The Eminence in Shadow 2nd Season

Episode 28

I never expected The Eminence in Shadow to go all in on the fanservice with a stereotypical hot spring/beach/pool episode. The show already has plenty of fanservice but it has found a good balance in most episodes so that it doesn't overshadow the more important elements of the story being told. If there was a time to do an episode like this, now is that time.

Coming off the last arc, the Seven Shades are emotionally drained. Both Alpha and Gamma had breakdowns due to Cid's actions and, even though things turned out alright in the end (at least, from their skewed point of view), that doesn't mean that the pain they went through was any less real at the time. The Seven Shades get the healing they need (except for poor Beta) and Cid gets some additional karmic justice by missing out on a fun day with the people who care about him at a location he would have loved to visit.

But more than just an epilogue or an excuse for excessive fanservice, this episode also serves as a good reminder about who the Seven Shades are as people. Looking at all they have accomplished in a mere two years—i.e., creating a financial empire and waging a war in the shadows—it can be easy to forget a simple fact: the Seven Shades are still children. Alpha, Beta, and Delta are only 15 years old while Gamma, Eta, Zeta, and Epsilon are 17. Hyper-competent they may be but that doesn't mean they are more emotionally mature than any other teenage girl.

In this episode, we get to see this side of them. Each of them dreams that the hot springs tickets are a ploy of Cid's to spend time with them on a personal level and each tries to couch their desires in logic as to why they should be chosen to go (except for Delta who is far too straightforward for any of that BS). They also try to look their best for him in their ways—even after it becomes clear there is very little chance of him showing up. In the end, they mostly just end up playing around—unwinding in their little ways—as girls their age should.

This day at the hot springs also allows us a peek into some of the girls' insecurities—especially Beta's. Beta both loves and hates being rescued by Cid all the time—loves it because it shows he cares for her and hates it because she worries he'll get tired of her (self-perceived) ineptitude and cast her aside. Meanwhile, the normally research-obsessed Eta has body issues—and is jealous of how physically developed the others are.

This episode also gives the supporting members of the cast a chance to shine. The flashback film as to why the hot springs resort was built in the first place has Omega and Chi performing every role while the kamishibai backstory for the princess and the dragon is performed entirely by Lambda. Even Nu gets her scene where she acts more like a yakuza boss than the customer service professional we see so often.

While this episode gets nowhere close to the past heights the series has reached, it is nonetheless an enjoyable one. Though the fanservice is the focus, there is enough character development and humor to make the episode worth watching. It is a needed change of pace that gives us and the characters some time to decompress with lighthearted fun before we move into our final arc of the season.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• From what I was able to find online, Omega is the oldest member of Shadow Garden at 24 (with Lambda and Chi right behind her at 23).

• You may have thought I forgot to mention Skel and Po's antics in this review. I did not.

• That said, I can't help but see some social commentary about echo chambers in the idea that Skel and Po are trying to lose their virginity by following the advice of someone who was never able to get laid himself.

• In this week's Kage-jitsu, we learn that Beta is a sloppy drunk.

The Eminence in Shadow 2nd Season is currently streaming on Hidive.

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.