REVIEW: ‘Sand Land: The Series’ Episode 8 — “Operation: Sneak Into the Capital!”

The late Akira Toriyama’s hit new anime Sand Land: The Series continues with new adventures for Rao, Beelzebub, and Thief. Sand Land: The Series Episode 8, “Operation: Sneak Into the Capital,” has the trio working together with their new companion Ann on their next quest.

The trio has been through so much and Sand Land: The Series Episode 8 lets them live a little bit. The start of the episode is all about their excitement to be in Forest Land. It is the first time any of them have been to a new land, especially one so lush and beautiful. Not to mention the flowing and abundant water.

Beelzebub and Thief go down a natural waterslide in one of the episode’s lighter moments. It is funny and relaxing, and it allows the characters a chance to take a break. Their journey up until this point has been challenging, so it is nice to see them relax. Rao and Ann ultimately join them, but Ann is adamant that this is not a vacation. They have some serious work to do.

Part of this work involves working with a resistance army. The trio and the Resistance do not meet in the best way. A misunderstanding leads to Beelzebub getting shot, but it doesn’t affect him. Sand Land: The Series started by bringing an unlikely group together and does it again here.

It might be a repeated trope but it works well yet again. The whole idea is that there are so many people out there who need help and differences need to be put aside for the common good. Characters have their own issues to work through but they all come together when they are needed most without much hesitation. This attitude makes it easy to root for their success and makes the pain of any setbacks hit harder emotionally.

The crew meets Lango, the leader of the Resistance. Lango and Roa have a bit of history. They were on opposite sides of the war in Sand Land years ago. Roa has reckoned with his past now and is determined to do what is right. Lango can see this pretty clearly. He doesn’t hesitate to accept Rao’s expertise on the battlefield.

They are going to need it too. King Jam, the leader of Forest Land, was deposed in a coup. The Resistance is out to save the king and restore his rule. The problem is that King Jam is about to be executed. Ann is the one going to rescue him because, as it turns out, King Jam is her father.

What is unique about this is it now puts two royal heirs together. Ann and Beelzebub now have a common thread, both are children of powerful kings. They both had to grow up under the shadows of their fathers. But it is the children who have to go out and make a difference. Rao and Thief have experience protecting one royal heir, so why not take on another?

Their task is to sneak into the capital of Forest Land and save Ann’s father. This won’t be easy, but with such a small group they stand a chance. Their first adventure in Sand Land was out in the open. They used their tank and rushed into battle without much secrecy. Now they have to do the opposite. Beelzebub’s brash nature is going to make this difficult for them.

It doesn’t help that the leaders of the coup are on to their plan. They can see them coming a mile away and prepare for them. It is nice to get a glimpse at the type of villains the heroes are up against. They are smart and cunning and know how to plan ahead. Their visual design is also great.

The mission brings in one of my favorite tropes. When a group has to sneak into an impenetrable location, the best way is to don bad disguises and act like you belong. It’s great because it lets Ann and Beelzebub spend time together on their own. They have a really interesting dynamic that is only going to get better as they get to know each other. There are also some really funny moments during the infiltration scenes. The series does a great job in general of injecting comedy into serious moments to keep it from getting too heavy.

Sand Land: The Series Episode 8 tells a great story that elevates itself due to how gorgeous the animation is. Forest Land is so dramatically different than Sand Land. We get to see bright green trees and dark, rainy skies. All things we never got while the group was in Sand Land. The world is varied and we are slowly starting to see more and more of how beautiful and creative this world is.

Sand Land: The Series Episode 8 is another fantastic episode that drives a new adventure forward for an unlikely group. The task ahead for the heroes is setting up to be nearly impossible, but it will be fascinating to watch them try to pull this off.

Sand Land: The Series Episode 8 is streaming now on Hulu and new episodes release every Wednesday.