For those who are concerned about the whereabouts of Hank may be disappointed on this episode of “To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts” (かつて神だった獣たちへ). Hank still goes MIA and Schaal takes the center stage of the storyline.
Actually, I have developed a growing affinity on Schaal. At the beginning, she was the innocent young girl that annoys me for constantly condemning Hank murder his father. But in this episode, she has changed and finally understands the melancholy torn Hank apart every time he kills the Incarnate.
The turning point comes when Shaal returns to her village 6 months after the White Church Incident. Schaal luckily survives the gunshot as the dress that Elizabeth (the Spider Incarnate) made her wear seemed to be bullet-proof.
Whether Elizabeth was trying to protect her or she was only following the orders from Cain is still unknown. Since Cain don’t really give a damn about killing a bunch of innocence, the former notion seems to be correct. But why would Elizabeth do that? Maybe her humanity is still there and she just try to protect the only daughter of her former comrade. Lucky for Schaal, but we all know that the heroine will not die so easily.
Anyway as Schaal got separated from Hank, she went back to her hometown, where she met her dead father again. Although it is explained that there are some Incarnates with an incredible amount of life force, I still feel weird about the development. If the Incarnates can just rise from the grave for no reasons, it really changes the game rules here…I mean the dead should stay dead or there would be endless fight in this world.
But his resurrection gives Schaal a second chance to say goodbye and she finally understands the obligation Hank holds. The old memories reminded Schaal that her father joined the war to protect the others. It would be going against this noble cause if his father transformed into an insane Incarnate.
The scene where Schaal keeps pulling the trigger to stop her father is extremely emotional and it is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the whole season. I still recall the reluctance of Schaal in the Gargoyle Incarnate episode. Even though her life was in danger, she still couldn’t pull the trigger. But finally in this episode, she does it, not for herself, but for her father. Her great mental strength surprises me and she is no longer the little girl that we know.
As Schaal figures out that the only salvation of the Incarnates is their burial, she becomes extremely worried about Hank and she starts her Hank searching/ saving journey. I give her all my blessing even though deep down I know that no good end will come on Hank. I hope Schaal could turn things around.
It seems that Schaal going solo will continue in the next episode, but I hope it won’t be long. I already miss her interaction between with Hank and someone has to put a stop on Cain’s madness. He has build a kingdom of his own, opening the curtain of a great war in the near future. It well explained why Cain has to divert Hank by all means, considering that he is the only one who could stop him.
So far, I enjoy the series a lot, even with the little comedy that Liza teases Claude. I guess it helps to lighten the mood here. I seriously pray for Hank’s return and can’t wait to see how Schaal deals with the next Incarnate.
