「完全体(パーフェクトゴレム)」 (Paafuekuto Goremu)
“Perfect Golem”
With summer quickly giving way to fall it’s the time of climaxes all around, and Accelerator is certainly ready to partake in the festivities. Our main fight of the season is finally upon us, and as expected there won’t be too many shockers to chew on once the dust settles. The cackle machine is going to destroy, the apprentice will gain atonement, and everyone else, well, you get the idea. Magic will meet science and the results are going to be glorious.
Considering how threatening Accelerator was earlier on in devolving into multiple plot lines (a la Index III), it’s quite nice seeing the show able and willing to stick and converge on its one central story. While I’m not going to stop getting a kick out of how well our baddy’s dream continues off from Fate Apocrypha’s Avicebron (oh the irony), there’s not much which can be complained about in terms of execution or material. Sure, it may still be vague as to what Esther’s ancestor means by becoming God (because a Lovecraftian level 6 (supposed) monstrosity doesn’t meet those requirements), but the willingness of Accelerator to accentuate its main battle with blood, death, and destruction definitely provides some sense of weight and urgency to the whole affair. After all, if your villain suddenly sprouts shark teeth after a whole season of moeblob appearances, you best bring your A game, because there’s no regrowing limbs lost to that shredding machine. Methinks someone is going to need your collective energy pretty damn quickly.
What I’m most looking forward to for Accelerator’s finale however is not so much the boss battle, but its conclusion. A lot of caring and adorable moments were hidden or teased behind this episode’s tension, whether that be the promise of Last Order making her triumphant return (because you know this season won’t end without further Misaka squared speech) or Accelerator’s quiet caring for the Sisters and their lives. Accelerator may be a self-professed villain for example, but as shown here and before his actions during the Sisters arc left a significant mark upon him, a mark he’s determined to make up for and lessen the fatal results of. It’s slow, steady, and (dare say) organic development which runs counter to a lot of the Index-verse’s in your face absolutism (Touma and the fist of justice says hi), and part of the reason this guy gets so much fan love in the first place. Accelerator may be good at crushing face, but he’s got plenty to learn when it comes to accepting the thanks and admiration of those in his debt.
Good thing he’ll get a good bit of practice in doing so after finally—and inevitably—winning the day next time.
Preview
I loved how siscon mad scientist asked by Accelerator about whether he is trying to atone, replies that he regrets nothing, just wants to get revenge for stealing HIS sister by pesudosoul/Isaac entity. This elicits villainous grin from Acclerator.
Provided Esther survives she will be faced with interesting choice, does she forget and bury art of taoistic necromancy, or will she try and find some less malicious way to use it?
I would tell she could be excellent forensic necromancer if anybody needed it (CopCraft called for one…)
Is it just me or is this dragging on a little too long? It’s like they had to pad it out to last the season.
I’m not familiar with the source material for this series specifically but I would assume its more an issue with that than the anime if it feels dragged out to you.
They did had to pad a bit as this arc wasn’t enough to fully fill 12 episodes, but IMO pacing is pretty good for an Index story. Any lack of mad dash through horribly chopped material is a win in my books lol.
Never would have pictured a Misaka Imouto to be stuck in a Zombie situation. (Stupid Murphy’s Law…) Can’t Misaka Imouto fry these corpses with electricity?
https://randomc.net/image/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator%20-%2011%20-%2032.jpg
She could, but I doubt electricity would make them stay down for too long.
Bashing face with a crowbar is more likely to do the job 😛
Also, remember that while having similar powers to Misaka Mikoto, the Sisters aren’t Level-5 espers like the original. (IIRC, they are around Level 2 to 3.) And I don’t know if Misaka Worst has been created at this point in time.
Man, if Taowu/Hirumi sprouts more tentacles and Accelerator reaches his time limit on using his powers… Well, a naughty mind could probably imagine what happens next to the female members of the party…
https://randomc.net/image/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
Attempts blood flow reversal on Taowu/Hirumi…
https://randomc.net/image/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator/To%20Aru%20Kagaku%20no%20Accelerator%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
…turns out she has insane regeneration powers… And Accelerator’s battery that gives him access to the MISAKA Network (and his powers) is running out. Hope he brought extra batteries. Otherwise, it might be a good time to use Esther’s dagger.
On a different note, this episode is doing a pretty good job giving off that “film noir” look… (Yeah, yeah, I know it’s just unnatural lighting from Taowu, but still…)