WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. I loved High School DXD Episode 4 and found that the episode quickly raised the stakes. This really feels like Issei’s time to shine. In addition, there was a huge range of well-done emotions.
Looking at the plot, the plot is thickening and quickening. It feels like a moment that the plot can go down two different paths with Asia’s life in grave peril. This definitely feels like Issei’s hero moment and time to shine. It really seems up in the air as to whether Issei will save her or if he’ll fail. Regardless of which one occurs, it’ll clearly have a huge impact on him and stay with him for the rest of the series. It’s also cool to see Rias give Issei a chance to prove himself and is awesome to see Koneko and Kiba working with Issei. This clearly is a “the team of heroes go storming of the fortress” scene, and it’s quite fun. The episode of course ended in a cliffhanger, which thus sets up well for an exciting showdown in the next episode.
High School DXD Episode 4 had lots of character development. Obviously, Issei and Asia developed, and their relationship with each other developed quite a bit as well. It was touching and fun to see their date with each other, and we got to see much of Asia’s fun-loving side. It’s clear the two love each other and care for each other deeply. It also feels more genuine than Issei’s date with Yuuma. Additionally, it’s nice to see Issei get to go on a date with someone who actually loves him for a change. Aside from the romance, Issei is committed to getting stronger and succeeding. He is showing himself to be brave and determined and clearly has lots of heart.
We also got quite a bit of development for Yuuma. She hadn’t shown up for quite a while, so it was interesting to see her appear again, and she now seems eviler than ever. Her actions are clearly wicked and I like her mixture of villainous traits she has going for her: she’s cocky, powerful, evil, cold, calculating, emotionally manipulative, sadistic, power hungry, and very dangerous. Freed Sellzen also got some development and in this episode he showed himself to be more dangerous and skilled than he was portrayed in the last episode.
The emotions in this episode were excellent and wide ranging. Issei’s date with with Asia felt quite emotional; it was beautiful after everything Asia’s been through to see Asia have some fun for once. The confrontation with Yuuma felt very tense and dangerous, with a strong sense of edge built into it. Rias’s concern for Issei was put on full display. It’s excellent that Rias gave Issei a badly needed pep talk on how being a pawn isn’t actually bad but is actually a very good position.
The storming of the fortress scene was very thrilling. The teamwork in the episode is awesome and it’s fantastic to see Koneko and Kiba help out. It shows they are quite brave and caring as well. Though this part is exciting, it’s also infuriating to see how horribly Asia is being treated. The end of the episode felt very sad since it seems they are too late and Asia will die. Helping to invigorate these emotions was also some very well-done music, which changed to reflect the mood of the scene whether it was fun, thrilling, calm, or heartbreaking.
Looking forward, this is definitely the highest point of tension the show has shown so far. There are a lot of things happening and it’s unclear how they will play out. Much of how things turn out will obviously depend on whether Asia lives or dies. Still, it’s important to remember that many other characters also find themselves in danger. I’m looking forward to reviewing the next episode.
High School DXD. Funimation, 2012. Web.