Way back in the first episode review, I said I got emotional by the end of Granbelm‘s story. Now that I’m actually at the show’s final stretch, I can now confess that I was bawling my eyes out over this episode. I thought Anna’s death was an emotional moment but this episode is an entire rollercoaster in and of itself. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit this since no one talks about Granbelm but that is honestly the reaction this episode gets out of me.
As established in the last episode, Shisui has woken up from her coma and she meets Mangetsu by happenstance. Mangetsu eventually asks Shisui about Kuon and while Shisui doesn’t remember her sister, the name still elicits an emotional response out of her. Later in the episode, Mangetsu comes across some of her classmates and discovers that they can still remember her. Even though Mangetsu will cease to exist, it turns out that she won’t necessarily be forgotten. It’s an important discovery for Mangetsu. Not only does this make her more accepting of her fate, it also makes her realize that she is wrong about having nothing. However miniscule or forgotten they may be, Mangetsu made all these connections with people and if she has that, then she truly can’t be empty.
The biggest tearjerker in this episode is Shingetsu and Mangetsu’s reunion. The two first talk on the phone but when Shingestu tries to apologize to Mangetsu over what’s happened and Mangetsu asks if she shouldn’t have been born, Shingetsu runs off to apologize again in-person. While running, Shingetsu inner monologues about how she created Mangetsu. When she ran away from the Fugo family, her only source of comfort was her doll and at one point, she wondered if she could give it life with magic. The Magiaconatus seemingly takes note of this wish and it eventually responds to it by creating Mangetsu. By the end of her monologue and flashback, Shingetsu finds and embraces Mangetsu and she apologizes to her friend once again.
Shingetsu’s apology and Mangetsu’s response really gets to me. This is arguably the most emotional Shingetsu has gotten so far in the show and it always pain me how she beats herself up. Shingetsu doesn’t think Mangetsu shouldn’t have been born, she cares too much about Mangetsu to believe that, but she does feel that if she was stronger and the Magiaconatus didn’t react to her, Mangetsu wouldn’t have gone through so much pain. It’s all the more uplifting then when Mangetsu responds to her apology by thanking her. Even if Shingetsu is responsible for her creation, the fact remains that Shingetsu is the one who gave her life and meaning and Mangetsu is forever grateful for that.
This scene is also really well directed. I particularly love how you can barely see Mangetsu’s face until Shingetsu finds her. That makes you wonder what is going on in Mangetsu’s mind and it makes Shingetsu’s desperation to apologize in-person more pronounced. This scene also marks the second time Granbelm uses the insert song “Scenery”, the first use being in Anna’s death scene. Maybe it’s because this scene is squarely about Shingetsu and Mangetsu and my investment in both of them is through the roof now but I’ve always felt the show utilizes the song better in this scene. The chorus playing right when Shingetsu embraces Mangetsu certainly makes the moment even more poignant.
After their reunion, Mangetsu and Shingetsu decide to go camping with the Rin sisters, Shisui, and Kibo. It’s very much a calm before the storm. There’s a couple of jokes here and there, the funniest being the revelation that Shingetsu actually sucks at cooking. That really explains why she was still willing to eat Mangetsu’s food. It may be plain but it’s better than what she could make. Surprisingly, this gag does take a more serious turn as Shingetsu confides to Mangetsu that she really doesn’t have anything special apart from being good at magic, which she loathes. In a way, Shingetsu is actually in the same boat as Mangetsu. She feels that she has nothing. This then creates a neat reversal on the two characters’ chemistry. Normally, Shingetsu is the one assuring Mangetsu that she isn’t empty. Now, it’s the other way around.
Kibo’s inclusion is both awkward and touching. It’s awkward considering that she no longer remembers Mangetsu but it’s also touching how in spite of that, she still befriends her sister. It’s kind of a shame that Kibo doesn’t recognize Mangetsu throughout the trip but I suppose it’d be a cruel move to do that right before Mangetsu heads off for Granbelm. Having Shisui on board is a little weird. Like yeah, Kuon was Mangetsu and Shingetsu’s ally and friend so I can see them wanting to invite her sister but the fact remains that Shisui has barely interacted with anyone else in the cast. That said, I do enjoy the song Shisui plays on the guitar, which is a subconscious tribute to Kuon.
At the end of the trip, Mangetsu uses some fireworks to bid everyone farewell. She then disappears and everyone aside from Shingetsu forgets about her. Turns out, Mangetsu decided against using the Rin sisters’ talisman again. She reckoned it’s easier to part ways that way. When I first watched Granbelm, this scene scared the hell out of me. With Mangetsu disappearing and her fireworks dropping to the ground, I honestly thought the show just killed her off. Like, I know the show has to involve her in the final battle but boy was I fooled for a second.
Right before Mangetsu’s disappearing act, Shingetsu learns from Nene that she could use her wish to save Mangetsu if she wins Granbelm and she realizes that Mangetsu deliberately withheld this information from her. When confronted about this, Mangetsu explains that she doesn’t want Shingetsu to change her mind about her wish. This scene begs the question if Mangetsu genuinely wants Shingetsu to go through with her wish or if this is actually the Magiaconatus’s programming at work.
I imagine the show is conveying the former and to be fair, that’s the interpretation I’m leaning towards. Thing is, if Mangetsu really has no free will, she wouldn’t have contemplated between her self-preservation and Shingetsu’s wish. She also would approve of any decision Shingetsu makes in the end because it technically is unrelated to helping her friend. The fact that Mangetsu chooses to withhold information from Shingetsu and tells her to go through with her wish is proof that she does actually have a heart. She knows how important getting rid of magic is to Shingetsu. She genuinely wants Shingetsu to see it realized, even giving her permission to do so. And she does all of this despite knowing that this will be the end for her. This decision is entirely Mangetsu’s. She isn’t fulfilling her purpose. Rather, she’s doing what she thinks is best for her one and only friend.
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