Juni Taisen (Zodiac War): Season 1/ Episode 7 “In Like a Dragon, Out Like a Snake (Part 1)” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

The twins become the focus and honestly, you are left seriously wondering why they deserve to be in the Juni Taisen.

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Previous Recap: Episode 6 “Even A Champion Racehorse May Stumble”

Network

Crunchyroll

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Flashback: Takeyasu, Nagayuki

From what we see, the twin brothers don’t have some illustrious life before joining the Juni Taisen. At best, they were thieves. Though not even master thieves but two brothers who stole for fun and didn’t seem to even care much about what exactly they stole. They just knew it should be worth a lot.

Back To Life: Usagi, Tora, Ushii

With Sharyu dead now, she becomes part of Usagi’s collection. Which seemingly is going to be the goal of Usagi, to collect all the members of this year’s Juni Taisen one by one. Though, when Sharyu brings him Uuma, it doesn’t seem he immediately makes him into a zombie. So many he is a bit more selective than he appears. Either way, while Usagi takes another jewel Tora runs into Takeyasu’s corpse. This leads to a quick spare in which she takes his arm and his gasoline tank. Something Tora drinks as if it is simply alcohol.

Not too long later Ushii shows up, cuts off the other arm and then Tora seems ready to face him. Not even necessarily to win the Juni Taisen but because they have beef. It isn’t made clear why though for no sooner then Tora is in position to quickly rip off a limb do Takeyasu’s arms put both in head locks. Of which, with no body to stab or hit, much less it having no feeling anyway, neither can get free.

Well, until Ushii comes up with an idea. You see, Tora is foaming at the mouth and with all the fuel and alcohol she has drank, this fuel is assumed easily ignited. So, with that in mind, Ushii makes a deal with Tora to face her one on one if he works with her. Something she agrees to so Ushii throws his sword to ignite the slobber of Tora. Thus setting Takeyasu’s arm, and Tora, on fire and us seeing Takeyasu’s body withe in pain.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. How does Usagi turn bodies into zombies? We don’t see him do incantations or anything.
2. Why did Usagi change from a suit to heels and, whatever else you would call his outfit.
3. Why is Nagayuki completely unaffected by what has happened to Takeyasu and seemingly is amused by how Usagi uses his corpse?

Criticism

Why Were The Twins Even Considered For This?

Okay, it has been established families choose who go into the Juni Taisen regardless of age and gender. However, thus far, it did seem you had to have some prestige. That you had some sort of clout before you entered the tournament. With the twins however, that did not exist.

Which, as a viewer, really sucks because watching them be petty thieves, without agenda, including knowing how much the stuff is worth that they steal was infuriating. And you may wonder, “Why ‘Infuriating’ it isn’t that serious.” True, it isn’t. However, there is this weird hold Juni Taisen has. One in which, despite how mediocre it is getting, it makes sure to never get so bad you just say “Screw it! I’m dropping this.”

But you wanna know what’s funny? I can’t even think of a highlight or something to be on the fence about anymore. The battles are usually over within a couple of hits and the ones which last longer, there is no back and forth. We just see one side defending or fleeing.

So don’t ask me why I’m not dropping this or even tempted to at the present time. But something inside me knows that if this was any other show and this show was farther into the week, it wouldn’t get the leniency it currently does. So fingers crossed here is hoping it is worth it in the end.

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