Jormungand - 4

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Her name is Koko and she is indeed loco, but before we get to that specific point lets review this rather rich episode filled with character development, new antagonists and of course more blood 'n' guns.

Last episode we got to see 2 similar relationships develop, both based on the education of children and some people might have been wondering what is the truth behind Chinatsu and Master's relationship, and the answer is: a variation of Stockholm Syndrome, the first original input into the story done by White Fox and if I'm being honest not a great one but when considering the alternatives I think any of them would seem generic (whether he found her and raised her, whether they met as enemies etc.). Not to fear, the episode then swiftly moves onto to show a different perspective from the previous, this time it was the children's turn to lead the adults. Since the previous episode was all about Jonah and Chinatsu's education, this episode showed them to be in charge of their perspective masters and showed that even children should be listened to once in a while; this point was amplified during the final minutes of the rather short showdown when Jonah grabs Koko and protects her and when Chinatsu is telling her Master not to go out otherwise it will end badly for him.

The fight itself ended quickly and cleanly in the style Jormungand has adapted which tends to focus less on the physical aspect of armed battles but rather the strategic and psychological and with it's ending brought about a long term antagonist in the form of a CIA agent called scarecrow. It was at this point I was reminded of the similar scenario of Lord of War sans the black and white perspective of evil; Scarecrow isn't a character your going to like, but a character your going to enjoy being beaten in a game of wits by Koko and the scene right after the fight where Koko get's away scot-free leaving Scarecrow enraged was just proof of that and another reminder from Lord of War that rubbing shoulders with enemies of your enemies allows you to have certain leeway when your an arms dealer.

The rest of the episode was what made this episode another stepping stone to more thought provoking episodes in the future by exploring Koko's character and making us wonder who she really is. The punch she received from Scarecrow did make her seem like a hardened individual but then a moments display of weakness when she exited the building is enough to make you wonder if it's all part of her psychological tactics and then straight after that, her time spent with Jonah makes us confused yet again as to what type of character she really is. Koko's views and display of current affairs knowledge are nothing less than morally ambiguous contributions to her character as she claims that the modern day saints all carry assault rifles but then goes on to discuss the UN's 2015 Millennium Development goals focusing yet again on child safety and education, something we can at least assume she feels very strongly about since we saw her telling Jonah about the importance of his education and the fact that she's even taken Jonah into her personal guard can be seen as not self-serving action but rather her attempt to save a child soldier from a life filled with excessive violence. Her monologue was yet another teaching experience for Jonah, one which this time round was in an attempt for her to share her thoughts and allow him to think for himself.

Koko even displayed some ideological hopes, wishing that none of her members would die, met by a response with an aura of childish innocence by Jonah who tells her to stop "looking into an assasins barrel." At this point one could almost believe that Koko truly doesn't like her job as an arms dealer and is only doing so for some other unknown reasons like her father's influence, he was mentioned again, nevertheless Koko's character is thrown back into the dark with the final scene. Her conversation with Chinatsu left the impression that yet again she isn't all sunshine and rainbows, mainly because she was called a crazy bitch and just as Chinatsu was dying shown to be a monster. The final moments of the episode did also allow for Lehm to impart more knowledge onto Lutz, being the senior member that he is, regarding the classic case of "Kill or Be Killed," nice in it's own way since the other characters didn't really play a significant role in the episode besides Lutz, who was responsible for a murder and with Jonah in the background of the final seconds, witnessing Koko's nonchalant demeanour as she relays information and talks about offering sniping lessons to this country's army and that she's taken care of Orchestra, moments after Chinatsu was taken down ends this episode on the highest note of moral ambiguity making me wonder how Jonah, who was told by Koko to essentially think for himself, will perceive Koko's actions.

Solid display from Jormungand, an A+ for this episode which dealt with character development and moral ambiguity which we all love (presumably) and next episode looks to a good one with a change of scene and the introduction of a certain sibling.