Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet - Episode 3

In defeating a band of troublesome pirates, Ledo has certainly shown what he and his machinery can do - however, if he's expecting his current hosts to be pleased at this show of strength he's going to be in for a surprise...

Needless to say, nobody is too thrilled at the fact that Ledo has annihilated a whole bunch of people, enemies or otherwise; not only from a moral standpoint, but also in the knowledge that this will simply stir up a thirst for vengeance against other pirates to boot.  Of course, this theory proves to be entirely correct, with a fleet of pirates from the area headed up by a particular notorious character known as Lukkage.  This leaves the fleet and its leadership in a tough spot when it comes to what to do with Ledo, but in the end it's Bellows who suggests that perhaps the best course of action is to further engage the help of this newcomer and his technology.

Thus, the scene is set for a face-off between Ledo, his hosts and Lukkage's pirates - a conflict which seems to be incredibly one-sided given Ledo's abilities even if he's operating under strict instructions not to kill or injure the enemy.  However, this particular group of pirates are not to be underestimated, as they look to gain an upper-hand by deploying submersibles, innovative Yuboroids (which, quite frankly, look like Sharkticons - not that this is a bad thing) and... errr... a surfing lobster.  Ultimately none of this is a match for Ledo and his flying machine however, meaning that the fleet is once again safe from pirate attack.

Although this series still hasn't quite managed to get its hooks into me entirely (it feels like there's a piece of the puzzle missing that could be the difference between me enjoying the series and loving it), it continues to be accomplished in building and utilising its world, while also making for some impressive set pieces and bursts of action without entirely ignoring the crux of Ledo's struggle to understand and begin to fit in with those around him.  Okay, some of the machinery at the pirate's disposal seemed a little too outlandish in comparison to the wider world the show has built, but if you can put that to one side this was an entertaining episode that hopefully gives us some breathing space for more thoughtful fare to come.