June 24th, 2016
Eureka Seven - Episode 15
Anime Relations: Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven
Eureka Seven’s fifteenth episode is one of the best episodes of anime I’ve seen in quite a while. The episode starts off with a fairly simple premise. After recouping losses with their run-in with Anemone and her LFO (a biomechanical hybrid), as well as a band of military forces around the Coralian anomaly, Matthieu, Renton, and at the last minute Eureka, decide to journey to Controrado to get Puncha nuts in an effort to satiate the people of the Gekkostate’s health craze. We later find out that it was a hard sell to the ship’s captain, Holland, but they were allowed to stay until 3 in the afternoon. Shortage as a result of a bad harvest lead them to attempt to steal some instead of buying them. Unluckily, or fortunately, they are caught, and by Renton’s Uncle Yutacan. The episode leads us to believe that the relationship between them was very close, but perhaps they drifted away based on how little Yutacan knows about the current situation Renton is in with Gekkostate, being their newest crewmember. Captured after their foolhardy attempt to steal, Renton admits that they were in the wrong, but in effort to appeal to Renton’s now somewhat estranged uncle, Matthieu blurts out that he and Eureka are Renton’s peers from the military academy they all attend.
This is a vital part in which Renton’s characterization will be determined. Will he go along with this blatant lie, one entirely opposite of his current enemy of the state status, or will he run with it to get on his uncle’s good side? This moral and identity question is challenged in such a way that Renton’s eventual denial of such a lie leads to great payoff. Renton is faced with a crisis of character when Yutacan invites what the viewer can assume to be old military friends as they converse and laugh about the current situation in which their friend’s nephew has shown up. They place much emphasis upon the kind of man Renton should and will be. “The son of Adroc Thurston [Renton’s esteemed, and now deceased father who was a military icon] can’t be too average after all!” a friend of Yutacan remarks. Matthieu is amazed that Renton is the son of Adroc, but Renton, in his best efforts, attempts to sweep it under the rug. He hates the expectation he has because of his birthright.
Renton is a far from average boy, but he is not the same as his father. Throughout the episode, we the viewers are treated with repeated visuals that depict Renton’s father, Adroc. It’s on posters in town, and, throughout the house, Renton’s uncle has pictures of Adroc. He clearly loves and cherishes his brother’s memory, but this is where a clear divide between Yutacan and Renton exists. While his Uncle Yutacan admires his late brother Adroc, Renton resents the fact that he has his father’s blood. Based on what we have learned so far, Renton scarcely even considers Adroc a parental figure in his life, compared to his sister, who was a sort of surrogate mother to Renton. As the stress of visiting with his uncle’s friends and lying about being military trainees builds, Renton continually looks toward the photo of Adroc. His guilt over choosing a path in life the opposite of his father’s eats at him. Even worse, there lies on the wall a wanted poster for Gekkostate members, even having a picture of Matthieu himself. This guilt is topped off when the uncle and his friends celebrate Renton’s return with a military hymn calling Adroc “our savior”. No longer able to stand it, Renton slams down his fist on the dining room table, stopping all celebration, and excuses himself to use the bathroom.
The next scene depicts Renton and Eureka visiting his old room, as he holds up his old military KLF toy, telling Eureka how he used to want nothing more than to ride the waves in a mecha of his own. This scene is somewhat melancholic as a result of the military lie Matthieu told to get the crew out of trouble. Renton was indeed able to achieve this dream, but in a way that would only bring his uncle heartache and anger. When Eureka and Renton return, they find Matthieu, now completely inebriated, tied to a chair. Yutacan, in attempt to save face, tells his military friends that Renton was a covert spy aboard the Gekkostate. When Eureka and Renton confess that he is there by choice, in an attempt to save face, Renton’s uncle haphazardly tells his friends that Renton has been brainwashed, and restrains him. Troops enter the house, and Eureka makes a break for it, as the troops follow suit. Renton manages to break free of his uncle’s grasp, and gets a hold of his old rifle. After pointing it at his uncle and his friends, with tears in his eyes, Renton proclaims that he is happy aboard the Gekkostate, and will never be in the military. Renton ditches the rifle, and makes a run for it as well, likely to save both Matthieu and Eureka, and get the hell outta Dodge. We cut to Matthieu and Eureka both captured and being transported in the back of a military truck, when it suddenly flip over and crashes. Matthieu and Eureka escape to see the Nirvash LFO, realizing that it was responsible for freeing them. They watch it effortlessly taking on the military KLF mechas in the air. Matthieu questions if Holland is the one piloting, as he’s known for his prowess in the skies. Disappointedly, Eureka remarks that it must be Renton who’s making quick work of the military KLF’s, and in her LFO. After making quick work of the resistance, and now happier than ever, Renton picks up his crewmates and takes them back to the Gekkostate.
When they arrive, they are met with overwhelming disappointment from the shipmates. Matthieu defers their animosity towards them because of their tardiness and lack of product to his poor leadership, effectively taking the blame for Eureka and Renton. As the shipmates disperse, Renton and Holland remain. Holland tells Renton to “Make sure to care of what [he] started”. It’s clear that because of Renton’s newfound success in piloting the Nirvash without its master Eureka, he has found new footing aboard the Gekkostate. We later cut to a scene of Renton looking upon Eureka standing next to the Nirvash, she sees Renton, grimaces at him, and he promptly leaves the hangar. The final scenes of the episodes contain Renton lying down in his bed, determining that the reason Eureka is angry with him is because he piloted her ship better than her, then looking towards his childhood military KLF toy, and coming to terms with the fact that he will not change the person he is. We then see his uncle being arrested, and having his house searched and belongings strewn about because of his connection to this terrorist nephew. There’s a shot where we see a framed photo of a very young Renton on the shoulders of his uncle, and then a close up of Yutacan’s face, beset with disappointment and embarrassment. We end the episode with Renton pledging that he won’t sit in the passenger seat anymore, not in the Nirvash, or in life. Renton remarks, “Because right now, I feel like I can finally do something.”
My interpretation of this episode’s themes boil down to two things; expectations, and the results of not living up to them. The most shallow example is the expectation that the crew be back in time, and have Puncha nuts to eat for the crew. They were late, and had nothing to show for it whatsoever, leaving them in a position of disdain. There are two truly meaningful examples of these themes. The first being how Renton has such immense weight put upon him by his uncle because of his father. When he is overcome by guilt, Renton snaps, growing a pair and reaffirming that his path in life is one he’s happy with, despite the moral ambiguity and criminality associated with it. This results in his uncle being arrested, and his house being ravaged by military, causing his uncle more heartache than if he had never visited him again at all. The second is that Eureka is a member of the Gekkostate BECAUSE of her prowess and individuality of being able to pilot the Nirvash, one of the most powerful mechas in the world. As it rejects her in favor of Renton, the expectation that she be a cardinal member of the ship’s crew is defied; what asset is she to be on the Gekkostate now that she’s dispensable? She’s dejected, feeling obsolete at the hand of Renton’s natural talent and capability.
Sure, Renton was able to find resolution in confronting his life choices and piloting the Nirvash alone, but at what cost?
This is a vital part in which Renton’s characterization will be determined. Will he go along with this blatant lie, one entirely opposite of his current enemy of the state status, or will he run with it to get on his uncle’s good side? This moral and identity question is challenged in such a way that Renton’s eventual denial of such a lie leads to great payoff. Renton is faced with a crisis of character when Yutacan invites what the viewer can assume to be old military friends as they converse and laugh about the current situation in which their friend’s nephew has shown up. They place much emphasis upon the kind of man Renton should and will be. “The son of Adroc Thurston [Renton’s esteemed, and now deceased father who was a military icon] can’t be too average after all!” a friend of Yutacan remarks. Matthieu is amazed that Renton is the son of Adroc, but Renton, in his best efforts, attempts to sweep it under the rug. He hates the expectation he has because of his birthright.
Renton is a far from average boy, but he is not the same as his father. Throughout the episode, we the viewers are treated with repeated visuals that depict Renton’s father, Adroc. It’s on posters in town, and, throughout the house, Renton’s uncle has pictures of Adroc. He clearly loves and cherishes his brother’s memory, but this is where a clear divide between Yutacan and Renton exists. While his Uncle Yutacan admires his late brother Adroc, Renton resents the fact that he has his father’s blood. Based on what we have learned so far, Renton scarcely even considers Adroc a parental figure in his life, compared to his sister, who was a sort of surrogate mother to Renton. As the stress of visiting with his uncle’s friends and lying about being military trainees builds, Renton continually looks toward the photo of Adroc. His guilt over choosing a path in life the opposite of his father’s eats at him. Even worse, there lies on the wall a wanted poster for Gekkostate members, even having a picture of Matthieu himself. This guilt is topped off when the uncle and his friends celebrate Renton’s return with a military hymn calling Adroc “our savior”. No longer able to stand it, Renton slams down his fist on the dining room table, stopping all celebration, and excuses himself to use the bathroom.
The next scene depicts Renton and Eureka visiting his old room, as he holds up his old military KLF toy, telling Eureka how he used to want nothing more than to ride the waves in a mecha of his own. This scene is somewhat melancholic as a result of the military lie Matthieu told to get the crew out of trouble. Renton was indeed able to achieve this dream, but in a way that would only bring his uncle heartache and anger. When Eureka and Renton return, they find Matthieu, now completely inebriated, tied to a chair. Yutacan, in attempt to save face, tells his military friends that Renton was a covert spy aboard the Gekkostate. When Eureka and Renton confess that he is there by choice, in an attempt to save face, Renton’s uncle haphazardly tells his friends that Renton has been brainwashed, and restrains him. Troops enter the house, and Eureka makes a break for it, as the troops follow suit. Renton manages to break free of his uncle’s grasp, and gets a hold of his old rifle. After pointing it at his uncle and his friends, with tears in his eyes, Renton proclaims that he is happy aboard the Gekkostate, and will never be in the military. Renton ditches the rifle, and makes a run for it as well, likely to save both Matthieu and Eureka, and get the hell outta Dodge. We cut to Matthieu and Eureka both captured and being transported in the back of a military truck, when it suddenly flip over and crashes. Matthieu and Eureka escape to see the Nirvash LFO, realizing that it was responsible for freeing them. They watch it effortlessly taking on the military KLF mechas in the air. Matthieu questions if Holland is the one piloting, as he’s known for his prowess in the skies. Disappointedly, Eureka remarks that it must be Renton who’s making quick work of the military KLF’s, and in her LFO. After making quick work of the resistance, and now happier than ever, Renton picks up his crewmates and takes them back to the Gekkostate.
When they arrive, they are met with overwhelming disappointment from the shipmates. Matthieu defers their animosity towards them because of their tardiness and lack of product to his poor leadership, effectively taking the blame for Eureka and Renton. As the shipmates disperse, Renton and Holland remain. Holland tells Renton to “Make sure to care of what [he] started”. It’s clear that because of Renton’s newfound success in piloting the Nirvash without its master Eureka, he has found new footing aboard the Gekkostate. We later cut to a scene of Renton looking upon Eureka standing next to the Nirvash, she sees Renton, grimaces at him, and he promptly leaves the hangar. The final scenes of the episodes contain Renton lying down in his bed, determining that the reason Eureka is angry with him is because he piloted her ship better than her, then looking towards his childhood military KLF toy, and coming to terms with the fact that he will not change the person he is. We then see his uncle being arrested, and having his house searched and belongings strewn about because of his connection to this terrorist nephew. There’s a shot where we see a framed photo of a very young Renton on the shoulders of his uncle, and then a close up of Yutacan’s face, beset with disappointment and embarrassment. We end the episode with Renton pledging that he won’t sit in the passenger seat anymore, not in the Nirvash, or in life. Renton remarks, “Because right now, I feel like I can finally do something.”
My interpretation of this episode’s themes boil down to two things; expectations, and the results of not living up to them. The most shallow example is the expectation that the crew be back in time, and have Puncha nuts to eat for the crew. They were late, and had nothing to show for it whatsoever, leaving them in a position of disdain. There are two truly meaningful examples of these themes. The first being how Renton has such immense weight put upon him by his uncle because of his father. When he is overcome by guilt, Renton snaps, growing a pair and reaffirming that his path in life is one he’s happy with, despite the moral ambiguity and criminality associated with it. This results in his uncle being arrested, and his house being ravaged by military, causing his uncle more heartache than if he had never visited him again at all. The second is that Eureka is a member of the Gekkostate BECAUSE of her prowess and individuality of being able to pilot the Nirvash, one of the most powerful mechas in the world. As it rejects her in favor of Renton, the expectation that she be a cardinal member of the ship’s crew is defied; what asset is she to be on the Gekkostate now that she’s dispensable? She’s dejected, feeling obsolete at the hand of Renton’s natural talent and capability.
Sure, Renton was able to find resolution in confronting his life choices and piloting the Nirvash alone, but at what cost?
Posted by catharsiskiller | Jun 24, 2016 10:28 PM | 0 comments
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