Shingeki no Bahamut (Rage of Bahamut) – Virgin Soul: Season 1/ Episode 20 “From Heaven to Hell” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

What nearly ends in a bunch of simple goodbyes leads to one completely unexpected. Thus shaking up the possibilities of how this anime may end.

He Wanted Me Dead?: Nina, Favaro, El (Mugaro)

Nina and the hired demon, actually dragon, face off and naturally, Nina loses to the veteran. However, between Favaro getting pissed off when he hears Charioce ordered the kill and El showing up leads to Nina being saved. Well, at least in the physical sense. Mentally and emotionally she is devastated and sort of withers into herself. Yet, whenever one of her friends come about, she pretends everything is okay. Something Favaro spots through spying.

Commentary

It’s a bit sad when you realize that Nina doesn’t feel comfortable sharing her pain with anyone she associates with. She had done so much for them, either physically or to help with their plans, but when she probably needs the community she has built most of all, she closes herself off. But I guess she sees herself as the optimist, the smiling face everyone comes to and doesn’t want that tainted.

Though imagine the devastation of your first love, the person whose love helped you grow as a person, not only breaking up with you but then supposedly asking for you to be killed. It really does turn the idea of someone calling you their weakness from something cute to say to almost a threat.

Preparations Are Complete: Charioce

It is time. Preparations are finished and Charioce is ready to head off to Eibos and break the rift open. Which, with being told the Red Dragon is no more, means no distraction from this task. A task the head of the Onyx Knights tells Kaisar is inevitable and can’t be stopped.

Commentary

You know, really thinking about it, I wonder why the noble class goes along with Charioce’s plan to face the gods. The poor I can understand since, what have the gods done for them? Demons would come after them before the noble class and what blessings have they bestowed the common man?

With the noble class though, surely there has to be some, who aren’t full of themselves, who see the gods as means for their blessings right? Making the fact we haven’t seen or heard any assassination attempt, outside of Azazel’s rebellion, interesting. Truly, is the idea of mankind being at the top of the food chain such a temptation that damnation is fine?

Come to think of it, how does religion work in Anatae? With all of the ladies referred to as Gods, are the people polytheistic? Also, as questioned before, how are demons seen? Are they still fallen angels or something outside of our Judeo-Christian beliefs?

An Unexpected Goodbye: Alessand, El (Mugaro), Nina, Azazel, Jeanne, Sofiel, Kaisar

After Nina’s fight is over, there is a push for El to return to the heavens. Of course, alongside that is the question of how Lady Sofiel, much less Jeanne, maybe punished by Gabriel, but that seemingly will be worried about later. Right now the worry is for El to be in the safest place possible. Something that he, of course, pushes back on, but then Bacchus going off on him humbles the child.

With that, he says his goodbyes. Of which his goodbye to Azazel, his first father figure, and dear friend, is touching. Even worth getting teary eyed over. But not too long after that goodbye, Alessand presents his goodbye – in the form of death. For with knowing El is a holy child, and with him wanting the glory of being an Onyx Knight, more so part of any prestigious organization, he stabs El and leaves him for dead. Scurrying away like a rat after the deed is done.

Commentary

Does it make me a terrible person to love when main characters get killed? Especially in one season shows, anime in particular, since you know it isn’t purely for shock value. If anything, it is for the benefit of the story. Because, at least in my mind, things have been going a bit too well for everyone. Yes, Nina got her heart broken, but once more she, Kaisar, and Favaro dodged what should have been a death sentence.

Making Alessand’s decision a bit of a shock in one way, but in others quite fitting. After all, after Kaisar’s treason, Alessand may still have kept his title but lost his own personal prestige. Something he has been drinking the sorrows away from for quite some time. So how else can a man of such insecurities and desires for greatness prove himself? How else can this show up the ante and show how the selfishness of human beings will not lead to salvation but damnation? Isn’t that what Lady Gabriel, or Sofiel, warned Charioce about?

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. You ever wonder if maybe Nina’s dad, who I believe was a noted laborer, might have actually been like the guy who was hired to kill her?