After returning from his adventures in Creacity, Ryuga finds the mountain pass leading to Line City transformed into a vast desert. Reuniting with Rian, he discovers that the Eastern Region has fallen into crisis after the Horror Garzas spread his Inga-infused sand across the land. Complicating the spiritual balance either further is the status of Priestess Ryume, who has encased herself in a cocoon as the dragon bound to the East approaches its 500-year reincarnation.
The reincarnation means that Ryume's time as Watcher has come to pass, and a new one from the Dragon Clan must be chosen. With his armour in desperate need of purification, Ryuga must defend the frontier town of Sagan without the help of the golden knight. Meanwhile as the search for a new Watcher begins, Rian is faced with the truth of her past - and the ultimate decision.
From its very first episode it's clear that Sentinel of the East is a series with big ideas. Of course the long awaited reunion between Ryuga and Rian is the centrepiece, but it also introduces many other concepts - shifting the scene to a sandy wasteland courtesy of an all-powerful Horror. It begins to expand upon the lore surrounding Ryume, a character first introduced all the way back in Gold Storm. On top of that, the need to purify the Garo armour effectively takes the golden knight out of commission - something that immediately puts Ryuga at a disadvantage against this brand new foe. And if all that wasn't enough, a mysterious Hagane armour appears battling both friend and foe. Together with several new character introductions it's a lot to take in, and the episode itself is certainly atmospheric - the barren desert a harsh departure from the vibrant locations featured in Heir to Steel Armor. It promises big things, and with a mere eight episodes to play with its already at quite the disadvantage. Unfortunately in many cases Sentinel of the East struggles to deliver on these promises and not just because of the running time either, the series also making several other puzzling decisions along the way.
First there's the visual aspect. In crafting the distinct wasteland in which the story takes place, Sentinel of the East makes heavy use of greenscreen technology alongside physical set pieces that the actors are then able to work off of. In some respects it works well, leaning into a more fantastical setting for this GARO instalment without (for the most part) looking too obvious and/or distracting. However as the episodes pass, the emptiness it is trying to portray feels less atmospheric and more just...empty. The scenery feels bland, the only real difference between scenes being the fluttering between orange and blue lighting depending on what time of day it is. On the rare occasion it does move the action away from Sagan, it's for scenes that require a more elaborate form of CGI.
With Rian returning to Ryuga's side after her absence in the previous series, there was also the hope that this would be a strong return to form for "Ryuga-verse" GARO - their relationship having been a defining part of previous series. Their reunion shows that nothing has changed during their time apart, and the pair quickly slip back into the dynamic that helped make both characters so engaging. Each have their own individual strengths, but its when they're together that the pair truly shine. Which is why it's all the more baffling that Sentinel of the East keeps them apart for such a significant chunk of its runtime, especially when it's revealed that this might also be their final adventure together. Despite the first episode toying with fans' hopes at the suggestion Rian is not from the Dragon Clan (and thus not suitable to become Ryume's successor), it doesn't take long for the series to walk back that notion and make its intentions clear. Rian is to become the next Sentinel of the East, a 500-year mission that will see her having to leave Ryuga's side. While there's nothing fundamentally wrong with that character trajectory other than an opposing desire to just see the pair together and happy given everything they've gone through, if this is to be their last adventure together then they should at the very least be together for it. Instead Ryuga is largely paired off with new character Lector to deal with the threat of Garzas alone while Rian explores the Dragon Clan aspect alone. The fleeting moments they have together are enjoyable, but its only in the final episode that we truly see them fight together once more.
The whole Dragon Clan aspect also feels underserved despite being the main crux of the story. The additions it makes to the overall lore are interesting, but feels more like infodump than a natural progression. Even if one were to overlook all of the backstory Sentinel of the East gives to Ryume without her even being in the series properly, it's the way it speeds through Rian's development that's more frustrating. On top of the aforementioned flip-flopping, everything about her past and the realisation of the role she now has to play happens in a flash. One episode sees Rian trapped in alternate reality where a manifestation of her own weaknesses prays upon her, but outside of that it never really feels like the weight of Rian's decision is fully addressed. Instead of the internal struggle that could have come from Rian wrestling between continuing to travel with Ryuga and accepting the solitary mission of Sentinel, there's just an immediate acceptance of what is ultimately a rather poignant fate.
The decision to put the Garo armour out of action is another aspect that sounds interesting in theory, with Ryuga initially unable to transform at all and then calling upon the armour of a fallen knight in its place. The latter part comes with its own interesting bits of lore, such as the armour fighting with the lingering will of its previous master as well as the notion that Ryuga might not be able to control it. However neither aspect really go anywhere, and after a momentary struggle the only difference from a normal fight scene is just the armour he's wearing. With Ryuga having grown so much over the course of his adventures it would have been an interesting to see the now fully competent Makai Knight slightly on the back foot again, but instead the Revenant Armour just feels like an unnecessary diversion away from the main story.
It isn't all just missed opportunities though, as Sentinel of the East still manages to introduce a great selection of new characters that make a fine addition to the GARO mythos. Though he's naturally no replacement for Rian, Lector definitely stands out as the best of the bunch and works really well as Ryuga's new partner (much to Ryuga's behest). Both a little bit silly and a little bit cowardly, Lector is a nice change of pace to the usual kind of Makai Priest we see in the show, though behind the silliness lies a good (if somewhat underdeveloped) story of sacrifice and vengeance. Whilst this is overcome within the series, he's the kind of character you could see potentially reappearing in future instalments if only for more of his banter with the golden knight. On the other side of things Elmina is a more typical Makai Priest from the outset, but her story features a few little story beats that stops it being a predictable antagonist from within the Makai Order's ranks. It's nothing huge, but a slight change in circumstance as well as an ongoing chance at redemption go a long way in making Elmina's story arc feel slightly different from similar ones GARO has done in the past. Other side characters such as elder Priestess Hiden, Lector's former apprentice Ayura and Ryume's attendants Liselle and Sierra fill out the cast nicely, but none really have room within the story to truly stand out.
Additionally although the over-reliance on digital sets might feel like something of a downgrade, when it comes to costume and monster design the show remains on point. It's not even a case of saving its best until last either, the opening episode immediately impressive with the appearance of Zagdam - a grotesque composite Horror made up of all manner of mechanical parts and industrial debris. Not only is the suit design incredible, but the suitmation for its accompanying fight scenes is spectacular. Similar what the Sand King Garzas lacks in characterisation he certainly makes up for in looks, the costume again brimming in detail and invoking a presence that's worthy of a "Bringer of Destruction". Compared to these two the all-CGI Aquas feels much lesser in design, but her abilities make her an interesting foe - as well as an example of the show using its near-apocalyptic setting in a memorable way.
One thing you can be certain GARO never slouches on is choreography, and while Ryuga's swordplay remains as impressive as ever the Makai Priest element is just as enjoyable, particularly with the return of Rian's signature gun-fu style of spell-casting. Fights may feel a little more fleeting in Sentinel of the East, but that certainly isn't to say they feel any less a part of it. Pay off certainly comes in the form of the show's final episode as well, with a renewed Golden Knight and newly powered up Rian working together to defeat Garzas in the kind of fight scene that not only delivers the spectacle but is also the kind of teamwork the whole show should have been featuring.
GARO: Sentinel of the East could, and should, have been something brilliant - a grand reunion of the Ryuga-verse's most enduring characters and a fond farewell to their partnership. But through a combination of a criminally short runtime and inability to fully engage with its ideas, it instead comes off as much less. Had Ryuga and Rian spent more time together then its ending might not feel so bittersweet, giving them one last hurrah rather than relying on the now distant memories of their previous adventures. Even if we do see them together again in a future instalment, Sentinel of the East makes it quite clear that it's not going to be the same. There are some good ideas buried in the sand here, but overall it's lacking that usual GARO magic.
1 comment:
Nice review. Off-topic: your Macross Delta movie review isn't in the Anime Reviews
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