God Eater

Episode 6

God Eater has given its audience a full two weeks to stew over Lenka and Alisa's dire fates. Now, they are revitalized without a second thought, giving way to a fate even more disturbing than apocalyptic death could ever be—the constant guilt and misery that falls on those unlucky enough to survive. A powerful soundtrack and horrific visuals make this week the most alarming installment of God Eater yet.

I'm relieved that Lenka and Alisa are still alive, but also a little angry at the show for making their doom seem so certain—torso punctures, cliff dive, and all—and then making me wait two weeks only to immediately show them just a little worse for wear. Lenka immediately awakens in the ravine, performs CPR on Alisa, and drags her to the safety of a nearby ruined building that looks like a hotel. God Eater's “ruins in the rain” scenery still looks a hundred times better than any other show's most gorgeous landscape.

But honestly, I almost forgot I was angry, since the episode immediately creates new tension. The bulk of this show deals with Alisa's disturbing past. As a bratty, happy kid, she was only playing hide-and-seek when she unintentionally caused both of her parents to be gored to death by a black Vajra (much like the one that tried to gore Lenka in episode 5). Obviously Alisa never meant for her parents to die, but it still happened, and her guilt is tragic. Echoing through this scene is Alisa's sing-songy childhood voice, which is incredibly creepy when paired with graphic visuals.

The story comes full circle when Alisa sees an Aragami burst through the hotel room door in the same way she saw the Vajra through the cabinet as a child. For much of this episode, Alisa is catatonic. Usually when a strong character is suddenly rendered helpless by trauma, I just want to shake them to get them moving again. With Alisa, however, I sympathize. It's hard to believe that she has ever been able to move beyond her past to become as strong as she has. It's also great that Lenka does not automatically surpass her, either. They're both crazy strong, but these past couple episodes have shown just how inexperienced and vulnerable they are. It's experience that saves the day, with Lindow bounding in at the last possible moment.

Overall, the soundtrack is the MVP of this episode. Slow, electronic music accompanies Lenka and Alisa as they navigate the ruins, while medieval-sounding organ music scores Lenka and Alisa's confrontation with a group of Aragami. All the while, it continues to rain, even though several days have ostensibly passed since the altercation with the black Vajra. This suggests that the days since then have been one long nightmare.

As long as God Eater focuses on pairing its stellar soundtrack with stunning visuals, the show is pure art. It's only when characters open their mouths that the cracks show, and it starts to become cheesy. “I thought you stopped praying to God,” Lindow says cooly to Lenka after obliterating a pack of Aragami, and it just sounds so contrived. It would be much more natural for Lindow to focus on getting them to safety and save the banter for later.

Alisa's horrific backstory makes me more eager than ever to learn Lenka's story. This episode did a great job of humanizing them both. With Alisa broken and Lenka injured in a dire situation, there was no magical power-up moment in the nick of time, just beginner's luck as their superior rushed in to save them. This show's newfound character complexity makes it scarier—and stronger—than it would be if Alisa and Lenka had no faults at all.

Rating: A-

God Eater is currently streaming on Daisuki.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.