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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 9 Review

There are many reasons why fans of The Owl House love Amity Blight. She’s powerful, smart, and while she came off mean at first, she’s actually just lonely due to her abusive parents. However, another reason she’s so popular might be due to her being voiced by Mae Whitman, AKA the voice of Katara from Avatar: the Last Airbender. Comparisons were inevitably made, but now that she’s changed for the better thanks to Luz, those comparisons have only gotten stronger. And in this week’s episode, “Eclipse Lake”, we see just how much of Katara Amity’s now channeling.

It’s as amazing as you’d expect.

Amity’s Mission is So Katara

What are some adjectives used to describe Katara from Avatar? She’s powerful, smart, motherly, and protective. And while Amity may not have the motherly aspect down (yet), Amity Blight’s shown all of these qualities. And this week, they’re on full display as she takes center stage.

Thanks to Eda’s Mom, the Owl House Gang knows the key to opening a doorway to Earth is through Titan’s Blood. Now, thanks to the Echo Mouse, they learn of a site called Eclipse Lake where Phillip Wittebane once found it. The only problem is Luz is sick with the Common Mold. It’s like a cold, only it causes fungi to grow on her at the end. As a result, Amity takes it upon herself to find the Titan’s Blood for her and thus help her girlfriend. Which is what she refers to herself as. LUMITY IS CANON, PEOPLE!

From the start, Amity’s actions exude a lot of influence from Katara. Case in point, she now carries around a bottle of abomination goo that she magically draws from in combat, much like Katara’s Waterbending. However, unlike Katara, Amity’s motives aren’t as good as they should be.

Hunter’s Own Motives

It’s bad enough that the Emperor’s Coven is present at Eclipse Lake, but Hunter also makes his presence known. He’s trying to beat Kikimura (who’s losing it after trying to kill Hunter) and find the Titan’s blood for his “Uncle”. As a result, he inevitably comes into conflict with Amity’s group.

It’s at this point, the Katara parallel’s intensify. In the Season Two finale of Avatar, she and Prince Zuko ended up bonding over their shared trauma in an underground, green colored cave, only for Zuko to reject her kindness in the end. The exact same scenario plays out here, right down to Hunter’s motivation. He seeks to redeem himself in the eyes of Emperor Belos, while Amity seeks to prove herself to Luz. In Amity’s case, though, she comes to realize that she doesn’t need to prove herself to Luz, because Luz loves her for who she is. In contrast, it’s heavily implied that Belos only sees Hunter as a tool for some grand scheme. But more on that in a moment.

While it’s discovered that Eclipse Lake dried up years ago, there is still some left in the key to the portal, which Amity has on her. An epic fight ensues, and once more, the animation kicks it into high gear! In the end, Hunter makes off with the key, though Amity inadvertently cracked it, leaking some Titan’s Blood onto her glove. Now, both sides have the means to power a portal.

But, just what does Belos have planned for Hunter?

Belos’ True Plans for Hunter

Belos claims that the Titan has big plans for Hunter, but knowing him, they can’t be good. This week’s episode, though, may have given us our biggest clue.

At one point in the shows opening, we see a book with a page turned to something called a “Grimwalker.” And the ingredients for it correspond to items found in previous episodes. More importantly, though, the resulting being would look a lot like Hunter. Is Hunter meant to be a sacrifice for the ritual in the Day of Unity.

In addition, this episode marks the first time we see Belos without his mask. He’s just an old man with a plant-based marking on his face. One might not even be able to tell of his potentially sinister intentions. However, it’s that very appearance that makes him so dangerous. Moreover, he’s said to have been to Earth, which explains his desire to return so badly.

Something Big is Coming

We only have one episode left of The Owl House before the series goes on break, but the hype for the show has never been higher. If the episode synopsis for next week is right, then Luz may finally return to Earth, only to confront the fake Luz. In other words, things are going to be big, and I can’t wait!

I Give “Eclipse Lake” a 4.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1021 Review/Recap

Nico Robin, AKA the “Devil Child” of Ohara. By far one of the smartest of the protagonists, she’s also one of the more under appreciated members of the Straw Hats. Unless fan service is somehow involved, then not so much.

The fact remains that, while she’s physically one of the weaker Straw Hats, Robin’s value isn’t diminished. And in this chapter, she not only proves herself to be as deadly as her friends, she lives up to her nickname of “Devil Child”.

Recap

The battle between Robin and Black Maria begins in earnest. Thanks to her powers, the two seem evenly matched, but Maria discovers a major weakness in Robin’s powers. Anything that hits her cloned body parts will hurt her. As a result of that, the spider woman pushes Robin into a corner, all while mocking her for how weak she and Sanji are. That’s the biggest mistake she could’ve made.

Robin remembers her two years of training with Koala, Sabo, and the Revolutionary Army. In particular, she remembers how Koala taught her a secret Fishman Karate technique: find your opponent’s core, and strike. Using her lessons, Robin does just that, bringing the roof down on top of Maria. Then, her giant clone transforms into a black Devil, living up to her nickname of “Devil Child” before breaking her back. While her minions are horrified by the giant devil, Brook takes them all out!

Meanwhile, down below, Luffy devours a months supply of food, courtesy of Caribou’s Swamp-Swamp Fruit. Meanwhile, Momonosuke takes Shinobu aside to ask a favor of her. In order to help Luffy in the best way possible, he wants Shinobu to use her powers to age his body to adulthood!

Review

Never underestimate the Devil Child, Nico Robin. Her moves may not be as flashy as other people’s, but she’s one of the most ruthless members of the crew. She didn’t hesitate to break Spandam’s spine in the Enies Lobby Arc; and don’t forget what she did to Franky! In other words, if you anger her, you better be prepared to win, or you’ll be in for a world of hurt.

Having said all that, it’s nice to see that Robin’s embraced her nickname as “Devil Child”. It was a name unfairly given to her by the World Government for reasons beyond her control, making her feared and hated by everyone. However, thanks to the Straw Hats, she’s finally people who will fight for her, no matter what. Now, she truly owns her title, and all the Flying Six are down for the count!

As for Momonosuke, I was surprised by his decision. I never considered that Shinobu’s Ripe-Ripe Fruit could age a person up, but this is a big risk. On the one hand, an adult Momonosuke could rival his Dad in power. On the other hand, he will be sacrificing his right to be a child and all that comes with it. If he’s going through with it, he better mean it. Regardless, I respect his resolve.

Regardless, we won’t know what happens for another two weeks. But it’s worth the wait.

I Give “Demonio” a 4/5

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