Thank goodness that was apparently a really good camping trip the magical girls were on
. Admittedly I think a montage really would have helped sell it, but such is how it goes. Maybe there was one but we just don't get that watching this side of all this
. Thankfully Azure powered up. Although I have a feeling she's still nowhere near a match for Utena now that she's powered up.
On the other hand this episode did further align the comparison with Leoparde and Sulfur. Both tend to hide their main strength (although far less so with Sulfur) because of downsides to it. There's the self-damaging aspect for Leoparde but that's also tied to it being a gas guzzling ability.
Good times that Utena's greatest trial here was finding a reason to give a damn
. In that sense it shows that she really was never suited to be a magical girl. If standing up for the innocent or stopping a lunatic can't get her in the mood she's definitely on the proper side for all this.
And may it be said...the power of loli saved them all! Or the power to mentally turn someone into a loli to get more interested in molesting them. Actually...never mind that last part.
Yoko Hikasa as always brings it and did a great job with all Lord got up to in this episode. Both when she was at her high point...and when she wasn't. Huge props to Fuuka Izumi with Utena. The character needs a certain level of crazy and she can bring it.
At least Vena's general plan is a bit more clear. Lord had incredible power because it was loaned out. I guess either way it was fine for Vena. Either Lord would behave and be a strong face of the organization while the various members matured or she'd go off the rails and the members would grow through battle. Interesting that Sister was actually Vena's pawn the whole time.
I've got to agree with Vena. Everything really is in his hands right now. Obviously Baiser is the protagonist and she'll turn things around even outside of Vena's expectations (depending on the goal). But Vena has all the pieces in play. Regardless of how Baiser goes about it, she's getting absurdly strong and so are her followers. And still has Sister as a powerful card in the back pocket (almost literally).
It does still carry on the mystery of...what is that little monster after? Considering Lord was mercilessly...erased, I can't imagine the goal is just to let Utena molest people as she pleases. Right now Utena's desires and Vena's goals to make this bunch stronger are aligned. But the end goals can't possibly be the same.