In Review: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (S2 – EP5) Furusato

Synopsis: Furusato sees the action return to Santa Soledad, where Titan X, the sea serpent Monarch has been tracking, becomes a target for Apex.

The Story

Cate rejoins the group, revealing that she can hear the “song” the Titans broadcast whenever they appear. However, she quickly dismisses it herself, suggesting she may have been hearing things due to being drunk. Regardless, the group is pleased to have her back, particularly Hiroshi, her father, who has fences to mend with his children. The reasons for this are explored through flashbacks and dialogue throughout the episode.

Having found Keiko’s letter to Lee in the previous episode, Hiroshi is understandably angry and blames it for his stepfather Bill leaving him, which isn’t entirely true. Keiko reassures him of this, adding more emotional weight to their fractured family dynamic.

As this unfolds, the group makes their way to Santa Soledad, the location where Keiko, Bill, and Lee first encountered Titan X back in the 1950s. Using Bill Randa’s map of the Titan’s migration route, which Apex has also been aware of, they are able to predict where Titan X will surface next.

It’s revealed that Apex has developed a device they believe will allow them to control a Titan. However, the only successful tests so far have been on smaller creatures. Brenda, who is in charge of the operation, believes May’s computer code is the key to scaling the technology up, but underestimates the time needed to perfect it. With Titan X’s arrival at Santa Soledad imminent, the clock is very much ticking.

Lee’s plan is to destroy the drone that will deploy the device into Titan X, but things don’t go according to plan. When the Titan finally surfaces and gathers her scarabs, Cate is drawn to the shoreline, determined to test whether her connection to the Titans is real. It appears that it is. When Apex fires the device into Titan X, Cate feels the creature’s pain as it strikes, prompting Hiroshi to risk his life to save his daughter amid the chaos.

Acting

Takehiro Hira delivers a strong performance throughout the episode, particularly in the more emotive scenes, which pay off effectively as the story unfolds. The moments between Hiroshi and Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto) hit especially well, carrying real emotional weight. This is heightened later when Hiroshi reflects on how both he and his mother have made similar life choices, decisions that have hurt those closest to them, ultimately leading to a meaningful reconciliation.

We also get a standout scene between Hiroshi and Lee (Kurt Russell), where Lee urges him to stop living in the past and instead focus on the present, encouraging him to truly recognise how extraordinary his mother is.

Overall

This is a very character-driven episode, and with good reason, as much of it serves as foreshadowing for the tragic moment that closes things out. In terms of action, it’s relatively sparse, but what is there is shot exceptionally well.

One standout moment is Cate’s connection with Titan X. The lighting and CGI work in this sequence give it an eerily beautiful quality, creating a scene that feels both intimate and unsettling at the same time.