Nanatsu no Taizai 213 Review: Cycle of Hatred

Nanatsu no Taizai, Chapter 213: That's What We Call Love

Not a chapter I really have much to say. It's not horrible, not by a long shot. It's arguably a far more effective cycle of hatred style story you've seen multiple times in various forms of media, and while it's a fair bit more effective than the 'Monspiet and Derriere are innocent!' stance that I've seen people take (they're sympathetic, but considering every other thing they do involves mass murder...), in that both sides actually have a reason and are treated as villains... at the same time, though, it kind of lacks a punch in that it feels like a sidetrack and neither Law nor Gerharde are developed enough for me to honestly really care all that much. And the fact that the reason for Law not to kill Gerharde is the very eye-rolling "oh but you reminded me of my childhood friend so I have killed my comrade for attacking you despite not doing anything while he mutilated you for three panels". 

It's not a bad story, of course. From Law and Gerharde's strange friendship, to Law's backstory, to King-Gloxinia finding himself in an unstoppable rage due to re-projecting himself and Elaine in that position, to Law trying to suicide by cop-out and antagonizing Gloxinia... but at the same time it's hardly a story that felt like something I'm interested in. It doesn't really tell us much about the holy war, about Elizabeth or Meliodas' reincarnation deal, about the goddess clan, about the 'choice' that Dolor and Gloxinia makes, about Gowther...

So yeah, it's a good story, just one that I didn't really think was necessary to the overall plot. I dunno. Am kind of feeling a little off today. Maybe in a different day I would've ranted a bit longer. Maybe it's Tokyo Ghoul just releasing a chapter that covered the whole 'cycle of unending hatred' subplot in a rare example of concluding it quasi realistically.  I dunno. 

Still, at least it's interesting if it doesn't have anything special. I read the last two or three chapters of Fairy Tail and good lord that just jumped the shark even worse than it did with random 'oh so important' characters showing up, doesn't it? Jeez.