DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
| SARA!!!! Yes! Your freedom! Though you shouldn't run around the desert in your underwear... Holy crap... when they kidnap the children I was so mad... and then when they bombed the village I was so, so sad... And they will never know that their hopes are useless... there is no place to return to anymore. Nabuca will realize one day he's doing all this for nothing... |
| Even though I'm glad Sara was able to break free (and it was hella intense watching her beat that guy to death), it's still depressing to think that she wasn't a special case in the sense that even though she escaped, countless other women and girls are being rounded up from villages to undergo the same torture. Hamdo is using everyone to continue an endless cycle of domination, I doubt there's even a war or enemy at this point. This episode reminded me of a certain episode from Kino's Journey as well. |
 |
insan3soldiern said: Thillygooth said: Sara escaped, but who knows if she will survive in the desert with no food, clothing, water, direction, etc. Very depressing aspect of the show. But I like that they haven't backed down from it. Survive or not, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it's better than staying in that ship. I highly doubt that that will be the last we see of her, or at least I hope so. This episode was pure gold, that's really all there is to it. From how they showed those snap shots to when Nabuca saw that little kid, just a wide range of emotions and character growth without much dialogue. Great stuff. This. What an incredible series this is. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| what a fantastic episode, so many feels man might have to make some changes in my top 10 if this anime keeps up the good stuff |
 |
| I'm so happy that Sara took action and saved herself. The second half was pretty sad. |
| "The will to live is stronger than anything else" |
| Why did they destroy the springs of water if what they need is water and food . . . That didn't make any sense to me. But anyways, I'm glad that despite how horrible what they did was, it brings Hellywood just that much closer to collapsing (more mouths to feed with same amount of food (i.e. not enough as it is) = food shortage.) |
 |
| Let me just say this: You rape me, you better motherfucking kill me cause I'm comin for DAT ASS. |
 |
| You go Sara! <3 |
 |
| Sara escapes, good for her. I can't handle such a cutie to get brutally raped. Shu is amazing as always. The world is so unfair. |
| What a great episode. The beginning was intense and the end was meaningful. I wonder what's going to happen to Shu now. |
::End of Transmission:: What have I been watching? Click here and find out on my viewing blog, "Vigorous Viewing" |
| That scene with the little boy and Nabuca in the village..... After 5 episodes of being indifferent and on the verge of dropping this show, that scene made me tear up. Good job whoever decided to actually use a little boy's voice for that character. I love Nabuca, he's my favorite. Glad he's finally starting to awaken |
 |
| Good thing Sara escaped! I get shu's intentions but he really is an idiot with the way he goes about his rescues plan lol. 1. Knock out that guard 2. unlock the vehicle where the kids are trapped 3. forget that there are hundreds of other soldiers around 4. get shot in the knee 5. wtf now??? |
| When I was a kid, I saw the world as black and white. Good guys were heroes. Bad guys were villains because they are evil. When I read up on the attocities that the Imperial Japanese army committed in China and Asia, I was thoroughly disgusted and outraged with the lack of justice for the perpetuators. The same goes with the Nazis. However, now anger has been subsided and replaced with calm acceptance. I still am furious at particular individuals who orchestrated the events and went above and beyond necessity because of their cruel nature. E.g. Unit 731 human experimentation on civilians, sword killing contests, using live people for bayonet practice, death marches, raping children and mothers in front of family, killing pregnant women. Nazi extermination of jews, discriminatory armbands for people of different ethnicities, kidnapping polish children, exterminating polish intelligentsia, euthanising gypsies and the deformed etc. This gridlocked heirarchal power structure imposed on the military (even the free countries), how can you ever break the chain. At least in Germany they have a policy that a soldier is allowed to disobey their superiors if they think the action is a crime against humanity and insults human dignity. The soldiers can't do anything without being punished. They have to obey any order in the name of duty. Kidnapping, genocides, even a scheduled rape of women for child soldier production. The only people who can really change this are those close to the king who represent the higher echelons of power... How did they get there? By going through the dehumanisation process for the sake of power, misguided duty and a lack of apathy... Unfortunately, in this world, there doesn't seem to be an equivalent Roy Mustang. No, on most occasions, King Hamdo is replaced by his direct crony who uses the people's suffering as justification and the cycle continues. *cough, cough Mugabe. Though sometimes, the people prevail and democracy is enforced and strengthened alongside a growing economy and middle class. It honestly is what I call the "western miracle". I still like Shu as a character, he's an untainted flower adorning the chaotic wasteland of war. |
Cloud_IllusionsMar 15, 2017 12:51 AM
| Nothing can happen until you swing the bat. |
Katsura95 said: Sara, that's not how you're supposed to use a gun. Still pretty effective though, but she's lucky it didn't accidentally go off. I wonder why she didn't keep those clothes she stole.. Those clothes remind her of her time in Hellywood. I would think the same reason she cut her hair was to make her think she is a new person (free). Although she did lose some protection, she thinks its better than constantly being reminded that she is being kept alive by the same things she wanted to escape from. Just my opinion Also, since he is still a kid, he still fights for his own super ego. Oblivious to the fact that this is WAR. War is always unjustifiable and unfair. In fact, a fair war might even be contradictory. |
booyah10Apr 9, 2017 3:43 AM
| I'm re-watching this series after more than a decade and I could only remember a few things from this episode--most notably when Sara cut her hair. That scene with her and that soldier was definitely intense. This episode kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. Also, I really like Nabucca. It's just hard to dislike him. |
| @Sean_Nessman Shû is here to "counter"/"balance" the overall impression of this bleak world along its peoples way of thinking. He isn't promised to any grand scheme, sorry. In other words, his role is to be the "you can do it, don't despair" guy of the story, a role that would be hard to distribute to anyone actually living in this "parallel world". I still thought that the confrontation of this young boy who grew up in the super safe environment of modern Japan with the reality of the world he visits was nice to have |
| I'm glad Sara managed to escape, but I can only imagine that the life she is facing out in the wasteland is just as bad as it was on Hellywood but we'll just have to wait and see. Maybe she'll become a big badass and come and save Shu and Lala Ru. Also Shu has either got to escape soon, or convince Boo and Nabuca to help him or his constant outbursts and going against orders is going to get him tortured/killed |
| “I love heroes, but I don't want to be one. Do you even know what a hero is!? For example, you have some meat. Pirates will feast on the meat, but the hero will distribute it among the people! I want to eat the meat!” - Monkey D. Luffy |
| This was a masterstroke episode. My justice boner is fully erect now that Sara has taken matters into her own hands. I actually like that Shu is standing up for principles in the face of the system, although if he wasn't plot armored he would have no doubt be executed in this episode. The use of grey tinted still frames like WWII photographs was brilliant. The depiction of the brutalities of war without laws is thoughtfully executed, particularly with Nabuca. |
| Shu really signed up for some shit when he climbed that smokestack to see Lalaru, didn't he? This episode honed in on the terrors and agonies of war from certain angles the series hitherto has yet to do and it was horrifying, to say the least. I think Shu is a dumbass, but I also think his purpose is to present a, perhaps, more grounded view of what's going on here, free from the conditioning and propaganda of Hellywood and its (I guess?) surrounding villages. A pendant won't stop a war, the cycle will never stop, et cetera, so on. It's worth noting that after the Hellywood invasion left the village they proceeded to bomb it so there would be nothing left of it. This is strikingly important because the soldiers fight for mad king Hamdo with the hope they'll one day return to a village that has been utterly obliterated by the same people promising their eventual return. It's all a subterfuge, it's all madness. The pre-OP scene with Sara was... humbling, to say the least, and drenched in multiple layers of melancholy. I don't think this is the end of Sara, but if her final scene is her escape and wandering, ridden of everything attached to her image in Hellywood, into the moonlit desert, that's... that's beautiful (in a sort of desolate way) by itself. But I honestly feel bad for the soldier who was trying to rape her, too. This is a different world, a different setting. He didn't even seem particularly interested in the idea, but, just like the kidnappings, the pillages, and the deaths, orders are orders. The people here are certainly conditioned into accepting this is the way of things. Sara, coming from a different world, surely wasn't, so she threw a wrench into his worldview by murdering him. I don't suggest it wasn't... understandable, arguably justifiable, but I pity the soldier too. Everyone is a victim here. This was a resoundingly powerful episode. |
ZadionJan 18, 2019 7:58 PM
 ☩ Discord: the.path.to.pathos ☩ RateYourMusic ☩ last.fm |
| Poor Sara, I feel really bad for her. The scene where she stood in front of the moon was great. This whole series just has the right dystopian vibes only 90s anime have. I wasnt really sure what to expect from this series, its niche enough to only get watched by people who know what they are up to, yet the scoring is rather subpar. But I havent been hit by this kind of bittersweet melancholic feeling in a long time. |
| "This emotion is mine alone. It is for Madoka alone." - Homura or how I would descripe Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. |
| Sara is a great girl.. Shu in the other hand, he has a good intention, but his method is still very stupid.. What would he do if the officer didn't think twice and just shot him and everyone who trying to escape.. |
"The Slave is the have-not, the oppressed one with nothing to spare. But because the Slave is in that despairing situation, having nothing, it can kill the Emperor !" |
| Man Hellywood reminds me of (beside a combination of the words Hell and Hollywood) a nation with bizarre cults of personality like Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union where lies are repeated to the point they become the truth! Also, with all the child soldiers and abductions it reminds me of the Warlords/Governments who have control in Uganda, Bolivia, The Congo, Myanmar etc. Truly a hellish combination of the dark sides of humanity. I am so glad that Sara was able to escape the nightmare that is Hellywood I was on the edge of my seat for the entire opening I was so worried what would happen to her and was hoping she would prevail as she fought to prevent going through that hell again and escape. When she managed to escape from there and shed the uniform and equipment she stole I thought that was very symbolic that she never wants to return to that awful place and that cutting her hair is her way of never fully forgetting what happened but using those hellish experiences she will vow to be a survivor and push forward even if it is the future and road ahead is daunting and unknown. And while she certainly is scared of facing this harsh new world alone (hence the tears) she knows that it has to be better than that prison they call a Kingdom. The whole sequence was intense, scary, heart and tear jerking, bittersweet, and yet somehow beautiful and hopefully by the end. An absolutely brilliant scene it held my attention from beginning to end! |
 |
| Save yourself, nice action sara |
 |
| This episode was decent, but probably the weakest so far. It just wasn't as interesting. The scene where Sara went berserk was quite brutal. If I were her I don't think I would've drank that "special water", no way of knowing what that was. The scene were she cut her was quite artsy, I bet whoever came up with it was really proud of themselves. Although she doesn't seem particularly bright, running through the presumably freezing desert with barely any cloths on. She should've kept the knife too, no way of knowing what's out there. When they rolled up to that village guns blazing I though they were gonna commit some genocide, but I guess not. But then again, knowing this show I wouldn't put it past them. I get a real Maoist China vibe from Hellywood. An insane dictator that everyone worships without question, and brutal policies. I really want to know why Abelia is blindly following that sack of shit though. Is she in love with him or something? Why else would she be jealous of Lala-ru? I admire Shuu, he's the only likeable character (with personality that is), but damn is he stupid. I hope Nabuca abandons his evil ways at some point, he doesn't have any character traits besides "muh sad childhood", and he's not very likeable. Reminds me of Cassian from Rouge One. I hope someone kicks some sense into that Tabool fucker too, dude's got issues. |
| Shu's character feels more like a plot device with the sole use of pushing and progressing Nabuca's character than an actual protagonist. He makes non sensical moves all the time and the story failed to fledge him out so far. He never really went in depth to what the hell is actually going on, where the fk he is, and how he can get back to his world/family. He got tortured multiple times but is mentally unscathed. Also Sara just escaped? Like I thought it was impossible to escape.. that seemed rather easy. |
| Right after I mentioned Sara's development and escape in the previous episode thread, this happens. This is one of the few anime I've seen that shows successful anti-rape action (and, well, touches on the issue at all), and in so much (chilling) realistic detail. And Sara's panic that *intensified* after she actually killed the guy (she was probably thinking that she had failed after seeing him fall on her). For a moment I thought that Sara was going to commit seppuku with that knife o_o "Peaceful expeditions", "negotiations", and all that imagery...Orwellian. What the show consistently succeeds in is conveying so much through visual imagery, shot composition and offscreen events. The bombardment was not shown, but it was implied that those who returned to the village got killed while mourning the dead, and the village got destroyed completely; meaning that nobody, of course, is going to return to their homes, because there's nowhere to return to after the "recruitment" P.S. People complaining about Shu being "nonsensical", "stupid" or "illogical" fail to grasp the situation once again. You ain't supposed to lecture a kid thrown in this environment how to act from your armchair. He acts realistically, like it or not. And also I already suspect that some people dislike this series for "shock value", but the most shocking thing here is reacting to all the horrors happening and pretending that it's "shock value" when it's the ugly reality that's not pulled out of thin air. |
St0rmbladeAug 15, 2020 9:43 AM
| Sara killing the attempted rapist soldier there was the most satisfying scene in this anime so far. I think she should've at least kept the knife though, rather than ditching it once she escaped. Any weapon helps, considering the world she was transported to. And Shu is once again the bastion of integrity here. Even if nothing he does individually can result in much change, maybe he'll make them wake up to what exactly Hamdo is using them for. And if not, then his principles stiil elevate him. As long as karma arrives in full force at some point, it doesn't really matter what form it takes. |
  ｲ乇刀乇乃尺ﾑ乇 ㊎   ㊰☽ Shaded Horizon ☾ |
| So they were trying to use Sara as not only a reward to soldiers but to bear kids. I was cheering for Sara to beat his ass, she had nothing to lose and she did not stop. She also drank the water. Good girl. Also THAT TRANSITION. The series does such justice to long scenes with no dialogue. Helly wood forcing villages to give up everything to join a war they want nothing to be apart of. And to abduct all women and children. Disgusting to the core. Nabuca is so tragically painful to watch. He knows what he’s doing is wrong but he’s done so much already for a promise that will never really be fulfilled. Shuu saying, the cycle will never end if we abduct these kids, they’ll have to do the same. Whose going to stop the violence. |
 |
More topics from this board
» Curious about the title….Eykosca - Nov 28, 2023 |
1 |
by ErogakiPatches
»»
Dec 1, 2023 1:38 AM |
|
» How good would you consider the ending and characters? Would you guys consider this wasted potential?_Arc4n1_ - Apr 25, 2021 |
10 |
by Eykosca
»»
Nov 28, 2023 4:01 PM |
|
» What a great main character!Dd5 - Sep 3, 2022 |
10 |
by Dd5
»»
Oct 31, 2023 8:35 AM |
|
Poll: » Now and Then, Here and There Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 )Kayro - Apr 2, 2008 |
185 |
by mal_user_2022
»»
Oct 1, 2023 2:57 PM |
|
Poll: » Now and Then, Here and There Episode 1 DiscussionKayro - Mar 31, 2008 |
49 |
by dspr
»»
Aug 31, 2023 12:01 PM |