bluth
    Reply

  36. There it is, the first casualty for the Night Raid.

    I wasn’t a huge fan of Sheele even when I read the manga, she was kinda plain as she had the airhead gimmick going for her. But her death really did shook me just on a basis of someone from the hero group actually dying meaning that the group isn’t invincible like say Team Rave from Rave Master.

    Also Seryu is a fucking monsters and needs to die, fucking justice trash. YOU DON’T KNOW JUSTICE.

    XxVanitasXx
    Reply

  39. Seryu is probably one of my most hated characters from the series. She causes me so much rage, but that just shows how good the writing is. A single character can cause me this much anger, and yet I still love the series.

    bakakubi
    Reply

  40. Man this was the episode I was waiting for, as it contained the first death of a secondary character.

    The animation was pretty good and neat. The action scenes had a great flow as expected. KanaHana’s voice acting was top-notch and the soundtrack was fitting.

    As a reader of the manga, I can’t help but notice a few added/missing details. I hear a lot of people say “why didn’t Sheele just kill Seryu but instead went for Coro?”. You are totally right on this one. Killing the owner would definitely stop Coro, but what the anime did wrong was the they made Seryu and Sheele fight way over to the ‘woods’, when in the manga they were fighting in the square.*In the manga* The moment Sheele cut Seryu’s forearms, Seryu tripped on a rock. Because of that, Seryu slided quite a bit from Sheele’s position, thus making it easier for Sheele to attack Coro. It still might not make that much sense, but anyone’s instinct would tell them to go and “save”. It also justifies it because of the shounen-effect.

    While Sheele didn’t have quite the character development, the previous episode and the flashbacks at the end surely made up – as brief as it was. The impact however came from the “a good character died” reason.

    The censoring was acceptable and a good example of how other studios should censor.

    Swirl9
    Reply

    1. Nevermind that sliding part. What justifies Sheele’s actions are the shounen-effect and that anyone’s instincts would scream at them for “save your friend”.

      Nonetheless. the anime is way too far from a good adaption, so if you feel like it, the manga is the best option for this series.

      Swirl9
      Reply

  41. Okay, so after reading most of the back and forth between this whol seryu business I gotta say, in my opinion, no, her wanting to deliver “absolute justice” is BS, we know that. Yes, her plight might have been sympathetic in the beginning, but now? She’s probably so far gone she probably doesn’t even care about it anymore. Yes she may say she wants to avenge people but hey, words can be superficial. She’s just been consumed by wanting revenge, and, in the end, what will it bring her? Nothing. She’ll just stay an insane psychopath who will continue to commit murder in the guise of her so called justice. As far as i’m concerned she will remain an empty vengeful shell. So when I see the comment that it’s justified I take it with a grain of salt. In the end maybe she was at first, but now? I wouldn’t think so.

    PS: Nerf that damn dog! (Also, yes, trying to hit me in the head with the feels bat so blatantly is kinda irksome but, it still affects me as a human. Sheele was still likable overall so it still sucks.)

    Catsrofl
    Reply

    1. The demonic looks’ purpose is to portray the wickedness and evilness of certain characters. While it’s true that Akame ga Kill is a dark fantasy series, demons are not part of it.

      Swirl9
      Reply

      1. I know, I’ve been keeping up with chapters. It’s just seems with scenes like that it just gives the impression and foreshadowing that something is wrong, that people are unusually corrupt frequently and a ruler so duped to follow the prime minister’s advice.

        wingzer012
        Reply

  47. Hnnn, I will miss getting to know Sheele during the course of the season, and not just because she was decked in purple or that she was both cute n clumsy. Those warm n fuzzy memories she had with Night Raid spoke volumes for the type of character she was. Sheele was suppose to be the nice girl that you wanted to get to know better but she was taken away from the world before you could and in this case, she did get taken away.

    They are assassins – every mission they go on could be their last. Whether you’ve known them for a long time, or if you just met – people will die. You don’t have to know someone for a long time for their death to stand out in particular or to have a meaning. Tatsumi’s only met the girl and he feels this broken up over her loss – how much more did the others feel her loss despite being professional killers?

    Arakan7
    Reply

  49. ….to me the death scene was really dragged out…and overly dramatic….funny cuz i didnt feel that way when i read it…….probly because i controlled the pace in the manga…weird

    BROOKLYN otaku
    Reply

  51. They just have to make you fall in love with a character in one episode and then butcher them in the next. I just hoped that someone will save her or she could some how revive herself, but no, and Night Raid can’t even have her back in one piece, its just so sad D:

    Btw, a logical guess. Mine will be the next victim, or probably saved by Tatsumi before she gets killed. They’re both blinded by avenging Sheela at the moment.

    Tsukiyo
    Reply

  62. kabble the anime does suck for akame ga kill and I was freaking exstatic when seryu died. its been weeks, not a spoiler. But the anime is awful and completely destroyed. so far, the episode of mine and sheele vs seryu has been the only good one.

    fred
    Reply

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