Warning: This review may contain some spoilers
In This Episode
Ozen and her disciple, Marluk, greeted Reg and Riko who arrived at the Seeker’s Camp. But when night fell, it was no refuge and haven for Riko. The night revealed a bizarre creature lurking in the Seeker’s Camp. Yet still, Ozen herself seemed to hold secrets on the nature of the Abyss, as well as on Lyza. Will those secrets overwhelm Riko’s heart?
Much Ado about Seeker’s Camp
There is a lot going on in episode six. From the mysterious monster, Lyza’s alleged death, Ozen’s true intention, to the mysterious mirror-like object at the end of the episode. Oh, and whether Marluk is a girl if you will. True, this episode is much shrouded in mysteries that it seems too much to swallow, at least at first. But, as it turns out, it isn’t necessarily so. Some mysteries were laid out nicely. It shows just enough information to keep us piqued, without actually flooding with exposition. A glimpse, not even a scene, just enough to keep us speculating on our own. That is, save for Ozen, who has been shown to be quite enigmatic and mysterious throughout the episode. Otherwise, the episode does not burden us too much with mysteries that end up confusing. If only for that, I’d give this episode a double green light. However, there is also a glaring downside because of that: its lack of focus.
But, first, I must yet praise its smooth, coherent world-building exposition. It never falls out of place or forced. We begin to know how the Seeker’s Camp is constructed as Marluk takes Reg and Riko to walk around. It’s nice not only because it is smooth, but it is also embedded in both Riko and Reg’s characters. Watch Reg’s cool-headed and collected demeanor when he listened to Marluk. He even mused to himself, reflecting what Marluk has just said. Meanwhile, the curious Riko is unusually unconcerned and instead troubled herself with her body odor. She might be a young cave rider, but she’s a girl, after all. So, indeed she’s in distress when Ozen remarked on her barf-stink clothes.
The downside part, unfortunately, is its lack of focus. The many secrets and mysteries that need some payoffs make episode six feels too scattered. Not overwhelming, but unfocused. Too undefined, so to speak. It is hard to tell exactly what this episode is about. I’m not saying the mysteries do not pique interest because they do. It’s just that, with the lack of a defined point of conflict, these mysteries lack their supposedly emotional impact, like they’re mere bait for curiosity. Just to be fair, though, there are some important potential payoffs to these mysteries. Most notably, Riko’s shaken determination after hearing Ozen saying that her mother is already dead all along.
All and all, I do think that this episode is, so far, a piece of stone in the shoes for Abyss. How they will turn out, depend on the payoffs in later episodes.
The Indonesian Anime Times | by Paksi Pradipta
