For once my choice to split these posts into three episode summaries works to my benefit as we got a three part closer to our season of LOGH. It’s a wonder if I can find enough to talk about for a full post as in general this is mainly action and strategy which oddly enough are usually LOGHs weakest episodes in the original series. I have likely mentioned it once, twice, if not many times but the original LOGH is not something you watched for the space battles. While there are certainly aspects of the original series which beat out the remake like episodes which gave better perspective to certain conflicts and design choices, if it’s one area the remake beats the original it’s in visual presentation. The original had its moments of great animation, for the most part battles meant watching boxes fire lasers at each other. The remake gives these battles a much needed visual punch even if the end result is still along the lines of boxes firing lasers at each other.
This battle is quite different from any other battle we have seen so far in the series in that neither Reinhard or Yang is involved in the battle and another particular trait. In the battles we seen so far we often had the situation where one side was the brillant tactical genius while the other was often incompedant and making stupid mistakes all the time. But here both sides are at least making clever moves with Kemptt making use of their knowledge of the fortress and exploiting its weaknesses and the Free Planets Alliance countering each plan with one of their own. In some ways taking out the two main protagonists of the series out of the battle has given others a chance to rise to the spotlight. With Merkatz showing that if Braunschweig actually did put his trust in him then he could very well have saved him with his strategic expertise. There was a certain satisfaction after seeing him get ignored and mocked by the noble faction to where he’s trusted and finally respected, much to his subordinates’ delight. There’s also a certain irony in the enemy believing it to be Yangs planning that turned the tide when if you know Yang he wouldn’t likely resort to a plan which takes advantage of the commanders tendency to leave no man behind and hold his soldiers hostage. Such a plan seems too ruthless for Yang(Though he doesn’t shy away from such things but it’s more a last resort) but the way in which it caught them off guard helped with stopping the enemy from realizing that Yang isn’t actually in the fortress.
Then there’s the Rosen Ritter which I am not sure if they have gotten a moment to truly shine though memory may be failing me. I know they helped take Iserlohn fortress and Schenkopp has been around but I can’t quite remember them pulling out the battle axes to do what they do best at any other time. One thing I can give the remake credit for is in showing that there are quite a lot of these guys as when I recall the Rosen Ritter fighting in the OVA it was generally just a couple of guys in a corridor when here is a full army. But I do feel having them in mech suits instead of the power armor does take away from the usual feel of the crew. I get that it’s likely a cost saving measure as with the mechs they can use CGI and have a lot more dynamic movement on screen. But there is certainly a lack of fluidity in the movements and I miss the full on brutality of the OVA series where you had them go full on medievil on these guys. It really went to show just how formidable a fighting force these guys were
A lot went on in these three episodes with plans, counter plans and I truly appreciate that nobody here was being stupid. Kemptt may be losing but his opening plan was sound and a lot of the things going wrong are things he couldn’t have anticipated. When a subordinate proposed an alteration to Kemptt’s plan to make it better I fully expected Kemptt to immediately write him off as was taught by the many times the nobles did so. Instead Kemptt admits it’s a good idea and incorporates it which is different from when he dismissed the subordinates report of Yang not being in the fortress, but again that is sound logic from his perspective. I mean, what idiot would remove their critical commander from the front lines of their defense in the middle of a war? Likely the same idiots who send said commander back with a backup crew instead of their main force. Even in the last scene setting his defeat, the strategy was basically Yang gambling on Juilian figuring out Kemptts plan and acting accordingly without Yang’s initiative. When thinking about it there is a lot that could have gone wrong with this plan and it’s heavily dependent on luck that it would work out the way Yang intended though I suspect he knew that as well. Reinhard states his disappointment in Kemptt but in all honestly it feels like he performed well in the circumstances and it’s a bit strange to deride him for not resorting to the most extreme measure of just crashing the fortress into Iserlohn.(Which funny enough both Yang and Kemptt think of doing it. Though in Kemptt’s case he thought of it only in his last moment of desperation) I mean if that’s the plan then why even bother with warping the fortress in the first place? Just get a giant space rock, strap some boosters to it and teleport that halfway across the universe.
If there was something I quite disliked then it would be the rather abrupt way the last episode ended. As a matter of fact I actually had to check and confirm that this was the last episode because the ending gave no indication of being a season closer. It’s a good thing that a new season was announced as if this was to be the end of the show then it’s certainly an unsatisfying sudden stop for an ending. Even the first season gave some indication of a kind of life goes on sort of vibe but this was like the show just decided to cut off on the second last episode right before the big finale. For those binging the show in the future the transition to the next episode will likely be indistinguishable from any other but for myself and anyone currently following the show it means we just watched three episodes of hype where the climax was delayed for half a year. Which at that point any excitement would have long been dissipated and much like I alluded to before this may be the main contributing factor as to why this show doesn’t get a large following despite being of the quality it is. But maybe this just isn’t the story to get that kind of audience, as even with something like Game of Thrones which had a degree of political nature felt that it needed to flash some breasts on screen every now and again to ensure the viewer kept paying attention. The age of space opera has long passed and we still appear to be in the age of Isekai gimmicks or potentially a new age of fulfillment girlfriend shows. But something does not need to be in the mainstream eye to validate it’s quality and that LOGHs remake has managed to get a fourth season shows that there is passion for it. A passion I wish existed for many others and may the upcoming chainsaw man have equally such dedication. Yes for it is truly a shame when great stories are not given the care they deserve…sigh…oh my poor Biscuit Hammer…
