The plot twist at the end of the first season of Magic Knight Rayearth really took me by surprise during my childhood, and I even thought this was the definitive ending of the series when I saw it by the first time.
Prior episodes basically established Zagato as your typical evil overlord trying to conquer the world, and after his defeat in the previous episode, one would think the only thing left to add was a happy conclusion.
But no. Instead, a harsh truth is finally revealed, and tragedy unleashes as the three main heroines learn their real mission all along was to kill the same person they believed were going to save.
A very tragic, emotional finale for the first half of this anime series. Amazing how as a kid I didn't notice (Or didn't care) about all the hints about Zagato's true intentions. I mean, he is still a villain for trying to kill three teenage girls in cold blood and putting the world at risk, but his love story is still pretty moving anyway.
Many shows from childhood were not afraid of going into very dark places. But they were far memorable precisely because of that.
Thankfully the series continued, because it would have been such a bitter way to end the story like this.
Prior episodes basically established Zagato as your typical evil overlord trying to conquer the world, and after his defeat in the previous episode, one would think the only thing left to add was a happy conclusion.
But no. Instead, a harsh truth is finally revealed, and tragedy unleashes as the three main heroines learn their real mission all along was to kill the same person they believed were going to save.
A very tragic, emotional finale for the first half of this anime series. Amazing how as a kid I didn't notice (Or didn't care) about all the hints about Zagato's true intentions. I mean, he is still a villain for trying to kill three teenage girls in cold blood and putting the world at risk, but his love story is still pretty moving anyway.
Many shows from childhood were not afraid of going into very dark places. But they were far memorable precisely because of that.
Thankfully the series continued, because it would have been such a bitter way to end the story like this.
