Zetsuen no Tempest - 23

"Battle of Genesis"

And that, my friends, is how you orchestrate a final battle.

In fact, I can't think of a more fitting word to describe what happened this episode, both on the conscious part of the studio and through the actions of the characters in the narrative. This is dramatic grandiosity and irony as only Zetsuen could get away with, and it only makes me that much sadder to know that there's nothing from Bones on the Spring lineup. At least we still have the finale to look forward to, and what an end it's shaping up to be.

I've mentioned before that this series embraces its theatricality quite openly; from the obvious Shakespeare references to the classical soundtrack, everything about Zetsuen no Tempest exudes drama and flair as if it were a play or opera itself, and nowhere has that been more obvious than in both cour finales. At the end of the first season, we had a gripping set of episodes that were nothing more than a prolonged debate and several monologues. Despite the lack of motion and the grandiosity of it all, those episodes proved that a series could be utterly unconventional and over-the-top, yet still be amazing if done properly. In this case, we have plenty of action to move the plot along, but the manner in which the Battle of Genesis is waged is just as theatrical, if not more so, than the first cour in various ways.

Firstly, Mahiro's plan is in and of itself a performance; a trick to distract the forces protecting the Tree of Genesis while Hanemura passes through the blockade unnoticed and deals the final strike. He has literally written a play, a scenario that will engage his audience (the soldiers in the blockade) and cause them to move into a range where they can be fought with Kusaribe magic. Everything is carefully planned, from the actors (Hakaze and Hanemura playing each other's roles) to the stage hands (the members of the group who, like Yoshino and Mahiro, are executing their own portion of the plan, unnoticed, in the aftermath of the confusion). Like any dramatic performance, the plan requires seamless cooperation and counts on everyone to perform their roles to the best of their ability. Secondly, there's the irony in the fact that this is a play, an animated narrative orchestrated by Bones and Shirodaira to purposely reflect this style. Not a single detail is mundane here, not the soaring music, not the facial expressions and body language, not the dialogue or the seiyuu work. Every bit of work that went into each minute of this series is just as much a part of the dramatic result as the writing itself.

My apprehension as to whether or not Bones will drive itself into a corner at the last moment isn't completely gone, but it has been appeased somewhat with this episode. All the right chords seem to have been struck; everyone is facing their last reservations and fears, gathering the resolve needed to go into battle, and addressing the issues of what they can look forward to if they manage to pull it off. Hanemura brings Yuki-chan up again by asking Mahiro to deliver a letter to her if he dies, whereas Mahiro tells him it's pointless, since if he dies the world goes down with him. Mahiro himself swears to climb to a position where he can affect the world once the Tree is defeated, and Yoshino addresses his resolve to stop being a bystander in the decisions his friends and loved ones make. Hakaze comes to terms with her love for Yoshino and her fears that he's putting himself in danger by coming along, something she seems to have had reason to fear. With everyone prepared to fight to the last, the plan is set in motion, and there's only one week left before the curtain closes on this gem of an anime for good.