Akame ga Kill! (Episode 10) – Kill the Seduction
Tatsumi has been declared as a backup Jaeger and Esdeath’s lover… Of course, he has no say in the matter. Esdeath takes him along to their first team mission and so that they’ll have plenty to discuss in bed… later that night…
What did you watch?
All right! Things are starting to get interesting in Akame ga Kill episode 10. Now a backup member of the Jaegers, Tatsumi has access to a wealth of information that could help Night Raid. If only he can get away from Esdeath. I loved this setup when I read it in the manga and it’s just as good in the anime. It’s another great way to humanize Esdeath and develop the Jaegers as more than just one note murderous monsters. This is why I choose Akame ga Kill as my first anime to really dive into this year. It’s far more interesting than the usual good guys versus bad guys situation. Anyhow, let’s talk about the episode in detail and as you may expect, there will be spoilers.
What happened?
Esdeath has taken Tatsumi along to watch how the Jaegers do on their first mission and they are frightfully effective. He thinks about running, but Esdeath grips his hand as she enjoys the show of power. With the bandits’ hideout obliterated they return to base, which for Tatsumi is Esdeath’s bedroom. He’s decided that he will try to use his charm to make Esdeath switch sides, but she doesn’t take too well to his ideas. Nevertheless, she is determined to make him bend to her will and says they will discuss things further in the morning, after a good night’s sleep!
The next day, Esdeath decides to take Tatsumi, Wave, and Kurome on an overnight danger beast hunt. For the day, Tatsumi will be partnered with Wave and then Esdeath in the night… Wave, however, can sense the predicament that Tatsumi is in and finds them to be fairly similar. He says that if Tatsumi wants to talk any time, he’s willing to listen. Before Tatsumi can respond, they are attacked by tree type danger beasts. Tatsumi uses the distraction to don Incursio and flee. Wave is not happy about losing Esdeath’s lover and uses his Imperial Arms, Grand Chariot to search for him.
Wave can’t find Tatsumi, but he does spot Incursio and attacks believing him to be a part of Night Raid. Tatsumi defends his attacks and manages to escape by using Incusio’s invisibility skill. Another danger beast attacks, but Tatsumi is saved by Akame and Lubbock. Wave is punished for losing Tatsumi and allowing Incursio to escape. Esdeath says that if Tatsumi has become an enemy the Jaegers have authority to kill him, but it’s all part of her game as she believes he is strong enough to survive and if he isn’t then she doesn’t want him anymore.
What did you think?
This was another excellent episode and I loved how Wave brought up that Tatsumi was like him. Haha! That’s a great moment, especially for those that haven’t spotted it yet. Maybe, it was a little too on the nose, but I think it worked with the humour of this episode. I loved the scenes with Esdeath as she attempts to seduce/break Tatsumi. She has a very unusual idea about love and it shows, but I believe she truly is sincere. It’s a great way to give us access to both sides without making it too jarring and it gives Night Raid a chance to learn about the enemy too. This was a fun episode.
What was your favourite moment?
I loved the moment where Wave realised that Tatsumi had run and his first thought was that Esdeath would not be happy. That was hilarious. I thought that all of the interactions between Wave and Tatsumi are great and it continues to further my view that they are basically the same person but on different paths. After that, Esdeath seducing Tatsumi was epic, frightening, and hot damn, I’m not sure I would have been able to resist the way Tatsumi did. Seriously, I may have switched sides at that point. I said may have, all right… Leone is still at Night Raid.
What was your least favourite moment?
I’m not sure if this counts, but I found it kind of odd the way Esdeath introduced Tatsumi to the team. He was chained to a chair. Esdeath then said he was a backup Jaeger and her lover. The fact that no one asked why he was chained to a chair was pretty hilarious and then when Esdeath asked if any of the team had lovers, it was even funnier that only Bols did. Not only that, but he had a loving wife and daughter, much to Wave’s surprise. And Bols being Bols, he was more than happy to offer Esdeath some relationship advice. This probably doesn’t count, but I’m leaving it here.
Who was your favourite character?
Oh, Esdeath. Esdeath is a fascinating character. She’s a monster in terms of her lust for violence and power, but she also views the world in a fairly simple manner. Survival of the fittest is her mantra and if you aren’t strong, you don’t deserve to survive. It’s a very simple and animalistic approach to life and once you see her backstory it kind of makes sense. The way she’s taken an interest in Tatsumi makes her even more interesting and her understanding of love isn’t conventional either, but it is sincere. I just can’t seem to get enough Esdeath.
Who was your least favourite character?
So, Dr Stylish is an odd one. His Imperial Arms is no doubt what he used to augment Seryu and it’s revealed at the end of the episode that he has an army of super-soldiers with various skills and abilities. I understand what he brings to the Jaegers, I’m just not sure he should be on the front lines attacking bandits. It was interesting that he suspected Tatsumi from the way he adapted to the situation. I agree with him, that an average blacksmith wouldn’t have been so calm and composed. We’ll get to see a lot more of Stylish in the next episode so, prepare yourself.
What have you learnt?
One of the things I really like about this series is that it gives the antagonists plenty of time in the spotlight. Now, the earlier villains were mostly one-note lunatics with a desire to kill, but by spending time with the Jaegers we’re learning about them and it makes them more interesting. If we’d only met Bols on the battlefield, we’d never have learnt that he gets shy and has a family. He will openly admit that he’s done bad things, but he’s still interesting.
Then, having Wave gives us the chance to see an alternate route for Tatsumi. I think this is a great idea and I love how they naturally get along because they are so similar. There’s definitely a lot of fun that could be had by introducing similar characters in slightly different situations and showing how the main character would have faired if they’d done things differently.
Other posts in the series
Anime
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Kill the Darkness
- Episode 2 – Kill the Authority
- Episode 3 – Kill Your Cares
- Episode 4 – Kill the Imperial Arms User
- Episode 5 – Kill the Empty Dream
- Episode 6 – Kill the Absolute Justice
- Episode 7 – Kill the Three Beasts – Part One
- Episode 8 – Kill the Three Beasts – Part Two
- Episode 9 – Kill the Lust for Combat
- Episode 10 – Kill the Seduction
- Episode 11 – Kill the Mad Scientist
- Episode 12 – Kill the New Recruits
- Episode 13 – Kill the Hindrance
- Episode 14 – Kill the Giant Dangerous Beast
- Episode 15 – Kill the Religion
- Episode 16 – Kill the Dolls
- Episode 17 – Kill the Curse
- Episode 18 – Kill the Demons
- Episode 19 – Kill the Fate
- Episode 20 – Kill the Pandemonium
- Episode 21 – Kill the Despair
- Episode 22 – Kill the Little Sister
- Episode 23 – Kill the Emperor
- Episode 24 – Akame ga Kill!
Manga
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Volume 3
- Volume 4
- Volume 5
- Volume 6
- Volume 7
- Volume 8
- Volume 9
- Volume 10
- Volume 11
- Volume 12
- Volume 13
- Volume 14
- Volume 15
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Esdeath definitely is amazing, but I feel like knowing that she is an extremely cold-hearted person who doesn’t value life or anything aside from killing and her love would take some getting used to.
I think you’d pretty much have to try and detach yourself from politics, empire affiars, et cetera completely.
Of course, but then you’ve seen Esdeath…
A true deal with the devil.
I’ve already practiced my handshake!