Eureka Seven AO Episode 20 Discussion

Lolitha said:


I was happy to see TheEnd but how is that possible? it was destroyed.

prismheart said:
So many things are going on I really don't think an open ending will happen. One that leaves room for S2 but not necessarily need it. Which is sad since it would be nice if there was one definite conclusion to the Eureka Seven series as a whole.

Dangerr said:

At this point, it's too early to say anything either way. Given how MUCH there is to cover in only four episodes, for the sake of quality and Bones' reputation, I would almost have to see them doing an S2, however, think about DtB's S2, and how much they royally screwed that up (most of all, the ending); the production crews are mostly completely different, I understand, but the precedence is there as a studio for it to happen again. There's just so many elements of the story for AO to elaborate on, it would be completely overwhelming to try addressing them all, while keeping a sound and properly dramatic script, rather than a massive expositional info-dump.

If it hasn't become clearer, I've started to become more critical about various aspects of the show; I was more lenient in the first half, as I found the complex world-building and various conflicts to be an acceptable alternative to the comprehensive character-development that the first series is known for, so long as they would deliver enough for us to be invested in the characters (which it succeeded in, at that stretch of episodes, for the most part). More or less, up until Eureka's appearance, the show was doing good in my eyes, and definitely amounted to more than the sum of its parts. Since episode 16, however, there's been a strange disconnect between me and the events that have transpired; I'll constantly find that the episodes by themselves are actually mostly enjoyable, but when taken in tandem with what has preceded, they feel oddly inconsequential.

While important events did indeed happen in 16-18, and generally did a comprehensive job in telling their respective stories, they lacked dramatic tension, and greatly downplayed the urgency of everything that's been happening around the main cast of characters (Ivica's nonchalant reaction to Ao's acquisition of the Quartz cannon; Fleur and Elena PR shtick while their comrade has defected to the Allied Forces; The Secret's massive security threat to GB; Fleur's seeming-acceptance of Elena's casual admittance to murder; etc.). Now, most of these can be given a rational explanation, which is fine, but given the context of what's been transpiring, they're either out of place, or have been executed too poorly to be justifiable. For example, Elena and Fluer's little scene that was intended to be a humorous, meta-joke towards anime production, does that really belong in what's essentially the final-stretch of the series, which is a crucial time to build aforementioned dramatic tension? And while I'm glad they've been developing the characters further, particularly Fleur and Elena, others have more or less been left by the wayside (Ivica, Rebecka, and Gazelle's crew, specifically).

Also, while I generally wasn't having a problem with suspension of disbelief earlier on, it's becoming increasingly difficult to suppress; some of what I just mentioned has to do with it, but the greatest leap for me was in episode 18; I can't personally accept Christophe's reactions to what the pilots of Pied Piper have done as being that of a sane man, and while I understand that Alex is foremost a gear-head who is endlessly intrigued by the technology he services, I have an even harder time comprehending the utter, reckless irresponsibility he'd shown by letting both Fleur and Elena, unauthorized, confront the Allied Forces for their defected comrade; essentially the downfall of Generation Bleu, right there. The matter of the fact, is, that Ao's defection was a completely transparent means to an end for the writers, which was to get the world to turn against Generation Bleu (and set up Pied Piper's new alliance with Japan, it seems).

Essentially, it's not one big thing pulling the show down right now, or even several, but numerous small problems, that while marginal by themselves, add up quickly to form a mess. I found episode 19 to be refreshingly sober, focused, and even one of the best episodes of the series, but the prelude up to that point was underwhelming, and could have benefited so much more to an added sense of urgency and incremental cohesion, which has been lacking. It will be slightly more acceptable if there's some sort of upcoming S2 in the Spring, but the matter of the fact is, Bones has been dark about this; if they indeed have a second season in mind, then by choosing to stay dark, they've hurt the perception by which we're supposed to have been viewing these episodes with, which is roughly that of the mid-series climax, and not the entire franchise. It is with this perception, that myself and so many others are losing faith for a satisfactory ending, and is definitely damaging my perception of the series, overall.

Tyrel said:

Oh Man. TL;DR, but I agree with the first part. Bones reputation would go down for me, if they rush the last 2 episodes. I want to see a season 2 badly, but I just don't know how they will do that. Seeing as how the sales aren't so great right now.

bastek66 said:
Look what appeared

Silentraider52 said:
Very good episode by my thoughts. My one question is, who is that main in the preview for episode 21 that was in front of that alter (if that's what it is)? I want to think it's Renton but the likelihood of this is extremely low.

Dangerr said:

Haha, sorry, but I've kind of been keeping it in, and haven't really been posting my thoughts on it the last few weeks.

TL;DR -- these last four episodes need to reel out the drama, focus on its priorities, and give us a meaningful ending that makes us feel something. Of course it doesn't have to approach the levels that E7:PoP did, but there is no truly great, or even very good series that forgoes the emotional appeals of the audience, no matter how grand or sweeping the plot is. These last two episodes have done a decent enough job, but I'm asking for more - it can be doing better at this point, and I have no doubt about that. It will be more forgivable if there's an upcoming S2, but if there isn't, they'll have to just salvage their narrative losses with an ending that can at least hit the emotions of its audience in a meaningful way, that more or less takes precedence on the the current time and characters (though Ao's unresolved relationship with his parents must take spotlight as well).

Tyrel said:


Exactly how I feel. I also better see Renton in these next 4 episodes or I'ma QQ

LucarioNate said:


+1 to you good sir for the pictures. I just finished the episode and found this picture to confirm my hypothesis. Seems like theEnd is going to have some action!! (Elena maybe the pilot? Seems like it with all this betrayal / going to the other world stuff).

THeFantasyWriter said:
I think everything could be concluded in 4 episodes but no time can be wasted. I still have faith in this series. We see Eureka again in the episode 21 preview, so hopefully she can give us some answers.

LucarioNate said:

I'm also wondering that... I mean he has the spiky hair and everything but I also feel like this seems wrong. IDK though, I hope it is Renton!! Also, Eureka hologram next episode again.

Dangerr said:

Look again; theEND was destroyed in that blast. At this point, it's seemingly turning out to be a red-herring and a tease.

Dangerr said:

Look again; theEND was destroyed in that blast. At this point, it's seemingly turning out to be a red-herring and a tease.


Plot points that must be resolved for a satisfying conclusion:

* "IFO-0" as Tanaka put it, who/what made it, and its overall importance to the plot.

* Likely related to the above, the nature of the quartz cannon deserves a good explanation. It's likely Renton has to do with both.

* The true nature of quartz, and the motivations that has drove the Scub Coral to seemingly go against what they stood for in E7:PoP.

* The true nature of the Secrets, what they are SPECIFICALLY, where they come from, and WHY they're here to destroy the Scub Coral, though that can also obviously be inferred.

* Elena's true past and her importance to Eureka.

* Naru's endgame, and how she's going to affect the overall plot; to top it all off, we got the enigma of the pre-spec3 typeZERO whom ejected Eureka to pursue Truth (though I can guess why, at this point).

*Mysterious shadowed IFO/LFO in the OP.

*Gen Bleu's new mission to destroy quartz / Scub Coral.

* Ao's resolution with both his mother and father.

* The fate of Pied Piper and Gazelle's crew.


There's even more I could bring up, but think about it - we've got all that to cover in four episodes, and that's not even counting the drama and casual scenes between the exposition. Everything I've listed could easily fill the plot of a second season, and would give us the time to establish the achingly-needed information about what's exactly happened in the future.

marconii2002 said:
Only two episodes left on anime news network 23 and 24 have info "Due to Olympics this episode will not air as scheduled" and on http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/2471/time 22 episode is last.

Marow said:
Why did TheEnd just disappear to be replaced with that odd Cannon IFO?

marconii2002 said:
Only two episodes left on anime news network 23 and 24 have info "Due to Olympics this episode will not air as scheduled" and on http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/2471/time 22 episode is last.

saxophone15 said:
I enjoyed this episode but I have to ask, why is Truth and Naru even in this show? I feel like they could have been left out and the show would have been just fine, if not better. Perhaps they can prove their worth if there is a season 2...right now it feels like there is just too much to conclude in only 4 episodes.

Kizuka said:
I'm hoping its Renton so much...and he just changed his look to fit in the island >.<