REVIEW: ‘Shin Ikki Tousen,’ Episode 3 – “Melody”

Shin Ikki Tousen is an action/comedy ecchi anime produced by ARMS. With Sansaku still recovering from her fall at the end of the last episode, this week’s narrative shifts to focus on Ryomou and her struggles in the land of the dead. How did she get there? And more importantly, what will it take to get her out in Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3?

With the shift in the narrative to Ryomou, this week’s episode brings some surprisingly strong horror moments. Ryomou trails as she attempts to overcome the threats that surround her and sees the story deliver some disturbing imagery as she is put face-to-face with an avatar from her past.

The initial sequence for Ryomou in Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3 is a great way to catch new viewers like myself up to speed with the character. It gives both a general feel of the character and highlights a significant experience from her past that offers the viewer a closer look at the recent events that hang over the fighter.

While Ryomou gets the lion’s share of the screen time in this episode, Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3 also gives us a deeper look at Ganryu. We learn how the fighter got her insanely long sword and how that moment impacted her reasons for being. This sequence helps build up the weight of this week’s story, making the narrative garner an epic scale I wasn’t expecting, but the end definitely delivers.

All of the angst, horror, and danger scattered throughout this episode culminates in a massive attack from the underworld. As the few individuals left in Jofukuin do what they can to stem the unending onslaught, the gravity and scale of the situation are delivered well. My only complaint with how the show handles this sequence is the speed at which it comes about. Certain moments would’ve landed better if more time could’ve been spent with the characters before these momentous events occurred. While the scenes I mentioned earlier help, it’s still not quite enough. However, these moments deliver an engaging narrative beat even with this complaint.

Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3 wraps up its story with a glimpse at Himiko and how her plans are coming to fruition. While I understood very little of what this moment presented to me, I felt it was clearly by design. The enigmatic teaser moment is laid out not to explain a plot but to coax the viewer into needing to know what it all means. In this, I felt it was quite successful.

The animation in this story works the various themes of the episode through the visual presentation wonderfully. A couple of disturbing moments land mainly due to the visuals, and the epic build-up near the end gains a lot of momentum thanks to the art’s delivery of the characters and their motivations.

When all is said and done, Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3 delivers some great narrative beats and moments, even if they could’ve used a bit more time to build. I’m left more curious than ever to learn where Sansaku and her team’s battles will take them next.

Shin Ikki Tousen Episode 3 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.