Summary
Warning: This contains spoilers for Undead Murder Farce, Episode 12, “Where the River’s Flow Changes,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
People fear monsters with the same ease with which they come to empathize with them in stories because fear of the archetypal “other” is something that is generally understood to be venomous. Monsters can kill people, but they can just as often be victims of prejudice, thus breeding complex stories of hatred within society, something thatUndead Murder Farceis tackling quite adeptly.
Last week’s episode was mostly about Shizuku, who found herself in the middle of Wolphinhel, discovering that the murders happening there were identical to the ones in the human village. In the end, as Aya, Shinuchi, and the Royce agents were descending the mountain, Frankenstein appeared, seemingly hinting at a fight to come, when in actuality, it was the complete opposite.
RELATED:10 Fantasy Anime To Watch If You Love Undead Murder Farce
Love and Monsters
Victor Frankensteinseems to have two modes within popular depictions. Either he is just a towering zombie, or he is an individual with subtle complexities and a fair deal of intelligence. Given how few words he’s spoken thus far in the series, one might have assumed the story was leaning in the former direction, but it was such a refreshing relief to see it lean toward the latter.
There’s something about people who are supposed to be enemies supporting one another that is inherently satisfying, because not only does it subvert expectations, it informs character on both sides. Victor and Aya might technically be enemies, but they seem to both agree that the Royce agents are a common foe. So he was kind enough to slip in and get them away from the pesky white-clad monster hunters.
It’s not entirely a selfless gesture of course - Victor still wants the location of the villageand the Penultimate Night as collateralto see if their directions are accurate. But he gives them the assurance that since Carmilla is with him, their group can’t interfere until nightfall. Rather than starting the episode with a big fight, the scene feels far more valuable, as it actually makes Victor seem somewhat likable, almost the voice of reason among a coterie of villains.
The Royce Problem
As entertaining as this show has been, the Royce agents have so far been the worst thing about it. Across the past two storylines, they’ve lacked a considerable amount of depth compared to every other character. From a design standpoint, they feel like they’re from a different show, and they’re generally unlikable. Alice Rapidshot and Kyle Chaintail are only marginally better than the last two by virtue of having better character designs.
But to that last point, their unlikability doesmake them very easy to hate, which feels fitting given where the story is headed. Episode 12 culminates with Alice and Kyle leading the human villagers directly into Wolphinhel, slaughtering everything in their path. They’re brutal, battle-ready bigots who are only there to kill werewolves because they’re different. If the objective is to garner hatred for them, then mission accomplished, but it also makes them incredibly shallow.
There’s this attitude that if a villain is hated, then the villain has accomplished their goal because villains are supposed to be hated. The problem with this train of thought is that it can all-too-easily eschew the necessity fora character to be fleshed out and nuanced, which the Royce agents certainly aren’t. At best, the story is making the most out of a bad situation by pitting the members of Banquet against the Royce agents.
As the end credits play in the background, the show very clearly lines up the fights for the season finale like it’s a pay-per-view event. Not only is Shizuku having a rematch against Carmilla, but Victor is fighting Kyle while Aleister Crowley battles Alice. Shizuku can finally get back at Carmilla, and the good villains can (hopefully) wipe the floor with the bad ones while Aya solves the case, assuming that the truth can repair the damage already done.
To Err Is Human (And They’re Really Pushing It)
If the Royce agents weren’t already unlikable, the villagers of Heulendorf have only made themselves look worse since the start. AsAya presses Gustav about Louise’s childhood, his wife Deborah breaks down in tears, believing that they’re being punished. When Louise was four years old, they tried abandoning her in the woods, because a girl in a wheelchair was a burden.
Jutte saved Louise, but then Louse outed Jutte and her mother to prove she was useful. It was a cruel but smart play by a scared but clever girl to save herself from an even crueler village that would eradicate anyone who was different, much less those who couldn’t be of use. Perhaps there’s more beyond that - it certainly seems like whatever Aya had Vera dig up is the bombshell that reveals everything.
Granted, it’s not as though the inhabitants of Wolphinhel are saints, seeing as their idea of a trial is based entirely on whatever vibes the old woman in charge gets from the defendant.Whoever is behind the murders is motivated by revenge- an act of revenge which does not discriminate between human or werewolf, and is content to watch both be eviscerated.
Still, it’s hard not to feel bad for the werewolves. For all of this show’s mystery genre trappings, it’s often an examination of the archetypal other, something that the classic monster stories - from which this show often borrows - were all about. Another week, another solid outing forUndead Murder Farce, and hopefully the finale will be even better.
MORE:Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is the Franchise At Its Peak
