K: Return of Kings

Episode 13

Episode 13 marks the finale of Return of Kings and quite probably the last installment in the franchise. While it doesn't neatly wrap up every little detail, there really isn't any more story to tell after an ending like this. All that is left is, perhaps, curiosity about how some of the characters turn out as they go forward with their lives. So the question here is not “will there be more?” but “is the conclusion we get satisfying?” The answer is that, for as flawed as the performance was in getting there, it does stick the landing.

The big mystery spawned by the last two episodes was exactly how Shiro had figured to destroy the Slates – in other words, something that was virtually indestructible even if they could get to it and overcome the final guardian in the form of the Green King. The solution turns out to not only be remarkably simple but also something that we, as viewers, already know about because it has been referred to several times throughout the franchise. The most destructive force in the setting is a Damocles Down event, where a king's Sword of Damocles falls to Earth unless the king is killed, and that is exactly how Shiro intends to destroy the Slates: he's going to drop his own Sword of Damocles on them. Setting that up is why Shiro needed Homra's assistance, and why the Homra members both needed to be on each floor of the underground base and why Anna gave each of them one of her special marbles. Turns out that they are focal points for channeling the full power of the Red when Anna uses it to drill a shaft down to the level of the Slates, hence opening a path for Shiro's sword to fall. (In one of the episode's many fitting moments, Munakata, who observes Anna as she charges to full power, imagines seeing Mikotoh standing behind Anna, hence where the screen shot comes from.) The Green King is not about to be thwarted so easily, and so tries to kill Shiro before the sword can reach its target. That is where the combined strength of the Silver Clan finally takes its stand.

The results of the action are definitive. It means the end for Nagare, since the power of the Green was all that kept him alive, and it means the loss of power for everyone else. Somewhat ironically, that is what saves Munakata from his own deteriorating power. It also means the end of Shiro's possession of the student whose body he has inhabited since the beginning of the first series, but as the final shot of the series reminds us, his original body was never actually dead. For the defeated Yukari and Gojou, that means moving on, and one of the montage of credits stills suggests that the latter, at least, might be finding a place with Anna.

Oh, and Kuroh was able to help defend his king in the final battle with Nagare because he finally managed to get the best of Yukari in their most recent duel, which essentially means that he finally managed moves so dazzlingly beautiful that Yukari was too awestruck to fully defend himself. (In the process he also steps out from beneath his master's shadow to become his own person, though this symbolic moment is less impactful.) That duel, though kept relatively short, showcased the technical side of what made this such a splendid finish: the animation is at the fullest and sharpest level we've seen since the first episode. The numerous action scenes are fully-detailed and richly take advantage of the “mobile camera” effect which has been this series' hallmark. On the downside, the predominant color scheme in some scenes mutes the sharpness of the coloring to a dull degree.

Overall, though, the episode does its job and does it well; it's remarkable what the series can do when it isn't bogged down by too-casual pacing or an excess of philosophizing. Some reference to how the loss of everyone's powers at the end impacted the public might have been nice, but with so much going on involving the major players that was likely a time constraint issue. It does finally work in an explanation for the reason why Neko/Miyabi is the way she is: like Nagare, she was impacted by the disastrous event of 15 years prior. And that allows her to deliver what may be the series' ultimate final message and rebuke to Nagare's scheme: you don't need super-powers to live a happy life. Even if it seems to oversimplify things, it is nonetheless a fitting note to end on.

Rating: B+

K: Return of Kings is currently streaming on Viz.com.