Scarlet Nexus‘ second episode is now up, and it certainly ends on an intriguing note. After the dramatic battle with the Others from the first episode, it seems at first that this second episode was going to take it slow. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Let’s take a look at the episode’s events in this spoiler filled discussion!
Great misfortune
The episode begins with Yuito, Nagi, Kasane, and Naomi relaxing in the city. They grab some tea together and look up their fortunes. Of the ones they collect, all but Naomi’s point to great misfortune. In hindsight, there is some chilling foreshadowing that goes on in this seemingly quaint event.
The Scarlet Guardians then take part in a sparring session in the form of a capture-the flag-game! This little scrimmage provides an opportunity to get a glimpse at the skillsets and powers of the other members of the OSF. Plus, it showcases intriguing matchups between characters we got familiar with in the first episode! For example, Nagi takes Naomi on in combat, while Kasane relentlessly attacks Yuito. Before the game begins, Naomi also provides a dramatic twist on the show’s little romance plotline: she’s got a thing for Yuito! Exciting action and love triangles; what more could you ask for?
Others sighting confirmed!
However, the latter half of the episode takes a more serious turn. An Others sighting by a subway system requires the Seto and Kyoka platoon to engage in combat once again. And while the Scarlet Guardians are capable enough to handle the brutes, a cave-in results in Naomi and Nagi getting separated from the main group, an incoming group of Others threatening to do them in. At the same time, a bigger, meaner Other appears on the other side, raging against our heroes.
With some effort, the team are able to take the monsters down, and regroup with their comrades. All seems good, right? Sure, they’re separated from their commanders, and yeah, their comms are down. But the day is saved, the monsters are defeated! Just another hard day’s work in the life of a Scarlet Guardian.
Suddenly, Naomi’s precognitive powers alert her to something. A gun, a bullet, aimed toward Kasane. She pushes her down, taking the bullet that was meant for her! It looks like this charming character is about to meet her demise, but the twists don’t end there. Naomi’s vision then goes red. Red, vein-like tendrils erupt from the bullet wound, wrapping around her body. Crystal shards begin to jut out from her body, encasing her in a horrifying web of glass. The Scarlet Guardians can do nothing but watch as Naomi whimpers in agony.
What happens next?!
THAT’S where the Scarlet Nexus episode leaves off. What a painful cliffhanger!
Technically speaking, the episode did threaten to become a bit of a bore quite a few times. The exposition dumps done throughout the show can be quite droll at times, and the characters could do with some more fleshing out. Furthermore, the fight scenes later on got a bit difficult to follow. When everyone’s wearing very similar outfits, it becomes quite hard to tell who’s who. At certain points, the action became a blur of red and black, making it difficult to engage with. The unique powers between characters help in that regard, but this could be a bigger problem moving forward if the issue is unaddressed.
That being said, the way this Scarlet Nexus episode ends opens up new questions for where this story goes. And thankfully, these are compelling questions. What is happening to Naomi? What was that bullet? Who fired the bullet? These are effective enough hooks that keep the story fresh and engaging. Hopefully the show’s third episode follows up with equally engaging content, and maybe a few answers here and there!
Scarlet Nexus is streaming on Funimation! Its third episode will be released on July 15th!
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