GARO -Vanishing Line-

Episode 4

The “three episode rule” is a well-worn tradition for anime fans, a useful metric for predicting when a series might try to pull off a shocking plot twist or, in less exciting cases, right before a series might take its foot off the gas pedal and begin to falter in its writing and production values. I try to keep the rule out of my mind as much as possible, since I don't want to go into any series' fourth episode with lowered expectations, but sometimes invoking it can't be helped. Unfortunately, Garo: Vanishing Line seems to have hit a stumbling block with its fourth episode, since this is easily the most uneven entry in the series so far. The good news is that the episode isn't terrible by any means, and even a lesser episode of Garo -Vanishing Line- is entertaining enough to keep the show's momentum going strong.

We'll start with the episode's best development: Sophie's back! After being conspicuously absent for almost all of the past two episodes, our fiery orphan returns to continue her search for her missing brother, Martin. Seeing Sophie train in martial arts with the Sister who helps run the orphanage was a hoot, and she makes for an endearing and likable heroine for the rest of the episode to follow. Her impromptu investigations into the whereabouts of both Sword and a missing local priest fit right in with Garo's Horror-of-the-Week setup, in theory making for a perfect showcase of her character's skills.

Regrettably, my emphasis is on the “in theory” part of that last statement. In practice, Sophie's story ends up being a bit of a drag. The big twist of the episode is that the priest's long-suffering sister is this week's Horror-twisted soul, but that's obvious pretty much from the moment Sophie walks through her door, so most of the episode is simply a case of the audience waiting for the show to hurry up and hit its third act already. The dialogue-heavy script wouldn't be so much of a problem if Sophie and Marie's conversations were directed in a manner that inspire dread or suspense, but the first two acts of the episode are shockingly flat and subdued, which is especially disappointing to see in a series that excels at style above all else.

Even Sword's brief interruption halfway through the episode isn't enough to pick things up; the script only gets going when Marie finally lets slip her broken façade, revealing a psyche twisted by years of abuse at her older brother's hands. Having the priest turn out to be a sadistic asshole who tortures his sister in his literal sex-dungeon is equal parts stupid, lurid, and trashy; thankfully, this is a cocktail that Garo -Vanishing Line- happens to specialize in, so once Sword smashes through Marie's basement with his magical motorcycle to do battle with the psychotic demon, Garo finally finds its footing. The colors pop a little more, the animation smooths out, and the visual direction regains its hyper-edgy '90s flair. Most importantly, the show is fun again. The final battle is too brief for my tastes once again, with Sword donning the Makai armor for only a single fleeting blow, but it still manages to end the episode on a sweet note instead of a sour one.

Despite still knowing zilch about the show's central mystery, the El Dorado plotline looks to finally be advancing now that this introductory set of stories is out of the way and the cast's key players have all been introduced. This episode might have been a noticeable bump in the road compared to the past three weeks of high-octane thrills, but the show hasn't careened off course just yet. The preview for the upcoming episode seemingly places Sword and Sophie deep into the pit of some debonair high-society conspiracy, which is a premise kooky enough that I can't help but remain excited to see what Garo has to offer up next.

Rating: C+

Garo -Vanishing Line- is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is an English teacher who has loved anime his entire life, and he spends way too much time on Twitter and his blog.