English Dub Review: The Eminence in Shadow “Highest”

Overview

Let the banquet of slaughter begin in the season finale!


Our Take

Ever since the Oriana Kingdom Arc happened, everything has culminated to this moment with a series of unexpected plot twists and revelations. The biggest of these twists comes pretty damn out of left field during the wedding ceremony, but aside from Princess Rose getting some unexpected support, (the cult that Shadow Garden is up against) Everyone is now aware of alternate dimensions that orbit each other like a solar system. It’s apparently an occurrence every millennium where dimensions collide and temporarily fuse which often results in some disastrous and potentially chaotic possibilities.

Some of these twists also reveal that the Cult of Diabolos experimented on Demons resulting in the creation of Diabolos from a human test subject, along with Black Rose, an artificial gateway to other dimensions. Cid hilariously gets bored from what he perceives as a “boss fight”, during his fight with the towering beast known as “Ragnarok”. Mordred in response to this turns demonic, so Cid kills him with an atomic explosion so large it covers the whole planet in light. Unintentionally, it collapses Black Rose, sucking Cid inside and leaving Shadow Garden dumbfounded. When it cuts to the ending, it’s possibly one of the biggest “full circle” moments that call back to Season One that I’ve seen in years, yet I’m left wanting more…

Overall, this was a grandiose way to end the season. I wasn’t sure where this was going to go, or what direction it would take next, but the world has certainly expanded beyond what people have expected from this franchise. The action sequences are well animated, every setup had a well-deserved payoff and I’m left with many questions on the fate of Cid, and whether or not Season 3 becomes a thing since it feels like there are many stories to tell. But if Season 3 does happen, I’d be more than welcome to see where it goes next!