Brave Bang Bravern!

Episode 11

The opening portion of the episode on the beach is far and away the best and most interesting content of this week's episode. Not only do we get to see extraterrestrial robotic lifeforms sampling choice cuts of Terran meat, but we also get to see robots eat food for the first time. Yes folks that's right, not only do we have Bravern tackling Isami to the ground while shouting “I love you!” at the top of his lungs… er, speakers, we also get to see Superbia try delicious fish. The big ridiculous cutaway gag ala Yakitate!! Japan and similar works were a fun bit to throw in here too. It's probably the most realistic use of the tasting-things-creates-visions trope that I've ever seen, given that Superbia has never partaken of food before. As a wise robot once asked, “Why didn't anyone tell me tasting things tasted so good?”

The actual battle sequences were quite exciting too. The giant mom-says-we-have-Potemkin-at-home robot getting punked was pretty funny, and the inclusion of him observing the battle as a decapitated head was a great recurring bit. Superbia and Bravern both got to deliver some rocking giant attacks and I would have been more than happy for the episode to end with them shaking hands and agreeing to go into battle and give it their all in the finale. But of course that's not how it ended, and we are staring down the barrel of the bad ending with Bravern's life blinking out and Isami bloodied. I wasn't surprised - I've seen enough tokusatsu to know that the party night before the final battle is the last moment of joy the cast will experience before somebody dies in the end - but I hope it's a fake out and everyone makes it out. It would be a bummer for these two not to be together in the end.

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Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Brave Bang Bravern! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.