God Eater

Episode 3

Heart-stopping fighting moves. Aerial stunts. The beautifully rendered sea and sky. God Eater has its flaws, but they weren't apparent in episode three, which was a gorgeous respite from a cliché plot.

This episode takes place entirely in the sky, as our heroes navigate an airborne rescue mission amid a flock of flying Aragami. The skyscape is so important in this episode, it's practically a new character. As the battle rages on from pre-dawn to dusk of the following day, its varying pink, purple, and blue tones set the mood. The setting also gives our characters license to perform some truly death-defying stunts as they face off against Aragami on top of a plane.

You can pause this episode at any moment, and the result will be the same—a frame that looks good enough to hang on the wall. The visual composition of this episode is truly artful; so much care has been put into every moment. There's a careful continuation of the electronic music and lightning-flash cinematics that appear whenever Lenka or Licca is about to kick some serious ass. This episode in particular uses symmetry very well, especially in scenes where the two New-Types, Lenka and Alisa, are shown together. The cinematics thoughtfully parallel the pair's relationship, too. The choreography of their battle scenes is intricate, whether against one another or a common enemy.

Unfortunately, the magic fades whenever one of these two open their mouths. The dialogue continues to be extremely cliché and heavy-handed. Our characters are so infuriatingly noble, so completely without flaws, that I can't relate to them. Even when Licca warns the group that they probably won't escape alive, I don't believe him for a moment. This is a man that bashes in Aragami without even looking at the wreckage of his effortlessly cool moves. Even as Alisa beats up Lenka, it's clear that she's not a bad person but simply too caring to abandon the many wounded people on board. She didn't count on Lenka and Licca being equally self-sacrificing, but this is a show where you're either good or evil, no shades of gray. I'm also calling it now that Lenka and Alisa will end up together—it's telegraphed in every gaze. The visual character cues are infinitely more powerful than anything Alisa or Lenka could say to one another.

What makes this episode work is that the plot has really faded into the background, the better to show off each character's amazing battle skills and acrobatics, set against an ever-changing sky. Cool speeches fall flat, but cool moves are consistently entertaining, especially in the midst of such an already beautiful show. When God Eater shows instead of tells, it can be an entertaining half hour that really raises the stakes. The most gripping parts centered on the evolution at the core of the show—evolved weapons, evolving Aragami, and a glimpse of a monster that truly deserves the title of “God.” Instead of focusing on the limits of God Eater's hollow plot, this episode focused on the seemingly unlimited abilities of the show's animation team. If the show continues to recognize its limits when it comes to dialogue and use visuals instead, it could be the summer season's most surprising stand-out.

Rating: A-

God Eater is currently streaming on Daisuki.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.