Watching 'Cannon Busters' Episode 4

This episode is set in a fairly imaginative setting that is very reminiscent of Las Vegas, once again really showing off the creativity when it comes to the presentation of the setting that the characters visit. The crew stops here in order to gather supplies, as they are nearly completely out, while Bessy is in desperate need of repairs and spare parts. Before the crew splits up, we are introduced to what looks like a drunk and skinny Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

We also get to see how the prince and his protector Odin are coming along in their journey, now that the base story has been established. While in episode two the prince started off with a lot of promise, it feels as if this is a completely different character to the one that we met earlier. This is an incredibly petulant, typical prince character, with an arch so generic you could see it coming from miles away. That being said, I am more than willing to watch it, and enjoy myself, if it is executed well.

Back in the Vegas setting, we are taken into a Star Wars-styled cantina setting, and just like the cantina, all the character models are different from each other, displaying a diverse range of species all interacting in the same place. It is here that we are truly introduced to the character 9ine, who himself, in addition to his backstory, is similar to, and takes a lot of influences from, Japanese folklore, the story of the 47 Ronin in particular. This is a really strong introduction to the character, as there are a lot of shades of Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master on display with the way he fights and behaves. The characters that are hanging out in the cantina are also fun with a fair amount of personality to them.

The moments where we focus on Sam are actually adorable, as she is genuinely trying her best to make friends with everyone that she is coming across on the street with while Casey is geeking out on the sheer amount of spare parts that is on offer. During this segment, there is a surprisingly short moment that stood out to me, and the reason why is because the storytellers are setting up something, while not spending time on this point to really emphasise it. Only enough time to make it noticeable. It is on Casey's reaction to Sam admitting that the prince is her best friend and would always be by his side. This moment really highlights the loneliness that Casey must be feeling, despite being the one that is generally portrayed as the joyful and exuberant one in the group. It was a great moment of understated character development that is so subtle that if you were looking away for just a moment. you would have missed it.

Going back to the action of the show, the movement of 9ine when he is fighting is fantastic to see; there is energy and weight behind his movements that make it exciting to watch. The more we get to see him talk, the more he actually reminds me of Jet from Cowboy Bebop. During the final fight of the episode, the interaction between Philly and 9ine is great, making it quite dynamic to watch as a result of just how different they are from each other. In fact, each of the characters are all completely unique both in terms of design and personality, which is impressive and entertaining to watch. Now that 9ine is also travelling with the group, it is really starting to resemble the crew of the Bebop.

At the end of the episode, we are introduced to the villain squad, and they all look fantastic, one of whom looks a lot like Harley Quinn. This group encounters the gang that the crew fought in the first episode, and we are given something enticing to look forward to where we get to see a rematch between the two crews. Spoiler alert, they are never even mentioned again.

That being said the final death of the show was amazingly animated. One of the villains moved a lot like Iida from My Hero Academia, while the actual kill itself was reminiscent of Todoroki’s fire blast in the tournament arc of My Hero Academia. So, as far as the end of the episode goes, it was great.