A visually loud but narratively empty episode that delays the only fight anyone actually cares about.
After last week’s emotional setup, Tjan Anki Episode 20 had the perfect opportunity to escalate tension and directly push the story toward the long-awaited Shiki vs. Makado showdown. Instead, the episode sidesteps everything promising and gives us one elongated, one-note fight that feels more like time-wasting than storytelling.
It isn’t technically filler — the story moves, just very slowly — but it’s another episode that refuses to touch the one thing viewers are actually waiting for.
⭐ Shina Finally Gets Humbled — The Only Satisfying Part
Before diving into the underwhelming main fight, let’s appreciate the episode’s best moment:
Shina getting caught red-handed.
His CCTV-style omniscience ability has been so overused that seeing it finally countered felt refreshing. And the method? A VR trick to feed him fake footage. Not only was it clever, but watching him panic and run — fully aware he can’t win in a direct confrontation — was truly satisfying.
If anything, this was the first time the show punished a character for being a one-trick pony instead of rewarding them for it.
Sadly, that high point didn’t last long.
⭐ The “Big Fight” Turns into Generic Shonen 101
The rest of the episode focuses almost entirely on Akari vs. Asuk, and this is where the disappointment really sets in.
On paper, the matchup should’ve been amazing:
- Two cocky personalities
- Power sets that complement and contrast each other
- Plenty of buildup across previous episodes
But instead, the fight falls into every predictable shonen trap:
- “Let’s fight fair” speeches from villains
- A battlefield split so everyone can 1v1
- Copy-ability user who predictably gets outplayed
- First half loss → dramatic awakening → second half victory
It’s not that the animation was bad — although some CGI moments were noticeably rough — it’s that nothing felt new or emotionally engaging.
The choreography looked fine.
The characters looked cool.
But the writing behind it was hollow.
It’s the kind of fight that should be hype but ends up feeling like a box that the episode needed to check before moving on.
⭐ Akari Finally Gets His Spotlight… but Do We Even Care?
This was clearly designed to be Akari’s big moment.
Round one: Akari gets beaten down.
Round two: Akari awakens and goes full feral — wings of blood and all.
Round three: Victory, but at a devastating cost, maybe even death.
Narratively, that should feel huge.
But the problem is simple:
Tjan Anki has not done enough to make the audience emotionally invested in the side fighters.
The series keeps introducing new characters and pushing them into spotlight battles without giving viewers proper reasons to care about them. That’s why Akari’s win — and his possibly fatal injuries — feel more like a plot obligation than a payoff.
All it does is remind us that this fight isn’t the one we’ve been waiting for.
⭐ The Real Problem: Stop Stalling Shiki vs. Makado
We all know what this season has been building toward.
Shiki vs. Makado
The unavoidable clash of ideology, loyalty, and betrayal.
Episode 20 teases it again — but doesn’t commit. At this point, the constant delaying is turning hype into irritation. If the series wants viewers emotionally invested in side battles, it needs to stop dangling the main event like bait.
If Episode 21 doesn’t finally deliver, the season finale may feel more like relief than excitement — and that’s not what this story deserves.
⭐ Final Verdict
Tjan Anki Episode 20 is not terrible — it’s just painfully forgettable.
A whole episode dedicated to a predictable fight with no emotional consequences (or at least none that feel believable) is the definition of wasted potential.
Rating: ⭐⭐½ / 5
One satisfying moment, one dragged-out battle, and still no progress toward the fight the story keeps promising.
❗ Final Thought
At this point, only Shiki vs. Makado can save the pacing of this arc. If the anime delays it any longer, even a spectacular fight might not be enough to fix the lost momentum.
