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Land of the Lustrous Episode 6 Review – Quick Summary
In Land of the Lustrous episode 6, “First Battle,” Yellow Diamond lamented that though they are the oldest, all their partners have ended up captured and on the moon. Rutile tried to cheer Yellow Diamond up, then noticed something startling: Phosphophyllite (Phos) was missing! Last Rutile knew, Phos had been unable to walk, their new legs being completely unresponsive. Yet, now Phos was nowhere to be seen. Did Phos go somewhere willingly? Was Phos the victim of a new Lunarian attack? Or is this just a case of “Now what is Phos up to?”
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Land of the Lustrous Episode 6
To Phos’ credit, they trusted Yellow Diamond to even make the attempt. That counts for something! Capture from the Amazon stream.
I was surprised to learn that Yellow Diamond is actually the oldest of the gems. They are a respectable 3,597 years old. That’s… a lot.
Yellow Diamond went looking for Phos as soon as Rutile noticed them missing. I loved how everywhere Yellow Diamond ran, their hair tailed a golden nimbus. Very cool.
They found Phos standing dejected in a swamp. Why soon became obvious: Phos couldn’t walk anywhere; their legs were too fast. How fast? “So fast I can’t stop even where I want to,” Phos complained (05:19).
My favorite quote came when Yellow Diamond convinced Phos to run straight at them with the promise of stopping Phos safely. Knowing just how soft Phos was, I expected to see an explosion of green. Instead, Yellow Diamond leapt gracefully upward just as Phos arrived. Summersaulting and grabbing Phos’ belt, Yellow Diamond lightly spun them around, bringing them to a safe, soft stop.
“Give your elders a little credit,” Yellow Diamond said (05:57).
Best in Show Moment for Land of the Lustrous Episode 6
For the first time since we’ve known him, Sensei had no idea how to respond. Capture from the Amazon stream.
Setup: The Enigma That Is Phos
By this point in the series, if you ask me what are Phos’ defining characteristics, I’d say a general desire to do good that’s constantly at war with a desire to do nothing.
I don’t mean that as a slam, though it sure sounds like it, doesn’t it? At first, I did think Phos was just being lazy. But this episode proved something: Phos has zero stamina. I suspect they always have.
That hasn’t stopped Phos from making big promises, the most notable being the promise to help Cinnabar find meaningful work. So we have this character who wants to help, but can’t. Worse, everything time they try, something terrible happens. In six short episodes, Rutile has had to reassemble Phos at least twice — and the last time, in episode 5, was after Phos lost their legs and about 1/3 of their memories.
Phos really had tried hard. There’s just this… energy gap. Capture from the Amazon stream.
I chose my favorite moment this time not because it was particularly dramatic or impactful. But the moment was at once completely in character for Phos, and a complete shock to the characters around them.
Delivery: Phos Really Isn’t an Enigma At All!
With their faster legs, Phos tried to make the case for going on patrols. Phos tried to convince Yellow Diamond to take them as a partner, even though Zircon was already Yellow Diamond’s partner.
“But I’m younger and spunkier than Zircon,” Phos protested (07:25). Yellow Diamond remained unimpressed.
As Phos tried (unsuccessfully) to pick up the very lightest of the gem’s swords, Sensei just had to ask: “Why do you so wish to fight, knowing you are not suited for it?”
Yellow Diamond and Rutile listened with little interest, more amused that Phos could barely even lift the sword.
“That’s simple,” Phos said (08:40). “I want to help because you have a special place in my heart, Sensei.”
The question seemed to confuse Phos. It was like asking them what was the color of the sky. Wasn’t it obvious? Capture from the Amazon stream.
This is one of those times where I was able to share a reaction with the other characters. Phos’ casual statement was so beautiful that it took my breath away. And I wasn’t alone: Yellow Diamond and Rutile were shocked into silence, too.
But that was nothing compared to Sensei’s open-mouthed stare. It was as if he could not believe his ears. It looked he couldn’t believe that Phos was capable of such casual, profound statement. Yet, Phos was utterly serious.
This show amazes me. It’s astonishingly effective at crafting beautiful, touching character moments. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to review it!
What did you think of Amethysts? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!
Land of the Lustrous Episode 6: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: [Spoilers] Houseki no Kuni – Episode 6 discussion
- A Piece of Anime: Land of the Lustrous Episode 6 Review
- Mori Mole’s Star Wars and other Geek Stuff: Land of the Lustrous episode 6 recap and review — We’re useful! We’re not useful!
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 1 Review: Phosphophyllite
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 2 Review: Diamond
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 3 Review: Metamorphose
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 4 Review: Soul – Flesh – Bone
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 5 Review: Return
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 6 Review: First Battle
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 7 Review: Hibernation
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 8 Review: Antarcticite
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 9 Review: Spring
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 10 Review: Shiro
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 11 Review: Secrets
- Land of the Lustrous Episode 12 Review: New Work
