Failure Frame episode 2: Touka clears the Ruins of Disposal as a shocking reveal is made about the Goddess

Failure Frame episode 2 continued Touka’s journey through the Ruins of Disposal, seeing him learn more about himself both as a person and as a mage in this new world. Officially released on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the episode saw Touka steadily make his way through the Ruins, coming upon and learning about various corpses in the process.

This culminated in a seemingly unwinnable battle in Failure Frame episode 2’s final moments, during which Touka truly appeared to mentally snap beyond any and all help. However, this led to an exciting reveal regarding his true nature, setting the series up for an interesting future.

Failure Frame episode 2 cements Touka as a ruthless and manipulative main character, albeit a kind one

Brief episode recap

Touka's journey through the Ruins of Disposal continues in Failure Frame episode 2 (Image via Seven Arcs)

Failure Frame episode 2 began with Touka Mimori questioning what would happen if he tried to keep casting spells despite being out of extra MP. He then tried to paralyze the Minotaur again, but learned he can’t spam a status effect on one target. He cast sleep on it instead, followed by poison, confirming he can stack multiple effects.

He then learned he was fully out of MP as several new bird-like enemies approached him. He paralyzed all of them but felt faint as even more enemies approached. Nevertheless, he continued casting spells, eventually hitting a mental limit to the pain. However, he leveled up from level 1 to 258 at that moment, restoring his MP. This massive boost in experience points came from the first bird-like enemy he encountered, which had just died from the poison.

Failure Frame episode 2 then saw his skills level up as well, allowing him to designate multiple targets for one cast. Touka then realized his inflictions have a range, further experimenting with what counts as “spamming” an ailment. He then inflicted all of the monsters present with poison, continuing to level up as they each perished. Once they had all died, he eventually reached levels upwards of 500.

Failure Frame episode 2 sees Touka officially declare his quest for revenge against the Goddess (Image via Seven Arcs)

However, food became an issue, forcing him to eat what parts of the monsters he could butcher for survival. This eventually led him to somehow summon a soda and beef jerky from his bag, a process he didn’t even understand. Time then jumped ahead by several days, showing Touka having already dealt with a massive hoard of reptilian monsters, as well as a dragon.

Failure Frame episode 2 saw Touka lament the brutality he was showing these monsters but eventually remembered his childhood with his parents and how it taught him to be like this. Touka then progressed further into the Ruins of Disposal, eventually coming across a new, eyeball-like enemy. He also commented on how different the atmosphere in this area was after defeating it.

Upon finding a magic gem on a door, he poured magic into it, allowing him to progress further. He then came upon the corpses of two adventurers, who, clearly having given up and in love, decided to die in each other’s arms. Touka continued searching the other rooms in the area, eventually finding one that contained the corpse of Anglin the Great Sage, also known as Anglin, the Hero of Darkness.

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Failure Frame episode 2 saw Touka remember that Vicius said one of his classmates had the same magic. A note left by Anglin revealed that he was banished here by Vicius after being declared unnecessary and an eyesore. Touka cursed Vicius, calling himself, her, and the enemy they were summoned to face all evil.

He then found a Forbidden Arts spellbook on Anglin’s corpse, scrolls of Forbidden Magic, and a note inside the book that warned of a Soul Eater that killed “everyone else.” This monster then appeared briefly before disappearing. Touka then found what he believed to be a door to the surface, believing it only to be missing a key.

Failure Frame episode 2 saw Touka question if he could beat the Soul Eater if Anglin even couldn’t do it, eventually finding the Soul Eater and the key to the door in its forehead. Touka then tried to attack but was immediately countered by the Soul Eater. As he questioned his next move, the Soul Eater began to make its first move, breaking free of its place in the wall and floating towards Touka.

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On the surface, the elven girl from the end of the last episode was seen hiding out near the door Touka was trying to get through. The Soul Eater then threw up a pink goo, which spawned foot soldiers for Touka to fight. The Soul Eater then cornered Touka, finally opening its eyes as it did so. He then tried attacking the foot soldiers, but couldn’t go through with it due to their being recreations of actual humans.

Failure Frame episode 2 saw Touka become cornered by more foot soldiers as the Soul Eater took joy in tormenting him. However, he revealed this was all a ploy to get the Soul Eater to let its guard down. He then paralyzed it while lecturing about how he was done trying to be kind, poisoning all of the monsters the Soul Eater made as he said so.

He then poisoned the Soul Eater itself, successfully killing it and earning his escape from the Ruins of Disposal. This also resulted in the souls of all those the Soul Eaters had killed materializing, all of them thanking and congratulating him for his victory. Anglin then appeared and asked Touka to “get that Goddess,” meaning Vicius, seemingly speaking for all as they disappeared after. The episode ended with Touka officially stepping outside the ruins.

In review

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Failure Frame episode 2’s greatest strength is that it distinguishes itself greatly from other isekai in terms of the kind of protagonist it has. While most isekai series see main characters either choose to be good or try to be evil/shady, but forced into doing good, Touka is seemingly being set up as a truly evil and manipulative main character.

Likewise, the first two episodes do a good job of justifying this via extended looks at Touka’s abusive childhood thanks to his parents. In turn, episode 2’s reveal of his aunt and uncle trying to show him a “better life” explains the facade he claims to have tried to don for so many years. It’s a subtle, yet effective detail that helps drive home that in this world, fans are seeing who Touka really and truly is as a person.

In summation

With Failure Frame episode 2 seeing Touka escape the Ruins of Disposal successfully, the third episode will likely see him meet the aforementioned Elven girl. From here, the two will likely find some sort of common goal, which relates back to killing the Goddess, cementing the pair as allies from there onward.