This week BEM is obviously not the best episode of the series considering the weird villain design continuous to be distracting. But the core notion of the anime is finally coming to the surface and let’s hope the series saves the best for last.
We finally have a villain that is supported by a serious backstory. Although the description is brief and rush, at least we know what makes him a villain (unlike the Lightening villain from the previous episode). Originally a shy street cleaner, who had a cleanliness fetish, the Sweeper is driven by a weird sense of mission to clean all the trash from the world.
His childhood was undoubtedly tragic as a young kid living with a negligence mother and her abusive lover. He tried to relieve his stress by the act of cleaning. But one day, the depression drove him insane and he realized that “cleaning” up her mother was the only way to make him feel good again.
His twisted mind turns his blood thrust to the entire human race, which he considers as disposable trash. He asked Dr. Recycle to transform him into a vacuum cleaner, so that he could make the world better without trash (human).
His thoughts may not be entirely wrong when humans is known to hold responsibility for the extinction of other species. But it doesn’t change the fact that he is a selfish villain who murder others for his own benefits.
His existence does pose a contrasting side on the “Monsters wishing to achieve humanity” dilemma faced by the Monster Trio as he voluntarily gives up his humanity in order to achieve (what he calls) a “greater good”. It is undoubtedly a slap on the face for BEM, BELA and BELO, who wish so hard to become an actual human. Human is imperfect and flawed. Why do they insist to be human when they already act like one better than the actual human? The portrayal of BEM’s real thoughts is still missing in the anime, although the audience is all ready to hear his side of the story.
The identity of the mysterious lady finally surface out following the revelation of an “unseen council”, which seems to have the authority to control the police department and the entire city. The unusual persistence of capturing the humanoid monster attributed to her special affinity on BEM. And the reason behind is undoubtedly intriguing.
The appearance of Felt, who becomes the commander for the mission to capture BEM, undoubtedly bring excitement to the show. He brings along some new weapons during the capture, even though they are not really effective on BEM. His true identity of working under the “unseen council” certainly adds sophistication to the story. Also, the term “YOUKAI-NINGEN” (humanoid monster), that the police used to label the Monster Trio, certainly brings back the memory of the original anime in the 60s.
A mysterious man keeps appearing in the murder scene. It looks like it is a disguise of Dr. Recycle. Whether it works as a battle suit or not is still unknown at this point. But his disguise is obviously better looking than his true form.
The anime’s BGM continuously to be a highlight of the series and it successfully create a unique thrilling vibe. Unfortunately it can’t really compensate for the poor monster design and loose storytelling. But as the story is entering its peak, let’s hope that it is able to showcase its true potential.