Back Arrow

Episode 13

As the war between Lutoh and Rekka continues in the background, Kai and Back Arrow begin their battle. Back Arrow is compromised by his injury, but he is joined by Prax. Soon Rekka's general also attacks Prax's division and Elsha. Supreme Rudolph begins broadcasting the battle across Lutoh to further demoralize the people as the war descends into tense brutality. Kai and Back Arrow end up airborne, discussing the nature of the Wall and what it means to the people of Lingalind. Back Arrow tries to convince Kai that he needs to look beyond both his own assumptions and the petty politics of the moment, while Kai says that high-concept thinking like that ignores the painful realities of the lives of everyday people.

Soon Princess Fine decides to personally join the fight. Keeping her second personality in check, she uses her conviction to heal others and deflect enemy attacks with her Briheight. However, as she is calming the situation, the Emperor of Rekka joins in with his own Briheight and nearly destroys her in a single massive attack. The battle starts to escalate just as the episode closes out.

Another excellent episode for Back Arrow.

As a longtime fan of shows like Record of Lodoss War, seeing two emperors duke it out in the middle of a giant rainy pit on the battlefield is 100000% up my alley. I think the episode did a great job of not only portraying the dramatic action but also really underscoring the various personal philosophies at play. They are not exactly complex, but like the political setup, there are enough differing perspectives on the situation to add an engaging texture to the ongoing war.

The Princess's Briheight is a terrific mecha design. The giant staff with the rainbow heart on the end shooting rainbows full of falling stars healing everyone on the battlefield is the kind of imagery I'm here for. Plus, the way said staff literally shattered under the Emperor's attack was a great image. I'm curious if next week we're going to see Princess Fine let loose with her other identity and even the score, perhaps with her Briheight changing its physical makeup to match a new conviction…

The new opening is also superb. The music is great, and the scenes with the speckled dots are very evocative, bringing to mind the four-color dot process used in early 20th century comic books.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Back Arrow is currently streaming on FUNimation Entertainment.