#canto9

to be positive, i think it has a very well written villain. Rien's writing is very complex and his design matches him well. Valencina isn't as complex as his (in my faithful opinion), i still do believe her writing is nothing to scoff out and opens many interesting opportunities.

i adore Shiomi Yoru's outlook on motherhood. yes she's cruel to Ryōshū, no denying that, but you can't help but sympathize with the fact that she never wanted motherhood in the first place. it even came at the cost of her own freedom. this is a topic i feel is underutilized in media so i absolutely adore how Project Moon decided to add it.

but onto the negative, it completely removed what themes Hell Screen could bring to Project Moon media. that's quite disappointing to me as i believe Project Moon had the capacity to handle them quite interestingly and could add great depth to Ryōshū'a character.

A Certain Sinclair felt a little out of place but his implications are sensible. so was Roach Emperor Gregor. (though i'm not a Gregor Stan so it didn't affect me emotionally as it surprised me it happened so early) it showed a good side to Valencina, she does love and care for Lucio, she simply let her own desires guide her actions first.

now i like Araya but i don't feel she had the depth and/or complexity i was reaching for. this may be due to the fact that in Hell Screen she didn't really have a ton of character depth as much as narrative impact. maybe i'll like her more once i analyze her, who knows?

i like the Apprentices. they showed what could happen to an individual based on different types of parental abuse which is absolutely chef's kiss. the Nursefathers did the same as well but moreso embodied the types of parental abuse.

i did not enjoy the fact we didn't get a fleshed out reason on Ryōshū's obsession of gorey art. that is such an essential part of her character to be disregarded. it's disappointing but i'm not ripping my hair at the fact.

overall rating: 8.5/10