Izetta: The Last Witch

Episode 5

After an episode entirely without action, Izetta is now back to the business of showing off her magic and wreaking havoc on enemy forces. This time however, it isn't just a matter of her going badass, although she definitely gets that chance in the first fight. In a fairly predictable twist, the second fight happens in one of those areas where she can't use her magic, so the Eylstadt top brass come up with a scheme to make it look like she's still unfazed. It works, provided her secret stays hidden, but circumstances have definitely shifted so that the secret will eventually get out.

In other words, the series is now focusing more on strategic deployment of Izetta rather than just having her act in desperation (see episode 2) or on a whim (see episode 3) or through normal bullheadedness (see most action series). Granted, this plot has been forced by the whole leyline business, but I still find it to be an intriguing approach. It shows that the Eylstadt leaders are using their heads in an easy-to-follow way, and Izetta will have others to rely on instead of being the only one carrying the load. I particularly liked the whole gimmick with the dummy being towed behind the plane and how Izetta stepped up to do a fine bit of acting, especially given her ongoing self-esteem issues. I don't like that ongoing issue itself though. It feels out of place without a stronger foundation for her being downtrodden, and the argument I've previously made about how she's that way to serve as a contrast to Finé is starting to wear thin. I'm not expecting another Maria here, but I would like to see her show more backbone. Her lack of character development and fortitude is the chief factor weighing the series down at this point.

Bolstering the series is the plot on the German side of things. We now get to see that there is a clear strategic goal for the Germanian Empire to take over Eylstadt (an easier path to Ital – er, the Romulus Empire and Africa), which lends more credibility to the situation. The way the Gemanian agent perfectly second-guesses Eylstadt suggests that it won't be too long before he finds out about Izetta's weakness, and a path for how he might get that info has been established. Will Jonas, our viewpoint soldier from episode 3, be able to keep his mouth shut? It would actually be a nice change if he did, but I can easily see him becoming the fall guy here.

There are a couple of other nice touches at work too. The whole “witch on the front page in the news” ploy has so many potential ways to go wrong (in a productive storytelling way) that I anticipate seeing how the series handles it. The way Izetta handles the gun that she used for her broom is also a nice touch, as she manipulates it almost like a motorcycle (or one of those Para-Mails from Cross Ange) while flying. On the minus side, the artistry was shaky at various points, which seems to be an increasingly frequent problem as the series progresses.

Overall, it's a pretty good episode with plusses still decidedly outweighing the minuses.

Rating: B+

Izetta: The Last Witch is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.