Aight. Now that Van and Allen got their little spat out of the way, it’s time for them to confront the true antagonists of the series: Zaibach!
…Or it should be if what happened at the very tail end of last week’s episode came true. Instead, we’re reintroduced to catgirl Merle (who was last seen at the end of Episode 2 yelling her signature line), then Hitomi gets stricken with fever for the first half. Another nice, slow, burn is to be had here. Why? It leads to some great moments with not just the aforementioned ladies, but also Van and Allen. While Merle can be unsurprisingly considered annoying, take note of how Van reacts when she’s brought in by Allen’s men. The moment when Merle tells him the fate of Fanelia, he holds her tightly and with sadness. At the very end of her story, he reveals his gratitude how she is alright. This is a nice tell on how her character may not be as annoying as thought. Through Van treating her seriously and with kindness, the series tells us to do the same as well.
