REVIEW: ‘Tougen Anki’ Episode 10 — “Kishin’s Child”

Tougen Anki Episode 10, “Kishin’s Child,” delves into Shiki’s (Kazuki Ura, Kakeguri Twin) past as it explores what makes the young Oni so special. As it does so, it focuses most of the episode on bringing his confrontation with Tsubakiri (Daisuke Kishio, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls) to an explosive conclusion, for those who can manage to make it to the end.

The first major element of this episode takes the narrative to the Momotaro headquarters. Here, Tougen Anki Episode 10 offers a lengthy explanation about what it means to be a Child of Kishin. This is timely, thanks to the revelation at the end of the last episode that Shiki is one. Timeliness is this sequence’s only true merit, however. It delivers the information in an overly long way, dragging out every kernel of importance it holds. 

The only other thing Tougen Anki Episode 10’s opening manages is to reinforce that at least half of the Momotaro are rampant psychopaths. The Children of Kishin are the reason why the Momotaro haven’t managed to eradicate the Oni yet. One cannot help but wonder if the blame really lies with them or with the excess of unstable personalities that make up the organization.

Tougen Anki Episode 10 completely overdoes it with its loathsome villain.

It’s clear from this introduction and the large presence Tsubakiri has throughout this episode/arc that the narrative intends to drive home just how loathsome the Momotaro can be. However, it is so desperate to ram that concept down the viewers’ throats that it just becomes annoying.

A loathsome villain can be a great element in storytelling, but it can also go too far. You want to find a sweet spot where they are bad enough that the audience desperately wants to see the villain defeated, rather than wanting to never see them at all. 

Tougen Anki Episode 10 tramples past this line. The sheer hate and mad ranting of its villains leave them feeling hollow and one-note. I don’t know how many times the writers think we need to hear a person brag about murdering innocent people before we get the picture, but it seems like the answer is always “at least once more.” 

The conflict between Shiki and Tsubakiri is completely overwrought and unoriginal.

This problem spills over into the main element of this episode, the confrontation between Shiki and Tsubakiri. For the bulk of the fifteen minutes the scene spans, Tougen Anki Episode 10 offers a near-endless rant from the antagonist, punctuated by brief breaks in which the protagonist delivers all-too-familiar hero speak in defiance of his opponent. 

Despite not being as annoying as his adversary, Shiki’s side of the scene does little to elevate the moment. His rhetoric sounds as copy-and-paste as a battle Shounen MC could, leaving little to shake the moment up. Even when Mei shows up, further spurring Shiki to greater heights of strength, the moment yields little, as its predictability holds it back. 

The visuals provide Tougen Anki Episode 10 its one piece of praise.

The one thing that does shine amongst all the setbacks is the animation. The over-the-top essence of the villains, Mei’s terror as she confronts her parents’ killer, and Shiki’s awakened powers as a Child of Kishin all come through gorgeously.

Tougen Anki Episode 10 struggles throughout. With unconfident writing that overemphasizes its villains and a hero who feels lifted from every other shounen anime written, little good can be found here. Only the visual delivery of its overdone concepts brings any good to the experience. And that’s not nearly enough.

Tougen Anki Episode 10 is streaming now on Netflix.

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