By Shanel Kamara

I cannot believe what I've just seen; I'm gobsmacked. How is it possible that so many shocking events can happen in an episode merely lasting twenty-three minutes? I literally found myself, on more than one occasion, staring at the screen with my mouth gaped. I love a series with a good amount of twists (as I've mentioned several times in previous reviews), but I've never been left quite as stunned as I am right now, and I absolutely love it. Wow! What a way to set the scene for the final episode.

Now the question is where to begin; I guess it makes more sense to start with the first, foremost unexpected incident to occur this episode which would be Alessand's 360-degree turnaround from a harmless and rather average knight to a guilt-ridden and survival, driven betrayer. Let's call it the rise and fall of the knight incident. Alesssand, during the first half of this series, seemed to play a minor part in the grand scheme of the plot, so it's rather surprising how he managed to become a character responsible for the majority of the major events that have occurred now in the second part of the series. Who would have thought that such a weak-willed character could become so central amidst a group of bold, outspoken, and formidable characters? The fact that he was willing to take the life of his former comrade showed how far he had fallen, and to be honest, after getting over the shock of watching him trying to murder his senior, I only felt sympathy towards him. Though he committed murder and betrayed those closest to him, he sustained a guilty conscience. He remained in denial and grew to become paranoid and fearful. In the end, not only did he die tragically but also his death mirrored that of Mugaro's.        

Another unanticipated event to occur this episode was the loss of one of the main characters, Kaisar, who also played a significant role in Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis. His death was so abrupt, I didn't even have time to process what had happened before the episode ended, and the closing track began, albeit I was speechless. With the death of Mugaro, Alessand, and now Kaisar, I'm beginning to think that this series might not end as happily as I was originally hoping it would. However, I'm still holding onto the hope that Nina and Charioce (or should I say Chris) will work things out. I'm looking forward to the finale, but I'm also really sad to see the end of such a dramatic series.

Score: 5/5

Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul E.023