Quick Summary
In Tower of God episode 9, “The One-Horned Ogre,” we learned that Endorsi didn’t betray the other Fishermen on her team (at the end of the previous episode) on a whim. It was the result of a brutal, necessary decision — given who she is. Of course, Bam objected, earning a stern yet strangely respectful lecture from Endorsi. Meanwhile, Hoh acted on the letter he had received earlier by taking Rachel hostage. Quant Blitz was not amused. What’s Hoh’s game? Why is he so willing not only to anger Quant — a Ranker! — but Bam as well? And if his plan doesn’t work, what’s his escape route? A Ranker as an enemy doesn’t leave him with many options…
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Best Moment in the Show: Bam and Endorsi’s Dance
Push came to shove. Moments earlier, he had held the dying Rachel in his arms. But when Endorsi went head to head with Quant, Bam used his power to support her. I think he impressed the one-horned ogre! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Bam and Endorsi danced this episode. I’m not talking about any kind of waltz or whatever that dance was in Party Rock Anthem. Bam and Endorsi had a dance of philosophies — and I think they both came away changed.
For the better, at least in Endorsi’s case. Was it an example of what a little hope can do?
Early in the episode, when Endorsi put the smack down on Team B’s other Fishermen, Bam was dismayed. He wasn’t indignant. He didn’t get all self-righteous on her. But he was hurt, and he said so. In response, she told him the story of when she was a little girl, competing with a dozen other little girls, for food. The winners ate exquisite meals. The losers ate stale bread. The family’s goal was to use bloody competition to produce a powerful Princess candidate. Care to guess how Endorsi solved the problem of being the weakest? She killed all the competitors. Her meals improved considerably after that.
I think Bam surprised her when he didn’t try to correct her. When she said that the other Fishermen were clearly weaker than her, Bam said (05:58), “But don’t you know? When you were little, when you didn’t get to eat nice dinners, didn’t you want to become strong, even though you were weak?”
Bam’s words caught Endorsi’s attention. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I don’t think anyone had talked to her like that before. He spoke to her, to her experience. He didn’t judge her. He didn’t cajole her. He challenged her to apply her own experience to the world. Though his words stirred something in her, she still lectured him, but she didn’t treat him as a vassal or an underling. There was a respect there. Something about Bam had touched her, and she was working through it.
My Best in Show moment came later, after Hoh had stabbed Rachel and taken his own life. Bam held the dying Rachel in his arms as Endorsi arrived. She told him — and I almost called this my Best in Show moment — that she had found someone she wanted to climb the Tower with (Anaak), so she had removed obstacles for that person because that was her way of doing things. She told him that he should do things his way. She talked to him as if he were an equal, or at least someone who’s opinion she valued. Endorsi doesn’t talk like that to very many people! Well, anyone, now that I think about it. With a parting bit of advice, namely that the very act of climbing the Tower meant everyone lost something, she thanked Quant for waiting and launched her attack.
Quant’s fast. Like, crazy fast. He was so fast that even Endorsi’s first attack missed. Lauding his own power and speed, he counter-attacked.
Using a Shinsu technique that he’d seen Quant use exactly once, Bam froze Quant in mid air.
Bam had made his choice. He stood by Endorsi.
Quant was amazed — and a bit taken aback — by how quickly Bam had learned what was supposed to be an advanced technique. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
“Is that the answer you’ve chosen?” she asked, clearly pleased (19:40). “Fine! I’ll take the points.”
It really felt to me that from the perspective of the narrative, these two are forging a powerful and important relationship. Even more interesting, I think both slightly modified their positions to accommodate the other. Bam, of course, is almost hopelessly naive, so Endorsi’s more seasoned perspective was valuable to him. What was surprising to me is that the battle-hardened Endorsi still had enough humanity inside her to respond to the hope he represented. In him, she saw something that just might not betray her.
Of course, the fact he’s stupidly powerful didn’t hurt. The mystery of just who the heck Bam is just doesn’t get old!
What did you think of Anaak’s hair style? What was your Best in Show Moment? Let me know in the comments!
Other Posts about This Series
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Kami no Tou: Tower of God – Episode 9 discussion
- Lost in Anime: Kami no Tou: Tower of God – 09
- Rabujoi: Tower of God – 09 – Forgetting the Taste of Stale Bread
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Review: Tower of God Episode 1: BALL
- Review: Tower of God Episode 2: 3/400 (Three Four-Hundredths)
- Review: Tower of God Episode 3: The Correct Door
- Review: Tower of God Episode 4: The Green April
- Review: Tower of God Episode 5: The Crown’s Fate
- Review: Tower of God Episode 6: Position Selection
- Review: Tower of God Episode 7: Lunch and Tag
- Review: Tower of God Episode 8: Khun’s Strategy
- Review: Tower of God Episode 9: The One-Horned Ogre
- Review: Tower of God Episode 10: Beyond the Sadness
- Review: Tower of God Episode 11: Underwater Hunt (Part 1)
- Review: Tower of God Episode 12: Underwater Hunt (Part 2)
- Review: Tower of God Episode 13: Tower of God
It was interesting the hate a few had for Endorsi killing all the other girls, like she should have chosen to die instead of competing or magically talked the people running it out of their plan. It would be very rare or non existent for a male character to get this hate a sexist view of things.
I will hold out hope at least one of the haters just did not understand the scene correctly and thought she did not have to kill them. It was the fact that they were still serving her at the head of the table that tells you they wanted the winner to kill the rest. I also consider her killing all of them in the dining room at the same time metaphorical that she probably killed them over time and that in no way would they serve a meal while the voided bowels of the dead bodies was stinking up the room so they either feed her elsewhere maybe the real table the nobles ate at considering she was their Princess candidate, or they cleared out the bodies, cleaned up all the bloods and guts and aired out the room before they served her there.
“It would be very rare or non existent for a male character to get this hate a sexist view of things.”
That’s an interesting point I hadn’t considered. She really had two choices: eliminate the others or slowly starve to death.
“cleaned up all the bloods and guts and aired out the room before they served her there.”
Maybe — and i hope so! But Endorsi is very, very tough!
Anaak’s hair was great. I really enjoyed everything about the episode.
Best in show was certainly the debate between Bam and Endorsi. Before now we really hadn’t seen her wicked side. She did what she had to do to survive and it shows in her beliefs. Bam on the other hand wanted to treasure his friends and those around him.
“Best in show was certainly the debate between Bam and Endorsi.”
I really liked what the debate said about them as characters. Also how they both seemed to listen to each other! We could do with more of that in real life.