Land of the Lustrous

Episode 10

What is “Shiro?” In Japanese it can mean “white,” but if this episode had such an unambiguous interpretation, the title probably would have been translated that way. It may have something to do with the towering white colossus that Bort, Dia, and Phos went headfirst against, a monster unlike any Lunarian they'd seen before. The action, depicted in sprawling 3D, was remarkable, but the real magic came in moments of chilling horror-movie tension. It was another episode of beauty in motion, made unstable by a frightening new enemy.

Phos is a changed gem. Once ridiculed as useless, they are now relied upon and highly in demand. The old Phos would have been thrilled at such a development, but this moody new personality can only compare themselves unfavorably to a sparkling interpretation of Antarcticite. “Perhaps substituting missing pieces with different material causes us to reconstruct our very personas,” Alexandrite suggests, but I don't know if that's the whole story. Anybody who has been through the trauma Phos has faced wouldn't come out the same person on the other side.

Amidst all that, Phos' strength has not been overlooked by arguably the strongest gem, Bort. Even though Bort has a patrol partnership (and perhaps a deeper relationship than that) with Dia, they can't resist attempting to observe and refine Phos' power. This black diamond already has so many critiques and suggestions that in a silly moment, Phos realizes they are still scared of Bort. The more things change, right? Even more intimidating, however, is having to break the news to Dia. Mid-swoon, Dia composes themselves and tells Phos, “I'm the one who told you to change in the first place, so I have no right to complain.” Sweet, gentle Dia. This gem's kindness makes them equally formidable to their partner Bort—who would want to defy such sincerity?

It's just a temporary team-up while Kongo-sensei is asleep, the gems tell one another. However, Sensei's slumber is not the only unusual factor today. A new type of Lunarian appears: an enormous, multi-limbed, apelike behemoth appears Neither Phos' raw untamed strength nor Bort's experienced precision and cunning are any match for this monster. That's when Bort presumably begins to panic and make decisions I think are bad ideas. First they instruct Phos to ring the bell, telling everyone to hold their position until Bort and Phos can wake Sensei. Then they lead the Lunarian to their very home, the school building. It's the last place a gem would expect to come face to face with the enemy, but that's exactly what happens to poor Dia.

As Dia conceals themselves in the eerie fog, tension mounts as the Lunarian's hairy tarantula-like limbs creep ever closer. Though Dia is genderless, they are feminine in appearance, so I get a “final girl” vibe of a single woman in a horror movie standing up against an unspeakable evil. But Dia is not helpless, and they may even have a fighting chance against this giant. While Bort watches outside the window in terror, Dia recklessly risks life and limb against the beast that has encroached upon the gems' home. Dia's bravery demonstrates why Bort and Dia make such a great team—if it had been Dia instead of Phos with them, Bort never would have led the monster back to this vulnerable haven. When Bort finally faces Dia again, their exchange is not one of partners but lovers: “From afar, I see just how much you mean to me.” Sorry Phos. Maybe you should try partnering up with Cinnabar again?

With each passing episode, Land of the Lustrous demonstrates how it couldn't have shone brighter without the beauty made possible by this 3D rendering. Sweeping aerial views showcase battles from every angle. The camera is able to follow along with the gems, making the viewer a participant in the fight. An action-heavy episode like this one makes CGI irreplaceable. With action, mystery, and tender moments in between, Land of the Lustrous has made itself a standout to watch this season.

Rating: A

Land of the Lustrous is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.