Karneval ep12: I’ll be your eyes, hands and feet, and we’ll be their nightmare

And here I was sure that Karneval would just be a bland disappointment all the way through. And overall, I may still be right. But with these last two episodes, it looks like the show is going to blow its load like- well, I won’t be vulgar. Let’s just say that this show is taking the phrase, “save the best for last” to heart.

The first part of this episode takes place on the Second Ship as Hirato and Tsukitachi attempt to convince Akari (I can’t believe I’m still looking up names) to go along with their plan to attack the Smoky Mountains mansion that Kafka is using as a major base. It works and Akari begins preparations for the mission. Gareki in the meantime finds Hirato and starts to discuss what his purpose even is on this ship now, especially since Nai has become so stable as of late. And in the end he decides that its time to leave the ship, but only after the mission is complete. I guess he feels he has to see at least the last leg of this journey through to the end. Yogi overhearing all this is understandably a sad.

The battle actually starts with a wimper as Yogi and Gareki slip through using a pretty lame plan. But it works, and Gareki is able to infiltrate the building and- “HALLELUJAH!” – make himself useful! He’s able to shut down and hijack the security systems and the building schematics and forward them to the Second Ship where Hirato is overseeing the assault.  The battle begins in earnest.  Though it seems just as it is beginning that they may only get the fluffy frosting of what Kafka is about as its leader is quick to “nuke” his PC and slip out under the cover of fancy personal submarine.  Though with him gone, the real threat appears to be his right-hand man/dragon, Uro.  It’s up to Iva and Tsukumo to subdue him.

As things get messy on the ground, things unexpectedly get messy just in the Second Ship as Hirato leaves to join the battle.  We learn who the mole is (at least one of them) when Akari’s constantly bandaged assistand Azane starts acting weird after Akari notices him deleting files.  It looks like he was short on faith for awhile, and now Akari (who I don’t think is much of a fighter) is left alone with him, and all that important information being streamed in from the Kafka servers.

The episode concludes when an emotional Nai, who has been chaperoned by Jiki so he can assist in battle intelligence, freaks out over the death of his creepy, mechanical bunny friends.  He makes some sort of spirit bomb gesture, and eventually a giant rainbow shoots out of the ground in the nearby forest.  I’m guessing weird(er) sh*t is about to go down.

HA!  I was actually pretty happy with this episode!  I finally got the action I’d been craving, even if I should have known about a quarter of the way through this show that it was gonna be heavily about detective work and feelings.  It even addressed my desire to see Gareki be useful and not in a sh*tty shirt.  And though I’m sad to hear the news that Gareki may be leaving the ship (I actually don’t hate the guy), I still hold out a very reasonable hope that he’ll actually join the Second Ship, get powers and make this show awesome.  I know I’m hoping for a lot by asking this guy to basically carry this show, but I don’t know what else could save it for me.

Back to the episode, it clearly looks like this won’t be a decisive battle, the fact that Kafka’s leader hauled ass out of their kills that idea.  But it still doesn’t mean this fight won’t have its perils.  I’m not so sure that Uro is as easily captured as the other Varuga jerks, if so then he’s a huge disappointment.  I’m not worried about the other three Varuga idiots I saw though.  The real kicker is that rainbow that Nai summoned, what the hell does that thing do?  Does it literally just look pretty, or does it mark something important at that spot.  Uro sure seemed to be worried about it.  And then there’s the very real issue of where Karoku is and what he’s doing?  Why the hell did it look like there were two Karoku’s?  There’s some really sneaky stuff going on in the background.  The last episode may not save the show for me, but it looks like it will be genuinely intriguing to say the least.

Note:  sorry for the short post.  It’s been another busy week.  I hope I’m not wearing down with the last week of Spring anime around the corner.  Though I will say that I wasn’t so tired that couldn’t notice that Iva and Tsukumo looked pretty hot in those suits and top hats, and that’s not even a particular turn-on for me.

Further Reading:

• Episode 11