Recap: Uzu Sanageyama of the Four Devas challenges Ryuko to a duel.

Gee’s Thoughts: For a show about fighting a new crazy bad guy every week, Kill la Kill really knows how to throw a curve ball at you. Last week, we had Ryuko handily beaten by the Kamui-hating Tsumugu, this week we get to see just how truly powerful a three-star student really is. First we get to see a fair amount of plot building in the background in a variety of forms. Honnouji Academy is increasing the manufacturing of life fiber uniforms, clearly a response to Ryuko’s arrival. While Satsuki herself isn’t taking part in the fight, it’s clear she’s preparing accordingly for her newfound nemesis. In addition, we find out that despite her cool-headed demeanor, wearing her Kamui is putting a greater strain on her than she’s letting on. How this will play out, we’ll have to wait and see. However, it might explain how she and Ryuko merely fought to a standstill. I can only imagine how monstrously powerful she’ll get the more she gets used to using Junketsu. We also get a little insight into Sanageyama’s backstory, which plays out the classic, “Defeat equals friendship/loyalty/servitude” trope after his own school was defeated by Satsuki while she was still in middle school.

And as if there wasn’t already enough craziness going on this episode, we get a brief glimpse of Satsuki’s mother. I’m calling it now, if she isn’t the true final boss, she’s definitely going to be a big threat to Ryuko, and maybe even Satsuki herself later down the line. There’s no way you just introduce a character in that fashion unless she’s going to end up being a mover and shaker in the narrative. Now whether she ends up being KLK’s Anti Spiral or merely another plot device, only time will tell. Also, can I just comment on how amazing this show’s OST is? The tracks fit each scene perfectly and I cannot wait for its official release.

Once all that is out of the way, we finally get to see Ryuko square off against Sanageyama. Turns out our Viral-voiced Deva has got a pretty badass looking uniform, complete with its own naked transformation. It seems even when the old Gainax crew isn’t doing a mecha show, they’ll find some way to shoehorn a robot in somehow. But it’s after Ryuko defeats Sanageyama’s frankly weak gimmick that the real interesting part begins.

Sanageyama sewing his eyes shut in order to become better attuned with his uniform is the right mix of crazy and badass that fits right in with the rest of the KLK universe. Of course his eyes were getting in the way of his growth as a fighter. Clearly, disfiguring yourself is the most logical way to get an instant powerup. Still, it speaks volumes of the loyalty of Satsuki’s subordinates and whether Sanageyama is still the first Deva to go or not, I can only imagine how far the remaining three will go for their mistress.

In the end, Ryuko suffers another painful defeat, really hammering home the point that she and Senketsu need to get stronger. I really appreciate this to be honest. I was initially worried that Ryuko would just keep winning and that the only obstacles she’d run into would be from club members using random devious tricks on her. With Tsumugu outwitting her and Sanageyama outclassing her in sheer power, it looks like Ryuko is the one who’s going to have to get better. Whether this means it’s time for a training montage, a convenient plot-induced powerup, or another oddly placed comedy episode, I don’t know. It’s obvious that Trigger will make Ryuko’s growth an important plot point in the future though.

Marlin’s Thoughts:

Another solid episode. After so many episodes I almost thought this was going to be another typical monster of the week. From last week we see that Ryuko is more than capable of dismantling two stars, so it’s cool to see just how much three stars up the ante. I knew something was up when such a solid defeat happened only halfways through the episode, and I was not disappointed with what came afterwards. It’s a classic anime thing to do, but the whole “lose sight to heighten all other senses” was played perfectly.  I love how at the end it showed just what this new training has done to him. It reminds me a lot of Spook from the Mistborn series, he’s someone who’s honed his senses so sharply it makes overstimulation outright painful. With two setbacks I’m really raring to see Ryuko take some effort to understand her powers instead of just brute force her way through every situation like she has so far.

Zigg’s Thoughts: An excellent episode that mixes character development, some minor plot advancement and some excellent fights to create a very well rounded twenty or so minutes of TV. Despite how prominent the Four Devas have been visually so far, we hadn’t had much insight into their powers or what makes them tick, so getting a little backstory and motivation from Sanegeyama here. Humanising your villains always helps make them more interesting and the crazy lengths that he’s willing to go to to win underline not only a fierce, borderline crazy heart beneath the apparently benign exterior, but also the insane devotion to their mistress these generals have. His refusal at the end was a nice little reminder of what his transformation has cost him too.

Ryuko also gets some good character development in this episode, and I like how the show is taking steps to make her both powerful, but also vulnerable. Her first battle against Sanegeyama shows that she’s not just about brute force but also the ability to plan and think on your feet. Conversely, the second battle shows us that while powerful and a decent fighter, she’s nowhere near peak performance and still has a long way to go despite the fact she might have the best weapon. It’s the perfect balance – we love to see her kick ass but we still believe she’s in danger, and showing your hero is capable of losing, and losing badly, makes the eventual victory that much sweeter.

Trigger continue to bring style and panache to the visual aspect of the production, and the fight choreography here is top notch. It’s a thrill to see them shoehorn mecha into the setting and pay homage to their glorious past. Elsewhere, there’s smart allocation of resources not only to save money but to crank up the humour – Matarou’s sleazy bribe job is that much funnier for being presented in still frames, which framing the flashback in 4:3 might be my favourite joke of the episode. With our hero on the back foot, it’ll be interesting to see if the script gives her a breather or decides to turn the screw further.