ZETMAN - Episode 10

Fatality!

As of now, I think it's very hard not to feel sorry for Kōga. Although he may be stubborn and immature at times, the bottom line is that his intentions are pure and that he truly believes that he can bring justice to the world. It's unfortunate how he's played like a fool by Jirō. And because of these frequent "tests", there's almost no doubt in my mind that there'll come a time when Kōga will be transformed into a cold, heartless, and selfish individual who cares only about himself. But in terms of what's currently happening, I find it utterly painful to watch the physical, mental, and emotional suffering that Kōga is going through.

While the reason why Kōga is being targeted by Jirō is not stated, I think it's similar to why Seiji is toying with Jin; the two men of EVOL are interested in (probably) their two strongest opponents. It's been a while since I've seen such disturbing but, at the same time, interesting characters. And while the protagonists are struggling to keep the people in the city from being massacred by regressing Players, EVOL (more specifically, Seiji and co.) begins to make their move. To me, this felt like the climax of the series; the typical, shōnen "all hope seems lost" episode. Right now, the odds are definitely against Jin and especially Kōga (Hayami is confirmed to be a backstabber). While I'm pretty sure they're going to somehow find a way to come out on top, it'll be interesting to see how they do so, considering their current predicament.

With the anime nearing its end, the main message I got from it so far is that even the smallest choices you make in life can have major effects. In this episode alone, Kōga experienced this quite a few times, while I think Jin's decision of leaving Hanako by herself will turn out to be a costly mistake. As for the next episode, I highly doubt Kōga will make it out of the "test" with any of the girls alive. To make it worse, his disappointment and anger when he finds out Konoha's not there will definitely be off the charts. After watching this episode, I'm really looking forward to seeing the next one.