Girls' Frontline: The Kindling 01

A beautiful stage, a warm welcome, and a cryptic message set the tone of our previous episode. We will all remember it was a fantastic event, especially when M16 brought down the house. Now that the dust has settled, what did “Intruder” mean when she said, “a story’s more fun if it leaves a little mystery in its wake?” Something is brewing on the horizon and has been for some time, and it may be the final nail in the coffin for Griffin.

To say this show has become a guilty pleasure is an understatement. I’m having fun watching it, not because it's a masterpiece but just for the banter and action along the way. For round 8, the writers decided to inject a little humor into the episode, highlighting the calm before the storm while giving some background on the present and former world. The world of Girls’ Frontline is bleak, wartorn, and a place of mistrust. It is a place where, despite its flaws, humanity fights for survival.

Somewhere along these lines, the T-Dolls fight for survival as well. Designs of a past era, these ladies possess various emotions, be they programmed or learned. From their numerous fights, they even experience PTSD. M4A1 struggles with the events that occurred months ago when they were ambushed at Safehouse 3 by Agent. In case you’ve forgotten, Agent is a Grand Overseer of Sangvis Ferris. She sits high above the Sangvis command structure, and of the Command Dolls we’ve met so far, Agent is alive.

M4A1, despite the return of “Big Sis,” M16 has become more or less despondent and continues to question her abilities relying again on M16 and Gentiane. The former plays a less significant role in this episode. As is often the case, AR-15 steps in and takes the role of mentor whenever M4A1 becomes unsure of herself.

Gentiane is the focus of this episode as she has been the primary Commander featured throughout the series. She is requested to come to a secret meeting at a Griffin Base along with a small security detail which in her case consists of one T-Doll. AR-Team has also been summoned to the forum. Gentiane is met by Feodor Kamolov of Base 737 and Shi Jun, both Griffen Commanders. Shi Jun first appeared in episode six when Squad 404 picks up a conversation between Sangvis Ringleaders. This conversation regarding “Plan Parapluie” is the basis for the secret meeting.

As mentioned earlier, a bit of comedy is inserted into this episode. Gentiane is a wunderkind, and everyone is eager to meet her or, in the case of Shi Jun, date her. She is a social media darling and is said to be the next big thing. So yes, even if it's military social media, social media is here to stay! Besides Shi Jun and Feodor, two other Commanders are also present.

This meetup is short-lived but not so short that the Commanders can’t learn why Gentiane is at the top of the class. She is victorious on the battlefield because she talks to her Dolls, treating them as near humans. After a training simulation, this information results in Feodor, who is depicted as a dumb Soviet-era commander, well played Japan, asking PPK what her prewartime role was. Suffice it to say she’d have to show him in private! Everyone else got the joke but Gentiane.

Jokes and peace are short-lived in the Girls’ Frontline world as the base comes under attack. Griffin is outnumbered and outgunned, and communications have been cut-off. Gentiane is injured, and this episode is the first time we see humans and Dolls fighting side by side. We also meet Kryuger, the top man at Griffin.

Gentiane, regaining consciousness after her injuries, is pressed into the battle. She, along with the other Commanders, is tasked with defending the base. Team AR, en route to the base, is charged with Commanding the remaining Dolls above the ground. For those who have seen The Hunger Games, this Griffin base could be likened to District 13. It is entirely underground with minimal entry points. It's unclear how Sangvis discovered the base, but it's clear this may result in a clear victory.

AR Team is tasked with finding the Sangvis Base to halt the advance of Jaegers. With time running out, it's commendable that Kryuger would trust Gentiane’s decision, but given the circumstances, there are few choices. A lot is crammed into this episode, but it is not wasted on me that Gentiane was not a fan of having to fight on the front lines. Though she did her duties, I’m reminded of the chiding Scarecrow gave her in Episode two, or as she put it, “Welcome to the Frontline, fraulein.” Shi Jun is also under the gun as he had no desire to be at the meeting. Only Feodor has no reservations about dying with honor, to which he is given a resounding “Shut Up!”

Like “The Message 01”, this episode did not feature a Sangvis Commander. We only get a glimpse of her near the end of the episode. It happens quickly as the AR Team slips through a security breach and discovers that the commander had recently escaped. Her name is Destroyer, and though her name conjures images of death, her appearance is that of an anime VTuber.

Destroyer is small in stature and maybe the very definition of Kindling, which is small twigs used to start a fire. It remains to be seen what her role will be in the next episode. There are a lot of secrets and questions on the table in this episode. I get the impression AR-15 is hiding something. This may lead to Kindling, definition number two…..