Jormungand: Perfect Order - Episode 8

Although we were already aware of the friendship between Koko and Doctor Minami Amada, this week's episode of Jormungand is quick to point out just how far this friendship extends, courtesy to a flashback to this meeting of minds as they discuss their top secret "world-changing" plan.

Certainly, when we return to the present day and another meeting between Koko and Dr. Miami to celebrate the opening of what is supposedly a toy robot factory and development laboratory, it's hard to think that this is anything other than another step towards this grand plan.  We aren't the only ones either, as it seems that all and sundry sit up and take notice all the way from Bookman and the FBI through to other arms dealers.

The theme of the episode as a result of this is very clearly the changing face of war and armed conflict, as Amada meets with an arms dealer who seems to have no purpose to this meeting other than to bemoan the fact that war and supplying arms is no longer about arming troops as much as it is about technology and "business intelligence".  This appears to be a gap that HCLI are about to fill and monopolise, as Kasper announces the "Hekmatyr Global Grid", a mixture of online logistics and procurement technologies backed up by its very own GPS network, with a view towards making invading foreign countries cheaper and easier than ever.  It's a chilling thought in its own right, but is this really the unveiling of Koko's grand plan, and if so why is she showing no interest in the announcement?  It appears that this global grid is only scratching the surface, if that, of her and Minami's true goals...

While I could probably pore over this week's Jormungand with a fine-toothed comb and pick holes in it, at the end of the day its succeeded in one pivotal way - I really want to know what Koko's real masterplan is, which is more than enough to keep me on tenterhooks waiting for the next episode.  That aside, the episode has involved itself in moving the various pieces of its proverbial chess board into place, while also taking a succinct, slightly heavy-handed but still thought-provoking look at the changing face of war as technology overtakes feet on the ground as one of the most important enablers in a conflict.  It's a chillingly, almost terrifyingly blunt and realistic view of the future face of war, and it's a sobering counterpoint to the "cool" factor that pervades Jormungand's take on the world of arms dealers that is much appreciated from my part.