Having become a Drifter thanks to Noir’s help, Kanata was crucial in the successful defeat of the recent Ender attack on Rock Town. But with his coffin now trashed, Kanata searches for parts to restore it. But the repairs are interrupted when a familiar face’s arrival in town makes Kanata question his potential as a Drifter in Synduality Noir Episode 2, “My Master.”
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At the center of this week’s narrative is the developing relationship between Kanata and Noir. With Kanata’s past failures ever-present in his mind, the Drifter struggles with his worthiness for his new position, as well as whether or not Noir would be better served with a more deserving master. The show explores these themes well, as Kanata broods his way through much of the episode. What makes his struggle feel the most real is his fight to even acknowledge them. Rather than get to the bottom of his inferiority complex, Kanata initially throws himself into his work, pushing himself to repair his coffin. This avoidance, along with how the episode handles his eventual confrontation with his insecurities, makes Kanata extremely relatable.
The trigger for much of Kanata’s struggles comes with the arrival of Range, a Drifter who used to live in Rock Town. This abrasive character forms the perfect foil for the quiet Kanata. As he bursts back into Rock Town, his presence dregs up Kanata’s past, as well as threatens his future when Range decides that Noir would be better served working with a more capable Drifter.
The other focal point of Synduality Noir Episode 2‘s narrative is Noir. Without her memories, she has limited means to help Kanata in his tasks. However, this doesn’t stop her from doing all she can. Her desire to support Kanata is built up beautifully through her personal journey in this episode. The soft-spoken character’s innocence and gentle nature continue to help her resonate with viewers, even as her world takes advantage of those same elements.
Once the soul-searching and character development comes to a head, Synduality Noir Episode 2 caps off its episode with another well-executed action sequence. The animation delivers the speed of battle wonderfully, and Tokio is allowed to interject some well-timed humor into the proceedings, allowing a bit of mood-lightening to occur at well-timed moments.
This sequence also steps above previous action sequences thanks to the emotional weight of the moment. Rather than another random Ender encounter, this week’s battle ties directly into both Kanata and Noir’s personal narratives, bringing both together in a way that makes the episode’s finale feel like a pivotal moment for the series.
The fact that this sequence sees the Drifters fighting against a more focused enemy than the wild Enders also gives the animation a chance to flesh out what a more intricate coffin fight looks like. We get to see lots of tricks and entertaining maneuvers play out through this sequence, which opens up just how much we can expect Drifters to be capable of as the series moves forwards. All of these moments are captured beautifully through the smooth animation and are augmented by the continued use of bright vibrant colors on display through the design of the coffins.
Synduality Noir Episode 2 follows up the excellent introduction of its first episode with an entry that further builds out its cast and world. As it continues to bring its core narrative into focus, I find myself further pulled into both the emotional tale that Kanata is on, as well as the growing mystery surrounding Noir.
Synduality Noir Episode 2 is streaming now on Hulu.
TL;DR
Synduality Noir Episode 2 follows up the excellent introduction of its first episode with an entry that further builds out its cast and world. As it continues to bring its core narrative into focus, I find myself further pulled into both the emotional tale that Kanata is on, as well as the growing mystery surrounding Noir.
