Episode 5, “Mended and Broken,” of Onyx Equinox premiered this week. For those just jumping in, I will be doing a spoiler-free review for each episode of the new Crunchyroll Original Onyx Equinox as they release. For anyone who is a fan of indigenous Mexican culture, you will want to check this one out. We left off last episode with another gate closed, and another character—Zyanya—added to the party. Before we jump in, let’s start with the episode synopsis.
Synopsis
As the group heads for Danibaan, one of them suffers a horrifying injury. With nowhere left to turn, they seek help from a mysterious healer.
For starters, this episode was great. “Mended and Broken” is definitely the best episode yet. In this episode, we get a chance to spend some time with the characters we have met. Their relationships are further established when they find a common goal outside of closing the gates. The episode also has some great humor, as the episode begins with the twins giving Izel the business. The action is also on-point, and gory as always, as the group runs into some mystical monkeys.
Review
It is often said that a TV series should be given five episodes to really find its footing. If I were to apply this rule to Onyx Equinox, then I would say it passes. The creators have a good understanding of their characters, the animation is consistent, and the plot is moving along now. My earlier critiques of the show involved the slow pacing of the plot, but I attributed this to the fact that we were still only a few episodes in. Plus, we are still not sure how many episodes we will get from this season.
RELATED: Onyx Equinox Episode 4 Review (Spoiler-Free)
One critique that I am sticking with is the dialogue–it has only slightly improved. There seem to be less awkward pauses and interactions between the characters, however, the profanity is in excess. There is a common critique of profane language that it is only used when one cannot think of anything better to say. In other words, it is easy. I believe when used in the right context, and sparingly, it can be very comedic and heighten a situation as needed. My suggestion is that the vulgarity is limited to just the twins, but every character seems to use it. I would be willing to accept that this language is a symptom of the world they are living in. But, I would need to see this case made as we progress.
Conclusion
That being said, I am still enjoying the direction this show is heading in. I look forward to Izel continuing to develop into a more capable protagonist. This episode definitely gave us some much-needed character development from everyone. And also opened up the possibilities of this ancient world as the healer displayed some remarkable abilities.
What do you guys think of Onyx Equinox so far? Are you watching any other anime at the moment?
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