REVIEW: ‘To Your Eternity,’ Season 2 Episode 17 – “What You Want to Protect”

With Fushi beginning to suspect that Bon is hiding something from him, To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 17 follows the immortal as all the demands on his mind continue to slowly break him. With his trust in those around him wearing thin, with what support can he find to prop himself up? But perhaps there is still someone in the city that Fushi can depend on. The only question is, will she find him in time?

As the world within Renril begins to split at the seams, this episode descends into some fairly dark territory. With death, pain, and violence becoming so saturated in the lives of Fushi and his companions, we see the strain take an enormous toll on the cast in To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 17. While Fushi cannot die, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a limit to what he can endure before mentally shutting down. What does not kill you doesn’t necessarily make you stronger.

The way Fushi’s mental health is crumbling is portrayed through both his voice as well as the way the visuals show the change in his demeanor is skillfully handled. Fushi’s shoulders slump, and there is a lack of energy in his motions. His eyes become more lifeless as he often stares blankly off into space. The drain of not only fighting off the Nokkers but sensing the pain and fear of every person within Renril is causing Fushi to seemingly drown in an ocean of negative emotion.

These struggles take me back to earlier in the season when Bon confronted The Observer. The coldness of The Observer and his ultimate plan for Fushi seem to feel like they may be tied to what Fushi is currently going through. Did he struggle at some point with trying to save everyone? Did it ultimately break him the way it is breaking Fushi now?

While much of this episode focuses on developing Fushi’s mental state, To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 17 does progress its plot along in some key ways. Messer and Princess Alma have a big scene that hits rather hard, though some of the details surrounding the moment leave a bit of confusion about how exactly the situation reached the way it does. This confusion serves as an unfortunate distraction from the heart of their time on screen together. This episode also brings Kahaku back into the story. Having spent the last couple of episodes tied to a chair, the character hasn’t been seen much lately. To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 17 brings the character back into the narrative in a significant way. The details are spoiler-filled, but he plays a critical role in this episode’s big ending.

Overall, this episode is hard to watch, but in a good way. The weight of the story it tells feels like a necessary element of Fushi’s trials that the viewer needs in order to fully appreciate. Ending with a huge cliffhanger moment, the next episode promises a story of a far different style.

To Your Eternity Season 2 Episode 17 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.