Chained Soldier episode 7 was 23 minutes of character development, fan service, and an absurd amount of speed lines. The fall-off from yet another rather short-lived battle opened the 6th Squad’s door for a little bit of relaxation, but more importantly to build what is still to come. Was this the best episode of the season? No, far from it. That being said, it was still another week’s worth of enjoyment that paved the way for something much grander that the rest of the season will cover.
Tenka’s ability to warp space is something that has proven to be an overpowered one in manga, anime, comics, movies, etc. It’s nothing new but always proves to be a giant obstacle for better or for good. That being said, Tenka being able to smile while sending Rairen through a black hole that she created out of nowhere is intimidating no matter whose side you’re on.
Sahara made a point that everyone’s peach ability stems from their own nature or intentions, just as Yachiho’s time control is in relation to wanting to spend time with Himari. So when we think of Tenka being able to manipulate space. it’s almost impossible right now to guess what lies within Tenka, especially with how she obsesses over Yuuki. All I know is she fits the “built different” bill to a T.
The character development with the female cast in Chained Soldier almost goes hand-in-hand with the fan service. Since Yuuki was used by both Kyouka and Himari in this episode, he got double the “reward”. And it’s becoming apparent at this point that, one, Himari doesn’t seem to mind no matter how much her tsundere side tries to deny otherwise, and, two, Kyouka doesn’t seem too fond of “sharing” Yuuki with anyone else.
We even had a small scene of Shushu getting jealous of the fact that Himari went with Yuuki to the 6th Squad’s base. This common harem trope is becoming clearer and clearer, but it surprisingly shows the development of their characters as well. In the beginning, outside of Mei, they all saw Yuuki as nothing more than a servant, a dog. Now, they are starting to see him as a valuable member of the 6th. What’s most important is that they’re all growing in their own ways because of this obsession.
Himari is starting to grow in strength and becoming closer to her sister. Kyouka is becoming a better leader of the 6th. And Shushu, well, she’ll get there after she cleans her own room first. Yuuki’s development on the other hand seems to have plateaued. He hasn’t wavered from his resolve at any point nor has he changed in any way as a person. Perhaps that day will come when he doesn’t get flustered from doing girls’ laundry. Outside of hauling ass in fights and the occasional funny facial expressions, I’d like to see a little more progression with Yuuki as a person other than what is subconscious wants.
Chained Soldier doesn’t have the best production in the world nor does it have the worst — it’s alright, with small peaks. However, in this episode, I couldn’t help but notice that speed lines were as excessive as they were in Edens Zero Season 2. Dialogue scenes had them. Action scenes had them. Even split-screen moments had them. It was speed lines galore.
Look, there’s nothing wrong with them in moderation. Sometimes the intended use of that makes sense, especially with characters and objects that present great speed (hence the name itself). The classic anime Speed Racer basically coined this production aspect and it’s been a staple in a plethora of anime since, mainly older anime or for comedic moments in modern anime. So that being said, the excessive use of speed lines made the episode feel like it wasn’t produced as well as it could’ve been.
A lack of background art and background animation in an episode where action is taking place is rather disappointing. The animation during Tenka’s black hole moment looked fantastic and it showcased what the series can deliver when it gets closer to its peaks rather than its valleys.
Establishing a new villain after we were already introduced to Yuuki’s sister, Aoba, a couple of episodes ago begins to expand the world of Mato a little bit which was desperately needed. Yuuki himself even questioned if the other side is organized in different squads just like the Demon Defense Corps. Getting a taste of Reiren’s ability and a sneak peek of Shikoku’s as well was like getting the last free sample at a supermarket. You want more, but you’ll have to unfortunately wait — this case, a week.
For what it’s worth, it wasn’t a bad episode. Yuuki always manages to deliver some level of humor that brings a breath of fresh air to each episode when it’s needed. Even the development of Yachiho’s obsession and Yuuki finding out about it had me bust out laughing. But next week continues the back half of this season and with the clock running out until the season finale, I expect Chained Soldier to maintain the consistency that is has all season.
Episode 7 rating: 7/10
If you loved Chained Soldier episode 7 then be sure to vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 8 of Chained Soldier will be released on Thursday, February 22. HIDIVE is streaming the uncensored version of the anime.
Images via HIDIVE
© Takahiro / Yohei Takemura / Shueisha / Magic Defense Corps Public Relations Department