Tougen Anki Episode 23 Review: Berserk Shiki Returns and the Series Hits Peak Form

Episode 23 of Tougen Anki finally swings for the fences. I went in with the bar on the floor and still came out impressed. The show skips its usual recap and jumps straight to the OP, which, on this series, usually means something big is about to pop off. And it does.

The long walk to the Season 1 climax

It has been months since the premiere, and we all knew the season was steering toward Shiki vs Mikado. The berserk version of Shiki makes a return, the buildup actually pays off, and to the anime’s credit, it looks sharp doing it.

The fight isn’t just about two heavy-hitters. There’s real baggage here: who breaks first, and can these two actually find their way back to being friends? I’ve said before the show never sold that friendship especially well, but I still wanted them to patch things up. Nobody enjoys a falling-out that sticks because of a dumb misunderstanding.

How the fight actually plays out

• Early on, Mikado has Shiki on the ropes. The advantage is clear.
• Then Shiki’s fire attribute, Enki, starts bleeding out of him. That surge flips the momentum, and he even calls it even between them.
• Right after that, Shiki loses control and snaps into his berserk state. Mudano jumps in and manages to suppress him for a moment, mirroring how the series opened back in Episode 1. It’s scary because berserk Shiki basically has no ceiling.
• Even in that state, Shiki stays conscious. He’s sobbing, fully aware he can’t stop himself from killing whoever is in front of him, and begs Mikado to end him. The moment is clearly designed to wreck you, but the voice work and direction lean a bit cheesy, so it doesn’t land as hard as it could.
• The stakes are laid out: if Mikado can’t stop him here, a city-level rampage is on the table. Mudano even gives Mikado the go-ahead to kill Shiki if that’s what it takes.
• In the final seconds, Mikado fires his ultimate attack at Shiki while simultaneously hoping Shiki survives it. The idea is pretty blunt: real strength isn’t about crushing someone, it’s about protecting your people and the civilians caught in the crossfire.

Does it hit?

More than I expected. The no-recap cold start sets a tone, the big swings look good, and the theme lands: sometimes you have to overpower someone just to get them to hear you out, which makes Shiki’s turnaround feel necessary. The emotional centerpiece is a little melodramatic, but the cliffhanger sets up a clean final-test scenario for next week’s finale.

Is it hard to guess how a shonen resolves this? Not really. The question is whether the show sticks the landing.

Tougen Anki is streaming on Netflix.