(L) Ao no Exorcist

[Shiroth]

That opening scene was hilarious . I can't believe how badly paced and rushed it was. Not to mention how wasted Amaimon was. Poor guy.

Everything after that though was A+, and just what i enjoy about the series. I plan to catch up with the manga after the anime as ended, so for now i'm interesting in what the staff have planned for the last half of the series. Especially after that preview for next weeks episode!

[Sageblink]

Originally Posted by Jerseykid

Sir Pheles didn't seem to get too choked up about seeing his brother turn to ash

If he's planning to take over the two worlds, it will be easier if there is no other demon king around...

[Guardian Enzo]

Not a manga reader, but I would be shocked if Amaimon is just gone that easily. Especially as he's so prominent in the OP.

[Kanon]

The opening scene was just... wtf. I can't believe they killed off Amaimon so easily. It makes me really dread the upcoming anime original arc.

The rest of the episode was good.

Originally Posted by TheEroKing

GOOD JOB OKUMURA RIN

Hmm, he didn't burn the panties, so I can only give him 8 out of 10. Still needs more training!

[Chaos2Frozen]

HAHA! Betsuni! Izumo said the magic word !

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

HAHA! Betsuni! Izumo said the magic word !

When I close my eyes and listen to Eri Kitamura in this role, I could swear it's Kirino from Oreimo.

[DragoonKain3]

Kinda confused really. Berserk Rin had problems before beating Amaimon, but one-shot/one-kill a powered up Amaimon that even Mr. Paladin had problems fighting against? It's not as if his blade being repaired upgraded the weapon or anything....

Also wondering after going through such great lengths repairing Rin's sword AND giving it to him in the midst of the battle against Amaimon, most of his friends now either look on him with fear and/or contempt? Not really sure where that came from.

[Skyfall]

Indeed, it does feel kinda weird having his friends doubt him now, after the events of the previous episode. I guess the writers wrote themselves in to a "chicken or the egg" situation here - There is a need for Rin to get his sword fixed, which requires for the gang to accept him, and then there is the need for them to shun Rin over the revelation of him being the Satan's son ... which can't happen while he is imprisoned, which is a stalemate that requires for his sword to be fixed to break.

It really felt like the order of events regarding their stance towards Rin within these two last episodes should have been reversed, but plot got in the way. Ah well. It's not quite that bad though - only Bon faced the doubt demon in ep16, and while he conquered it, doesn't mean he has fully accepted Rin just yet, especially before a serious talk between them. It looked more like he was speaking up for Konekomaru instead, which is understandable, and the little guy was never shown as accepting Rin's true nature. If anything, him and Shima have expressed their distaste for even fixing the sword.

Izumo and Shiemi never seemed that perturbed to start with, and that didn't really change. On that note, am I the only one who has developed a liking for Izumo ? She isn't exactly the most likable person around and has a quite foul mouth, but for all her flaws she somehow manages to come through in the end with actions that strike where they should. Among all the charged emotions and overreactions surrounding Rin right now, her reaction that amounted to more or less a shrug, along with offering some useful advice, felt quite refreshing. A dishonest tsundere she might be, but somehow she strikes a good chord with Rin when she feels like it.


As for Amaimon ... a disappointing brawl by all means, but somehow i doubt we have seen the last of him. Unless something has changed, one of the first things the early episodes established is that demons themselves can't exist in our world (and that's what makes Rin special - he does), they have to possess some object in order to interact with reality. Even Satan himself. Amaimon's avatar certainly got vaporized, but the guy himself should still be up and about, likely fuming with rage in some deep bowel of hell. Killing the thing a demon has possessed doesn't kill the demon after all, else Satan would have keeled over when Shiro stabbed himself. I expect the guy to be back indeed.

[Guardian Enzo]

I definitely feel like character integrity was sacrificed for plot convenience here, and the classmates towards Rin make no sense in the order they're portrayed. But I do like the fact that Izumo was one of the more forgiving, because it makes sense for her character - she's an outsider too, so she has natural empathy for Rin.

[Kakkou]

The way I saw it they (Kyoto trio) were scared of him to a certain extent but at the same time they cared about him enough not to want him dead. So after accomplishing that they still keep their distance worried he may lose himself but still glad he wasn't executed.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Kakkou

The way I saw it they (Kyoto trio) were scared of him to a certain extent but at the same time they cared about him enough not to want him dead. So after accomplishing that they still keep their distance worried he may lose himself but still glad he wasn't executed.

That's what I thought as well, or maybe they just didn't have time to absorb it all in, first thing's first is to save Rin, afterwards they can sort out their feelings about the situation.

[mechalord]

Amaimon is not dead. He can't even penetrate the academy's barriers without Mephisto's permission. He went down too easy. We already know he can take a beating and that Mephisto bosses him around. Angel thinks Mephisto planned the whole thing....cough cough. Like that didn't give it away...

Mephisto's lieutenant(the guy with the eye path) probably let him in and his "death" was staged in order to sell the Grigori on the plan. We already know how Mephisto thinks, he's kind of a trickster.

Anyhow, Rin and the other squires had the confrontation they would have had on the bridge while Rin was going to the courtroom after everything was over and Rin came back to class.

It looks like they moved the character development dialogue from the next manga arc which would appear in a second season into this season in order to flesh out the characters a bit more before the season ends. I don't think that's much of a spoiler. They can eventually synchronize with the manga, again.

Spoiler for FOR WHAT IS TO COME and the changes!:

Rin and Kamiki had their heart to heart in the academy instead of on the train almost line for line.

It looks like the next episode will complicate the relationship between the dudes from Kyoto and Rin so they'll avoid each other until the end of the season. This way the train scene makes sense.

The writers of this show should have gotten a "heads up" and padded the beginning of the series a lot more in order for the end of this season to flow a little better. The stuff at the chapel could have been extended a few episodes.

[Kakkou]

Originally Posted by mechalord

Amaimon is not dead. He can't even penetrate the academy's barriers without Mephisto's permission. He went down too easy. We already know he can take a beating and that Mephisto bosses him around. Angel thinks Mephisto planned the whole thing....cough cough. Like that didn't give it away...

Mephisto's lieutenant(the guy with the eye path) probably let him in and his "death" was staged in order to sell the Grigori on the plan. We already know how Mephisto thinks, he's kind of a trickster.

Except that Mephisto in ep16 was just as surprised at Amaimon gatecrashing. Also, Amaimon certainly didn't look like he was acting along, he's too simple for that. Not to mention he wouldn't be shouting "Brother!!" when he got shish kebab'ed. More than likely he got sent back to Gehenna since as noted by some posters here, Amaimon and other demons need to possess a vessel in order to exist in Assiah, a fact I forgot until recently. If we do get a second season it'll be easy for Amaimon to be rewritten back into the story.

Also, the reason Amaimon needs Mephisto's permission in order to penetrate the academy is because Mephisto himself was the one who set up all the barriers in the academy and I'd presume that he is stronger than his younger brother. What Amaimon attacked was not the academy but the Grigori's Court. Not to mention that Amaimon himself is considered a high ranking demon and the Grigori themselves didn't even seem to expect that they would be attacked by the likes of him.

[Aqua Knight]

If Amaimon doesn't appear later in the series it would be such a waste.

Overall a very surprisingly enjoyable episode, but Ao is turning into a more generic shounen with Rin focusing on " I want to protect my friends, Shiemi etc."

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Murasaki

If Amaimon doesn't appear later in the series it would be such a waste.

I wouldn't say that. I've been pretty bored of Amaimon's character after his first appearance. Another enemy can easily be introduced.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Indeed, it does feel kinda weird having his friends doubt him now, after the events of the previous episode. I guess the writers wrote themselves in to a "chicken or the egg" situation here - There is a need for Rin to get his sword fixed, which requires for the gang to accept him, and then there is the need for them to shun Rin over the revelation of him being the Satan's son ... which can't happen while he is imprisoned, which is a stalemate that requires for his sword to be fixed to break.

The thing, the sword didn't get broken in the manga, so if they had followed the manga's storyline for a little while longer, there wouldn't have been any problem with the characterization of the other students. The broken sword subplot was resolved in less than an episode and it didn't even serve much purpose, other than foreshadowing that the sword will someday most likely break for good (I bet it'll happen at the end of series, and that Rin will go full demon on everyone's asses for a while until his brother or Shiemi bring him back to his old self after lots of drama... you know, the usual).

[outcast_within]

Anyone can explain me what the black spots are doing on the brothers arm?

Also i agree with stuff not making sense. First help him than fear him. Should be overcome fear > help him.

[Aqua Knight]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

I wouldn't say that. I've been pretty bored of Amaimon's character after his first appearance. Another enemy can easily be introduced.

I meant that I am not fond of him either. What was the purpose of Amaimon? First, he effortlessly beats Rin, then Rin beats him in a split second, then Rin finishes him in 1 blow.

No proper fights with him, no development, so no reason for his appearance at all. And yeah new enemy would be so much better!

[mechalord]

Originally Posted by Kakkou

Except that Mephisto in ep16 was just as surprised at Amaimon gatecrashing. Also, Amaimon certainly didn't look like he was acting along, he's too simple for that. Not to mention he wouldn't be shouting "Brother!!" when he got shish kebab'ed. More than likely he got sent back to Gehenna since as noted by some posters here, Amaimon and other demons need to possess a vessel in order to exist in Assiah, a fact I forgot until recently. If we do get a second season it'll be easy for Amaimon to be rewritten back into the story.

Also, the reason Amaimon needs Mephisto's permission in order to penetrate the academy is because Mephisto himself was the one who set up all the barriers in the academy and I'd presume that he is stronger than his younger brother. What Amaimon attacked was not the academy but the Grigori's Court. Not to mention that Amaimon himself is considered a high ranking demon and the Grigori themselves didn't even seem to expect that they would be attacked by the likes of him.

He played up Amaimon as a threat. Why would he be scared of Amaimon? He can beat him in a second. I'm just going by Angel's reaction to Amaimon and Mephisto sort of giving himself away by immediately presenting Rin as the weapon he spoke about.

Does Rin know that Mephisto is his brother? You would think that Yukio and Rin would have a long serious talk with him. Are they sort of oblivious?

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

Kinda confused really. Berserk Rin had problems before beating Amaimon, but one-shot/one-kill a powered up Amaimon that even Mr. Paladin had problems fighting against? It's not as if his blade being repaired upgraded the weapon or anything....

Also wondering after going through such great lengths repairing Rin's sword AND giving it to him in the midst of the battle against Amaimon, most of his friends now either look on him with fear and/or contempt? Not really sure where that came from.

Just imagine that the broken sword and Amaimon's attack never happened. There, problem solved.