Sparks of Tomorrow Episode 7 Review: A Chase That Breaks Belief
The review argues the show's thematic strengths cannot compensate for characters who remain too undefined for their motivations to land.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Anime News Network rates Sparks of Tomorrow episode 7 at 3.5. The review finds the escape plot, where Inako's sister substitutes for her at a betrothal ceremony despite being much taller, hard to believe. Kengo Kuga's sudden decision to help Sasaki and Inako feels unmotivated, since his character was poorly defined until now.
The chase episode of Sparks of Tomorrow leans on a ruse that the review cannot accept: Inako's sister stands in at the betrothal ceremony even though she is a foot and a half taller, a disguise that would not buy the main characters any time.
Kengo Kuga nearly catches Sasaki and Inako on their riverboat, then switches sides when Sasaki again brings up his brother Seiroku, Kengo's war buddy. The review notes this is the fifth time Sasaki has used that reminder. The problem is that Kengo has been defined only by his loyalty to Inako's sister and her family, so his change of heart reads as the plot resolving itself rather than a character reaching a decision.
The episode does include a lavishly animated chase sequence, and its cliffhanger promises to reveal the relationships of nearly half the cast. The review says those characters have been too undefined for that promise to matter yet.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Sparks of Tomorrow Episode 7