Inuyashiki Last Hero Episode 3 Review: Naoyuki Ando

Unlike what I expected, instead of a fierce battle, in this week’s Inuyashiki we got a bit of a step-back and resolved some unfinished business. So far, this show has been a really pleasant surprise to me.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 安堂直行

Plot

Inuyashiki gets up after having been shot by Hiro and attempts to face him. Hiro escapes by flying away, which automatically explains that Ichiro has the ability to do so too. After he escapes, Ichiro is even more convinced that he needs to save the lives of others and tries to further explore his new body in order to be able to do so. No, there was not a single touch of sexual innuendo in here, get you mind out of the gutter. He finally masters the art of flying through singing the opening to Astro Boy. Hilarious. Thanks to a dying cat, he also realizes that he has the power of healing. In the meantime, Hiro harasses and kills the people who were bullying his friend Ando, resulting in Ando freaking out and asking him to never contact him again. Hiro accepts this intense breakup and advises Ando to stay in school. He still cares about him, even though he’s been dumped. Cute. While on another killing spree, Hiro stops himself from killing two young boys playing, probably reminiscing about his friend.

Episode Highlights

OH GOD WHY: Ichiro attempts to ask a question that has been lingering with humanity for a while: ‘WHY, GOD? WHY DOES THERE ALWAYS NEED TO BE A HOMOCIDAL MANIAC FOR ME TO DEAL WITH?’ Super heroes all over the world have been asking themselves the same thing.

Fighting skills: That awkward moment when you don’t know how to fight but you’re invincible so it doesn’t really matter anyway… you know. I found this choreography of the fight with the gang to be extremely funny.

Astro Boy: ‘Yuku zo, Atomu–’ the Astro Boy opening from back in the sixties was so perfectly appropriate, I can’t even.

Shoes off: Don’t forget to take your shoes off before you fly, bro. I love these little details in the show that interrupt the plot with small humorous segments.

Nice landing: Wasn’t the way he landed right next to the flaming house where the grandparents were trapped the most graceful thing ever? That guy is born to be a superhero.

Keeping it low: I actually cried seeing old topless Ichiro asking the old couple he just saved not to tell the police anything about him. I love this character.

Genius: Looks like Hiro is much more adapted to this insane technology compared to Ichiro. Being able to realize how far his power goes could be attributed to the youth of his age, but I think that he is supposed to be rather bright, apart from that.

Kitties: Despite all this homicide thing going around, I was pretty freaked out to see the cat hurt. I actually started shouting ‘NO NO NO HEAL THE KITTY PLS’ and was very pleased to see him do so.

A break from the gore: Good to see the show is not capitalizing on violence on every occasion. The quick killing of the family Hiro visited by the end of the episode sort of helped the show keep its ‘dignity’, as if it’s avoiding to be categorized as a generic gore show.

Themes & Trivia

Gantz posters everywhere: Okay, we get it, you also did Gantz, mate. It’s not even that good. I like Inuyashiki a lot better.

Hiro: Like hero but evil, get it? No? Is it just me?

Nobody loves you, Hiro

I hope the next episode will be pleasantly surprising me as all of its predecessors did. It’s doing great so far, and to be honest, I am currently clueless as to what is gonna happen next.

Did you enjoy this week’s Inuyashiki? Can’t wait to see what happens next? Let us know in the comment section! See you next week with another Inuyashiki episode review on MANGA.TOKYO!

NEXT TIME: Samejima (鮫島)