Episode 03 – “Kill Your Cares”

I still can’t get over the official translated names for this series. I liked the non-official ones more because they kind of made a lot more sense to me. Like, “Mein” sounds like more of an actual name than “Mine,” which sounds like the catchphrase of a bunch of Pixar seagulls. There are a couple of other names that bother me now, but hers is the strangest change in my opinion. But who am I to question the will of the creator?

Against a sneak attack on their base, Night Raid shows off some more of their moves in the form of their Teigu (sometimes translated as Imperial Arm). These weapons might just be my favorite thing about this series because it allows for some really cool fights, and it also gives this show a bit of “shounen-ness.” For example, we have Bulat’s super Incursio armor, Akame’s Murasame blade, and Mine’s Pumpkin rifle. The Murasame has the ability to inflict instant death by stopping the heart if it breaks skin, while Mine’s Pumpkin grows more powerful when the user is in danger. The gun’s name is also pretty ridiculous, and in one of the spin-off Theater episodes they actually draw it as the vegetable.

In this Mine-filled (minefield?) episode, we go on a startlingly reminiscent shopping trip with her and Tatsumi, all in the name of training of course. We also learn a bit of her backstory, and Tatsumi didn’t even have to ask her about it. It turns out that she’s actually from another country and faced oppression when she ended up in the capital (what else is new). After a few flips and pullings of the trigger, the team successfully assassinates one of the many evil men living in the capital. Tatsumi is also able to help Mine as she’s getting attacked by a survivor. Could this be the start of a beautiful romance?

B.W.