Akame ga Kill! (Episode 15) – Kill the Religion
The revolution is approaching and Night Raid is looking to complete the final preparations. They’ll need to take out a fake holy man and the Jaegers. Of course, Esdeath isn’t going to let either happen without a fight.
What did you watch?
After the Esdeath and Tatsumi heavy episode, things are back to normal in episode 15 of Akame ga Kill. Well, as normal as things get for two groups of killers trying to kill one another. Tatsumi made it back to Night Raid and has been able to give them more information about Esdeath. Of course, Lubbock isn’t jealous that Tatsumi got to spend some alone time on a tropical island with a beautiful lady. Not at all. Anyhow, let’s dive straight into the episode because this is the beginning of the end! Don’t forget there will be spoilers and insightful opinions on writing (maybe).
What happened?
The revolutionary army has made plans to simultaneously attack the Capital from three sides. They have become aware that a religious group is ready to start a holy war and will use that to their advantage. The only problem is a spy that Minister Honest planted in the religious group. However, the Jaegers are closing in on Night Raid and if they want to get anything done, they’ll need to take care of them first. Najenda devises a plan to draw the Jaegers out of the Capital and force a confrontation.
Meanwhile, Wave is a little disheartened by the nature of the work they’re doing, or more specifically, the way that Seryu deals with thieves. He doesn’t have much time to think about it though as Esdeath has just got word that Akame and Mine have been spotted and she mobilises the Jaegers to hunt them down. They follow the trail to a nearby town where they learn that Najenda was spotted with them and that they split up.
Esdeath believes it’s a trap, but she also thinks its there best chance to take them out, so she splits her team and takes Seryu and Run to track down Najenda, leaving Kurome, Bols and Wave to go after Akame and Mine. Instead of finding Akame and Mine, they run into the entire Night Raid team, but Kurome isn’t bothered as she utilises her Imperial Arms which allows her to summon undead warriors to even the battle.
What did you think?
So, this episode was mostly set up for the coming battle, but it was still enjoyable. Bizarrely, Night Raid managed to find some time to splash around at a beach in their bikinis. Not sure, if this was prompted by Tatsumi’s tropical getaway or not, but if they wanted to get noticed to draw out the Jaegers, this is certainly one way to do it. I love that we finally get to see the Jaegers and Night Raid go head to head and the revelation of Kurome’s Imperial Arms is awesome. They’ve built things up for a crazy exciting next episode and I can’t wait.
What was your favourite moment?
I thought the moment that Wave questioned Seryu was great and it just shows that he really is Tatsumi on another path. We knew that Wave wasn’t a bad person in the same way that Seryu has been twisted by her perception of justice. Even Bols knows that he’s done bad things and is expecting to get his comeuppance at some point. This is the beginning of Wave questioning what he’s doing and why. It continues to improve the group’s dynamics and makes the series more interesting in the process. I think it was a great idea to have a character that shows what could have happened to Tatsumi if things went differently.
What was your least favourite moment?
It’s great that we have Tatsumi to ask the questions of Najenda and the revolutionary army’s plans, but it is getting to be a little obvious. I feel like Najenda could have just explained it better without having to resort to using the new guy to ask questions to fill out the plan. In a way, it does show that he is still questioning his decision and the role of Night Raid, which is to be expected. They may have a goal for the greater good, but they are still getting their hands very dirty.
Who was your favourite character?
This was another of those episodes where no one really stood out, so I’m going to mention several characters. Firstly, it was interesting to see Akame coming to terms with the reality that she would need to kill her sister. She’s always made it clear that she will do it, but that can’t make it any easier. Seeing Mine comfort her at that point was nice too. I love the way the group has evolved and the friendships that have developed within.
That said, my top moment for the characters was when Najenda informed the group about Bolic and how he was drugging the religious order by spiking their food. Lubbock got mad because of Bolic’s ability to then hop from girl to girl and Susanoo was mad that he was tampering with the food. They both united to resolve to deal with him. Then, Najenda commending their determination even if their focus was misplaced. Moments like this only work because we’ve come to know the characters and what motivates them.
Who was your least favourite character?
Well, of course, it’s Seryu. Night Raid and the Jaegers have a lot of similarities and not just with Wave and Tatsumi. If you take the time to look at Seryu and her background, it’s not too dissimilar from Mine’s past. The only real difference is in how they’ve responded to their loses. While Mine hopes to create a world where everyone can be equal, Seryu just wants to kill everyone that she believes to be unjust, which is hilarious as she is possibly the least just person in the series. Giving her the Imperial Arms, Coro just shows off her already warped sense of reality. One moment Coro is this cute and hopeless puppy, the next it’s a vicious monster that eats its opponents. They are perfect for one another.
What have you learnt?
I’ve talked a lot about mirroring characters and situations over the course of the series and in this episode in particular. This series possibly uses it a little too freely, especially when you look at the teams. It would have been nice to vary it a little bit more, but it is still incredibly interesting. I love seeing the different possibilities for the characters and how things could have been different for each of them. Having Akame and Kurome was a good start and I feel like Tatsumi and Wave being a contrast of the choices they made was an excellent decision. It’s definitely something I would consider with my writing, but again, I think I would try to be a little more subtle with it. Otherwise, it’s a great storytelling device.
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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It really is impressive how the show created mirror characters as you call it.
Seryu and Mine is one I never really thought about.
Yeah, I was vaguely aware of it on the first watch, but this time I’ve been looking for it and it’s amazing how many similarities there are.
It’s a great way to show how our decisions effect our paths, but then also that it’s not too late. At least that’s what I take from Wave’s journey.