So, this series is going into an original ending, eh? I have just one question for that at the moment: the part at the beginning of this episode, where Rin was brought back through the power of love: was that anime original as well?
I ask that because that was the weakest point of this episode. The rest of this episode threw around some strange coincidences, but on the other hand it handled the aftermath well, and I especially liked that inclusion of that courtroom scene: it may not have been exactly an accurate trial, but it shows Mephisto having to explain and defend his actions in front of a supreme court and give s a different twist to the whole Vatican subplot.
An anime original ending isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the creators do need to pay attention: writing an original adaptation and adapting something are completely different. What Ao no Exorcist is currently trying to do is wrap everything up without just working towards that ending of Rin fighting Satan. Interestingly, just like Letter Bee, the writing is not as solid as it used to be. This time it feels a little jumpy, though it’s nothing bad yet. What this series shouldn’t forget though, is that it needs to devote a lot of time to the main cast as well: they were the selling point of this series so far, and it’d be a shame to just abandon them, just to get the plot right.
It’s all going to depend on Ryota Yamaguchi here. His work on Escaflowne is definitely promising, but apart from that he mostly wrote mediocre screenplays (including the one for the Tekken movie…). Oh, and let’s not forget the previous series he created together with Tensai Okamura: Project Blue Chikyuu SOS… things can go anywhere still.
Rating: * (Good)
If you’re curious how it should have played out just read chapter 14 of the manga: http://www.batoto.com/read/_/4152/ao-no-exorcist_ch14_by_jac-group/1
Yep, that is Anime Original: in Manga, they just seathed the blade and he was back to normal… and participated in the courtroom himself rather than spent all the time being frozen.
His friends also weren’t that accepting of his nature. It took chapters for them to fully accept him.
Yes, the way Rin was brought back by Shiemi was anime original.
In the Manga everyone turned their back on Rin after the revelation, even Shiemi. The only one who didn’t change her attitude towards him was Izumo.
Part of the trial was anime original, though the trial itself happened even in the manga.
I hope for a filler ending that doesn’t screw up the plot and leads back to the original plotline in a second season.
Btw, part of the preview showed scenes from the Manga again.
Mephisto had stopped him. In the manga, Bo ignores Rin and Shiemi is afraid of him. I was preparing myself for the (heartbreaking) rejection of his first group of friends and they had to change it! Instead they had to replace it with the love and friendship triumphs all.
yeah, Im done with this series. . .the whole scene Where ALL their friends turn their backs on him was just amazing in the manga especially RIGHT AFTER they were all like *yeah we are best freinds comrades etc.* it was really powerful, and the things Rin did to win back his friends friendship are just amazing and he STILL has a ways to go! …this is why I always just read the manga when a series comes out that is adapted from that manga, most series can just barely make 13 episodes! The thing is too that there is enough material in the manga to go for 26 episodes or more!
after what they did this episode, I decided to just not watch Manga adaptations unless they are doing a finished Manga. Or a Manga so far a long in its story that they wont need to pull bs like this.
Urgh… I have to agree with pgal, that was the part of the series that I was really interested in. This just doesn’t work for me, unfortunately.
Aw, I was hoping that even with anime original ending, they will keep the relationships like in the manga, with everyone but Izumo hating Rin and Rin having to painstakingly win their friendship back one by one. The way the anime just throws the best part of the manga, the character developments following this one incident, is just sad.
Shiemi should have gotten burnt alive if she attempted to hug Rin when berserk. Also, it’s weird to see Bon group running about so fast. In the manga, they all needed surgeries and got hospitalized for several days. Bon’s childhood friend also doesn’t fit in this series. She reminds me too much of girls from a harem anime.
On the positive side, Arthur is a lot more bearable. I suppose they can’t animate the bloody treatment that Rin got in the manga.
Well it seams that this is the point when yet again I see if I drop an anime because of an original route. I was really hopping that they would at least finish the arc before starting to go on their own way ………..but no. They had to screw up one of the most character development moments of the manga with a “It doesn’t matter if he is a demon and lied to us – friendship will beat and conquer all” attitude
I thought this was a bearable turn because I felt the part of the manga was rushed but after pointing out the rejected scene, I’m starting to think they did bad on the adaptation xD
It seems the anime is escalating towards some sort of action packed climax, so the whole bit about his friends rejecting him (apart from Izumo and… Shiemi, although it appears differently at first) was skipped.
But seriously, guys, they are at least trying to give us something that at least wraps itself up somehow. If they followed the manga 100% then it would just …stop at some point, with no resolution, no anything.
I have to congratulate with You, because Your high critical sense has allowed you to understand that the embrace between Rin and that insipid girl was purely fanservice and out of the canons of the manga. You are really great!
Well, what can I say, looks like this is another manga adaptation that’s going to the ‘dropped’ list. I don’t even know why I started watching this in the first place, but still, I won’t regret it because the producers did a great job with this show for the first 15 episodes (excluding those two fillers, of course).
Since I watch anime based on manga for the sole reason of seeing the manga panels animated, and I tend to completely skip filler material, there is no need for me to watch the remaining episodes as it’s clear that the anime will take a different path.
All in all, it was a fun ride and I can only hope that the non-manga readers (or the manga readers who don’t really care about plot changes) will enjoy the remaining episodes of this show.
It amazes me to see all this talk that we are diverging from the manga storyline. The first course had two filler episodes, if I recall correctly, and now they are branching off in a different direction. Why don’t they just leave these series alone, until they can be properly animated?
At any rate, I enjoyed this episode. Not having read the manga, my experience was gladness that we are finally dealing with the underlying issue that I thought this series was supposed to be about. I really hated the cooking and squid and getting a pet episodes. At least now we are back to the issue of fighting against Satan.
@12: The preview shows some scenes from the manga again. I don’t think they’re deviating from the manga that much, just padding the little bit with filler material.
About the gang’s reactions, I don’t think they will be skipped completely. Sure, they look like they’ve come to terms with Rin’s situation atm, but what about when facing Rin in person? That would be a completely different matter. That they’re setting the matter aside to save his life doesn’t mean they’ll be comfortable with being his friends again. So I think there’re still rooms for development for our characters.
@Puran, the manga is far enough ahead to go on and end it at the end of the current manga arc in the anime, there really isn’t any excuse for the deviation other than running out of money.
And really all the other people who are saying the manga readers are overreacting. . .
The scene that was taken out was REALLY IMPORTANT. pretty much 99% of what goes on from there is based on what they took out to some extent.
I know that fanboy/girl-ism can blind some people sometimes but com-on, seriously guys this change was HUGE, there is no way they’re gonna *fit it back in at some later point* or whatever the place that the original author put what he put really cant be messed with without changing the whole story into an anime original ending.
The hug was ridiculous…
But in the anime, Mephisto couldn’t simply sheath the Koma Sword to contain Rin’s power, because the sword couldn’t hold all of the power that Rin was pulling from Gehenna.
We already know from previous episodes that Rin can control what his flames burn and that he intuitively avoids burning people. So, Shiemi isn’t hurt running into the flames as she calls out to Rin. I buy that.
But, is there a reason for showing Rin as more powerful in the manga than he was in the manga at this point?
I’m guessing it was so that the sword would have to be fixed.
BUT (a big one, this time) the fixing of the sword took the story away from the amazing reconciliation scenes that are in the manga.
On the bright side, some of those scenes might still occur in the anime. Like in the manga, it looks like Konekomaru (the bald kid) will be the most upset by Rin’s origins. He might hold onto his misgivings for a while, even if no one else does.
Anyway, I liked that we were shown Rin’s misgivings in this episode. In the crystal, he faces uncertainty about his new friendships and his true nature. Although brief, I appreciated that moment–and it made me think about what he’ll look like when he visits Gehenna (which I assume he’ll do eventually to face Satan).
As for Rin’s state during the trial, I think I prefer the anime. He bounced back too quickly after the fight in the manga.
After considering the differences, the only change that still bothers me is how inhumanely resilient the human exwires are. Instead of cracked ribs, a reference to that disgusting neck wound, and lingering effects from held by the neck, there’s only the one broken arm. Why weren’t the other injuries mentioned?