REVIEW: ‘The Tale Of Outcasts,’ Episode 12 – “Journey Through Memories”

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With Sitri’s sudden appearance with Snow in tow, Wisteria and her friends are faced with their greatest challenge yet. But, The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12 soon sees a far more insidious trap laid out for Wisteria than the physical confrontation that swiftly ensues. The only question is, can she find a way out of the trap in time to save her friends?

While the Sword Cross Knights seemed like they would be the big bad for much of this season, they eventually got replaced by the formidable Dantalion as the big physical threat to our protagonists. While I was convinced that he would be as bad as it got, Sitri now steps out of the shadows to show what a true threat is. While one might expect the series to push the physical danger to greater heights with this final baddie, The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12 decides to focus on the mental and emotional manipulations of this newest threat. Given how this series has always struggled with delivering hard-hitting action, this shift in focus is a smart move for the show. Despite so much focus being on the mental struggle between Wisteria and Sitri, this episode never fails to make the stakes feel like they are escalating to the degree one would expect, even with the physical threat from Snow sidelined for the true confrontation.

While Sitri’s schemes may have less focus on the physical confrontation that plays in the background of The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12, his threat to everyone is amplified beyond those of previous enemies due to the sheer vitriol that he has towards the protagonists. While the Knights fought them for duty and power and Dantalion wages war for his own personal amusement, Sitri’s fight is one fueled by pure hate. He sees what the demon/contractor pairs have found with each other and it drives him mad. His loathing is excellently delivered in every rage-embued threat that rips from his lips.

Standing at the heart of the opposition to the tide of wrath Sitri pours out against the group is, of course, Wisteria. The quiet, kind, optimism of the young lady serves as a truly stark contrast to the rage of Sitri. How she navigates the trap set for her by this latest antagonist once again showcases how much strength can be found in the kindest and most optimistic of hearts.

But while Wisteria is the prime target of Sitri’s machinations, The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12 keeps everyone else busy with the group confrontation with Snow. The now demon-possessed knight provides more than enough challenge for Marbas and Naberius as they exchange blows intermittently throughout the episode. While the presentation continues to be nothing flashy overall, the episode does a great job of affirming how powerful Snow is in this form. How he handles his opponents for much of their conflict helps build the peril the group will be faced with if Wisteria is not able to overcome Sitri’s challenges.

Bringing it all together, The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12 delivers a fantastic episode that leans into the series’ strengths while avoiding some of its visual shortcomings. It establishes a powerful threat and allows the drama to play out in a way that comes to a satisfying conclusion.

The Tale of Outcasts Episode 12 is streaming on Crunchyroll.