The end is here, but will Mirai and Akihito survive?
What They Say:
Now that Akihito and Mirai have been reunited, they must work together to defeat Beyond the Boundary’s core. But what will happen to Mirai and Akihito once it has been defeated…? Will either of them survive?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Though I’ve had some issues with how these last couple of episodes have gone, Kyoto Animation can obviously make it an engaging and exciting work just through the visuals. Putting Akihito through what he experienced and having Mirai stab him to save him was well done and made for a great cliffhanger. And then to throw the show into an episode where the two are separated and she’s in this other place, banging hard against the shell that existed so that it resonated in the real world, it had some of the great kind of visuals and moments that harkened back to a lot of older anime series for me. And it certainly wasn’t a surprise that the pair would end up in each others’ arms again with a little bit of trouble along the way in trying to understand each other.
Putting the two of them in this other place definitely has a great look to it with all the snow, the darkness and having the snow fall upwards. But it also gives them some challenges in surviving that helps to bond them together more as they have to help each other with the skills and abilities they have, all while taking some decent damage along the way to make it seem all the more real. And naturally, the stakes have to get raised a good degree for them as they try to find a way out of this world, all while we see how those on the other side are waiting for them and to deal with what may come, since there’s some uncertainty about what’s going to happen. As this is the final episode of the series, they definitely build up the stakes well here by making it huge yet keeping it wholly personal in a way that works beautifully.
The action aspect of the episode is significant here as both Mirai and Akihito really work it well and go through a lot, including the big moment where Akihito, having tapped more into his youmu side, really goes big in order to protect Mirai. It’s certainly not out of character for him, but seeing how strongly he stands is nicely done, but it’s also something that doesn’t feel like it reaches the level of what Mirai has accomplished across the series in her fight scenes. Granted, hers are a lot more violent and bloody as she fights the youmu, but it’s nice to see she has the upper hand in the action. Which balances the more emotional elements in this episode, especially during the shatter scene that happens once the main battle has finished and it turns to character. It’s the expected drama that many series perform, taking a character out of the series and spending time back in reality with everyone moving on before getting that little tease that they’re really not dead. I can’t give it too much grief, but it is wholly predictable.
In Summary:
Beyond the Boundary may hit some areas here where the show does what you’d expect from the get go, pretty much the overall structure of the episode, but it does it with such polish and style that it’s easy to get caught up in it. It’s not a series that I found terribly compelling with its story and often the characters felt a bit flat, but it had some very strong moments throughout, including the surprising dance sequence episode. It’s selling points for me were mainly the animation and action sequences as well as the general appeal of the character designs and that carried it well enough. It’s the kind of show where I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I’m eagerly anticipating another season or anything else from it.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.