Summary
The eighth episode ofTower of Godseason 2is set two years after the encounter with Urek Mazino, and Hwaryun giving Ja Wangnan information about the Workshop Battle taking place on the 30th floor of the Tower. It is now a mere month before the event, and over the time skip, Ja Wangnan’s team has grown stronger and more confident, while Khun Aguero Agnes’s team have also been steadily climbing the Tower to arrive at the same place.
Episode 8 serves to show the growth of Ja Wangnan’s team, while also introducing Emily, a mysterious AI chatbot that countless Regulars make use of, one that might be more sinister than it lets on.
The Emily Chatbot Is Very Intelligent
Regulars Are Using ChatGPT To Pass Tests
The episode begins by introducing the chatbot Emily through Miseng, Dan and Endorsi Jahad, who constantly consult the AI for various things. Dan even makes use of Emily by asking her about where their enemies are hiding during their test, which the chatbot accurately reports back to him. With the information, they manage to predict their opponents' attacks, but Khun did not enjoy the fact that Dan went with the unverified information of some chatbot instead of adhering to the team tactics.
“I will answer your questions to the best of my ability… I can’t be held responsible for your actions, though.”
– EMILE
After the test,Khun grills Dan for his recklessnessand Dan makes the decision to leave his phone with Khun because he only uses it to talk to Emily anyway. As Emily itself puts it, it is using the data that it gets from its users to learn “how to love”. After Dan was reprimanded, he ran into Rachel, who was seemingly trying to support him, saying that Khun should’ve been less harsh with him because it all worked out in the end. She also said that she wishes Dan could have been her “legs” instead of Khun because of his speed.
The New and Improved Team Wangnan Now Outwits Powerful Opponents
Two Years Later, and Viole is Still Part of the Team
A big part of this episode ofTower of Godis to showcase how good Team Wangnan has gotten in the two years since their introduction. Miseng appears more comfortable with the group as a whole, especially Arkraptor. Their interaction in this episode was a positive one, and it’s clear that there is more trust between each member than before. As a result of Ja Wangnan being more of a tactician than a combatant, the tactics that the team employs often make use of decoys and false openings in their defenses to lure in their opponents, who’ll have to deal with the combat strength of Arkraptor,Kang “Devil’s Left Arm” Horyangand of course, Jue Viole Grace.
Just like before, Ja Wangnan has the role of being a comedic relief character despite being the main character this season, a role that he has done very well. Humour inTower of Godis seldom outright hilarious, but it can be very entertaining, as seen in Ja Wangnan’s behaviour and interactions with opponents during the test. Unfortunately, the disappointing animation, especially in these combat situations, is dragging down some of the more positive qualities of this season.
For instance, the monotony and lack of powerful, fluid movement in Ran’s brief fight against the four-armed man and badger that were on the opposition team during Team Aguero’s test applies to other fights this season. EvenViole’s involvement in these fightsdoesn’t elicit the kind of excitement and “wow” factor that anime fights, even in some of the most obscure titles, just have now. It’s difficult to be convinced by flashes of multi-colored light that can only move in slow-moving lines; a rectilinear propagation of what should otherwise be malleable abilities which are never seen all the way through to impact because of convenient cuts to moments after an attack lands. One thing that was interesting about seeing Team Wangnan in action is how much more we are able to see Viole’s eyes more compared to before the time-skip, which most likely serves as a visual communication of improved levels of trust between Viole and his new teammates.
Khun Aguero Tries To Talk To “Emily” Himself
Its True Form is Shown, Giving Rise to an Unsettling Ending
As the episode draws to a close, we are once again forced to witness Rachel continue to use those around her and feign frailty as Khun “checks in” on her. After saying goodnight to her, Khun finds himself tempted to see if Emily the chatbot does in fact have useful information about things going on in the Tower. He asks her if the Twenty-Fifth-Bam is alive, to which she responds, “He’s alive”, to Khun’s shock. At the beginning of the episode when the concept of Emily was first introduced, there was an image of a pod-like structure with the name “EMILE” printed on it, which initially gave the impression of some kind of machine or supercomputer. The true form of this supposedly friendly artificial intelligence with an uncanny level of access to information is ayoung woman connected to some kind of podvia a strange-looking headset.
EMILE was introduced as a chat robot created by the Acorn Workshop, so it is connected to the Workshop Battle in which both Khun’s and Wangnan’s teams are trying to participate, but the episode begins by trying to show the audience that this seemingly harmless program is somehow achieved through something truly sinister, not to mention that a mysterious individual called Traveler has developed an obsession for EMILE, and believes it to be human. While the animation was disappointing, the structure of the episode beginning and ending with EMILE was well done, and it has definitely piqued interest in what will become of this arc.
Tower of God
Cast
Tower of God is an anime series based on the South Korean webtoon by SIU. It follows a young boy named Bam who embarks on a perilous journey to ascend a mysterious tower, where each floor presents unique challenges and tests. The tower promises to grant the deepest desires of those who reach its top. Along the way, Bam forms alliances and confronts adversaries while uncovering hidden truths about himself and the tower.
