Episode 21 of GARO: The Animation, titled “Knights,” is currently streaming on FUNimation for premium members. Free members can watch the same episode seven days from now on March 13th.
This is a long-awaited battle between Herman and Leon, respectively, father and son. Herman wants Leon and Alfonso to stop their search for Mendoza, but Leon wants answers as to why Mendoza is still alive in the first place.
It was a bomb that Herman dropped, being ordered to help Mendoza, when Leon regained the Golden Armor.
Herman responds to Leon by saying that he is simply helping Mendoza because the Watchdog Center ordered him to. It reminds me of the first live-action series where Garm was revealed as one of the story’s antagonists. This confrontation gives me equal suspicion that this incarnation of Garm is planning to do the same thing.
Octavia has my attention the most because of her actions in the previous episode. I will go as far to say that Octavia has conviction in her ideals. I recently got done with watching the entire third season to House of Cards and I cannot resist comparing Octavia to Douglas Stamper.
Stamper’s undying loyalty to Frank drove him to finally kill Rachel in the last episode, when he initially gave her mercy to fade into obscurity. He did Frank’s dirty work in House of Cards and Octavia is doing Mendoza’s dirty work in GARO: The Animation.
I can assume that Mendoza treats Octavia as if she was his own daughter.
It shouldn’t take away from the main plot of the episode, the clash between Leon and Herman. This is a brutal fight between the two as Herman is following orders and Leon fighting for his ideals.
The battle ends as Garm stops them to reveal the big plan, sacrifice everybody in Valiente in order to draw out the most powerful Horror and kill it. It is obvious that Leon, Alfonso, and Ema do not agree with the idea.
Alfonso, not surprisingly, is the first to speak out. I understand because he is the crown prince of Valiente and it is his duty to protect the people. He wouldn’t be doing his job if he allowed Garm to proceed with Mendoza’s plans.
It brings up the moral question on sacrificing a few for the greater good.
This reminds me of the previous episode of Parasyte when Hirokawa, a human working with a cabal of Parasites, justifies the Parasites’ existence by saying they cull the human race in order to protect nature.
Herman talks about that this plan is important because there are not many Makai Knights or Makai Alchemists left. Mendoza’s grand plan is to greatly reduce the number of Horrors, but requires Valiente to be sacrificed in the process.
I can compare this to The Last Of Us, when Ellie’s blood contained the cure. Joel chooses to save Ellie instead of killing her and using her blood to come up with a cure. This battle is ultimately a fight for ideals.
This is a deep episode when I look beyond the fighting.
I knew Mendoza had a trick up his sleeve and his brief scene with Herman is an example. It was a pretty intense episode of GARO: The Animation.
