Record of Grancrest War

Episode 17

I assure you it was merely coincidence that we got to see Theo and Milza duel to the death with glowing red and blue sabers on May the 4th. (For one thing, by the time it aired it was already May 5th in Japan.) Of course, that didn't make it any less cool. We finally got to see the showdown that's been telegraphed for what seems like half the series. I've always thought that Record of Grancrest War was at its strongest during bouts of action, but I suspect this episode will be divisive with fans due to its use of multiple animation and art styles. At least two different artists lent their own perspectives to the making of this episode.

Who are the “Two Heroes” of this episode's title? Certainly one is Theo, who gets more dashing and self-confident every week. Now called the Earl of Sistina, this decorated lord is growing into the hopes that people have for him. He's a textbook hero who's clearly grown a lot over the course of the show—just look at the size of his crest at the end! And though we love to hate him, I'd say the second hero is Milza. He's sort of an idiot this week, opting for a suicide mission in lieu of waiting for Marrine's troops, but the show plays it off like a chivalrous act. (Not that Marrine herself is impressed; it's clear that she would have much rather had him come back alive.) When Milza meets his extremely telegraphed end, he does not lose his dignity with it. As Theo points out, it's Milza's inexperience with leadership that leads to his demise. He's a great fighter one-on-one, but he uncharacteristically shared his crest with his soldiers, leaving less strength over for himself. This feels like such a rookie error! RIP Milza, you were a fearsome swordsman and an extremely bad tactician.

I thought the duel looked fantastic, and that's partly because it was animated in a different style than usual. There were a lot of high-contrast shots, filling out Theo's murderous expression in broad black strokes and at one point depicting Milza as a black silhouette with one gleaming eye. It gave the battle a grittier look than usual. Sections of the skirmish also had a much looser and more fluid look. Remember that duel between Jana and Siluca in episode 14? We can once again credit up-and-coming web animator Nakaya Onsen for these scenes, characterized by fine-line drawing, flat colors, and character shapes that twist and morph onscreen. (Onsen has also been tweeting about his animation whenever it appears in Record of Grancrest War.) This style, along with the standard Record of Grancrest War look, made for an episode that was inconsistent but stunning in moments.

Watching this story shift between visual styles will be seen as experimental by some, but inconsistent by others. It reminds me of Samurai 7, a 2004 Gonzo show that suddenly altered its art style specifically for episode seven—fans debated whether it was intentional or a last resort. I liked seeing these disparate styles united by a stronger-than-usual episode plot, but it's hard to tell if this was the original vision or not.

Rating: B

Record of Grancrest War is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.