Garo – Vanishing Line: Season 1/ Episode 20 “Utopia” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Sword and Sophie seemingly will only be in El Dorado for just this episode, but what happens seems to be part of the show’s redemption mission. Network Crunchyroll Director(s) Park Sunghoo Writer(s) Yoshimura Kiyoko Air Date 3/2/2018 You Are Not My Sister: Sword, Lizzy Sword identified his sister’s scorched body so he isn’t down for…
Sword and Sophie seemingly will only be in El Dorado for just this episode, but what happens seems to be part of the show’s redemption mission.
| Network | |
| Crunchyroll | |
| Director(s) | Park Sunghoo |
| Writer(s) | Yoshimura Kiyoko |
| Air Date | 3/2/2018 |
You Are Not My Sister: Sword, Lizzy
Sword identified his sister’s scorched body so he isn’t down for this El Dorado BS what so ever. However, despite knowing this is a virtual world, he can believe that the Elizabeth Ragnvald in front of him is the soul of his sister. Because, despite how Horrors have tricked people for eons, why not? But, for all intents and purposes, it seems true. She explains all that happened before her death, from this horror being invested in the research her school was doing, in terms of brain functions connecting to a digital world, alongside Makai Knights discovering it and a big battle breaking out. One which led to the facility being destroyed, and the King Horror going from his Eldo Net project to beginning the El Dorado project.
Of which he has used Martin for nearly three years to develop.
Commentary
What are the chances of the Makai Knights destroying the school and it not being the horrors? I know that, generally speaking, they don’t kill humans but with the dangerous knowledge all those humans had, and maybe there being multiple people possessed by horrors, who is to say they didn’t make a sacrifice? After all, it isn’t like they report to some governing body who could pull funding or hunt them down. Thus far, we haven’t even really seen much of government forces being involved in their activities.
So, who is to say to prevent the next Eldo Net, now El Dorado, a massive amount of horrors were killed and some human sacrifices, just to handle the situation quickly as possible?
You Are Not My Brother: Martin, Sophie
From what it appears, Sophie is dealing with the real Martin. The issue is, this Martin is naïve as hell. Though, considering he thinks it has only been 6 months, rather than 3 years, since he saw his little sister, can you blame him? Plus, with GarEden saying they’d send a social worker to help with Sophie and surely more guarantees they didn’t fulfill, he probably thought they were legit.
I mean, based off what Lizzy said, they did pluck him from the ghetto and we saw how excited people were to go from the ghetto and cross that bridge into some form of a utopia. However, while Sophie is gleeful about her brother being alive, at first, as it becomes clear he is the often mentioned “King” and we see his secretary Queen, she realizes what was her brother is no more. At least, in terms of what his future can hold.
Commentary
So, Martin being the King has been predicted since the beginning and now it is confirmed. Alongside that, we saw the ring which controls all Horrors. Yet, it still isn’t clear where the hell horrors come from. Also, now I’m wondering if the king was involved in Martin and Sophie’s parents dying? Much less, how close of an eye did they put on Sophie after they got Martin? Considering what an asset she was, it almost seems strange they didn’t put her with a horror who knew how to control their appetite. If not Queen masquerading as some sort of maternal figure.
But there also is the question of how did Martin get discovered and why did he make the deal with the king? For Horrors do have to make an agreement with their hosts right? The King is clearly in Martin’s shadow so I want to assume, be it by blood or ink, there is a contract on the table. So can this all be justified in Martin wanting a better life for Sophie and, if that is the reason, you have to question how Sophie may handle that information than more than 10,000 people died, or are on the brink of death, because of her?
The Final Solution: Sword, Martin, Lizzy, Queen, Sophie, Gina, Luke
With both Sword and Sophie establishing their relationships with their siblings, so comes Sword trying to save Sophie with the help of Lizzy and interference from Queen. Who, apparently, has never shown her true form to Martin, so he is a little shocked. Yet, somehow, perhaps with her knowing the base code El Dorado is made from, Lizzy is able to eject Martin, Sword, and Sophie from El Dorado and return them to the real world.
A place where Gina has shown up and Luke was assisted in getting him back to base camp. Of which they are leaving to get Sophie who pretty much is ready and willing to kill her brother. She has her little 13-year-old hands on his neck and everything. But, even with Martin seeing rows of people dead because of him, let us not forget there are 4 horrors, Queen, Bishop, Christopher, and King, far more powerful than Sophie who will likely make sure she doesn’t kill Martin.
Leaving us to wonder, with it being clear that you can’t remove a human and horror connection, and pretty much they have to die, will this be goodbye?
Commentary
I want to say the show is getting better, but considering the road we have been on all this time, is getting better even close to breaking even? The bar has been pushed so low that actually creating a sense of urgency, having naïve Martin be the king of Horrors, and things of that nature, does this mean the show has gotten good or now it seems like it is actually trying? And mind you, I don’t say this in terms of saying the animation is bad, why did they make this crap or anything like that. More so, it is the idea that we really got strung along all this time with random side stories with people we’ll never see again, and now they are actually trying to build up a compelling story?
As said one or two episodes back, I’m still watching, recapping/ reviewing just because we have gotten this far and it seems too late to abandon it now. In terms of real, genuine interest, that left around episode 16 or earlier. This is just finishing what I started at this point.
Highlights
- Martin is confirmed as King, and seemingly knows not a damn thing about Horrors what so ever.
- The show seemingly will try to make up for all the filler with a thrilling last few episodes.
Low Points
- Queen and Sword have another uninspiring battle, and Luke still seems like the least useful person on the team.
On The Fence
- The backstory of how El Dorado came to be was nice to know, but also not made to be that interesting of a story. Unlike how Gar Eden came to be as a company.
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