ZETMAN - Episode 8

R.I.P. Kanzaki Gorō

Toss aside all the extra fighting, add in a couple of plots twists, and ZETMAN becomes an interesting anime once again. In the last episode, I had complained about the lack of substance in terms of the story, citing that the excess in battle scenes took away the opportunity for the plot to progress at a good pace. Amusingly enough, this episode gave me exactly what I had wanted, especially with the events near the end and the ominous, cliffhanger scene before the ED.

In terms of the characters, I've got to say that I'm surprised by the fact that Jin and Kōga still haven't got into a heated argument yet over their goals/ideals/motives/etc. Seeing as how different their personalities are, one would think that the two would have already gone their separate ways by now. Secondly, the love triangle involving Jin, Hanako, and Konoha took a turn for the worse (for Jin x Konoha supporters) as it seems like Jin actually cares quite a bit for Hanako. However, I believe that he's only looking after her due to pity, since he knows that she is having trouble with her parents; the fact that Jin had to suffer living life without parents is probably what's motivating him to protect her from the same fate. Lastly, joining Seiji in the list of suspicious individuals is Hayami of the Amagi Coporation. I'm curious about his true intention for making the ALPHAS suit since it's revealed that he kept it a secret from the higher-ups. Whether or not he's really supporting Kōga's wish to become a hero of justice is the question.

Moving on to the climax of the episode, the moment I saw the mechanical legs inside the room where Jin's "grandfather" was supposed to be, I knew that things would go downhill straight from there. It's really sickening if you think about it—how one human being can even think of doing, let alone actually doing, this kind of thing. Preserving a deceased person's head (and brain) so that you can selfishly benefit from it is truly disgusting. I'm surprised that Jin didn't snap right then and there and kill Kōga's grandfather. It must have took a great amount of effort for him to restrain himself from doing so. The severity of this inhumane act was highlighted further when even Kōga criticized his grandfather's actions. In the end, at least Jin was able to let the old man rest in peace.

With Jin's red pendant (currently in Konoha's possession) being of some sort of importance/value, danger looks to befall poor Konoha. It's probably like the third time I've said this, but maybe this will be the event that causes Jin and Kōga to put an end to their friendship (assuming Konoha ends up getting injured because of the pendant). In the preview, I'm almost certain that the Jin that's in Konoha's room is a fake—more specifically, a clone created by Seiji and co. The question now is: Will Jin and Kōga make it in time to save Konoha?