Comet Lucifer

Episode 12

Well, that was underwhelming. After doing a respectable job of following the usual sci-fi formula for most of the season, Comet Lucifer has managed to run out of gas just short of the finish line. This last episode brings the story to an end, but the conclusion rings hollow and the plot features some less than convincing last-minute twists. It was a fun ride while it lasted, but it really needed to do a better job of going out with a bang.

The episode opens with a relaxing conversation between Sogo and Felia that turns menacing in a hurry, once Felia realizes she's actually talking to the guardian of the planet that's about to smash straight into Gift. Sogo manages to free Felia from her big red crystal coffin, but their victory over the dark mech is fleeting at best. The guardian regenerates and kidnaps Sogo, having realized that the crest on his hand is what it really needs to complete its plan to fuse the two planets into one. As the surviving minor characters seek shelter from the impending disaster, Felia and Moura rush off to rescue Sogo and prevent the collision. The catastrophe is averted, but Felia is forced to sacrifice herself in order to save the two planets. Everyone lives happily ever after, aside from the minor inconvenience of having to rebuild after all the destruction caused by bringing two planets within a few feet of one another.

There's no getting around the fact that this is a messy ending. With the script working overtime to keep up with all the big revelations and plot points, there's neither time nor space for effective emotional appeal. Over the course of around twenty minutes, the heroes win, the villain comes back for another round, all hope seems lost, the villain explains its entire backstory, the heroine rallies to save the day and tells the hero that she loves him, and then she somehow fixes everything by turning into a big red light in the sky. There's so much crammed in here that the audience is too busy processing it all to feel happy about the world being saved or sad about Felia's disappearance.

Some of this narrative overcrowding is due to a plot twist that manages to feel tired and predictable despite coming out of nowhere. Science fiction has been in love with the “planet was Earth all along” trick for a long time, but it's been implemented with much more grace and subtlety than this on many occasions. We've only known about the “planet of earth” that threatens to smash into Gift for a short time, so revealing it as a long-dead Earth is more of an initial description than a shocking turn of events. The environmental theme that the show tries to convey with this revelation comes across as more of an afterthought than a thought-provoking message, and the hasty effort at tossing in a big idea forces the story to upstage its characters. If Comet Lucifer had wrestled with the relationship between humans and nature more visibly throughout the season, then this could have worked. As it stands, it just takes time away from what could have been an emotional farewell.

Of course, this episode isn't all bad. The final fight in space features some impressive images of planets hurtling toward one another and giant robots taking shots at one another in the middle of all the chaos. I also like the decision to have Sogo and Felia swap roles at the end, with Felia charging headlong into danger to rescue Sogo instead of the other way around. That switch reinforces the idea of the two of them relying on each other throughout their adventure and shows that they're in this fight together. The montage of everyone living happily ever after during the ending credits is a little sappy, but the image of Gus dressing like Do Mon and running a restaurant is a nice way to close out the side story of their relationship. There are some strong moments in this episode, they're just drowned out by all the questionable decisions.

Ending on a weak note is never a good thing, since the conclusion of a series plays a big role in determining how the audience will ultimately remember it. Still, some last-minute blunders shouldn't take too much away from what Comet Lucifer has managed to accomplish this season. It's been able to present a familiar story with generally solid writing, strong visuals, and a palpable sense of enthusiasm for the genre. It lacks the intangible “something special” that characterizes many of the titles it draws inspiration from, but it works just fine as a piece of entertainment. With a few revisions and a greater sense of purpose, it could've easily been something special.

Rating: C+

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.