Man, what an episode. The fight was amazing this time. Something about the combination of magic, technology, the fishbowl camera, and the train really gave the episode a Final Fantasy feel.

I liked the little things too like the Makai Knight with the two kids. I mean, they could have just kept the shitty nameless knights all completely faceless, but it was nice to take one out and go "Oh yeah, this guy's a person too and not just scenery." It makes things more affecting when Kouga talks to him and when they back off once they realize who Kouga is.

Haha, Sigma loses his hand Metal Gear Solid style. I'm surprised by how ineffective Leo was in this episode. He spent most of the fight either under Sigma's foot, being blown away, or falling off something. And it kind of looked like Sigma put the mark on Leo's chest too. Leo should have put on his armor and fought with Kouga.

I'm beginning to wonder if the events of this episode are setting up a conflict once the Sigma arc is done. I mean, apparently a deal with Gajari is worse than risking all the Makai Knights dying.

It kind of seems like it would have been good if Tsubasa or Wataru had been in that crowd. You also get a sense of what the order of Makai Knights is for the first time. In the first series, you only know Kouga, Rei, and Tsubasa. You get a sense that they're all honorable hero types. I mean, there's always a sense that there were some shittier Makai Knights who were nameless. Then in Kiba you encountered Makai Knights who were corrupted with power.

In this series, you get the sense that there are a bunch of these guys, but they're not exactly centralized. You have the Senate, but a lot of these guys are fighting in their own jurisdiction. When they're trained they don't even know each other's real names. They don't seem like they work together often. When you see them together, some are better dressed than others. While others look like bums. I mean, it's kind of a fratty boy's club. They don't even recognize Garo on sight. It just seems like Makai Knights in this story are a bunch of lone wolves.

I was a bit spooked when the GouryuuJin started attacking. When they said "something's off" I thought for sure that they'd take off the mask and find there were people behind them or something.

Trivia: Next week's episode is called Gajou/Stronghold. This is the kanji: 牙城. Recognize it? Yup, it's "Fang Castle". It's the same Ga牙(Fang/tusk) as in Garo 牙狼

Fun fact, I had to write this post in Notepad because the site was down and I couldn't write my usual thoughts as I translated the way I usually do.

The logic of some knights is pretty striking. "You want to give up your armour so you won't die? I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF."

I thought the Gouryuujin were bombs or something, the way their masks kept flashing.

I wouldn't mind another season of Garo, as long as they mix up the pattern. You're right in that this season has a similar pattern/scheme as the first season. I'm really curious as to why Gajari is so bad yet seems to be a vital part of the Garo lineage.

The knights have always seemed to be loners though. In the first season, Garo didn't know who Rei was by face or name. Rei knew Garo but only because he saw the "armor" style and searched for who Garo actually was. Same with Tsubasa, in that no one seemed to know who was who at first. I feel like that's part of the knight culture, don't get too close to someone because you may die at any moment. In that sense I can also understand the two general fractions of knights, those who are really honorable and take that "I'm going to give my life to my duty" and the more "dirty" knights "I'm going to die, but I don't want to throw my life away."

That's my thoughts of the makai knight culture. If they do create a third arc, I'd love to see more of the knight/priest culture in some form. That's my favorite part of the series.

I'm thinking Kouga made a Faustian deal, like teleport in exchange for his soul, payment due in 3 days kind of thing. That ... whatever ... seems to be anchored in the basement of the Senate. Is it an indifferent Horror? A spirit beast? a god? Some context would have been nice for us, instead we're strung along.

The problem with Leo is he doesn't have it in him to kill his brother and he never did. And his brother knows it. So he'll lose to him.

The barrier trap was clever. I thought for sure Kouga was going to lead half the knights onto that train and have a real showdown.

Tak, you're 100% right with the Final Fantasy feel. Even the aesthetics of the train reminded me of stuff from FF VIII.

That was epic. Although if all it took to remove the seals was to cut of Sigmas arm, why wasn't that priority? I mean, if it was common knowledge that that hand was the one that set them, it might have been an obvious place to start.

Oh, and Kouga not destroying the corpse of that Horror will probably come back and bite him in the ass.

A little nitpick, but in 16:13, Sigma should be saying "Die by your own blade!" Of course, the word 己(onore) can be confusing at times...

That said, I'm rather curious with what Gajari actually is. Perhaps he is a Horror that is actually helpful to the Makai Knights to be sealed away, just like Sedin Bale?

This might be the first time Kouga ever harmed a human severely, by cutting off his arm at that.

So by Makai Knight's standard, Gold is the highest rank ever? What should those like Baron and Roudo be? Sapphires or aquamarines?

Overall, a fun episode to watch.

The knight system reminds me of Claymore where they are defend one particular section most of the time. And when they have to team up, they may not get along with each other. Also they refer to each other by their ranking and rarely by name.

I think what happened is Kouga cut off his demon hand at the moment he was detonating them. So the seals were improperly activated and dissipated.

I think his demon hand is Sigma source of power.Once it is cut off, Sigma was not able to sustain the seals

Thinking back, Sigma was pretty much a diligent worker himself, wasn't he? Like, who would pay a visit to all Makai Knights and give their chests a slap?

So, by previous season's formula, Sigma's case will be over by next episode, and the remaining 3 will focus on another problem.

This ep was awesome. I really like how they are fleshing out the whole scenario in this season. We know much more about the knights, for instance. I just find it difficult to know where the watchdogs from season 1 fit in the whole organization. It seemed that they were the ones that gave Kouga orders. Why were they needed? And the little things defeated horrors became also simply vanished from the story.

The fights were amazing again. Leo and Sigma's teleport battle is something you just don't usually see in live action.

Kouga really grew as a character. In season 1 he was more of a lone wolf and now he is kinda becoming a leader. Maybe that comes with being the golden knight.

I'd really like to know more about the train. Who built it? Why?

Finally, I wonder what Gajari asked in return. Guess the last plot will have something that. Or Ganon will wake up after all the ruckus.

About the similar pattern., toku tend to be fomulaic. They could've tried to do something different but I guess they weren't willing to risk trying and failing.

it's easy. They were his supervisors. they were different than other supervisors because Garo was special, or something like that(or all the big names in the organization are like the three watchdogs, only less creepy). and about the daggers, thos don't appear until after you purify your sword(i think...), he just does it off-screen(and let's face it, he did it only two or three times in season 1)

Sorry, but for me that's just your opinion.

The fact is that the second season explained a lot about the organization of the knights, but they didn't show anything that explains the watchdogs and the daggers.

I mean this season has shown that Kouga goes frequently to a kind of Shrine to purify himself. Why would he need the watchdogs? And if they were needed, why weren't they replaced?

If the senate can give orders through magic letters and they know what's happening to the knights, why would a knight need a supervisor? Why none of these other supervisors you claim to exist weren't shown?

No, it's not easy.

Okay, sorry, this time i forgot to say it was mi theory, nothing more. But at least one was shown. The one in charge of rei. Also, Garo is an important knight, it isn't that strange that he had a specia supervision....in case he became evil. I don't try to say it is what happens, it's hust how i see it.