Anime Best in Show

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10 Review – Best In Show

Quick SummaryBest MomentSetupDeliveryOther Posts

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10 Review – Quick Summary

In TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10, “Game Master and Satan Slave,” Arata had just turned into the Demon Lord Astral Trinity. Ilias Fragment, who had trapped Arata, Sora, and Mira in this pocket of space/time, was now in a blind panic. There was nothing she could do to withstand the might of a full Demon Lord. Is there anything Sora and Mira can do? Or is Arata’s Demon Lord power too great?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10

Astral Trinity Asserts Control

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Astral Trinity made a suitably powerful impression

This is a good way to portray a Demon Lord: Ominous and powerful. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

If I could ask for one thing that this show never gave me, it would be a deeper look into the lore. Because there are hints that it’s awesome. The magic system hints at it. I love a complex and coherent magic system anyway, but when it’s coupled to awesome lore, I’m in a happy place.

One such moment was in this episode. Arata, driven to fury by Ilias’ determination to kill Mira, lost control to the Demon Lord within. The screen presence was fantastic! Ilias, who had help Arata, Mira, and even Sora at bay, now could only cower in terror.

Arata as Astral Trinity himself sealed the image when he said, “This is what true control looks like.” You know what? I believed him.

But Mira Has a Greater Power: Tsundere!

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Mira's tsundere was so powerful that it surprised Sora

Mira’s Power of Tsundere surprised Sora! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

In that form, he approached Mira. You remember how she had started to open up to Arata in the previous episode? Now, Astral Trinity approached her and said she had real potential to “be well suited to me.” 

Well, Mira had just started to open up to Arata. She wasn’t quite ready to open up to a Demon Lord. So, she did something really, really gutsy. When Astral Trinity tried to kiss her to seal their relationship, she slapped him.

She slapped a Demon Lord.

Fortunately, the slap, along with her saying he wasn’t Arata so she had nothing to give him, gave Arata within a chance to reassert control.

Sora, ecstatic at this development, shouted (04:13), “You did it, you tsundere!”

Best in Show Moment for TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Hijiri loved Arata. But she would pursue her thema.

Hijiri loved Arata. But she still intended to put him in the grave. He did not hold that against her. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: It’s All Arin’s Fault

For a lot of series, the world is almost just background. The characters interact with each other, but they don’t interact with the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Every series is different, right? 

But what I like is when a series has a world that is so self-consistent and robust that the characters interact not only with each other, but with the world, too. For example, do you remember back in episode two when Arin unleashed Arata’s Demon Lord powers? She did so for a very specific reason: Her thema demanded it.

In this world, each mage pursues their individual thema. They become more powerful within that discipline only by embracing it. Sometimes, that means they need to do things that even endanger the world. Arin unleashing Arata, after all, actually caused the deaths of many students whose level of magic wasn’t strong enough to protect them. It even pushed the Trinity Seven to the limits of their strength.

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Arata's apology touched Hijiri

Arata’s apology for not being able to save her really touched Hijiri. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

That stuck me. Arin’s decision killed people. Yet, she wasn’t imprisoned or even punished. Her decisions were consistent with the purpose of the school. In other words, she did something that was, if not praiseworthy, at least expected for a top mage. For one of the Trinity Seven.Arata remembered that. The others, like Mira, Akio, and Lilith probably knew this on an instinctive level. Which was a good thing, given what happened during my favorite moment.

Delivery: But Love is Not Enough

As Arata tried to recover from the ordeal that started at the end of the previous episode, Hijiri came to visit him. It was a touching reunion. Her affection for him was clear; so was his for her. He spoke to her of the pain he felt for not being able to save her, back when all this started. Tearfully, she brought his hand to her face and told him how much it meant to her that he became a mage, just to save her.

Yet, behind all of this moving emotion, I began to feel a sense of melancholy. It dawned on me that Hijiri had already made a terrible decision. Arin’s action back in episode two gave me the context. I kid you not, the first time I watched this, I gasped. Outloud. The cat will testify on my behalf. Just don’t listen to her when she tells you I’m weird. That’s just her opinion.

In that moment, I had to wonder: Would the show really do what I thought it might? Would it really show me such a deep level of character and world integration?

It did.

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Arata knew Hijiri was about to try to kill him. He still reaffirmed his intention to save her.

Even as he reaffirmed his intention to save her, Arata knew the truth. Namely, that Hijri was about to try to murder him. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

When Arata told her he would do whatever it took to get him back, she told him they were enemies. Almost as if she wanted to come clean and not hide anything from someone who so obviously loved her. He knew. He told her as much. And he reaffirmed his intention to save her. Yet, he wasn’t all beaming and emotional bliss. He knew. He knew what was coming. 

And it did. Hijiri said (15:08), “That’s why I’m going to take you out now, Arata-san.”

As if they were simply discussing business, Arata responded, “Yeah, I thought so.”

I wish I could describe why this moment is so awesome. It served as the catalyst for Arin to disrupt “time and space to speed” to Arata’s side. Which was amazing and cool. But Hijiri and Arata, two characters who have such affection for each other, nonetheless behaving in a way that’s realistic in the context of this world? That just rocks.

What did you think of Akio’s suggestion that they just kill Arata then and there? What were your favorite moments in this episode? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

TRINITY SEVEN Episode 10: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

tcrow
Copyright 2022 Terrance A. Crow. All rights reserved.
https://www.crowsworldofanime.com

Please let me know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.