Land of the Lustrous

Episode 7

What makes Phos the “useless creature” everyone always claims they are? I assumed their 3.5 hardness had something to do with it, but this latest episode of Land of the Lustrous introduces an even softer gem with a steely determination to succeed, putting Phos' entire reason for being helpless in question. “Hibernation” is the story of three misfit gems who each work alone, all contrasted against one another to show the precise ways they are similar and different. This development occurs against a background of mysterious elements that literally speak to what the characters are going through. Add this to a lot of humor that flows naturally into the story, and I really like where the story is going.

You'd expect Phos to live for winter hibernation, right? I can't think of anything comfier than putting on cute pajamas, crawling into a big cushy cocoon with all my friends, and sleeping until it's nice out again. But after the harrowing experience with Amethyst and not even a punishment to serve as closure for it, Phos just isn't feeling sleepy. That's when Master Kongo has the idea to kill two birds with one stone and pair Phos up for the winter with Antarcticite, who normally works alone. Cue a buddy cop premise that leads to lots of physical humor as Antarcticite explains their winter duties to Phos while constantly dunking on them and shoveling snow on their head.

Antarcticite is a gem with an even lower hardness rating than Phos, but their resolve is anything but flimsy. Even though Antarcticite is so soft that they turn into liquid in warm temperatures, they are capable in ways Phos is not. The action sequences, in which Antarcticite skates over the snow and uses a deftly placed stiletto heel to split an ice floe, emphasize this strength along with beauty. (Did you also notice the pretty floral pattern on the inside of Antarcticite's gloves?) There's a dedication to their work that brings forth a toughness we've never seen from Phos, who isn't even as soft. “We low hardness gems have nothing if not our courage,” they say. “There are things I just can't do,” Phos protests. “Because you never try,” Antarcticite counters. Faced with somebody this similar, it's no surprise that Phos begins to think they need to change even more.

That's where the ice floes come in. “Sensei once called them ‘sinners’ once and I've never quite been able to forget that,” Antarcticite says. Not only do they speak, but they bring forth the listener's most private anxieties. Phos' worries are all about changing, and when the ice floe mentions how Phos changing could help Cinnabar, it has their attention. Phos narrowly resists temptation only to fall into yet another type of mortal peril. For a 300-year-old gem, Phos certainly has a lot of close encounters with death.

At a time when most of the gems are sleeping indoors, only Phos, Cinnabar, and the newly introduced Antarcticite are out and about. All three of these gems are isolated by design, and the contrasting ways they deal with their predicaments show the depth of their characters. It makes me wonder what the ice floe might say to Antarcticite or Cinnabar. And above all, what made Kongo call them “sinners?” What is Kongo hiding? This episode ended long before I was ready to stop watching. Even as Land of the Lustrous introduces new characters and new aspects of the gems' incredible world, it keeps me craving more. My final verdict about this show will depend on how well the mysteries it has only begun to unravel pay off.

Rating: B+

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