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Pretear Episodes

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Episode 11: Eyes of Glass

Details

The Synopsis

Natsue orders thousands of Missing Person posters spread out all over the city. It's been three days and they still haven't found anything. Kaoru walks through the streets in a depressed mood, wondering what kind of father would lose his own child. Oblivious to the people, Himeno, currently as the Light Pretear, rushes around the city trying to destroy all the demon larvae that keep coming in droves. She takes a rest at a bridge, where she meets the other Leafe knights. Kei warns her that she can't be afraid to faight Sasame when the time comes since he is now their enemy whether they like it or not. Himeno tells him she understands.
Back in the Awayuki household, Mayune is creating yet another trap for Himeno's return - these look rather like cockroach traps to me xD. She orders Tanaka to be her test subject or she will tell her mother about "that" (though what "that" is is never specified). Poor Tanaka goes through the gauntlet and loses miserably, and immediately obeys Mayune's orders to create another 200 of those traps when she treatens to tell about "that" again.
Back in her room, Mawata listens obsessively to Sasame's tape recordings. Books float in the air as her emotions get high. She calls out for Sasame to help her.
Himeno and the others are staying at the old church where Takako first transformed into Fenrir. Himeno can't sleep, and goes outside to think. Hayate notices her missing, and comes out to join her. He apologizes to her for making her go through all this pain. They come to a near-kissing moment...and are interrupted by the sound of a soda can rolling at the stairway. Hayate covers Himeno with his jacket and tells her to get some rest because she will need it again.
Fenrir sits atop a tall building watching the city lights when Sasame approaches her. She gets frustrated and tells him bluntly that she is using him to steal all the Leafe in the world. Sasame simply tells her he understands that, but he would be a fool to lie to himself any longer. Fenrir tells him to get out of her sight, and he does. She runs back to him and they embrace.
Sasame visits Mawata in her room, and tells her to come join him, that he and she are one and the same. At first, Mawata is hesitant and refuses, but later she takes his hand.
While battling a demon larva at the site where Himeno and Mawata had talked once, Himeno suddenly remembers Mawata's words about how being alone is good because you don't get hurt and nobody else gets hurt. She suddenly realizes that Mawata's in danger, and tells the others that they have to get to Awayuki's as soon as possible. When they get there, they find that Fenrir has been there and scattered demon larvae all over the grounds. The group makes quick work of them, and Himeno's transformation and role as protector shocks her family. Himeno tells her family that she doesn't have time to explain, and that she needs to find Mawata right away. Her frantic words are cut off by Sasame, who is standing with Mawata by his side on the roof.
The Awayukis are shocked and tell Mawata to come down to them. Sasame tells them that she will if she wants to. Mawata then shouts at her family, telling them about how they never thought of her even once, and how she was always alone, hiding her true self and in pain because of it. The Awayukis apologize to no avail. Fenrir appears above them and Sasame turns toward her. He flies up to her and the two of them embrace, much to Mawata's pained confusion. Sasame tells Mawata that he will now fulfill his promise to set her free, and kisses Fenrir. Mawata cracks, and goes into a state of speechless shock.
Fenrir bends down to Mawata and "takes her heart," holding it close and admiring it for its beautiful color of despair. She wraps the glowing globe around Mawata's still form, and announces proudly that "this is the source that powers the Great Tree of Fenrir." With that, a great and hideous tree grows, rooting itself to both Earth and sky.
Mawata, encased in a cocoon-like globe, is nestled within the core of the Great Tree.

The Review

The final breaking of Mawata's character happens in this episode. It also seems that Sasame's current actions are pretty much destroying the sweet and peaceful image of his former self.
The one bad part about this episode that really stood out was the horrible art used in the scene where the Great Tree was growing. It looked like a flashback to the first days of Godzilla - when horror films liked to shake images of nasty creatures on the movie screen. Ick.
Other than that though, there is a great deal of character development in this episode that made it a good watch.

Screenshots