D.Gray-man / First Impressions

Summary:
Allen recalls that he and his father weren’t related by blood, but Mana Walker had been the one who adopted him after he got abandoned because of his strange arm. When Mana died, his final words told Allen to never stop walking, no matter what, until his life ended. Afterwards, a grieving Allen had been approached by the Millennium Earl at Mana’s grave, and the Millennium Earl offered to resurrect Mana. Allen had gone ahead and called out Mana’s name, which put Mana’s soul into the skeleton. But Mana was angry about being made into an Akuma, so he cursed Allen and cut Allen’s left eye. It was when Mana had pinned Allen down that Allen’s arm activated and acted on its own as it attacked the Akuma. This time, before Mana was destroyed, his final words told Allen that he loved him and asked to be destroyed.
The person who taught Allen about the Akuma and the Millennium Earl was Allen’s teacher, General Cross. He had discovered Allen after the incident and informed him that souls have no freedom inside an Akuma, bound for eternity as the Millennium Earl’s toys. The only way to help them is to destroy them. Since Allen had an anti-Akuma arm, Cross had asked Allen to become an Exorcist. Allen also remembers that from that point forward, he was able to see the souls of the Akuma. At first, he thought it was because of Mana’s curse and so he became an Exorcist to make up for it. But once he saw more Akuma, he understood that their tears weren’t of hatred, but rather of deep love towards the person who had made them an Akuma. It’s as if they were questioning why the person wasn’t living with strength. Thus, Allen didn’t become an Exorcist to compensate for what he did, he became one for the sake of living. He now sees his curse as a guide and believes that Akuma shouldn’t be in this world, so he vows to destroy them.
Since Allen is able to withstand fire from the Akuma thanks to his arm, the Millennium Earl decides to summon a sky full of Akuma. While Allen is recovering from a hit, the Millennium Earl turns the Akuma guns towards Jean. Acting quickly, Lenalee activates her own Innocence and saves the boy. As Toma explains, her anti-Akuma weapons are her Dark Boots. In response, the Millennium Earl turns his guns towards her, but Lenalee is quite adept at avoiding the guns and destroying the Akuma. However, one explosion sends her crashing onto a church roof, so Allen rushes to her side. As he’s taking her to safety, Toma is meanwhile protecting Jean on the sidelines, knowing that if they don’t destroy the Akuma soon, the city will be destroyed. This causes Jean to remember how the Akuma are weapons created by the Millennium Earl. He and Leo had read up on the Akuma, but then Leo’s mother died. Realizing his own mistake, Jean calls for Allen to destroy Leo.
Allen decides to initiate an attack called Cross Glaive that destroys every single Akuma and puts the Millennium Earl on the run. As he flies away with his umbrella, the Millennium Earl claims that this is just the beginning and that there are Akuma evolving all across the world. He’s planning on ending the world and thinks that there’s nothing the Exorcists can do to stop him. Once the Millennium Earl is gone and the battle is over, Allen falls down tired, though physically unhurt. It is sometime later that he returns to headquarters and passes along an onion bomb to Jake Russell. Jean had explained earlier that he wanted to study more and become stronger so that he could go to his father. Jake Russell had shed some tears when Allen told him this, but he blamed it on the onion. He is appreciative that Allen saved Jean, and decides to try to finish his work early so that he can go see his son.

Preview

They actually showed Lenalee’s powers! Since they went ahead and included her in this arc, I had been hoping that they would do that. Technically the manga has her “debut” in the story of Allen’s return after the Ghost of Mater incident, but I’m not complaining. Having Lenalee fight makes up for the fact that Allen didn’t use his upgraded arm, but I guess the Cross Glaive attacked worked just as well in destroying the Akuma.
All of Allen’s background from this episode leaves me wanting to learn more about both Mana Walker and General Cross. It seems a bit strange that they don’t show Mana’s face, but maybe that’ll come into play later. Oh yea, there was also that scene with Allen rushing to Lenalee’s side that makes me wonder if there will be something AllenXLenalee sometime in the future. There’s plenty of stuff to look forward to, including more Lenalee in the preview.

31 Comments

  11. Ah I guess the next episode will be where that giant robot went berserk. Can’t wait to see that. 😀 (although I have to say it was cooler in the manga when she revealed her powers then)

    mangaka-chan
    Reply

  25. Lenalee is so pretty

    but as for AllenxLenalee
    I’m not sure but…

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Lissa
    Reply

  29. This episode was great!! Just great…
    BTW Onmi, you made my addict to INNOCENT SORROW… video and song…
    Allen Walker… that reminds me of Chuck Norris and Walker: Texas Ranger LOL

    We need more fights like this one in teh future, or better ones…
    Anyone know homw many episodes D-Gray Man will have? I hope more tahn 24

    Syaoran Li
    Reply

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