Zetsuen No Tempest – The Greatest Sin

Zetsuen no Tempest sorrowfully triumphs in a second chapter of tragedy unwinding – rather than tell us more of the same tale, we now feel it begin to wrap around us, the irony and suffering of our protagonist.

A flashback greets us, cheerful summer days no different than last seen – our pair of male leads, Mahiro and Yoshino, are present alongside the cute bishoujo who sits at the center of devastation for many, Aika-chan. The girl asks her elder brother Mahiro about kissing – seemingly as if she were teasing by pressing such a subject upon him so blatantly and abrupt. Yet his answer is expected, he simply tells her she’s too young to know anything regarding the matter – however, a bit less anticipated is how Mahiro seems somewhat controlling.

It’s not a shock that Mahiro is highly mindful of his imouto – yet he seems explicitly insistent that she’s forbidden to have a boyfriend, and saying himself that the sole reason for such is that she’s his imouto.

Clearly unjust is it for him to treat her akin to an object and give her demands rather than advice when it comes to matters of love – however, that’s a separate matter in itself, our main focus is merely the fact that we see Mahiro is such a person. Not forgetting our learned details of last episode, Aika-chan does actually have a boyfriend against her brother’s wishes – and incidentally, it is the fellow’s best friend, Yoshino, a “forbidden romance” one would call it.

Flashback still ongoing, it ends as we see Yoshino receive a message from Aika-chan mentioning how the two will both share their first kiss – her visage seen smiling before fading off.

And now, we return to reality – a realm which seems painful regardless of awaiting fate.

Yoshino follows after his friend who leads him to “the place where it all began” – a place which is presumably the Mahiro household. As per the deal between Mahiro and voluptuous mage bishoujo, the latter will be aiding the former in a hunt for the murderer responsible for the killing of Aika-chan – and it appears the two are now set to uncover their first clue towards finding the suspect in question, Yoshino merely tagging along in woeful, yet silent and camouflaged misery.

Mild discussion ensues, and first Yoshino receives a slight explanation of the current situation – of which the most crucial points sum up to be that besides the already known war against an arrogant antagonist, Samon, it is through assorted talismans that Yoshino will gain the magics to make this fight possible. These talismans carry limited use – yet what power they do pack is certainly potent, and Mahiro provides a few to Yoshino before giving him words of goodbye.

Mahiro tells his friend he needn’t stick around, repeatedly mentioning Yoshino’s girlfriend and how Yoshino shouldn’t worry her – totally oblivious to the truth behind that matter. Yet it’s made even worse by his further asserting that Yoshino can head out without thinking much of leaving him behind under the believed reasoning that Aika-chan and Yoshino didn’t get along too well – and then Mahiro makes a final farewell statement by telling his buddy to introduce him to his girlfriend next time.

Irony of a brutal sear and sting more punishing than volcanic discharge simply pools around us and our protagonist alike – and Yoshino seems to be only short of sustaining his humanity when feeling the striking pain brought about by this matter. It’s made very clear this episode that whilst Mahiro is sadistically set on vengeance – he’s unaware that his friend, Yoshino, is reveling in just as much, if not more, horrific sentiments, although containing them within.

Our protagonists split paths as Yoshino heads off alone – although he remains lonesome not for long as the unemployed yet certainly asset equipped 28-year-old bishoujo makes her reappearance. She attempts another assault upon our lead male – only to find that he’s frightening, a fellow unafraid to kill, and one who actually managed to bring her only short of death. He seems to decide on sparing her life – at which point, he strikes a deal with her.

Now while an exchange of interests and capabilities is made, as to what either party is giving or receiving, that is something we’re unfortunately not told.

Much like the last episode, despite there being a solid foundation, an understood basis for where our character stand, the fascinating and formidable facet is that we still remain with zero foresight of what further exploits are to unfold. The series carries potential for a plentiful development to take place – and similarly, the current foundation could also be rewritten with the reveal of more truths.

As it stands, now both our characters have come to affiliate with bishoujos – each with a separate purpose, somewhat shared ideology, and uncertain goals. Yoshino’s desires are unknown – and Mahiro’s wish of revenge seems less an act to please his dead sister so much as it is merely, yet again, almost as if he were viewing her as an object. Mahiro seems foremost confounded that “justice” looks to be distorted – and this is why he so vehemently seeks to reap retribution, to right the wrong according to his own perception.

On that note, a thought to be concerned with is whether Mahiro will encounter an impasse – seeing as how the series showed Yoshino to be unwavering with weapons, imagine if it were indeed Yoshino who murdered his own girlfriend and best friend’s sister, Aika-chan. While the implications are there, that seems doubtful – and more than likely, it could be that Yoshino is merely lying when he seems passive in regards to Aika’s death.

Yoshino may very well be burning with fires of hate towards Aika’s murderer – and regardless of what he says, he may intend to unleash those flames. Yet surely, the ending is bound to bring these two companions together, whatever it may hold, as they share the same broken yet fiery soul after all.

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