Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka Episode Eleven: The Magical Girls and This Beautiful World

The Magical Girls and This Beautiful World

First Aired: March 23rd, 2019

Synopsis: Kurumi is fighting Chisato, who is easily winning their fight. Although Kurumi reveals that she's learned jiu jitsu, it's not enough, and Chisato soon has her pinned. Being beaten so easily triggers traumatic memories of being bullied, which gives Kurumi a second wind, and she injects Chisato with one of her syringes. Meanwhile, Asuka is fighting Geiss, and finds that she can't injure him because of his armour. He launches an attack that seemingly has Asuka pinned underneath a bit of rubble, but it turns out that Asuka only lost an arm. She's realised that he's powered by liquid magic and that if she can find where it is, she can sever his supply which will stop him. For his part, Geiss admits that he admires Asuka, and that back in his village he was hopeful for magical girls to save them. Asuka agrees that the world can be horrible but that it's not all bad and that there are things worth fighting for. Sacchuu reveals that he's worked out where Geiss' liquid magic is. Asuka cuts it, but he's still able to keep going.

Suddenly an army officer shows up with Pobur's hatchet, which Asuka uses to cut Geiss open, revealing his true form inside. Kurumi shows up with the weakened Chisato, and while she reattaches Asuka's arm, Geiss admits to Chisato that the Babel Brigade caused the car accident that made her lose her leg since they sensed great magical potential in her. He then dies, and Chisato starts laughing insanely. Meanwhile, Tamara saves Mia, Sayako, and Nozomi from the disas that had surrounded them. Unbeknownst to them, Babel Brigade got what they wanted from the fight - Tabira's weapon. In the aftermath, the army start work on repairing the gate so that Tabira can return home. The magical girls leave each other, but agree that they want to be friends off the battlefield.

Miscellaneous Notes:

• Chisato reveals that (paraphrasing), "I'm called Whiplash, but it's not because of my whip - it's because of the impact my kicks have!" I mean, sure, that works, but in attempting to be a subversive name it kind of ends up getting played straight anyway.

Review: I've said it before about this show, and I'll say it again: for every step forwards it takes, it then proceeds to take two steps back. There's nothing really horrible in here, but it feels like none of it is really getting off the ground and gaining momentum. Probably the best thing about this episode - and by extension, the show - are the fights, because the boring plot can kind of just stop for a while, but even they're not perfect. Both Kurumi and Asuka's fights have the characters being seemingly unable to beat their foe, but wait, now something happened and I suddenly can win! It's a very shonen way of writing, which is surprising given how dark and mature this series wants to be. Even Asuka losing an arm doesn't have anywhere near the impact it should, because we know that Kurumi will reattach it. Surprise surprise, that's exactly what happens.

Putting aside the fights, this series has well worn out my interest by now. Even if this wasn't the penultimate episode, and therefore unlikely to wrap up everything in the final one, I don't care about the gate having to be rebuilt, and I don't care about Sayako or Nozomi. I don't even think I really care about Tamara and Mia, because they don't really stand out. Given they're magical girls, that's a gigantic failure on the writers' part. I also don't care about the Babel Brigade succeeding in their plan - they're so vague and mysterious that I'm fairly sure the writers (or, well, the writer of the manga) doesn't actually know where they're going with them.

Still, like I said, it does take some steps forwards. Geiss' backstory has been the sort of darkness that the show wants to have, and I did like his talk about how he expected magical girls to save his village, as well as Asuka agreeing that the world can be kinda shitty, but also saying that there's stuff worth fighting for. The reveal that the Babel Brigade was responsible for Chisato losing a leg was also good, and while I don't know whether it'll be followed through, I'd love to see her either become a recurring villain or a hero seeking redemption.

All that being said though - Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, if your final episode doesn't absolutely blow my mind, I'll be skipping your second season if you get one.