12. "Attack on High Guardian" Episode Review (GREAT)
"Sometimes I miss being a kid, when we didn't have to deal with all this... stuff." - Sage, lamenting her new life at High Guardian Academy
"Sage, Parsley, put out the fires! Thyme, help me catch this asshole!" - Rosemary, commanding her team in the library
"We had some sick moves yesterday, High Guardian Spice. Because of our names." - Rosemary, name-dropping the title of the show at the very end of the episode
"Execution." - Rosemary's mother, Lavender, deciding Mandrake's fate
Much like "Festival of Fall," this episode is at a higher quality than the rest of the show, due to its function as the season one, or series' finale. Much like the second part of the Autumn Processional, the entire plot is action, which is why I can't really talk about it, let alone analyze it.
Being a lengthy, climactic fight scene to end the show, the art and animation are unique to this episode, to emphasize how dramatic it is. When the girls are in the library, they have darker shadows and sharp highlights due to the fire, which also represents the intense conflict, or fiery action between the girls and Mandrake. Even as the fighting takes place outside the library, the action is still tense, as Rosemary and Sage fly through the sky to subdue him.
Mandrake makes his debut, and final appearance on the show; but he has an intimidating appearance and personality. Unlike Olive, who has always hesitated with killing the girls, Mandrake is completely willing to do it. For this reason, he is the polar opposite to her, and why he is merciless.
Either way, the girls are put to a real test, a real challenge that they have never faced before; and in the process, Sage's ponytail, which represents old magic, gets stuck under rubble. To free herself, she literally cuts it off in order to save Rose from Mandrake. Shortly after, she uses new magic to defeat him.
One major criticism I have against the episode is how the entire school is supposedly crammed inside the basement. With the number of students that are actually inside, it just doesn't look like it. Mandrake also managed to convince every single High Guardian Academy student into going there. Not only that, but the basement is made of stone, which does not burn. Additionally, none of the students have water spells, or a way to extinguish the flames. They don't even use new magic to do it. This is stupid because Sage summons water to extinguish the fires in the library. Although speaking of, she would've also damaged the books.
All of this would've made more sense if Mandrake had disguised himself as one of the Triad and then called everyone into the rotunda for an assembly. Afterwards, he seals everyone inside, and then the rest of the episode proceeds as normal. And for some reason, the Triad does not appear in the episode whereas every other staff member does.
Another issue I have is Carroway confronting Mandrake by tackling him to the ground. I don't think he is masculine enough to do this. It's not just the fact that he was born female, but because he is soft-spoken, he is too soft for confrontation, or at least physical confrontation. Ironically, the first thing that the real Carroway would've done is draw his staff and point it at his imposter; i.e. ask questions first.
And lastly, towards the end of the library scene, the blood that comes out of Mandrake looks really bad, but at least the action surrounding it is good enough.
As for anything else, it would've been nice to see Aster again. After all, if he is so macho, he should have taken the lead in saving the students, or fail miserably. Either would be acceptable. I also think it would be cute if Zinnia made a cameo appearance. If she thought the Cave of Vinca was a death trap, imagine how she would react to the entire school catching fire. For both reasons, a bit more continuity could have easily added to the episode.
However, I did not mention the credits, which is a completely different outro that is exclusive to this episode. Rather than the standard one, which is inappropriately used for episodes like "Festival of Fall" and "Scypith," this one is an epilogue, what the girls do for winter break. Not only is it cute and well-detailed, but also tells its own miniature story.
Just like the seasons, the girls themselves change as they transition into a new stage of their life. Sage is the best example, as her new hairstyle represents her willingness to accept or adopt new magic, which saved not only Rosemary and herself, but also the school. For that matter, her haircut might even represent her transition into maturity; after all, she looks older.
Despite being the last episode of the show, this isn't the end of my review series. Unlike Mandrake, I still have to judge the fate (hate?) of High Guardian Spice.
Either attack it well or don't attack at all
previous episode review: Scypith
Part three: the show as a whole