Heavy Metal Queen

VT is wonderful, independent, irreverent, likeable, and Zeroes the cat definitely has good taste in friends! This is probably my favorite of the entire series!

While the primary conflict in this episode isn't necessarily the most compelling, the dynamic that develops between our Heavy Metal Queen VT and Spike is one of the more endearing we see in the whole show. Not to mention, we get yet another genre of music added to the show's eclectic soundtrack! The subtle hints in the seemingly frivolous dialogue early on pertaining to VT's true identity completely flew over my head on first watch, but now I can appreciate them in full upon rewatch. Every minuscule interaction between those two comes full circle by the bittersweet finale, when we learn where VT's prejudice against bounty hunters stems from. Spike doesn't pry, goes with the flow, and allows VT to warm up to him on her terms over the course of the episode. Their final lines are just perfectly written, and wrap up the episode neatly. I always find myself letting out a light sigh at the end of this one. There's something so beautifully melancholic about those last lines that makes them stick with me after I hear them. That's really a testament to the late Keiko Nobumoto's supreme talent for creating those magical moments. RIP.