The First Circle

The last two episodes started out being average, until we finally got an episode that was totally out of the ordinary, so yes it was quick but it was superbly well done with the incredible music that embellished the whole episode.

The black and white side was really a good idea for staging with a bit of color for the rest, it was really this kind of episode that I was really looking forward to because it is simply generally the best

The black and white side was really a good idea for staging with a bit of color for the rest, it was really this kind of episode that I was really looking forward to because it is simply generally the best.

Simultaneously the worst and most important episode of the whole series. I am all four alternative forms of story telling and experimenting with art styles and visual story telling, but this is like a 30 minute anime AMV in the dumbest way possible. This is one of those YouTube videos your little cousin would watch in 2011 and be like "wow it's so cool it's so deep it's so edgy". It is 30 minutes of dramatic techno/dubstep music mixed with two kids being like "wow my life sure is rough".

Conceptually I can see how this would've been been cool on paper but it was genuinely cringe inducing to watch. I literally wanted to skip it more and more as the entire thing went on. The episode then ends by explaining the main villains entire motivation and goal, which is insane that they make you sit through a 30 minute dubstep music video to get to. It's almost insulting.

"We'll tell you what his goal is, but you have to listen to our playlist first".

This episode changed the whole way I was watching the series. The Alluring visuals perfectly achieved the point of the whole story.

From the sudden shift of animation style to the back & forth between the backgrounds of characters at play really starts to make you question the point until, you reach the end. Then you sense a bit of uneasiness because the summery starts to creep in on our real world dilemmas. And the soundtracks, those hit hard especially the 'Afterlife'.

Not everything is black & white and I believe the director knew exactly how to bring the rabbit out of the hat (No pun intended).

Amazing visuals just like every other episode. But this should have been a 5 minute story, cue title screen, and get on with it. I cannot stand the trend of TV shows dedicating an entire episode of there limited run to these side stories. This is an episode I wish I could have watched on 2x speed as there is hardly anything of consequence beyond some wick flashbacks. In fact, this could have been like a preview they uploaded on YouTube in between seasons to keep people excited. But this is not an episode worthy of an entire 20+ minute runtime as it relates to the story, and maybe I don't know, DANTE.

This episode presents the White Rabbit as an exceptionally well-written villain. His backstory, life, and personality are masterfully developed, allowing for a deep understanding of his character without the need for lengthy dialogue. The soundtrack, which includes Evanescence's song "Afterlife," perfectly complements the narrative and adds intensity to the scene. Overall, this episode is a prime example of how to create a well-written villain in a video game adaptation. Hopefully, future seasons will maintain this level of quality and development; there's nothing better than seeing well-written villains in a video game adaptation.