Source: Crunchyroll
Overall: 8.2/10
Story 7.8/10
This week picks up with the defeat of the Bat Devil. But just when Denji thinks the battle is over, he finds himself locked in mortal combat again. This time it's not just his life on the line. He's fighting to protect his dream.
The writers do a great job with the dialogue this episode. It's hilarious. It pushes the pacing and story. But it also reveals a great deal about character, as any good dialogue should.
Character 8.2/10
Denji is a strange Shonen protagonist. Ordinarily, characters that fall into this category have grand aspirations. But Denji's goal is dialed down a bit. On the surface, his pursuit may seem devoid of ambition and reek of trivial perversion. After all, both humans and devils look down on him because of his dreams. But his stated dreams are merely a mask for what he truly wants: a good simple life that he can build with someone.
Power is a barbarian for lack of a better word. She spent her days killing and devouring. From what we know, so far, she has led a very violent life. But despite her background, she is capable of showing compassion and receiving it. Meowy is proof of that.
Aki is a by-the-book type of guy. He has a very regimented way of thinking. He despises devils on top of that. This viewer can't imagine that he would ever do one a favor. But he covers for Power because Denji wants to protect her. He behaves in this lenient manner perhaps because he grows fond of Denji in a short amount of time. He may even consider him a friend at this point. Maybe he sees through Denji's guise and knows he's a good person. Aki could even be an animal lover. Honestly, he could've done it for any reason. But the important thing is that he did it. It means his character is changing. This could be the beginning of him seeing the world not just in black and white but in a great deal of gray.
Animation 8.5/10
The animation for the fight scenes in this show is incredible, especially for this episode. The devils have unique abilities and fighting styles. Those, along with the carnage created by the fights, create some highly imaginative action sequences and showcase the remarkable talents of the artists and animators.
But it’s not just the fight scenes. The level of detail put into the most mundane scenes is laudable. There's a sequence for a morning routine, where someone painstakingly gave toothbrush bristles an amazing amount of detail. And the bubbles created when Aki makes his coffee are another matter entirely. The overall animation is spectacular.
Final Thoughts
This episode took it up another notch. Everything from the dialogue and character development to the animation is next level. And it's only getting better.