Comet Lucifer

Episode 11

This episode of Comet Lucifer offers a valuable lesson to any aspiring arch-villains who happen to be watching: put your shield generator inside your secret base, not several blocks down the street from it. Seriously, what's the point of having a nearly impenetrable bubble shield if your enemies can just pull the plug without having to break through it? Then again, I suppose we shouldn't have expected much from poor old Zoneboyle, since he also apparently missed the lesson on never trusting competent minions. You never know when they're going to transform their arms into swords and quite literally stab you in the back.

We start this week's events with the inevitable meeting between Felia and Zoneboyle, which at least features a brief conversation before he straps her into a giant clockwork doomsday machine. Sogo and Moura force their way into the Bureau headquarters to save Felia, but their efforts are hindered by a powerful shield that forces Moura to change from a giant death robot to a girl in a ridiculous outfit. Roman, Kaon, and Otto manage to shut the shield down, though their help comes too late to stop Zoneboyle's aide from taking over as the show's chief antagonist. Meanwhile, Felia gradually becomes encased in a giant red crystal, and a new planet shows up directly above the city. I can only assume that the day's weather forecast calls for a fifty percent chance of apocalyptic destruction.

While this episode features a significant amount of action, it also acts as a last-minute information dump. Most of the exposition is provided by Zoneboyle, who's kind enough to explain his plan while he's overseeing the process of turning Felia into a person-sized chunk of rock. It's not perfectly clear what purpose Felia will serve in her newly crystallized form, but there's at least enough information for the audience to understand what's at stake. The big machine that Felia's trapped inside looks appropriately sinister, as its rotating gears conjure up the image of human industry overriding the laws of nature. Even though it all seems silly when held up to close scrutiny, the important thing here is that the series reminds us that the fate of the world is hanging in the balance.

Since we're up to the narrative equivalent of last call at a bar, it's natural for a few minor characters to arrive on the scene and wrap up their individual story arcs. Vee finds redemption for her time as a government agent by helping Sogo and Moura fight their way into the base, while Gus reclaims his identity as an honorable soldier by charging in on his own terms. Neither of these plot points are given enough time to leave a lasting impression, but at least the show manages to tie up some loose ends. Besides, Vee's arsenal of bread-themed weapons is delightful and ridiculous enough to completely justify her role in the episode.

If I have one major complaint here, it's that Comet Lucifer is making some questionable decisions by downsizing its cast of villains. Gus has arguably been the show's most interesting antagonist, so having him go rogue takes him out of the picture as a rival for Sogo and Moura. Zoneboyle has been all talk and no action for most of the series, but he did at least serve as the face of the ruthless government that the heroes had to fight against. That just leaves Moura's evil mecha cousin, and it doesn't seem like she has the presence or emotional depth needed to carry the final battle. I'm ready and willing to be proven wrong on that point, but I'm not as excited for the next episode as I might have been if there were a more compelling baddie to root against.

Taken in isolation, this is a relatively bland setup for the end of the season. Comet Lucifer has always been more or less predictable in its story developments, but the sense of excitement that characterized its best episodes just isn't here. What the show needs now is a strong and memorable conclusion to smooth over all the rough patches. The good news is that there's some ambitious animation on display in this week's action scenes, which suggests that there may at least be some impressive visuals in store next week. Bring on the big mecha grudge match.

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.