Hitsugi no Chaika: Avenging Battle – 07

Let’s Chaika to the Max!

Welcome back to the Relic Hunt! This week we have a few prime cuts, along with many items that contain mostly fillers, and an assortment of previous episode by-products served up on some budget plateware. It’s almost like a hot dog, only it’s not a hot dog at all…

The Black Agenda

Warlord is just loaded with Chaikas

I think the true Black Agenda was to give me a near filler episode. Gahhh. As you can probably tell by my introduction, and if your remember my past postings during the first cour of the show, I’m not a fan of fillers. At the very least I will allow them to be a necessary evil, at worst I will think of it as unwatchable. This time around it manages to save itself somewhat by using some repeated material (at least once per scene before the act break) to forward new plans that will assuredly carry over into the next few episodes.

Filler or not, Fred can save everything…

So we do get at some forward steps with a few of the ones taken back. If I’m looking at the spread right, I think I might have some of the basics nailed down. I believe Guy (Unknown Person, Chaika? You’ve met him how many times now?) to be a program that Gaz instituted to make way for his revival. As I’ve conjectured before the more the better, and many Chaikas make many hands to collect the remains. With the head being in the most fortified position, it was only a matter of time before more parts came to Castle Hartgen; with it’s king being Guy’s favored horse in an already fixed race. With Niva under that castle’s protection, her mentioned, “right conditions” can be activated once all the parts are in one place. Which will probably lead us to the one thing both Hartgen and Gaz want. More war.

Continental Response

Well, at least it wasn’t as clenched up as the last few meetings

Fyodor, the guy that pretty much leads this round table of small talkers, is a pretty cautious fellow, for all the good it will do him. Rather than sending an army in to put down what is felt to be an insurrection at Castle Hartgen, he advises to get more information before acting. It’s wise, but I think we all know how it plays out. To quote a famous Ranger, “War is coming, whether you’re ready or not”. His fellows have other plans, and a preemptive attack with another flying fortress is what they are betting the roll on. Now given that we know that Gaz may have many many more advanced flying platforms already hidden and probably ready, this should be an interesting battlefield.

Our girl Chaika…poppin’ caps, takin’ trophies…

Our Chaika has grown quite a bit. If she had faced this much of a challenge much earlier she might have folded like a cheap suit. But she’s been getting ready for this practically all her known life. Nice to see that she can take the heat off Toru, and play a hard game to take down the opposition. But, how would she far against her other’s? Is she fast enough for either Vivi or Red? With the trouble that happened to Red, going into the second phase, that might not be a problem, but Vivi and Nikolai are probably going to be a thorn they will have to pluck sooner rather than later.

I love how Vivi isn’t hearing a single thing about how much she resembles the other Chaika’s, and that leads me to believe she could be instrumentalist in bringing down Gaz’s plans. Even the Twin Black Chaika’s remark she is only half a Chaika, and never ever disregard a piece like that. Poor game skills girls. I would be remiss in not mentioning the real appearance of Brother Shin, but they pretty much just peppered him in there, giving Toru and Akari something larger to worry about when the time comes. Other than that we have the impending Fred x Toru contract. Take it dude, or Shin will kick your ass.

Filling it out a bit

Show ▼

They’ve been collecting ingredients, assembling the kitchen equipment, measured, cut, mixed, and folded. Now to set it all in the pot, and crank up the gas, let it all come to a rolling boil. So, all in all, this episode went by a bit to quick, but I don’t think that will effect how well the pacing will happen in the next three. If anything, this felt like the animator’s breather episode before they take the plunge to the finale. I’m eager to find out how close I am in guessing the ultimate plan. Almost as eager for the Chaika’s, those that deserve it, to find some peace of mind. Tell me what you think….

Next Time

Smug Chaika