Heavy Object

Episode 8

You know a series is in a hurry when it skips the usual opening credit sequence to use that extra minute or two for some extra plot points. This isn't terribly unusual at the end of a season, but I didn't expect Heavy Object to start scrounging for screen time after only eight episodes. Then again, when you need to give detailed explanations of two separate Objects' technical specifications while resolving a three-week story arc, I suppose every little bit helps.

This very busy episode starts with Qwenthur and Havia finding Oceania's Object hidden away in a massive hydroponics plant. They inform the task force of their discovery, but it turns out that reinforcements won't be coming any time soon. The politician in charge of the mission informs Qwenthur and Havia that their heroics haven't been going over particularly well with the powers that be, and having them die while trying to bring down another Object will help preserve the status quo. Our heroes are predictably unimpressed with the plan and manage to destroy the Object by overloading its electronics. With the mission completed, Frolaytia brings her team to Councilor Flide's headquarters and gives Milinda and the guys a chance to get some explosive payback for all the political backstabbing.

I question Flide's logic in this episode; killing Qwenthur and Havia wouldn't be enough to seal the Pandora's box that they opened with their previous victories. Even so, he raises an interesting point in how their actions have affected the rules of engagement around the world. By proving that conventional troops can defeat an Object, they've shown that the side with fewer Objects still has the chance to win a battle. Even if they were just looking for a way to survive at the time, they've potentially encouraged less powerful groups to fight instead of surrendering. It's an intriguing thought that shows this series is capable of imagining how the world at large might respond to what happens in the story. I've been clamoring for a look at the big picture for several weeks now, and this is the closest Heavy Object has come to delivering that wider perspective.

Sadly, this might be all we get from the slimy Councilor and the military-industrial complex that he's meant to represent. The raid at the end of the episode is pretty conclusive, meaning that whatever groups wanted Qwenthur and Havia dead are probably out of the picture for the foreseeable future. I was hoping this storyline would act as a springboard for a bigger and less episodic plot, but it looks like Heavy Object isn't particularly interested in playing global politics. This is a series about two wisecracking buddies finding creative ways to blow up giant mechanical monstrosities, and everything else is just there for the sake of variety. At least it's still pretty good at doing its thing; having the Oceanian Object lay waste to the jungle around it makes for some striking visuals and reinforces the “David and Goliath” vibe that the show seeks to create.

It's good to see Heavy Object get back in the habit of blowing things up with wild abandon, even if there are some issues with this episode's pair of action scenes. The opening battle is exciting, but it relies too heavily on questionable action movie physics compared to previous story arcs. The attack on the research lab in the episode's latter half is easier to buy into, but this is where the surplus of plot and shortage of time finally catches up to Heavy Object. The whole sequence feels rushed to the point of being more footnote or epilogue than fully developed plot point. By the time the audience can piece together where everyone is and why they're doing whatever they're doing, it's all over: the bad guy has admitted defeat. On the positive side, Milinda finally gets a chance to cut loose and blast the living daylights out of another Object.

This plotline had the potential to help Heavy Object reach beyond the boundaries of simple genre storytelling, but most of that potential ultimately goes unrealized. The show has at least continued to make small changes that keep its familiar pattern from growing too stale. I don't think I've ever found myself rating a series so consistently from week to week, although that would be a lot more impressive if the level of quality were a little higher.

Rating: B-

Heavy Object is currently streaming on Funimation.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.