Cardfight!! Vanguard V - Episode 12 Review

Would it be poor taste to say that things are getting serious given the context of this episode?  In any case Episode 12 is the official kick off of the Ren/AL4 arc of the manga and it's with this episode some things come to light while further intrigue is established.  Our resident edgelords are seen monitoring the area with plans to "invade" card shops with Voyage and Card Capital on the list.  Cut to Morikawa and co playing at Card Capital with the former on a hot streak when a mysterious white haired man in leather barges in asking to face the strongest fighter in a "serious Cardfight" with Card Capital's independence on the line.  Morikawa accepts because of course he would but the mysterious man gives him a pair of gloves and tells him to put them on.

We shift to Kamui waiting for Aichi and Emi to come with him to Card Capital (no Emi) which Aichi notes is quite the hike for him when there's likely a local cardshop that he could go do.  Kamui explains that its complicated while the two encounter Kai (who like Aichi and Misaki are decked out in their casual clothes) and Miwa as a blood curdling scream can be heard from inside.

Everyone rushes in to see Morikawa nearly passed out after losing to the mysterious man that proclaims himself to be a member of Foo Fighter Asteroid and basically goes into villain mode while Kamui explains who they are.  Asteroid are a group of Fighters that invade other shops, defeat the local playerbase and install their own while promoting "serious" Cardfights where people feel pain from taking damage which in the case of Kamui's locals caused the players to leave and the shop to shut down.  This turns out to be what made Kamui go on his journey to get stronger in order to someday defeat Asteroid which led him to Card Voyage and Capital.  He declares that he'll defeat the mysterious man but is terrified at the prospect of putting on the gloves again when a very pissed off Kai steps in and makes the challenge instead.

Kai is reliving his PTSD of the last episode he wore this jacket

The fight is honestly typical fare as the mysterious man who is actually Minami Kawanami the Megacolony player of the series trades blows with Kai who gets electrocuted to the horror of ongoers while proclaiming that a "serious" fight like this is the only way to go or some spiel like that.  Kai finally snaps after being pushed to high damage and utters things that all but tell us he knows who is behind this invasion and he's pissed that things haven't changed.  Jesus.  I think it's been a good few years since we've seen the Kai character get this furious.  Turns out insulting the integrity of the game triggers him greatly.  Who'd have figured.

You're uh, looking kinda Eva-like there Ogrelord.

Kai's turn comes up and he rides Dragonic Overlord in the most hot blooded manner possible and just fucks Minami's shit up with some incredibly badass animation.  It's hard to tell what exactly happened since Overlord's attack got PG'd but I can only assume that Kai called one as a Rear and that's what got blocked while the Vanguard flipped crits, restood and flipped more crits.  All I know is rather than actually lose Minami gets the hell outta dodge along with his lackies before the fight can finish.  Kai tells Kamui and Aichi not to get involved with Asteroid and leaves as the two discuss the possibility of them returning or invading other shops.  Kamui immediately realizes that Voyage could be in danger and true enough we see another trio of Asteroid players standing outside Voyage and wouldn't you know, it's Kyou! 

I legit wonder what would happen if someone just said "lolwtf, no.  Gtfo" to these guys.

Next week's episode should be an interesting one as we get to see the debut of Murakumo under the reboot and with it a chance at a new lease on life for what is considered to be the biggest butt monkey clan in the entire game.  It's actually fitting that Kyou gets saddled with Murakumo as if he and the deck are portrayed as fearsomely competent then it'll be another feather in the cap for the Reboot and if the two are portrayed as jokes then well we're back to square one.  Keep your fingers crossed the one person who actually plays Murakumo.