Kaze no Stigma 22

Kazuma follows Nanase and Utsumi, to find Pandemonium in Central Park. Kazuma is following an eBay form of attack, where Kazuma will wait until Vernhardt thinks he has won a bid on a cheap boxset of Madlax before sniping the bid at the last second. Then Kazuma plans to destroy Pandemonium and kill Vernhardt while spoiling the plot of Madlax. Ah Vernhardt, you shoulda put Lapis in an evening gown (there is still time).

While Ayano finally gets filled in on how she needs to replace Tsuo Rin in Kazuma’s mind, Yukari is actually doing something useful. A quick online search (odd that there were no ads) turns up the time and location for a big Seed meeting, and Yukari sneaks in to hear Utsumi deliver Vernhardt’s message. With a collared and scandalously-clad Nanase at his side, Utsumi announces that the first person to reach Pandemonium will receive ultimate power. Then Utsumi captures Yukari and goes off to challenge Vernhardt himself.

Just when you think this series can’t slip any lower, it does. The production values in this episode were horrendous, and the artwork was just absolutely terrible. I felt like I was watching StrikerS it was so bad. Anyway, the plan to save Kazuma is the exact same plan that Juugo’s been putting forth the whole season; try to have Kazuma get with Ayano. However, Tsuo Rin captured Kazuma’s heart in like 1 flashback episode, and Ayano’s been floundering for 20+ episodes, so it’s not looking so good. The only thing Ayano has going for her is how cliche this plot has been getting.

Unbelievably, Nanase and Yukari were the highlight of this episode. Nanase’s outfit was pretty humorous, and I was surprised that Utsumi didn’t take the time to fit Yukari into a matching outfit. That would have really made the preview for the next episode exciting. As it stands, Utsumi will probably get swallowed up by evil, and his nerdy power will be no match for Vernhardt. Too bad, cause Utsumi probably would have put Lapis in a slinky outfit as well if he won.