Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]

I’m still thrilled at the prospect of Cloteaux, the Black Horseman, being embedded within the group of perceived friendlies.

The exchange between Arago and Cloteaux doesn’t seem to have alerted Arago, who could stand to be a bit more discerning about who to trust.

Cloteaux staring intently at Coco potentially indicates a motive of his involving her. Kidnapping is the obvious choice, as it’s someone close enough to Arago that Cloteaux could threaten to bring Brionac closer, but it’s also such an obvious choice that it would be a little unimaginative of an otherwise creative author to rely on such a crutch.

Hello there, shonen hero. You’re looking dangerously like Tsuna in this shot, complete with Dying Will Flame. Cut back on that a little, would you?

As long as it isn't Reverse Resolve

Seth’s explanation, understanding, and coaching of the Brionac power makes me think Arago is going to be considerably stronger not too long from now. That’s exciting news for those of you who follow The Great Shonen Tier List, but it’s also somewhat worrisome, as much of the charm of Arago’s battles comes from the clever application of the limited Brionac ability. AR∀GO is not at all a generic shonen battle series, and the writing could suffer greatly if Arago becomes too much like a stereotypical overpowered shonen hero.

Not all shonen characters should have beam attacks

For being coy about his motives and his status in relation to Arago, Seth sure is proactively analytical about Arago. Granted, this is giving him an opportunity to learn about the power he’s chasing after, but it’s still amusing to see a character as intentionally distant as Seth drawing up detailed diagrams.

Arago is getting a named finishing move? What is this, Gintama?

Cloteaux’s new golem is appropriately fearsome, and it certainly makes an instant impact, ripping Arago to shreds. This will surely be a test of the regeneration ability of Brionac, and it’s enough of a dire and urgent situation to put Brionac to the ultimate test, especially considering how worn out Arago is from training.

Final Flash: Interesting insight on Brionac, great Seth moments, and a good villain, but a little too close to formulaic shonen for this series.