It’s a battle on two fronts! While Okarun fights the Evil Eye, Momo figures out how to lure the worm out of hiding. Silly gags and fun action come together as the next chapter of the story unfolds. Wait, is it getting hot in here?
SPOILER WARNING for Episode 3 Rated 16+ for Sexual Violence, Smoking, Suggestive Dialogue, Suicide and Violence
Let’s Go Worm Thumping
Okarun manages to get Momo back to the surface while he and the Evil Eye face off. It’s a great fight scene that calls to mind classic superhero showdowns. Okarun uses his speed and agility to dodge and attack. The Evil Eyes uses its superior strength and dexterity to control the battlefield. It was very well animated, and the environment, in particular, really complemented the fight. The combatants zoomed around cramped narrow corridors and looming rotted architecture, making for some inventive camera angles. It was like watching a pinball machine!
The Evil Eye traps Okarun in a barrier and starts whaling on him. In the midst of his boasting, Okarun finds an opening and strikes back with some super fast calisthenics. It’s very silly watching Okarun basically jump-squat the Evil Eye into submission. It stays consistent with his trait of lacking combat, or physical training, even. He has to rely on simple, easily repeatable movements, strengthened by Turbo Granny’s power. I think the animation could have pushed the comedy a little further — maybe have Okarun go even faster or include more full body shots, so we see just how much movement is being condensed into literal seconds.
After the Evil Eye is KO’d, Okarun tries to rescue Turbo Granny from the worm’s mucus, but gets stuck too… A comedically pathetic follow up to his awesome fight. Meanwhile, Momo has set the house on fire so the fire department shows up. Her plan is to soak the ground and flush the worm up to the surface, where the sunlight will kill it. It works, and the worm vomits up the Kito family. But as the saying goes, “out of the frying pan and into the fire” or in this case, lava, as the nearby volcano erupts.
Final Thoughts
This episode was a pretty good conclusion to the Evil Eye fight and follows through on setting up the legend of the volcano. Art direction, animation, and choreography were still very well done, but there were a few moments where the pacing lagged a little. The motion was purposefully slowing down to occupy time. I was also expecting the fight between Okarun and Evil Eye to lean more into their yokai powers. It only really happened towards the end. All in all, this very much felt like a transition episode, where the story concludes one part to set up the next.
Scoreboard
Art and Animation: 3/5
- Great fight choreography
- A little stiff at times and awkward pauses
- Could have gone further
Story and Character: 4/5
- Nice moments between Momo and Okarun and Okraun and Jiji, cementing their friendships
- Clever way of defeating the giant worm
- Natural progression of raising the stakes
Sound and Presentation: 3/5
- Evil Eye’s purple and Okarun’s red complemented each other
- Very nice use of background animation
- Servicable, nothing really stood out
Occult Corner: Volcanoes
Before modern understanding of natural disasters developed, ancient peoples often credited these events to gods, or giant animals. In the case of Japan, with its Shinto roots and almost 10% of the world’s active volcanoes, a god of fire naturally emerged: Kagutsushi. While not depicted as a giant worm, Kagutsushi was believed to control fire, and embodied both the destructive and creative aspects of it.
Another deity that presides over volcanoes, specifically, is Konohanasakuya-hiime. She is often associated with Mt. Fuji, and has many shrines dedicated to her. It’s believed her happiness prevents Mt. Fuji from erupting.
Leave a Reply