Valvrave the Liberator 10

Fear Me!

Boy, where to start with this one...yeah, let’s leave the big one for the end.

VVV Reveal

We finally find out a little more about the Valvraves and whatever magical science they run on.

Which wasn't as important as finding out that Haruto’s VVV is indeed special. He’s the only one with the guide program AI and the Harakiri blade… God, I can’t believe they actually went and called it Harakiri blade. I mean, really?

On the downside, this may mean Haruto is the only one that suffers from Berserk Vamp mode… which totally sucks for him but more on that later.

Satomi and Shoko

One again, I feel bad for Satomi. Sure, it’s nice to see his sister making friends, but the guy is undoubtedly feeling replaced, especially in politics. 

The guy makes a solid plan (at least it looks like) to better then conditions of the Module, but who wins the elections? Shoko.

Shoko wins on a campaign that consists of “Let’s have a festival!” 

Shoko is popular. She is nice. She is kind of an oddball but it is clear she keeps good relationships with everyone in school and has helped them out quite a few times. In a popularity contest, of course there is no way for the more uptight Satomi to win. 

Everyone's Raising Death Flags

Sure the guy is good at all the management stuff, but he lacks presence. The “I’d like to have a beer with that guy” factor that is key to any election.

Against Shoko, Satomi never had a chance, which is sad to see. Realistically, he would do a better administrating job, but Shoko is offering instant gratification and that make a bigger impacts, especially on teenagers.

Hazard worries for the guy. Time will tell what he does from now on.

Saki and Haruto

With the addition of Kyuuma and Thunder, the duo of Haruto and Saki has become a quartet. This doesn't sit well with Saki for obvious reasons. Being badass vampires and piloting giant robots was “their” thing.

There are also Haruto’s obvious feelings for Shoko. The guy likes her. Everyone can tell, even Saki. To a point, she realizes she is in a losing race.

"It's not like I wanted you to take advantage of me!"

For Haruto, he has to consider his vamping out incidents. He is vamping out more often and had it not been for Saki stopping him, he would have attacked Takahi. 

As of this episode he seemed to have made up his mind about his feelings for Shoko, despite Saki’s attempts to tell him it’s just not going to work between him and Shoko.

Then he vamps out and rapes her.

Come on, don’t pretend to be shocked. You were all waiting me to say it.

This marks the beginning of a bit change in the dynamic between the two. The rape scene… well I won’t say it was tastefully done. You can’t do tasteful rape, but Hazard will say they did it well.

The juxtapositions between Shoko’s triumphant moment and Haruto and Saki’s scene complete with background music was kinda brutal.  Equally important is Saki’s realization mid-scene. “This is a curse”. Up to this point, I don’t think she took those words seriously. Most of us didn't when Haruto referred to piloting a VVV like that.

There are multiple interpretations here, but this is mine. Saki understands what Haruto is going through, understand his curse. Their curse maybe. So she embraces him. Not because she enjoys what is happening but because she is willing to "share" Haruto's curse.

Maybe it is a twisted sense of kindness or perhaps a desire to form a new bond with Haruto. That of sharing a curse.

In any case, the Moon is going to be wild.