ヨルムンガンド Perfect Order episode 05 (17)

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Koko is not pleased with Kasper’s dealings with the SR unit that Tojo had belonged to, figuring that he’d already started a conflict with them. Tojo gives his thoughts on the matter, after which Kasper and his team head to Jakarta, where the SR unit’s dummy company HQ is. Koko tells Tojo that he might have to fight his former team members. Tojo tells her that his loyalty is to HCLI and her. Tojo calls his former boss, asking him to stop his operations against HCLI since it would mean that the SR unit would become targets for Kasper. Yousuke asks how HCLI sees them, so Tojo tells him that the SR unit is seen as a ghost, amusing Yousuke. After their conversation ends, Tojo is annoyed to see that Lehm was keeping tabs on him, just in case.

Koko has Tojo brief the team on the SR unit, including its founding and why it got into the arms trade, since it is a secret Japanese military organization, thus needed to be able to fund itself and not rely on the Japanese government. Tojo then briefs the team on Yousuke as well. Meanwhile, Yousuke gets on a conference call with his people, modifying his original “Plan K” to “Plan KK” in order to nail both Koko and Kasper. During the night patrol, Jonah is happy that Japan is a peaceful country, meaning he and Tojo are only armed with a hand gun. However, he is very disappointed the following day when Koko has them pack their Magpu Masadas in backpacks. Koko tells Jonah that they need to be prepared since the SR unit sent Tojo a message about meeting in Umihotaru to discuss splitting up Southeast Asia.

In Jarkarta, Kurosaka comes to Kasper’s hotel with the purpose of discussing the SR unit’s splitting the Southeast Asia area with HCLI. Her arrival marks the start of the operation against Kasper’s unit, as Kurosaka produces a flexible katana from her belt to assassinate Kasper in the middle of their discussion. Her attack is thwarted by Chiquita, who kills the assassin. Kasper and company pull out as SR forces move in, learning that Kurosaka has been killed. They set up an ambush, but Chiquita takes them all out with her knife. Kasper doesn’t think the SR unit is taking them seriously, though he is pleased to be fighting them, having a certain respect for the organization. Another team of SR troops moves in and engages Kasper’s team, but take heavy losses from Kasper’s rear guard.

Thoughts/Review:

Sheesh! I’ve often heard of directors for film and TV series in the U.S. speak of having concerns with too much exposition. The goal of these folks is to keep things moving, but with lengthy exposition, the things are practically brought to a halt. Exposition can be a good thing, but as this episode proved, it can also get a bit boring.  Fortunately, the production team understood this and even cracked jokes about it by having Jonah fall asleep while standing up during Tojo’s briefing.

Still, thanks to that exposition, I do have an understanding of why a secret Japanese military unit is in on the arms trade and keen to remove HCLI as a competitor.

I liked Koko’s “wipe your own ass” swipe at her brother, knowing that his actions are getting her and her team into another mess. However, being that Kasper’s her brother, she’s going to help him. She’s often shown herself quite clever in anticipating trouble, and this episode has her preparing for the worst as her team meets with the SR folks. Obviously, it will be a trap, so it will be interesting to see how Koko and her team handle this problem.

I figure Koko’s getting drunk is part of her still mourning the loss of R. I find it a little jacked up for Valmet to take advantage of Koko’s condition, though I understand this was done for a cheap, ecchi laugh.

I had to check, but the so-called katana that Kurosaka used is real. It is actually called an urumi, and is worn like a belt when not in use.

Too bad for Kurosaka that Chiquita was on the case. Man, that woman is completely divorced from emotion when it comes to doing the job. Actually, I’m not sure that’s even correct. When Kurosaka’s assassination attempt fails because Chiquita thwarts it, Chiquita executes the woman without even looking at her, smiling and chatting with Kasper all the while. Then, she takes out one of the SR units with a knife and a smile, returning all bloodied, still smiling, to chat with Kasper again. Pretty amazing.

As to Kasper, despite his claims that the SR unit isn’t taking HCLI seriously, I think it is Kasper who isn’t taking them seriously enough. His team is very good, which would lead to some cockiness on his part, but somehow, I can see his attitude getting Chiquita killed despite her massive skills. We’ll see if that happens or not.

In the end, despite a bit of slowness during Tojo’s exposition, the episode is a good one with plenty of action as HCLI is now engaged in combat with the SR unit.