English Dub Review: Ishura “Vanishing Calamity”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Elea and Kia search for Lana the Moon Tempest, and Dakai encounters Nihilo the Vortical Stampede.

Our Take:
The war between Lithia and Aureatia has heated up in a literal sense, thanks to Alus’s sky battle with Regnejee.  With only a couple more episodes left, the series has a shot of concluding its first season with a bang, especially regarding the Shura battles.  Following the epic struggle between the two distinct wyverns, this week’s episode focuses on the other two sets of characters and their fights for survival.  However, the problem standing in their way is the villagers of Mage City, who relentlessly kill anyone deemed a threat.
One is Elea and Kia, who continue their mission to rescue Lana after their brief confrontation with Higuare.  After being rescued by Shalk, the episode develops more of the relationship between Elea and Kia, with the former surrounded by the sorrows of humanity.  However, Kia’s perseverance to help Lana seemed to have ignited more of a spark inside Elea, further emphasizing her perspective on Kia as more than just a tool for her goals.  But the real kicker of the episode occurs after they find Lana, who is traumatized by the horrors of war caused by the Shuras.  Kia willingly exposes her true self to Lana to prevent her from using the Cold Star weapon on the burning town, indicating her goodwill towards others instead of herself.
The episode also featured another thrilling showdown between the Shuras.  This time, it was Dakai the Magpie showcasing his bandit skills against Nihilo and her indestructible spider-bot.  Using the Cold Star weapon and Soujiro’s previous attack to his advantage, Dakai managed to end Nihilo’s rampage by decapitating her.  With this being one of the season’s final episodes, it’s appropriate that it added more stakes and depth to the action and the character moments, with Kia and Elea’s side story being the episode’s highlight regarding the latter.  While some CGI is still involved for Nihilo’s spider-bot, it’s not as bothersome as the hundreds of CGI wyverns in the previous episode.  Those elements make this episode another exciting continuation of the show’s violent climax.