Kill la Kill - Episode 18

After so long butting heads with Ryuko and Nudist Beach, Satsuki's grand plan has finally been revealed... and it couldn't be more different than it outwardly appeared.

Rather than joining forces with her mother Ragyo to subjugate the human face beneath the glory of the Life Fibres, it's actually Satsuki's intention to free mankind from being ruled over by their clothing in a coup that sees her seeking to kill her mother - a mission which is easier said than done naturally.  While the Elite Four face off against Nui Harime, Satsuki puts her plan into action, with her mother captured and the original Life Fibre seemingly frozen to prevent its activation.

What follows is a blur of action and shifting sands, as battles rage between Harime and the Elite Four, Ragyo frees herself from her impromptu crucifixion and turns Satsuki's troops against her before turning her attention to Matoi and doing likewise, Ryuko faces off with Satsuki's briefly before freeing herself from Ragyo's control and then... well, things get even more bonkers.  By the end of the episode, we seem to have a shocking revelation about Ryuko's origins while the Life Fibre invasion looks all set to begin in earnest - and are there even any heroes or heroines left to stop it?

I think I've lost count of the number of times that I've cited an episode as being Kill la Kill at its best, but there's no point in backing down now so I'm going to say it again here - this was Kill la Kill at its best.  With so much going on throughout the episode the effect of it all is outright dizzying, and what's more the actual content of those goings-on made for an incredible roller coaster as the plot twisted turned back on itself, then shifted and moved some more.  In short, it's an episode that made full use of the show's insane premise to deliver the kind of fare that would look ridiculous if attached to another show, stacking up wide-eyes moment after wide-eyed moment to leave you breathless and decidedly impressed.  If nothing else, Kill la Kill certainly knows how to up the ante on a regular basis, as this is another high watermark that the series has to attempt to best as it moves towards the finish line.