Shuumatsu no Izetta (Izetta: The Last Witch): Season 1/ Episode 2 "Scars and Gunfire" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

Alongside seeing the extent of Izette’s powers, we are reminded not only how much she is loved by the people but how dire their circumstances are.

Main Plot (with Commentary)

Topic 1: Blood Magic (Izetta and Finé)

With more than 3 fighter planes on their tail, Izetta realizes skillful flying won’t be enough. So we learn one of her particular talents is blood magic. Something she can only use in limited supply for, not that she is limited by how much blood she has, but it seems her magic is slightly finite. However, it is enough to destroy a few fighter planes and get her and Princess Finé to safety.

{Commentary}

One of my main worries in the first episode was that Izetta may be overpowered and thus be too grand of a character. Thankfully, this episode showed that while she may be one of the greatest and lasts of the witches, her training is incomplete. On top of that, arguably her source of magic is finite. But with that comes the question of what kind of witch is she? Does she draw her powers from nature, as it seemed she did as a child? Is it from her own life force or maybe something else entirely? Either way, one possible issue has been solved.

Topic 2: When We Were Young (Izetta and Finé)

As we saw in the last episode, Finé protected Izetta from villagers who seemingly were hunting her. In this episode, things are a bit more fleshed out and we learn not only is Izetta the last of the witches but perhaps has a grand power not seen for generations. On top of that, we learn her caretaker is her grandmother who, as of now, hasn’t exhibited any magical talents.

But what really matters is the bond Izetta and Finé made the day they met. Izetta lived her life mostly as a nomad and between being a witch and essentially homeless, rejection came to people easily and loneliness came to Izetta like hunger. So with Finé being so kind, while wary of her at first she became grateful. Especially as Finé stood up for her and proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Izetta was her friend and isn’t some evil being as everyone assumes witches are. That is, outside the white witch Weisse Hexe.

{Commentary}

As you can imagine, the first thing that has to be asked is what happened to the rest of the witches, how many were there and, specifically, what happened to Izetta’s parents? Are witches going to be the substitute for Jews in this show? Much less, you have to wonder about this legendary witch named Weisse Hexe. Who was she, what happened to her, and being that Izetta’s grandma makes it seem there was a time witches were allowed to be more open about their identities, when was this?

Topic 3: The Future of Eylsadt

With one defeat, and one of the commanders named Obermeyer destroying the bridges to make it harder for people to get in or out, Eylsadt is on the defensive. If this city or town named Coenenberg falls, pretty much the capital is next and then the war is over.

{Commentary}

Out of love and loyalty, though against Finé’s wishes, Izetta is joining the war. But with that required her to kill. Something she seemingly isn’t freely able to do without a weight on her conscience. So it is going to be quite interesting to see her, and even Finé to a point, do battle, kill, and see how it affects them as people. For while Finé is beloved by the people, Izetta remains a witch and her powers are required to turn the tide. Powers we have only seen but a taste of and there is this subtle feeling in me that she is going to go ballistic and it is going to lead to deaths on both sides. Hopefully not leading to a generic segment in which only Finé can bring her back to a normal state, but anything is possible.

Highlights

• Guilty Conscience

There is nothing better than a show or movie which takes the idea of killing someone seriously and doesn’t have its characters just hunch it off.

On The Fence

• Unanswered Questions

In regards to the witch, I must admit there is some unease about them maybe being a Jewish substitute. For while it would make sense for the story, I feel there are somethings that are difficult to play around with when it comes to, for a lack of a better term, historical fiction.