An American Writer's Thoughts on Japanese Animation

Seasonal Selection – Tower of God Episode 11

And I had such high hopes for Bam to actually do something, too. At least everybody else is making use of their time in the sun.

Because, Bam’s meeting with the administrator isn’t the test itself. In fact, for having left us off on such a powerful image, it’s really not much of anything. The Administrator acknowledges Bam as an Irregular and approves him to take a test, which is prepared by the director like the others. And in this test, Bam and Rachel are expected to be almost entirely passive: they’re placed in a Shinsu bubble to be netted by dolphins for the dolphin queen (which will pass them harmlessly with a win). If any of the hazards of the Dolphins’ hunt get them instead (like angry pigs, goblins with giant worms, or a monster known as The Bull), it’s mission failed, so the rest of the Regulars that agreed to support Bam will be running interference to ensure the dolphin hunt goes smoothly.

Because of this, Bam and Rachel have some time to chat, in which I will say they at least display some good chemistry. They talk like two friends with a lot of history… but all they can really do is talk and wait. I just wish we saw them continue to take agency.

Outside, meanwhile, things of actual interest are happening. The Bull, a “Better hope you don’t see it” level threat, appears and becomes the target of a bet between Anak and Endorsi on who can kill it first, while the goblins turn up in far greater numbers than had been anticipated. Khun tries to manage the situation while Rak gets impatient and Shibisu does his best with the Bull and the Princesses being around. Of course, towards the end of the episode, things all start to go pear shaped. Rak’s partner in spear-bearing alerts the goblins to their presence, getting that whole team in trouble, while Anak and Endorsi have to deal with a new enemy: the conspiratorial, monster-controlling sheep-cloud-man sent by Jahad. He’s controlling the Bull, which he uses to lure the princesses away from help and capture Endorsi, and runs Anak clean through with an attack, leaving her bleeding on the ground as he mocks her, particularly about her mother. The episode ends with the idiot bringing Endorsi in and telling her to redeem herself by finishing off Anak, delivering Green Apirl for Endorsi to do it.

We may not see the result of this action, but I sincerely doubt that it’s going to end well for the monster-controller.

And… that’s it. That’s the episode. It is, explicitly, part one of a two-part episode so it’s not entirely surprising that there’s not a ton to break down at the moment, but it’s still a little disappointing that our main couple continues to be pawns in a game with much more interesting players.