God Eater

Episode 10

“Sometimes,” says Lenka's obviously ill-fated mother, “You have to choose between two.” In a post-apocalyptic world crawling with Aragami, you have to choose whether to hide or to salvage. When supplies are limited, you have to choose who gets to take the medicine and live, who gets to live at fortressed Fenrir, and who must eke out survival outside the walls. And on a very meta level, you must choose whether to continue churning out your anime in a timely fashion or whether to wait five months and then produce something truly amazing. This episode of God Eater was stunning—beautiful and horrible and hopeful and tragic all at once. While I certainly didn't think so at the time, I have to admit God Eater's staff has made the right decision.

I should not have worried about whether I should brush up on previous episodes of God Eater in order to get prepared for this episode, five months after the last, because it completely switched gears. Instead of continuing with the current narrative like nothing had happened, “Scattered Petals” delves way back into Lenka's past, explaining his entire history, his first meeting with Lindow that shows why he respects him so much, and the brutal, emotional story of his ill-fated family and how hard they worked to give Lenka a shot at survival. This was a deeply difficult episode to watch, with gory moments (and grisly sound effects!) that rival Attack on Titan and show just how helpless the average person is against this awful new world.

At the same time, this episode is gorgeous, with the painterly backdrops I've learned to expect from God Eater. These skyscapes, fluid character movements, and the majesty and horror of the Aragami are awe-inspiring. There's also an incredible range of settings that is especially showcased in the episode's emotionally overwhelming, climactic scene. Lenka's sister has a beautiful dream for a verdant new world, an ethereal vision shown at stark contrast with her brutalized corpse. Indeed, this episode is painful to watch. While the imagery and music have been fairly consistent even when the show was coming out every week, the hiatus has led to the storytelling and dialogue improving quite a bit too. It's rare that I get so emotional over characters that I've only just met, but this family's powerful bond with one another makes me feel connected to them as well. When we finally time jump to the present and get reacquainted with the dramatis personae, Lenka's willpower—and the viewer's—is fully revitalized, ready to see this show off to its much-delayed conclusion.

It's clear that the show has gotten a major boost from the hiatus. It runs the gamut from graphic and awful to striking and powerful, a dramatic narrative that doesn't try to lighten the load with humor because it doesn't need to. All that said, it's a shame that the show simply didn't start late as opposed to getting going before it was ready to carry itself out. For many fans, it doesn't matter how good God Eater has gotten in the interim, this five-month gap will be a dealbreaker. That said, I'd like to encourage people to come back. Lenka's ready to see this thing through.

Rating: A-

God Eater is currently streaming on Daisuki.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.