Gleipnir, Episode 11: This Bloody Road Remains a Mystery

Shuuichi’s group returns from their adventure in the mountains. The Gatherers reflect on the origins of their coin collecting quests.

Episode 11 – “The Price of Resolve”

Hmm.

What a disappointing Gleipnir episode. We learned Shuuichi’s buddy Abukawa died because he was part of Madoka’s group, but all we saw was a blackened hand holding a Star Coin to prove it. His membership solved the question of why he hung out with sketchy guys, but why was he mutilating animals and burying them? And what did he even look like with his powers activated? Then the blindfolded samurai guy told Shuuichi that Madoka died in the poisonous fire, but we didn’t see that happen. Blind Samurai claimed he was the only one to survive out of the whole group and then Shuuichi shot him in the back.

Was that scene supposed to be a pivotal moment for Shuuichi’s morality? Because Gleipnir showed that guy trying to escape while vowing murder. That feels like Shuuichi’s fight with him wasn’t over yet and it was justifiable self-defense. Ikeuchi’s outcome is some missed phone calls. It’s clear that Gleipnir’s production crew made editing decisions for the adaptation and they presented many plot developments through character dialogue. Like how Shuuichi knows he has memory holes. When did he figure that out?

The part of the show that had me rolling my eyes the most was how the Beautiful Blonde Boy alien doubled down on how lazy he was. He didn’t know how to repair the ship and figured his best bet was gathering his scattered people in stasis and hoped to find someone in charge to help him. At this stage in Gleipnir’s story, it feels like he spent too much time reading trashy manga before the tragic Honoka character talked to him about those Star Coins.

Honoka’s introduction was the best part of the episode. Not when she first met the lazy BBB, but when she appeared as the wild-haired boy’s partner to guard the alien ship’s crash site. The picture on her phone she showed BBB heavily suggests that the first six Coin Collectors paired up as three super monsters. I want Gleipnir to show me what led up to the big falling out, why Elena and Shuuichi aren’t partners anymore, and which girl is the supervillain with big boobs. I’m still hedging my bets on Clair having memory holes too, because she’s the mysterious girlfriend type with a confirmed set of huge knockers. This is how I’m disguising my plea for Gleipnir to give us more hard nipples on big boobs. It’s a simple wish that should not require finding a Star Coin.

Heh.

Wow, so much plot in this episode, Gleipnir skipped the opening credit sequence. BBB still just lying around reading manga. It’s clear he has alien ethics because he’s unconcerned about all the deaths between the Gatherers. He just wants the Star Coins. This scene was a waste of time for us and Elena. We already know she’s not a pure monster and has conflicted feelings from her conversation over the phone with Chihiro, which was a better scene because she only had skimpy panties on and a towel around her neck.

Back to the oleander brushfire from last week’s Gleipnir episode. The kids made it out of the mountains and went their separate ways. Chihiro doesn’t like Clair being touchy-feely with Shuuichi. I wonder if she saw something else in his memories when they fused besides the missing Elena. Oh? They can’t reach Ikeuchi on his phone? I wonder why… After all that, Miku still needs to work the nightshift at the convenience store. Strange. Sayaka can’t tell when one of her hair chokers activates. She feels guilty that Ikeuchi is missing. Miku makes her move to “heat her up.” Boo. Denied. For now. Also strange: how covered up Sayaka dresses in real life.

Aw. Isao is a good kid. He didn’t want to kill people with his plants. He’s also worried about Shuuichi and his messed-up memories about the Yamada Cram School. There’s a noticeable drop in Gleipnir’s animation quality. The color palette looks flat on the characters, their faces are off-spec, and there are continuity errors. Where the hell is Shuuichi’s backpack? We’re back to schmaltzy music for this scene between Clair and Shuuichi. Wait, what? Shuuichi claims he has memory gaps from when he got his powers. When did he call it that before? Didn’t he think he just woke up being able to turn into a mascot costume and he didn’t need his glasses anymore? Uh, Shuuichi isn’t the only one with holes right now. He’s got them in his memory while Gleipnir has them in its plot.

Clair is still Clair. She teases Shuuichi with fooling around after going to the movies. Spotting Elena interrupted their dating plans earlier in the Gleipnir season. Nice jealous pout! Helmet Girl did heavy petting with him, so why not her?

And Helmet Girl goes to their school. They never saw Chihiro before? Here comes the result of Abukawa’s strange behavior from past episodes — he was on Team Madoka and died in the oleander brushfire. No explanation of the animal mutilation, though. Shuuichi noticed he was missing from school, but not Ikeuchi. Figures.

This is too much of a leap for me. Shuuichi asks BBB why he chose a mascot costume for his powers, but earlier we saw Elena giving him the nanomachine energy drink in a flashback. Show your work, Gleipnir. Don’t skip steps. Oh good. Blind Samurai from Gorilla Guy’s group is going to make drama. BBB claims the Star Coin Collecting has taken on a life of its own. He was never in control of it from the start.

Nice. Shuuichi smelled Blind Samurai and led him to a junkyard. Let’s get it on! Blind Samurai says he wants revenge because he’s the only one left alive from Madoka’s gang. Clair, without powers, was Gleipnir’s ultimate monster in the mountains. Blind Samurai miscalculated Shuuichi’s powers. He thought he couldn’t fight without a pilot. Incorrect. Bah. Fight interrupted. Coward tries to run away while promising revenge, but Shuuichi shot him in the back. There’s no honor in a street fight for survival. Shuuichi repeats he’s not the main character of Gleipnir. It’s good for the hero to be modest.

Okay. Flashbacks to the beginning of the Star Coin Collecting. A girl named Honoka met an octopus alien… Nah. BBB was just kidding around. Gleipnir shied away from more tentacle groping. BBB is a lazy piece of crap who hates his alien friends. This Honoka girl started the whole thing. She suggested the vending machine, granting wishes, and superpowers like in manga.

Back to the present. The first six Super Friends went to Yamada Cram School and Honoka, or whatever remains of her, is protecting the alien ship crash site. I only have two questions. Does she have 100 Star Coins? And how big are her boobs?

Gleipnir streams weekly on Funimation.