Comet Lucifer

Episode 10

If I were in Moura's giant-robot-rock-monster shoes, I'd be more than a little annoyed at the new enemy that appears in this episode. It probably takes a lot of time and effort to look good in transforming mecha mode, and out of nowhere some jerk decides to copy the poor thing's design line for line. Even if you go with a different color scheme, that has to be a pretty big slap in the face for a giant robot. Forget about saving Felia, I'd be after this thing's head just for stealing my look.

As Sogo and company make their way up to the Altar, Felia finally realizes that her feelings for Sogo bear a striking resemblance to love. She decides not to tell him until after their journey is over, which is an excellent way to invite disaster in a show like this. Things go downhill in a hurry once the group reaches the Altar, with their troubles headlined by the appearance of a dark and scary version of Moura. The anti-Moura promptly kidnaps Felia and beats the stuffing out of Sogo and Moura when they try to stage a rescue. To make matters worse, Sogo hears about Do Mon's death shortly after losing the fight. With the group's morale at an all-time low, Kaon steps forward to rally the team and lead the charge to rescue their friend.

Considering how much time Comet Lucifer has spent getting these kids to the Altar, their visit is surprisingly brief. All we get is a trap door, a fancy central chamber, and an evil version of Moura that's apparently been waiting there to grab Felia. The audience gets no concrete answers about the Altar's purpose or function, and we're off to the next location as soon as we arrive. It feels disappointingly anticlimactic, even considering that the show needed to use this scene to hand Sogo and friends a harsh defeat before the final showdown. Moura's evil twin is also a letdown from a design standpoint; it's essentially the same mech with a different coat of paint. I realize that they're supposed to be similar entities, but a little more variety would have been nice.

Apart from the Altar bait-and-switch, the series manages to hit all the necessary marks in this episode. The fight sequence establishes the notion that Moura's opposition is tough, adding a vital feeling of danger to their all but inevitable rematch. As predictable as it is, Felia's missed opportunity to convey her feelings to Sogo adds a more human side to the damsel-in-distress routine. However, the most effective moment in the episode may very well be the group's reactions to the news of Do Mon's death. As is often the case, the survivors' reactions carry about the same emotional weight as the death scene itself. These are all tried and true plot points within this genre, but they're used so often because they work pretty well as long as the writing and direction are reasonably competent. Thankfully, “reasonably competent” is an apt description for this show in general.

The big events are accompanied by some additional character development, and it's here that Comet Lucifer continues to put in a strong effort. There's a nice exchange between Sogo and Felia before the action kicks off, and the conversation between Roman and Kaon cements their status as an interesting non-couple. Even more satisfying than all the romance is the way in which Kaon steps off the sidelines to get the group back on track at the end of the episode. In a series that's fairly heavy on “guy protects girl” moments, it's a nice change of pace to see Kaon be the one to declare that she's going to save Felia regardless of what everyone else decides to do. It's not a huge deal, but it gives her a chance to be something other than the second-place contender in the show's central love triangle.

With Felia on her way to the official baddie headquarters and her friends in hot pursuit, Comet Lucifer has laid nearly all of the groundwork it needs for a satisfying ending. The biggest concern now is the relative lack of information about what exactly is going to happen if the heroes are unable to thwart the villains. This need to explain the stakes could impose a poorly timed info-dump on the remaining episodes, but the series is in good shape overall.

Rating: B

Comet Lucifer is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.