Izetta: The Last Witch

Episode 7

This episode had some of the most intense action yet in the series, but it might also be remembered just as much for its non-action scenes.

First, let's look at the action part. The writers apparently decided that Izetta and Finé making the journey to Britannia was not worth devoting any attention to, and I can't disagree with that decision. Sure, they could have potentially had some adventures along the way, but this has always been more of a “big picture” story than a story focused on the two of them, and it makes sense that Izetta covertly flying them through unpopulated mountains would draw far less attention than any other mode of travel. (I do have to wonder about what they did once they got out of the mountains and had to cross open water.) The way the meeting of leaders was handled was also reasonable, as was the choice of target for the demonstration. I was starting to smell “trap” even before the ultimate reveal, but that is more due to metaknowledge of what the Germanians are doing and typical plot twists that occur in a story like this than anything the allied leaders could have reasonably anticipated. Even though it was hardly a fresh twist, and even though it allowed the requisite scene of the fighter pilot trying to redeem himself in a souped-up plane, I still loved the fight scene because of how Izetta handled things on the fly. She adapted quickly to the circumstances and smartly figured out an alternate way to use the torpedoes than originally instructed. Izetta's quick thinking is probably as much the strength of this series as the Izetta/Finé relationship.

That's the other key part of the episode. While seeing Izetta continue to act like she doesn't deserve to even be in the same room as Finé is annoying, there's a definite chemistry between the two that comes out in the bedroom scene. Whether Izetta is acting so nervous because of concerns about impropriety or because she's actually in love with Finé is still a matter of interpretation, but Finé clearly acts more like Izetta is a dear friend. So I'm very glad that they didn't play up the potential sexuality of Finé's tickle attack or try to be misleading about the circumstances in that scene. The shot with the two of them laying on the bed afterwards is a lovely display of purity that was surprising in its lack of luridness, especially compared to some of the eye-rolling fanservice scenes earlier in the series.

As expected, the episode ends with the Germanian guy getting an inkling about Izetta's weakness. We also get a brief flash to suggest that the Germans might indeed have a witch of their own – though whether she is a real or manufactured witch is unclear at this point. We also have the younger officer apparently planning to infiltrate the castle back in Eylstadt, although the conspicuous scene about his lack of a poker face is undoubtedly setting something up for later on that front. Frankly, I'm at least as interested in seeing whether or not the allies get suspicious about an information leak in the wake of that attack being an ambush. If that is overlooked, then I will be disappointed.

Rating: B+

Izetta: The Last Witch is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.