Anima City (episode)

Anima City is the 12th and final episode of the BNA: Brand New Animal anime series.

Overview
Defeating Alan who apparently is another immortal Wolf God, Anima City retrieves back its peace.

Summary
Shirou gains back his sanity thanks to Michiru's Beast Factor. With this discovery, they head to Medical Center to create a serum to dispose of Nirvasyl Syndrome. But Alan already has another plan, and as Shirou tries to stop him, Alan reveals himself to be another God Wolf who is also immortal. Meanwhile, Michiru and Nazuna find out that Ginrou's howl can control the rampaging beastmen so they plan to broadcast it. Alan intervenes them but Shirou manages to defeat him. As the rampaging beastmen's conflict subsides, Anima City slowly regains back its peace. Nazuna becomes an idol for both humans and Beastmen, and Michiru decides to stay at Anima City.

Plot
Nazuna is terrified with the sight of Michiru's being bitten. Somehow, feralized Shirou lets Michiru go from his grasp, and Nazuna hurriedly runs to her; but Michiru remains unconscious. Flip and The Family are also witnessing the scene; but then they notice that Shirou starts to revert back to his normal form; his corrupted state practically melting away. Gaining back his consciousness, the first thing Shirou sees is severely wounded Michiru. Shaken to the core by Michiru's intensive condition (and likely knowing he caused it), Shirou instinctively howls in anguish and sorrow. In the process, Michiru heals and somehow regains back her consciousness; and as she opens her eyes, she sees Shirou's howling and the view seems to be magnificent to her that she takes the opportunity to record him. Nazuna and Shirou are initially surprised to see her recovered, and her comment about his amazing howl apparently isn't even heard by them as they are too relieved to see her doing alright. Nazuna breaks into tears as she pulls her into a hug, but Michiru's painful squeal disallows her to hug her more as she lets go. They momentarily enjoy the moment, but the approaching rampaging beastmen bring them back to alert. Shirou braces Michiru and asks for her wounds where Michiru replies that she is okay at the moment but because his bite isn't on his gorilla arm it's dangerous for her. Shirou appreciates her effort with honest and sincere gratitude, but before she can react they are interrupted by Mayor Rose's call from the sky. She is safe with Pinga and she gestures to City Hall. Flip comes to rescue with his car and they retreat back to City Hall together. Meanwhile, Minister Shiramizu contacts Alan and confirms Anima City lockdown as the way to ensure the safety of all Japanese citizens. Alan assures him to not worry because beastmen will die before long and Japan will be the first who succeeds to deal with their beastmen problem.

In the City Hall, Michiru's wound is treated by Mayor Rose as she confirms Shirou's case, which Michiru approves that Shirou returns back to normal once he bites her. Nazuna still appears to be in terror but Michiru comforts her. She then takes a sample of Michiru's blood and experiments with Yaba's blood sample. The result is surprising; Michiru's special Beast Factor is able to neutralize the Nirvasyl Syndrome by rewriting other Beast Factors. With this important finding, Mayor Rose suggests making the serum but because the Japanese Government won't help them anymore, they'll have to do it by themselves and this is their last chance. They plan to go to Medical Center but Nazuna refuses to go, saying that all this chaos is her fault, and if she doesn't do something about it, she'll never forgive herself. She implies going back to the city and Pinga chooses to tag along and help her. With that decided, they split forces; Michiru, Shirou, and Mayor Rose heading to Medical Center, Flip going back to help to protect the city, Nazuna, and Pinga roaming around the city to save beastmen who don't go rampage.

Arriving at the Medical Center, Mayor Rose extracts Michiru's blood and asks Shirou to give him 8 hours for the serum. Shirou reminds her that if the Beast Factor Termination Vaccine spreads before it, then it's over. Hence, he heads to find and stop Alan, but Michiru decides to tag along. Shirou tells her to stay but Michiru answers that she'll be no use if she waits. This time Shirou does not deny her help and together they move inside the building. At the same time, Nazuna roams above the sky to look for any unaffected beastmen. She finds one, a toddler beastman, and approaches him. Nazuna then asks about his parents and he only shakes her head. She comforts him by saying that the serum is currently under development and his parents will be able to return to normal. She continues to suggest him doing whatever that makes him happy such as listen to music or draw, which the toddler nods in understanding. Pinga then approaches them, already bringing some toddlers with him. He brings the toddler along with him to safety and Nazuna thanks him. As Pinga ascends to the sky, someone calls her alternate name, Deesse Louve, and it's Boris. Boris apologizes because all he does is according to Alan's orders and they cannot simply defy his orders. But now because they're free, Boris attempts to bring her along with him to run away. Nazuna completely rejects the idea and asks him to stop meddling with her life. However, Boris is bold and reminds her that she is his and keeps calling her Deesse Louve as his arms turn into snakes. Nazuna is fed up with that name and tells her strictly that her name is Nazuna. As she does so, she proceeds to transform her arms into gorilla arms just like Michiru and smashes him away while muttering that he is indeed gross. But before she can escape from the place, Boris emerges in his complete beastman form, a snake beastman, and tries to catch her.

Back in the Medical Center, Shirou and Michiru reaches the center of Medical Center and is perplexed with the view; there are countless drones in their undeployed position, like a beehive. Alan, who is currently residing on the top of the tower peering at them from the computer control, volunteers to explain that they are drones equipped with Beast Factor Termination Vaccine. He plans to use them on all rampaging beastmen in Anima City. Shirou deflects the argument by accusing him of who causes them to go rampage in the first place and pushes on his objective. Alan merely explains that everything is a part of the process. He plans to first let the world know about the Nirvasyl Syndrome and how dreadful it is, then legitimizes the usage of the Beast Factor Termination Vaccine. In other words, what he does to Anima City is only a demonstration. Knowing that he throws Anima City into a crisis for that reason, Shirou is pissed and exclaims that it's an unforgivable sin. Alan calms him down, reminding him of the Beast Factor Termination Vaccine that becomes the solution to their crisis. Michiru interrupts him by telling him that he doesn't need to remove the Beast Factor when a serum is more than enough. She further explains that her and Nazuna's blood who consists of a unique Beast Factor can be used as a cure for the Nirvasyl Syndrome. Shirou adds her argument with his testimony that he returns to normal with the said cure. Alan, momentarily shocked, ponders and admits that it's out of his prediction before simply brushing it aside and asking them to leave the rest to him. Apparently, Alan doesn't even pay their explanation any value as he continues the execution of the Beast Factor Termination Vaccine's drones. Realizing that words won't be enough to stop Alan, Shirou decides to transform into Ginrou and destroy the drones but he is quickly intercepted by multiple Engel Machines. Michiru also makes her move, trying to destroy the computer control, but she is simply knocked away by Alan. He then provokes her with how his plan goes smoothly and how beastmen will forcibly turn into humans against their will. Her display of aggressiveness also isn't missed by Alan's provocation as he proceeds to commence the launch of the drones. Michiru swiftly reacts by destroying them one by one before they can roam in the city. Although she succeeds to dispose of the first wave, Alan smugly gestures her for the second wave of drones. Michiru curses and flies toward the drones to stop them.

As Alan watches Michiru leaves, Shirou goes right on him and warns him that he won't allow a filthy human like him to destroy beastmen. However, an unphased (and looking only slightly annoyed) Alan simply counters with his own warning to get Shirou's paws off of him. Much to Shirou's surprise, Alan is able to match his strength and lift his paws off from him. Alan then reveals his true self as a beastman and demonstrates his raw power by punching Shirou's away, leaving a crater on the building Shirou lands onto. Shirou is completely taken aback by the fact that Alan is a beastman; all the time, his scent is a perfect human scent. Alan answers that masking their scent as Human scent is a simple feat for Sylvasta Family, who has been living among humans and controlling them for generations. He proceeds to boast his bloodline as purebreds, unlike other beastmen (including Shirou) who are hybrid. Alan apparently doesn't give Shirou enough space to process the whole thing as he also reveals his Wolf God form, just like Shirou's Ginrou form. Glowing in gold light, Alan elaborates more about his purebred bloodline pridefully; by refusing to mix with beasts of another nature, one species or bloodline can keep their bloodline as purebred.

The whole talks about purebred and Alan's calling him as hybrid pisses Shirou off as he also transforms into his Ginrou form and fights him back. With one swift move, Shirou's claws pierce through Alan's necks; decapitating him. However, Alan quickly recovers from the attack as his heads reattach themselves; revealing his own immortality once again, just like Shirou. Alan claims that immortality is had always been the Sylvasta's exclusive right. This immortality can only be achieved by the chosen ones who perform the undead ritual with a thousand wolf beastmen's blood as an offering, according to Alan. Furthermore, Alan states that Shirou's power is originated from the same source, but it's just a coincidental that Shirou met the same fate as the blood he was blessed with was all from hybrids. Alan also further mocks Shirou for him being a hybrid and is therefore only a sham, and that Nirvasyl Syndrome only happens on hybrid beastmen because of mixed Beast Factor. He implies that purebreds will keep ruling the world by controlling humans from the shadows just like what he does to Anima City, which he then mentions as "the truth about the world". The three-headed Wolf God then summons powerful energies from each head and bursts Shirou with the beam, knocking him unconscious as the beam hit straight through his torso and destroys the building behind him.

Back to Michiru, she's been traveling around the city following the remaining drones. One of them heads to two beastmen who are fighting each other, and Michiru quickly blocks its vaccine attacks with an umbrella and destroy the drone by choking it with the umbrella. Satisfied with her effort, she temporarily forgets that she is between two rampaging beastmen. They hit her quite hard and send her flying away, her phone falling off in the process. As she tries to recover from the attack, the rampaging beastmen are already looming over her. Trying to cover herself, her phone suddenly plays Shirou's howl she records priory. The two rampaging beastmen then abruptly stop fighting. With this discovery, Michiru goes aloft again and searches for the remaining drones. Meanwhile, Nazuna is still trying to escape from Boris, whom she calls as persistent one. Unfortunately, Boris catches her with his snake hands. As she struggles to escape, Marie comes to rescue by slashing the snakes with her claws, claiming her service will profit herself so Nazuna should feel grateful for it. However, Nazuna fails to recognize her species and call her mongoose, much to Marie's dismay. Boris quickly launches another attack but his assault is stopped mid-way by dozen of bricks thrown to him. Jackie and the Bear Baseball Team are the ones behind it; they present as well, saving both of them from Boris. Jackie then snatches Nazuna away, whom she still refers as Ginrou, Marie following close behind not wanting her money to be sneaked off. Nazuna tells Jackie that she is not Ginrou, but for Jackie and the Bears Baseball Team, anyone who grants them food (Nazuna has given them Super Crust according to Jackie) is considered as their god. Unfortunately, Jackie runs in the wrong direction and it only leads them to more and more rampaging beastmen. They are left surrounded by numerous of rampaging beastmen, ready to tear them off.

Michiru is still on her mission to take down the remaining drones. However, her wound starts to pain her and her exhaustion begins to hit as she starts losing her balance on flying. Before she falls completely, Pinga saves her and carries her for a while. Michiru then passes the intel to Pinga that the drones are loaded with vaccines that can turn beastmen into humans. One of the drones flies off and heads to where Nazuna, Marie, and Jackie are surrounded by rampaging beastmen. She asks Pinga to take care of the remaining drone as she leaps off and uses her cheetah legs to catch up with the drones. She then forcefully slides her phone toward Nazuna and when the howl plays, the rampaging beastmen stop moving. Michiru is just in time when she jumps and blocks the vaccine attacks using some sort of steel plates. Noticing Michiru, Nazuna decides to also help, and together they throw the steel plate toward it, destroying the drone completely. The rampaging beastmen, along with Jackie and Marie, cease what they are doing and begin to follow the howl; surprising Nazuna. Michiru then explains that it seems that beastmen have an instinctive reaction toward the howl. A horde of Engel Machines then happens to pass by, but their sensor doesn't read the howling rampaging beastmen as a threat as they continue to patrol and move on. Now that they know Shirou's howl is able to calm down the rampaging beastmen, they begin to think how to broadcast it all over Anima City. Both of them murmur for a while before exclaiming in unison about the live broadcast.

Marie, Nazuna, Michiru, and Jackie then huddle together and make a group plan; Jackie and his team are tasked to switch on all television and maximize the volume while the rest of them head to the broadcast system to deliver the howl thoroughly through the city. At some other place in the city, Flip and Inspector Nakamori are somehow joining forces in order to fight the Engel Machines, which Flip calls them annoying. However, Nakamori isn't pleased with the number of illegal guns they possess and protests him. Pinga's shadow interrupts both of them as the bird beastman relays the intel about the drones' capability to turn them into humans. They take a peek toward the increasing number of enemies and the arrival of said drones, and Flip flippantly says to Nakamori that he hopes he appreciates him being a criminal; his illegal arsenals are proven to be useful against the machines. Flip and The Family then take on the battle with all their might. At the same time, both Bear Basketball Team and Michiru's team begin to make their move. Michiru, Nazuna, and Marie arrive at the Town Square and after quick observation, Michiru points to the main broadcast system. Michiru urges Marie to hurry but the mink responds that it's not as easy as it seems. She manages to start the broadcast system again, but Alan is already there awaiting them. He tells them to stop struggling because Anima City is over and everyone is either get killed by the rampaging beastmen or turned into humans before the serum completes. Michiru then jumps on stage and faces him one by one. Alan mentions that Michiru as a girl doesn't fit to bear gorilla arms and points out that it'll just be better for her to just go back into human and live her life normally. Michiru, with the mic on her, states that whatever she is she doesn't care anymore. She has the right to decide how she lives, and so does everyone in case any beastmen want to become a human. However, Michiru disgustedly claims that Alan's way to forcibly take beastmen rights along with their freedom of choice and turn them into human is really awful. She throws the mic toward him, which Alan easily evades as he lunges forward and grabs ahold of Michiru up on the air as he mocks her beliefs; with numerous drones ready to shoot on her. Just as the drones start firing, Shirou snatches her away from Alan and brings her to safety. Alan is half surprised that Shirou still lives; but Shirou only answers that the people living inside him, whom Alan refers to as scum for being hybrid, are telling him not to give up. Both Shirou and Alan transform into their Wolf God form, ready to battle one another. Michiru is stunned by the fact that Alan is another beastman.

Alan channels his energies as he barrages Shirou with his laser beams. Shirou effectively evades one after another, but Michiru struggles to save herself from the endless beams as the structures around her crumble by the powerful force. Alan mocks Shirou if he's trying to buy some time, which Shirou responds while dodging Alan's attacks that he'll do so until he learns his tricks. Alan proceeds to once again brag about his purebred and pridefully claims that Shirou will never be able to match his divine howl for him being a hybrid. However, much to Alan's surprise and shock, Shirou proves him to be completely wrong as his own blue divine howl is able to match with Alan's golden divine howl; resulting in both canceling each other out. In turn, Shirou pridefully states that he lives a thousand years for nothing. Alan still doesn't believe that Shirou is able to match his power; his seed of fears start to grow rapidly at the thought of having an equal. Shirou then goes offensive and charges toward Alan and shoots another powerful divine howl which Alan fails to block as the attack makes a direct hit, knocking him off. Even though they are equally matched in power, Shirou proves to be much faster. With one swift movement, Shirou takes the advantage to close the distance; punching Alan right on his face and overwhelms him with his weight. Shirou then holds Alan's jaw open and threatens him to "taste" the divine howl again by directly shooting it on point-blank. Overtaken by the shock of Shirou's power and his growing fear of someone equaling him, Alan eventually shows the symptom of being affected by Nirvasyl Syndrome (much to his own further shock and disbelief); which Shirou sneers at him with his saying that purebreds won't be affected by Nirvasyl Syndrome. Shirou intends to finish him off while he still has his sense of reason before he can go rampage; but from the corner of his eyes, Shirou spots Michiru looking at him worryingly. That drives his rage away as he cancels his divine howl. However, Alan is mutating more and more thanks to Nirvasyl Syndrome, Shirou decides to take an alternate approach to stop him. He returns to his normal form and puts his arm between Alan's jaw while he uses his other arm and puts his strength to punch Alan's chin, resulting in Alan gnawing his arm, drawing blood from it. Since Shirou is already affected by Michiru's Beast Factor, his blood is already neutralized and his blood contains the same Beast Factor that can neutralize the Nirvasyl Syndrome. Alan eventually is saved from the Nirvasyl Syndrome and returns to his normal form. On the verge of unconsciousness, the defeated and incapacitated Alan weakly questions his reason to save his life. Shirou simply replies that he doesn't want to live with regrets anymore. He smiles at Michiru and she is also glad and happy with his resolve.

As the fight subsides, Nazuna calls Michiru and tells her that the broadcast system is ready. Unfortunately, her phone battery runs out; much to their dismay. Nazuna then suggests her to charge it right away, but then they realize that the source of the howl is present there. As Shirou lands on the ground, Michiru and Nazuna approach him and beg him to howl again; stating that the only one who can protect Anima City is Ginrou. Nazuna appears to be surprised by it and Shirou finds it confusing as well, but he consents to it anyway. The howl is broadcasted all over the city and all of the rampaging beastmen stop thrashing around and follow the howl, while also including all beastmen who don't suffer Nirvasyl Syndrome. Everyone in the city follows the howl except Nazuna and Michiru. Michiru watches and listens to Ginrou's howl, and it's then when she realizes that she and Nazuna are different from them, but she can still feel Shirou's mixed feeling of sadness and misery while he still looks out for the other beastmen.

The aftermath of the chaos, the remaining rampaging beastmen is treated with constant Ginrou's howl from earphone before they are given the serum. It takes time, but all the rampaging beastmen eventually are cured. Nazuna unintentionally becomes Anima City's icon who is popular among both humans and beastmen after she saves the kid during the chaos and is recorded by a camera. In the City Hall, Mayor Rose claims their success to protect their autonomy. Prime Minister Shiramizu and the Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals Conglomerate reluctantly agree on Anima City's term after negotiations following the recent events. Alan also resigns from the Sylvasta Pharmaceutics as the President so they can assume that he's going to stay low for an indefinite time. Mayor Rose then states that she wants to change the city. She wants to make humans understand about beastmen, and vice versa, so she'll start inviting humans to live together with beastmen in Anima City. Shirou asks if she's able to do such thing and Mayor Rose agrees that it's difficult. Yet fortunately, they have time so they'll just have to take it slow.

Michiru is casually playing basketball when Shirou approaches her. Shirou asks about her condition, but at the same time, the ball rolls to him. Michiru weaves to him to pass it to her, which he complies without any protest. Michiru performs a slam dunk to answer his question that she's fine. Shirou then apologizes for everything, but Michiru responds that it isn't his fault. The cure of her beastman disease is also finished so Shirou is glad that she's finally able to go home. However, Michiru answers that she's fine this way and that she'll stay this way/remain in Anima City for a while. She claims that only she and Nazuna who have experienced being both beastman and human, so she figures that she can do something in the city with it while also mentioning that she likes being a beastman, much to Shirou's pleasure. Shirou then questions what she plans to do for the city. Michiru appears to be unsure of what to do, but she'll look for things that only she can do, mentioning helping Nazuna or even him. Shirou answers that he doesn't remember asking her to do so, and both of them chuckle in unison.

Michiru proceeds to tell him that the first time she reaches Anima City, she sees Ginrou. She asks if he's really happy about the festival that he decides to celebrate in his Ginrou form. Shirou looks pretty stunned and confused, but Michiru goes on by saying that it's better for him to be whatever form he wants from now on without needing any specific reasons. They are interrupted by Nazuna's call; she invites Michiru to go look for a tea. Michiru excuses herself as she and Nazuna fly across the city, being watched by Shirou with a smile. Kuro lands on Shirou's shoulders, and Shirou admites that they may be able to change this city as well.

Characters

 * Michiru Kagemori
 * Shirou Ogami
 * Marie Itami
 * Jackie
 * Pinga
 * Barbara Rose
 * Alan Sylvasta
 * Boris Cliff
 * Nazuna Hiwatashi
 * Nina Flip (cameo)
 * Kuro

Trivia

 * It's bewildering to see Michiru survive from Shirou's attack and only suffers minor injury from it. The only logical explanation is that as soon as Shirou's fangs graze Michiru's blood, the "Beast Factor" in her blood quickly reacts thus stopping him from gnawing further.
 * Michiru and Nazuna are the only ones who remain unaffected by Ginrou's howl. This may be because they are by nature not a beastman, but rather, humans who are transformed into beastmen.
 * Also this scene where she was supposedly dies, but instead miraculously lives is a reference to Persona 5 series in this case Ryuji Sakamoto who manages to survive the destruction of Masayoshi Shido's palace.
 * During this episode, Shirou appears to lose his collar and is never seen using it again for the rest of the story. In the previous episodes, Shirou needs to undo his collar to be able to transform into Ginrou form, thus making the collar some sort of charm that holds back his power (physically speaking, the collar will "hold" his body size so he won't be able to transform). However, during the previous episode he is forcefully transformed into rampaging beastman so the collar itself is likely to snap and break.
 * It's revealed that Shirou's transcendence into Ginrou eerily similar to that of how undead ritual Alan and his ancestor held in the past worked. The difference is that Shirou's transformation was accidental and therefore had an unwanted side effect in which he hosted souls of deceased beastmen whose blood changed him, something Alan and his ancestor apparently avoided judging from the former's disdain over Shirou's Wolf God form in addition of being not a pure-blood beastman.
 * Since Alan revealed to be able to mask his beastman nature, the same could be said to the rest of his family (particularly his ancestor Raymond Sylvasta) and perhaps other pure-blood beastmen. Coupled with the fact that pure-blood beastmen possess knowledge of undead ritual to achieve immortality and godhood, this means not only Alan being sole individuals who can match Shirou in his Ginrou form, but also the one behind discrimination between beastmen and mankind in the first place.
 * The number of people who know Shirou is the original Ginrou may start growing; Nazuna is one of few who witnesses the true Ginrou. Additionally, at the end of the episode, Michiru tells him that he's free to be who he is, perhaps referring that he does not need to hide his true self as a Ginrou anymore.
 * This episode marks the first time Shirou calls Michiru by name and Shirou expresses gratitude (as in clearly saying thank you). Shirou also seems to be happier after the conflict is done; it's possible that he no longer regards Michiru only as an acquaintance, but a friend who has saved his life once and whom he can trust.
 * There is no evidence if the Silver Wolf Order still continues to exist since Boris's fate remains unknown and Nazuna appears to have both quit the organization and no longer hold the title of Ginrou since her predecessor (Shirou) is alive and well.
 * When Michiru tells Shirou that she saw Ginrou during the festival back then and speculated it was him feeling happy for the beastmen, Shirou appears to be confused. He doesn't confirm nor deny, so there is a possibility that the Ginrou in the first episode is not him.
 * When telling Shirou's backstory to Michiru, Mayor Rose said Shirou hadn't turned into Ginrou since World War II, so it probably wasn't Shirou that Michiru saw, but rather someone else also take the mantle beside Nazuna.
 * There's no news yet if the anime will get 2nd season, nor whether the series' major story arcs (discrimination between humanity and beastmen and conspiracy behind it all) will conclude in some form.