| @inim @whiteflame55 @filifjonkan @RandomFriday @Antalk @jdvz @JokerVentura @ruckes @kekekeKaj @OrlahEhontas @cipheron @botnetMAL New thread for Xam'd: Lost Memories starting Friday 23rd August.  |
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| @23feanor Thanks for setting this up! Had this show on our list for a while, good to finally get to it. |
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| Episode 1 Going into this one basically blind aside from reading the basic summary. Should be interesting. We start off in a temple with a white-haired girl swallowing a green egg. Sam I Am would have some words about this. From there, we transition to a lab doing some tests on gooey things in tubes. I feel seen. Finally, we see who has been speaking behind all this, a woman reading a book on an airship, which is currently under attack. This looks to be the same location as the lab. We see a character named Nakiami piloting a small airship that looks a lot like Spike Spiegel’s Swordfish II from Cowboy Bebop. I like the OP. Dynamic visuals and a solid song with English lyrics, if a bit repetitive. From here we transition to a terrestrial location, following Akiyuki. The world certainly seems futuristic with some of weird rabbit-like animals, though the temple and martial arts they show suggests that there are still traditional elements to this sci-fi setting. He visits his father, delivering a lunch his frustrated wife prepared, coming upon an absolute mess of an office/bedroom. Seems like a focused, if sometimes to his detriment, research type. We get some insight into Akiyuki’s classmates, particularly Haru, a female friend of Akiyuki’s who looks out for him. Each bears orange and red arm bands that are checked as a form of ID. We also spot the green egg swallower from earlier in a distinct outfit, all gray. Akiyuki helps her board a bus with him on a whim, but she doesn’t speak. Akiyuki comes off as the responsibly irresponsible type, a nice guy who puts on a slacker attitude. This episode sets up a lot of worldbuilding about war and colonies that will likely be the basis for a lot of the series. But what really kicks off the plot is an apparent terrorist bombing as the white haired girl blows up the bus just after they reach their stop. The strange vial she uses to do it apparently had something inside, releasing a glowing green light that enters Akiyuki’s arm. There are multiple injuries and Haru is freaking out. Akiyuki goes into the blast zone to help the white-haired girl, who somehow survived the blast but is leaking green liquid from her abdomen. Before she dies, she says he’s their last hope and sprouts a mask from his forehead, starting a transformation that turns Akiyuki into the orange and yellow missile-headed form that is in a lot of the visuals for this series. A soldier fires on him because, hey, he looks kinda scary. Seems like this is setting up a broad conflict that we’re being dropped into the middle of. The airship with an eclectic group of people on board will likely become Akiyuki’s allies as he has become an unwitting pawn in a religious fanatic’s schemes. At least, that’s where I see it going. Solid animation and an intriguing start. |
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| Episode 1. Airships, love it already. Ever since watching Castle in the Sky/Nausicaa as a kid, I've loved shows set on or around airships. Sadly that's very few shows. The airship we see in the opening scenes mention something about being a postal ship, and trying to avoid Northern govt ships who appear to be throwing their weight around in contravention of some laws. Good OP. Visuals are very good, no surprise coming from studio Bones. Futuristic airships with that mix of sci-fi (when the glider launches you see a brilliant multi coloured flash of something propelling the craft) and steampunk with the tubes that carry their voices to different parts of the airship (not sure what they're called, looked it up, they're called voice pipes) and the haphazard messy crew quarters. So we've got Akiyuki, a guy who's late and his mother calls 'sleepyhead' and whose parents are separated. Then you've got Haru, a girl who's good at martial arts, plus guy with glasses and girl on a crutch. Akiyuki's dad is some sort of doctor, who looks like he's researching stuff in vials, and is very messy. We can tell from the highly restricted access onto the bus, via coloured armbands, that the lives of these people are heavily policed. We hear mention of an 'enquiry ship' (inquiry for US) for the second time and then vassal states, and a north and south reginal govts. The white haired girl sets off some sort of bomb, likely from the green egg she ingested. So she's some sort of terrorist sent on a suicide mission. Something from the explosion goes into Akiyuki's arm. He then transforms into some weird biological robot, reminded me of Casshern from Casshern Sins. We end with a force entering through the clouds, is it an invasion? Good start, very good visuals and nice OST. |
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| Episode 2 The military starts dropping weird objects on the city below, which give off steam on landing. These release large Humanform Weapons (HWs), colorful creatures with a strong regenerative capacity. Akiyuki's fine, regenerating from the gunshot wounds (couldn't be related...) before Haru is automatically driven to deck the man who shot him. The HW then unleashes a small ball of energy that fires itself off like a laser blast, which seems to also cause a vacuum around the site it hits. Cool effect watching everything get drawn towards the explosion, shrapnel and smoke included. Then Akiyuki comes under attack by the HW, which seems drawn to him. He doesn't seem to be able to speak in this form, and he's having trouble getting used to moving in it, but he straight up eats one of those laser balls by transforming his arm into a shield before just wrecking all the ships above him with ease and launching himself at the HW. Wonder if this is his will or something brought on as a sort of instinct by this new form. The fight between him and the HW is really interesting, always intrigued to see how shows handle small vs. big fights and it looks like arm transformations are the name of the game in this show. Haru shows up and Akiyuki rescues her. She apparently recognizes him. It becomes apparent that the HM can't heal from Akiyuki's attacks, as he slices straight through it, bashes its face in, and forcibly grows crystals all over his body by punching it. Nakiami shows up on a little craft, stabbing Akiyuki through the arm (it grows crystals at the site) and referring to him as a Xam'd. She forces him to revert to his human form (all except one arm) before knocking Haru out and taking Akiyuki with her. Nakiami’s crewmates acquire an animal sidekick (they call it a pig thing, but they still look like a rabbit to me) just in time to get Akiyuki added to their ranks as they take off for the sky. The captain in particular seems frustrated by the additions. It’s interesting to see Nakiami activate various jewels in Akiyuki’s arm - there’s a lot of external control that can be applied to these Xam’d powers, but it looks intensely painful at times. The toll of the attack is steep and it’s unclear why it even happened. Haru is lost, as are the rest of Akiyuki’s friends. We also see more of Akiyuki’s father, who has been working hard with the injured and widely trusted in his community. His wife (seems like they haven’t finalized the divorce) visits him with news of Akiyuki’s disappearance. We see a bit of what pushed them apart as he is engrossed in his work despite his worry and she remains focused on Akiyuki. She likens herself to rust in a glass of water and he to a squished orange. Solid show-don’t-tell characterization. We learn a bit about the pods that were dropped, which appear occupied by soldiers willing to die for their cause. One of the military top brass and a lead scientist meet over what appears to be the entombed body of another Xam’d, one much bigger than Akiyuki. I like the ED as well, good song. |
whiteflame55Aug 23, 3:54 PM
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| Episode 2. I was intrigued that this show is listed as an ONA, which sounded strange given that the internet was still finding its feet back then, certainly legal streaming (i remember using torrents a lot back then as you could only stream shorter clips, like 15 mins, in most places, and buffering was a huge problem trying to stream content). Turns out it was a promotional anime for the launch of Playstation 3 and available to stream on the Playstation. Theo is very unsettled so keeping this brief and writing when he's not crying. Who knew that babies cried so much, oh wait me. Those are some nice sci-fi fighting effects for the monsters who dropped out of the ship, lurid green lighting and mini black holes sucking everything into them. The girl on the glider, Nakiami, arrives on scene and calls Akiyuki's new form a 'Xam'd' and asks Haru whether it was human. Heavy Nausicaa vibes from her. Nakiami asks whether Akiyuki wants to live and he replies affirmatively at which point she uses her staff to reverse the transformation, except his arm. She then tells Haru that his soul is hers, maybe because she heard him speak 'i want to live'. Nakiami is obviously familiar with Xam'd and knows how to negate their powers. She brings Akiyuki back to the airship and they leave Sentan island. Haru is found by glasses guy. So far this reminds me a lot of Last Exile, which I really enjoyed. Yeah that's a rabbit, not a pig. The captain, Ishuu, rolls a cigarette (rolly). I've been rolling my own since about 14 (fewer chemicals in rolling tobacco than cigarettes), don't think I've ever seen anyone roll their own in an anime before. You're right, that conversation between Akiyuki's parents and their comparison with rust in the water and squashed orange tells us a heap about their situation and how they've grown apart and their respective priorities in life. Sounds like Xam'd are human form weapons. Think I prefer to ED to the OP. Good OST also. |
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| I didn't know this was a promotional anime. Pretty strong production values for something like that. I like the music in the ED more as well. Episode 3 Haru stumbles upon a white-haired girl (not clear if it's the same one - there were a few of them) in a room with ominously glowing fluids. She says "the Xam'd is alive." Ominous. Haru apparently stumbled upon this room at the hospital before being picked up by her father. Meanwhile, Akiyuki's dad Ryuzou is literally wearing through his shoes in an attempt to find his son. Apparently white-haired girls have caused a number of explosions like the one we saw and there have been more Xam'd. So the situation for the military looks dire. Meanwhile, back on the postal ship, Akiyuki is getting some instruction on Xam'd from Nakiyami (apparently doomed to turn to stone, though she doesn't mention that), his arm now fully sealed. He's conscripted into their work as postal workers, but balks at being taken away from his home and has trouble fitting in and with introductions in general. He requests to go home and gets punched by the captain for his trouble. The result of his frustration is him ignoring his new status, ripping the constraints off his arm, and a partial transformation into Xam'd that draws some of those HWs their way. Not terribly smart. I like the interesting designs of these HWs, and the one that comes for him basically just inserts him into its back and takes off. Nakiyami goes after it in her craft and quite expertly releases him with her various tools. After releasing him, the captain brings down the HW with some explosive ordnance. All this makes Akiyuki more humble and aware, and learns that there was a previous Xam'd who stayed on the ship, inflicting a number of huge scratch marks in the hull when he went insane, which doesn't bode well for Akiyuki. No details on what happened to him after that. Akiyuki's mother Fusa and Haru meet and talk about his absence, with the latter assuring the former that Akiyuki is still alive. Ryuzou appears to have one of those acorn-looking things that Nakiyama was monkeying with back in episode 1 (the ones that open up into little energy balls) and knows something about HWs. Meanwhile, back with the military, they discover Akiyuki's absence from the bus and seem to recognize his name. Those rabbit things can transform their bodies in some interesting ways. That should come in handy. |
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| Oh, see you've started GTO, it's a good show and think I might've been a bit harsh in my score (just read my review back, and it reminded me there were parts that got annoying, but basic premise and the way Onizuka deals with the students is pretty badass and inventive, his pervy nature gets stale though). It is a highschool anime, but a very different sort than you see anywhere else. The mental image of the principal aka 'Mr Butt-Sniffer' just popped into my head. Overall, good show. Episode 3. Nakiami has the feel of a priestess, wonder where she gathered all her knowledge on Xam'd. Also wonder if there's going to be some spiritual element to the Xam'd, as well as being human form weapons? When eating, the mum who serves Akiyuki breakfast says in passing that he'll have to learn 'Reiganist' (not sure on the spelling, and couldn't find it anywhere on the mal page) manners. Is Nakiami a Reiganist also? I thought the girls with the white hair were Reiganists? It actually says on Nakiami's mal page that her char design is likely inspired by Nausicaa, along with her flying craft. And we get a foreshadowing about Akiyuki turning to stone, something that happens to all Xam'd apparently, just a question of when. Sounds like Xam'd and human forms aren't exactly the same. I thought Xam'd and human forms were interchangeable terms. Nakiami really is quite skilled flying that glider. The whole sequence looked very smoothly animated. As you said, most of this episode was Akiyuki making a bad first impression with the crew of the airship, and not accepting that his life has changed and refusing to believe he's a Xam'd. That changes after his capture and he quietens down, even earnestly thanking Nakiami. Wonder what Ryuzou's connection to the human form weapons and Xam'd will be? He mentions a place, Parador, I think he called it (maybe Barador), and so does the new commander who's come to Sentan island. Think Parador was the location of the last big war. |
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| I'm enjoying GTO so far. It's one of those series I've put off watching for quite a while, but now that I've seen and enjoyed Golden Boy, I figured it was time to dive in head-first. I can see the pervy nature of Onizuka himself getting stale over the series run, but at least the situations he's thrust into have been good so far, his responses have been surprising and entertaining, and I like the supporting cast. Episode 4 I haven't been quite clear on how the HWs and Xam'd compare. Based on this episode and the tidbits we've gotten from previous ones, it seems like HWs are a sort of living vehicle that can be piloted or just run on its own (apparently at least sometimes with attached rings that keep them intact), whereas Xam'd are human/creature hybrids. Not sure how or if they compare in power - seems like there's more variation on the Xam'd. On top of that, there are these armored troops that are used early in this episode called soulstealers, which might be used to mimic Xam'd. Throw in terms like Hiruko (it's been mentioned a few times, so I had to look this up - turns out these are the seeds used to make Xam'd) and Ruikonism (I had to look up the spelling, and yes it is a religion) and things are complicated, but I think we'll get a breakdown of these elements at some point. Akiyuki is struggling to keep up with the workload, which is partially being used as training to shape him since his transformation. He's introduced to Madame Tenshin, a diminutive figure in a room filled with incense, trying to get the Hiruko out of him but lacking the means to do so. She does try to help him control it a bit, and by the end of the episode, he's even able to take off the restraints on his arm, and he spends much of the episode struggling with writing a message to Haru. Nakiami is called "Cloud-Rider," which seems appropriate given what we've seen her do. Definitely get Nausicaa vibes from her, and I can see some Laputa in the series' worldbuilding as well especially in the designs of some of the airships. The captain Ishu is counting quite a bit of money. They get up to a good deal more than just mail. They run into a Tessik ship. Ishu refuses to let Nakiami talk with them, distrusting them due to some history of their people. But Nakiami is also Tessik, which leads to an argument and a Bright Slap. Ishu seems to feel bad about it. Back on the Sentan Island, the military is out in force. You can see how the toll of these recent battles is weighing on them. We return to Ryuzou as well, who is asked to help establish an anti-HW lab with the military. Apparently, this comes from a connection to Kakisu, one of the top brass in the military whose life he saved in Barador, which does seem to be a consequential location from a previous war. By the end of the episode, we learn that Hiruko are unborn children pulled from the wombs of their dying mothers (maybe not just them, but that's apparently one source) by these crow-looking priest figures called Jibashiri. That's pretty dark, seems like it might be used as a reason to just indiscriminately kill civilians. |
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| Golden Boy is a real treat, lovely female char designs. Episode 4. Thanks for the breakdown on HW's and Xam'd and their differences. And also Hiruko, Nakiami told Akiyuki that he was like a new person and the Hiruko would join to his soul. Akiyuki is a lot more deferential now. There's a spirit lady tucked away in the bowels, reminds me of the Serenity from Firefly tv show. Next we get some back and forth between Akiyuki 'training' and Haru on Sentan island as she and the others watch the military arrive to strengthen the defences on the island. I liked the scene with Akiyuki stamping the letters, and then getting help from the rest of the crew to restamp the letters for Sentan island, felt like an organic moment of crew bonding for the characters. I just love Nakiami's launch system from the ship for her glider. It sort of upends her glider and catapults it out the back at the same time, looks awesome. The ship that released the smoke is a Tessik ship, and Nakiami is also of the Tessik people, who are sort-of refugees from the Northern Lands, with no homeland to return to. The souls of the unborn and/or dead, yeah that is dark. Guessing that's why Madame told Akiyuki he had to listen for the voice of the Hiruko as it was seeking memories it would never have. Would make sense if it was the soul of an unborn child. |
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| Golden Boy was definitely a surprising treat. It contains all the things I tend not to like for how they've become tropes, but frames them in the perfect way since the series itself makes fun of them and never lets Kintaro indulge in the harem he's creating almost entirely by accident. Also, definitely agree that the crew of this ship evokes Firefly, very similar vibes and archetypes. Episode 5 We get a little more info on these soulstealers, which are also referred to as ASP Suits. That girl who we learned had lost her parents in the fighting, Shidara, looks like she might do something dangerous in her despair. Our MCs are grounded for now. They find themselves across from the Tessik ship, which most of them treat as enemies, Nakiami the obvious exception. It's mentioned in passing that, if Nakiami leaves, their ship is stranded. I guess what I'd called a "lab" would be more akin to an engine room, with that green energy functioning as the means by which they fly. Doesn't help that she spends much of the episode on the Tessik ship, where we also spot a small gooey creature with a ring around its head. That's called an Ongoro, and I wonder if the ring has any similarity to the one on the HW from last episode. Everyone onboard the ship seems to know her pretty well. Lots of little tidbits of information onboard this ship: mention that there's no "human meat" in the food (is this a common belief about the Tessik or are they actually cannibals?), infighting in their Holy Land, and... oh yeah, Nakiami is next in line to be chief of their people. No big deal. She's clearly running away from her responsibility. Later, it's revealed that Nakiami arrived on the postal ship crying (this became the source for her current name, unclear what her previous one was), though Ishu did not know the reason. We also learn that those walnut looking things are Ututu seeds, and their age and purity may have some effect on what they contain. Haru and her classmates seem to be helping with clean-up after the recent attack, with deaths tallying over 1300. How do you handle that sudden shock to your community, and go on with the knowledge that you're still vulnerable to such an attack? It's interesting to see how these characters respond. For Teroaka, that means joining the army and piloting an ASP Suit. Haru remains at odds with what to do, while Shidara submits herself to dangerous experiments, feeling directionless and just wanting to go back to the way things were. We get another meeting between Reizou - the lead scientist from episode 2 - and Kakisu - the military top brass. I didn't note this before, but Reizou has similar marks on his face to Nakiami's, which apparently find their origin among the Tessik (he confirms this) and may indicate something about the ability to use these power sources. He's also apparently experimenting with making Xam'd using Shidara, though Kakisu strongly disagrees. Yay war crimes. The meeting between Ishu and the Tessik leader has a lot of subtle and interesting hints to it. They're cordial, and the Tessik leader even thanks Ishu for raising Nakiami well, apparently recognizing that Nakiami's path forward is aboard her ship. Nakiami herself seems to doubt that, even having to be restrained to ensure she goes back before handing off the Ututu seed. Nakiami bows to Ishu in apology and ends up crying in bed. I very much appreciate the way this show handles scenes like this - it doesn't feel the need to hold the audience's hand and give us clear reasons for all this, more often just hinting at a broader backstory. Character moments like this impress me. Haru and Teroaka run into Shidara and she transforms right in front of them. There's a distinct lack of control on display that Akiyuki did not display, and she uses beam attacks like the HWs, so it's not quite as straightforward of a Xam'd in this case. Shidara is confronted by two ASP Suits stationed nearby, which quickly dispatch her. Kakisu, despite likely knowing what this is, blames it on forces from the north, embracing his role in all this despite his earlier disagreements as he personally ends Shidara's life and Reizou's failed experiment with a blank expression. The rainbow in the background as the rain clears up is quite the contrast to the unnecessary carnage. |
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| Went to watch this on Aniwave like usual for shows I can't stream legally only to discover it's been taken down. Shame as it had a huge library of older and obscure shows/OVA's. Episode 5. After reading your ep review, I think you make a good point. So far this show feels like one of those shows that drops you right into the middle of peoples' lives and lets you catch up on the details as the story unfolds. It doesn't feel like a scripted show with a narrative device to hold your hand and expand on the background letting you learn as you watch. As you said, lots of little hints of info fleshing out the world and chars here. For some reason Nakiami is key to the airship continuing to operate, does she defend them against attackers, or does her high status allow them to go places they otherwise couldn't? They mention something about navigating. That Ongoro is trippy, little wobbly doll like thing. So there's quite a bit to unpack from Nakiami's past and we only get a brief outline; she's next in line to be chief, someone has assumed the position of heir and wants to bring chaos to the world, and Nakiami doesn't believe they'll be able to retake their homeland the way things currently stand. So the top brass from the South have given this mad scientist dude (Reizou) tacit approval to carry out experimental tests on people in the hope of creating a Xam'd. And just so happens that his first test subject is a girl from Sentan island and classmate of Haru, Shidara. Kakisu clearly unhappy with this state of affairs but doesn't have the authority to stop Reizou. From what Ishu says to Akiyuki, you get the impression that Nakiami and Ishu have a mutual bond or respect and something more, and I don't think it's romantic or carnal in nature. There's something between the two women beyond captain and navigator/cloudrider/Xam'd controller (not sure what Nakiami's title on board actually is?). Maybe Ishu is just worried about her ship, and whther they can continue without Nakiami. The Tessik airship captain calls her a mother hen, and maybe that's the best label, Ishu sees the crew as surrogate children who she's in charge of. On a side note, they do a good job of tantalising shots with Ishu just getting out the shower, and towel drying her hair, the crease in her inner thigh just peeking out of the top of her trouser, showing the audience fan service, without screaming 'here is the sexy anime girl, come get your fan service' and without it detracting from the flow of events. I like Kakisu, a good example of human heart in conflict with itself. He clearly abhors the actions he's undertaking, and certainly those of the mad scientist Reizou, but doesn't have the power to change anything. After credits scene shows that Nakiami delivered a letter to Ishu as Akiyuki told her that you can convey important messages through writing. Being unable to write she pressed a sunflower (one from the Northern refugee kids) into the letter. Nice touch. |
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| Yep, seems like a lot of the usual suspects for pirating sites (sadly, chiefly the ones that function consistently well) have been taken down. Gotta love these companies for asserting their control over a mass of IP they, in many cases, have entirely abandoned for online streaming. Episode 6 Looks like Teroaka's pursuing his dream of piloting an ASP Suit. No way this could go wrong. Apparently, these things are controlled remotely by the person's mind, which he picks up pretty quickly. Haru goes through the same testing, and though we don't see how she does, the brass hints that she did well. Apparently, her goal is to find Akiyuki by getting off the island via the military. She receives Akiyuki's letter, which was mostly sent to let her know he's OK. She sends a large packet of letters back. Our main crew comes upon the site of a battle. There's some hint that Nakiami is essential for navigation, like you said. Nakiami takes off on her own to check out the damage and Nakiami takes an compulsory impromptu skydive to catch up with her. They encounter HWs that have been killed and one that remains frozen in place, though it's still lethal with its abortive beam attack. Nakiami finishes it off, but ends up trapped herself. Akiyuki transforms his arm to free her, and ends up killing the HW despite her protestations. She mentions that the HW is liquefying and says she could have dismantled it instead of killing it, showing a desire to live alongside these HWs as part of the world's ecosystem. We cut back to the mad scientist Reizou's lab. We see a little under the crystals covering the giant Xam'd body before the whole thing emerges awake, freeing itself from its bonds and almost destroying the facility. Reizou seems outright excited despite the obvious threat. Efforts to stop it only slow it down because they're bad at closing doors, despite the fact that it is clearly carrying a baby as Reizou said previously. It's not done, though - using a combination of excretions from the mother and electricity from the baby, it makes a bubble that looks akin to Haruko and explodes with devastating power, nearly destroying the facility before escaping. Now only Teroaka and Haru, due to some luck and timely training, remain to obstruct it. There's some discussion about the HWs back on the ship, where Akiyuki learns that killing these HWs was, indeed, a terrible act. Apparently, they're the result of the military experimenting with Haruko, so Shidara's transformation into what looked more like an HW makes more sense. Seems odd that no one's talking about her death this episode, but her lack of control over her actions makes her death pretty tragic and they knew her before. Fusa, Ryuzo and Haru all meet and discuss the letter received from Akiyuki. We learn more about Ryuzo's past, which intersects with the creation of more of these HWs. Guess there are war crimes to go around, and now he feels like Akiyuki's disappearance is divine retribution for his own deeds. I like how this is paired with a visual of moths drawn to an electric trap, one of those nice touches we've been talking about that the characters don't need to explain. |
whiteflame55Aug 27, 3:18 PM
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| Episode 6. Haru and Teroaka are becoming ASP pilots and gives us an opportunity to see how they work. Neat remote control biological weapons. Akiyuki saves Nakiami from a HW who was trapped and she only rebukes him for killing it, saying that his aim should be to live alongside humans and HW, which she could've dismantled. Not sure whether that means the person comes out, or are they also remotely controlled? We get a sort on answer, as Akiyuki is told that the Northern govt has been making its own Haruko (souls stolen from the dead and infused into a seed) and then these are forcibly injected into living beings, I guess humans, or do they mean animals. Either way sounds like the Haruko as human souls are living beings with their own thoughts, even if their actions can't be controlled as they're being used as weapons. Hence Nakiami's desire to save them by dismantling them, whatever that means. Nice little scene between Fusa, Ryozo and Haru and visual metaphor of the moths being killed by the zapper as Ryozo talks about his medical research being used to experiment with wounded soldiers turning them into HW. Sounds like Fusa wasn't aware of her husbands involvement in the war working for the North. Lastly the mother and baby Xam'd break free of their restraints. Loved the way the mother and baby worked together to create the little bubble that tore through the last barrier. Haru and Teroaka are the only ones left in the ASP suits (I thought they were remote controlled, so why are they in moving mini suits now?) to counter the M&B Xam'd. Good episode, I'm enjoying this one. |
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| I'm enjoying this series as well. It's got a nice sci-fi/fantasy aesthetic, characters with some real depth, and the way it's playing out its narrative is investing. Episode 7 My guess is that the ASPs can only be controlled over short distances remotely. There might also be improved control by direct contact, though it strikes me that they could find a better way than just putting the users directly in harm's way. I guess more of them are still active because four trot out to fight along with a tank. Haru hears a voice from it saying "I want to live," so it's still driven to survive, but notably ignores its attackers, prioritizing escape across the water. Only Haru hesitates to fire on it having heard its voice. We get another bubble, this time forming as a shield around the Xam'd as it proceeds to a tower with a giant eye that only it and Haru can see. It produces a set of wings that evoke NGE, but this bursts the bubble around it and it is quickly subdued despite Haru's protestations. Surprising given how much of a fight it put up trying to escape. Akiyuki receives the packet of letters from Haru. I know they'll almost certainly reunite, especially given the central picture posted for the series, but it's strange to think that they've spent most of the series apart so far. We don't know much about their bond, but Haru has held onto his armband and her main aim is to find him, while Akiyuki is (or at least was) desperate to return home. Haru speaks with Sukakki, who seems to be a sort of assistant to Kakisu. When Haru points out that the Xam'd looked pregnant, Sukakki shuts her down, calling it "Stockholm syndrome". There's an obvious attempt to paint the Xam'd as the villain here, since while Haru is most definitely empathizing with it, the Xam'd is in no way her captor or abuser. Sukkaki might have meant to say anthropomorphizing, which would suggest that the Xam'd is an animal and subject to dehumanizing, but seems a little more accurate to what she's going for. I'm watching this subbed now, so it could be different in the dub. Sukkaki and Haru's sister do have some more subtle things to say to her as well, though, with the former warning her against "feelings things too deeply" (an attempt to get her to drop this) and the latter chastising her for taking everything on herself (indicating that she wont). Akiyuki gets clearance to leave the ship, potentially for good, from Ishu, but Nakiami warns against it since he can't control his Xam'd form. She eventually yields, but only when he agrees to take the Nekomata with him. Interesting, wonder what the connection is. It's apparent that part of the reason is the tracker placed on the Nekomata, but why not just require him to carry the tracker? We learn a bit of the history for Sentan Island. The war that has been discussed before was 6 years ago and cost many islanders' lives. Kakisu's connection to the area is personal, since half of his family is from there. He sets Haru and Teroaka to the task of finding a missing ASP unit. Seems like everyone, including Akiyuki, is heading to Tsumebara Pass. He stumbles upon what looks like a very old HW that has been killed and is now overgrown. He then runs into a local who quickly transforms into an HW after having Tsumebara mentioned. Looks like Nekomata can tell who is Xam'd. In the ensuing scuffle, the Nekomata loses its tracker and Akiyuki is forced to fight, but doesn't have to do much before two other locals take out the rampaging HW. One of them, the father Zuizo, appears to be Xam'd as well. That shit's going around. Turns out the old dead HW was his wife, and they say she's only been gone a month, hard to believe. Nakiami, unable to track them any longer, goes after Akiyuki herself. |
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| Episode 7. I anticipated that the whole point of remote operating the ASP suits was that the operators would be safely located away from the fighting and out of harms way, but now they're in small suits fighting directly with the Xam'd. Not quite sure what the point of the remote operating test was. The M&B Xam'd just wants to escape, maybe to the tower that only Haru can see (wonder what that is), but the squad is ordered to bring it down. Only Haru, who heard it's voice hesitates. The show has done a really good job of elaborating on the closeness between Haru and Akiyuki given that they have been apart most of the show. It's done this without making them feel like angsty teenagers in love unable to spend a moment apart from their beloved. Haru is warned off from empathising with the Xam'd, told they're worse than HW, or more specifically have a greater capacity for killing. No mention of stockholm syndrome in the dub, wonder if that was a mistranslation. Akiyuki leaves the ship, a little too easily I thought. He's heading to the pass where he hopes to find Haru, now working for the Sentan Island Freedom Army, or whatever Kakisu decided to call them. Interesting meeting people who are afraid of the pass and have clearly been exposed to something (a Northern air raid we're told, but I wonder if it's the South pretending to be the North again, and carrying out illegal human tests) as they've been turning into HW/Xam'd and then stone. You're right, the mother looked like she'd been there much longer as she had loads of moss growing all over herself. |
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| Episode 8 I didn't mention this last episode, but these Redsky Clouds seem like they're in the story to limit travel and remote contact. I do appreciate that they have a mechanic for it. It apparently also interferes with the ASP units, so it's generally a nuisance, though I'm not sure how it affects Xam'd or HWs. Also, is it just me or is it still unclear what the difference between the two is? Maybe it's in their capacity to control themselves? I'd look it up, but I'd prefer the series to explain it at some point. It's becoming pretty clear that Teroaka's into Haru, but also knows that her focus on Akiyuki leaves him out in the cold. It's clearly grating on him as he snipes at her a couple of times. We get little bits of context as Akiyuki and his two associates go through a decimated town. Rather than blame the HWs, they blame the hunters that came for them, which makes sense given their circumstances. There's both a resentment and a fear that has been built in them over time, and while they have a point, Akiyuki still believes in Haru and pushes on ahead without them. The military recruits are being sent to find missing ASPs, but that's a ruse to search for something called the green soulstone. We're introduced to Ongoro-Users, referring back to the wobbly doll from earlier. Apparently, these can be used to sniff out the "prana" from a HW. Apparently, these are HW users from the north who function as sort of mercenaries for hire. They find their way to a chamber with a gigantic one shining in the middle of it, little bits of Red Sky Stone embedded in the walls and flowers (netsukodama) growing everywhere, particularly from the Spinal Antenna attachment of an abandoned ASP suit. Twist, it's not abandoned, the operator is a HW now. The Ongoro-User tries to protect it before getting knocked the fuck out, then Teroaka tries to kill it. Haru leaves him behind because she knows it's a dumb move, only to find herself face-to-face with Akiyuki, who narrowly prevents her from getting blasted before encasing it in crystal. Teroaka escapes with only light injuries, immediately pointing a gun at Akiyuki because... I guess he blames everything on Akiyuki? He literally has evidence against that (though he's right that the refugee who blew up the bus only got on there because of Akiyuki), but sure, I guess we needed a silly reason for this confrontation to happen and for Haru to get thrown around. Before it can get worse, a Xam'd appears and stops Teroaka, one quite like Akiyuki and fully in control who speaks with Haru. Akiyuki runs, and the other Xam'd reverts to human form and takes off. Teroaka reports back about the two Xam'd, revealing that one of them was Akiyuki. Dude's just the worst. Haru gets a Bright Slap for her troubles. Love watching Ishu interrogate her crew about who let Nakiami go. All their different ways of getting her to take it easy on them fail miserably. Nakiami herself eventually finds Akiyuki, who is in bad shape from his fight with the HW. Nakiami takes him back to the ship and end up joined by the old man from earlier. Two Xam'd for the price of one. TUrns out, they know this one: Raigyo, a Xam'd who used to be onboard. Looks like Akiyuki has a mentor. |
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| Episode 8. Yeah, both good points, the red clouds add in-world obstacles that seem plausible. A worse example is the Minoskvy particles in Gundam which appear to be included to frustrate certain plot points. LotGH has a certain particle but they explain it better. Also yes, I'm still not clear on the difference between Xam'd and HW, educated guess that HW originate from experimentation on Xam'd so have similar characteristics. I've noticed Teroaka watching Haru since the first ep, but he's clearly aware of Haru and Akiyuki's close bond. Teroaka's definitely acting a bit whiny saying to Haru 'are you still waiting for him'. He was hoping that Akiyuki's disappearance would be the opening for him to get closer to Haru, but he must've known it would take a while as Haru only took thee job with the ASP unit to get off Sentan island and go looking for Akiyuki. She clearly hasn't given up on him yet, so seems a bit pissy of him to start with the snarky comments. More lore, goody. We hear about a green soulstone and Ongoro users. Ishu's interrogation of the crew was good, nice little light hearted moment. When Teroaka and Haru find the downed ASP suit they talk about a 'mainsoul' and where is it. Are they talking about the human operator? Nice reunion between Haru and Akiyuki on a bridge running towards each other, just before he saves her. Teroaka has snapped and his frustrations at Haru still wanting Akiyuki, despite the fact he turned into a Xam'd, must've boiled over leading to some romantic tension between the 3, although I'm not sure either Haru or Akiyuki is aware that he has feelings for her. Akiyuki is saved by another Xam'd who has a lot more control over his transformation and switch back and forth with practiced ease. Nakiami finds an injured Akiyuki. Haru gets a Bright slap and told to 'go to your room and think on what you've done', sounds more like a parental admonishment than a military punishment. The Xam'd Akiyuki met was the former crewmate onboard. Looks like we're getting acquainted with him next ep. |
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| Agreed, Minovsky particles always seemed like an excuse in Gundam for things to go wonky for a little bit. Didn't help that they were rarely visible and could literally be injected into the plot. Yes, I believe the Mainsoul is the operator of the ASP. Episode 9 Everyone takes off - the central crew and the military ship as well, going different directions. Raigyo immediately ingratiates himself to the rest of the crew through gifts, compliments and advice, showcasing a knowledge furnished by what was likely years among them, another example of the show-don't-tell approach we keep praising in this show. The glances at the wall where scratch marks left by Raigyo once upon a time without anyone directly mentioning it also seem to scream for answers to unspoken questions. We get a bit of the anime trope of a character looking at naked women and bursting a blood vessel in his nose. Don't mind it as long as it isn't overdone. Seems Raigyo's still searching for answers about himself and being Xam'd despite his long journey so far (at least 2 years on his own), so Akiyuki's got a ways to go. Speaking of which, Akiyuki's clearly feeling a little like a third wheel. Raigyo's just so beloved by everyone and he still feels like an outsider, not to mention he's having trouble getting along with Raigyo himself, who is pushy and demanding of him in particular. Teroaka is now firmly situated against Haru and Akiyuki. I have some trouble buying that, not because the series hasn't established a reason, but because he's known these characters long enough before everything went down that it's odd he wouldn't at least hear them out. The hard shift to "I'm a soldier protecting this island" feels like it's only lightly explained as well. Haru's more interesting, as she's torn between her duty in the military and her draw to Akiyuki paired with her ability to hear the voices of HW and Xam'd. Seems that green soulstone is quite effective for making anti-HW weapons. Could just be making more HWs, a fight fire with fire situation. Haru meets with Kakisu, who reenforces Teroaka's views of Akiyuki despite her objections. There's mention of her little sister, who may be getting dragged into this as well. Raigyo spends a good deal of time with Nakiami in particular. She and Madame Tenshin refer to him as "a wind that stirs the ship," an interesting description given that a wind can bolster or impede travel depending on direction and force. In this case, he delivers information from a Tessik village and the difficulties they're encountering. And this is another thing I like about this series: there's no exposition dump in this conversation. These are two people who both know about the troubles her people are facing with leadership. They speak about it with that as a baseline, and there's no "that man" or other vague allusions to someone who may become important later. It's not a plot-driven conversation, but it gives Nakiami an opportunity to express her feelings openly with a non-judgmental and less involved source. |
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| Episode 9. I'm instantly reminded of that classic Friends episode where Gandalf comes to visit Ross and Chandler and they hype him to the moon and back, Joe on the side lines feeling all left out. Ofc he never actually arrives, but it gets to the point of when someone you don't know enters, or re-enters your friend group and you feel out of place suddenly. I'm on the fence about Teroaka's sudden conversion to the army. If he feels strongly enough about Haru, which it looks like he does, then I could see the events that have unfolded, and Haru still pining after Akiyuki after he turned Xam'd, being the tipping point for him and joining the army and adopting an anti Xam'd/anti Akiyuki mindset as the path of least resistance as it allows him to gnaw on his grudge against Akiyuki in a practical sense. There are lots of little interactions and pieces of dialogue I admire in this series. When Ishu mentions a small disagreement with Yunbo she makes a throwaway comment 'her ass has gotten fatter since she had a kid', doesn't explain the argument but it sounds exactly like the sort of comment someone might say to express mild annoyance in a joking familial fashion. Interesting that Kakisu tells the recruits of the East Autonomous Region that it's been decided the South and North are now in a stalemate and they are required to take their new skills and attack the South. Talk about sending lambs to the slaughter. Why the interest in Haru's little sister? For an experiment, or as leverage? The talk between Raigyo and Nakiami is another good example of the well scripted dialogue. I'm watching Gundam Unicorn OVA atm, and whilst it's not as bad as Zeta, the dialogue is still pretty bad. This show has very good, natural dialogue. |
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| Episode 10 Raigyo can see the tower too and even takes pictures. It’s called the Diamond Tower and apparently at least represents a Lord Hiruken watching over them, though it’s hard to say if that’s just religious zealotry. This is a scene from Raigyo’s past where he became Xam’d in a similar circumstance to Akiyuki: terrorism. Nakiami finds him and tries to help, but fails and almost gets engulfed in stone herself, leading to a major falling out with Ishu who Bright Slaps her plenty. Back to the present, Teroaka’s still sniping at Haru. Haru herself seems at odds about what to do for Akiyuki. Teroaka takes to training quite easily, while Haru struggles. She’s told that she’s on the verge of a court martial if she doesn’t step up. We also get another mention of her sister, which sounds like an implied threat. Akiyuki learns about the tower, which nauseates him just to look at pictures of it. Raigyo claims that this is where they were “washed ashore,” whatever that means. Raigyo sets up for a group photo, for which Nakiami gets her hair done. She apologizes to Ishu for all the trouble she’s caused, which surprises the older woman. Turns out this camera reveals Hiruko, showing the one in Akiyuki’s arm and Raigo’s own. Ryuzo and Fusa meet again, and you can really see the toll it’s taking on both of them to keep searching for Akiyuki with no results. The former is drained and apologetic, the latter testy but perceptive. Ryuzo seems weighted down with issues from his military past as well, this being the anniversary of the resulting armistice. We learn a bit about Haru’s past. Her mother died in a freak car accident involving a military vehicle, and her father still sets a place for her at dinner. Haru, meanwhile, is moving on. She resolves not to wait for Akiyuki and cuts her own hair. It’s a parallel with Nakiami, showcasing a new direction going forward for their characters. Raigyo intentionally gets an HW to attack the ship in order to test Akiyuki. |
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| Episode 10. Looking after Theo so going keep this short. As we've already said, some great little character interactions like the photo, with Nakiami suddenly saying sorry for being a bother and the look of shock and concern on Ishu's face. And then the meeting between Fusa and Ryozou. A lot of focus on Haru and after some prompting and maybe a threat (just mentioning her little sister is an implied threat) from Kakisu, Haru seems to decide to take a step forward and try and move past the disappearance of Akiyuki. Teroaka still acting pissy 'you'll have to wait in line, but you're fine with waiting...', not really the best way to woo a girl who is upset dude. I really like the slight spiritual element to the story with the Ongoro, the Xam'd having souls and now the tower (what is with that?) and Haru hearing her dead mum's voice. Good blend of sci-fi and spiritual fantasy, much like the best of Ghibli in Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle. Haru cuts her hair, a physical change to demark her new attitude to defend her home and family rather than simply waiting on Akiyuki. Raigyo rings the bell for start of school for Akiyuki and tees him up to fight a Northern HW. |
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| Episode 11 Nakiami is blocked by Ishu from going to help with the HW, and Ishu says she should stop making Ishu’s job harder. Guessing it’s a matter of being protective of her, since Nakiami tends to push herself too far. Doesn’t stop her from taking off, though, with the promise of restoring the HW’s original form. Akiyuki jumps onto the HW and implants a ball into it from Nakiami, which disassembles it. Raigyo suggests that Akiyuki won’t develop from this. Turns out there were other HW launchers in the area waiting to see how this turned out, having seen through their disguise as a postal ship. I noted this earlier, but it looks like Raigyo’s transformation is somehow mediated by the production of a large volume of water. Given his webbed appendages, fin, and concussive water strikes, it seems specific to him. Dude dispatches HWs easily. Surprised Nakiami’s not pissed at him for killing them, though I guess they are attacking him… apparently out of loneliness? Not sure what that means. Ahm appears to come form some military background and is ready to man a hefty gun onboard. There’s some interesting infighting going on that suggests quite a bit. Hinokimaru mentions that Ahm’s supposed to become his father, suggesting some relationship with Yunbo, and Yunbo seems to have an antagonistic relationship with Ishu now that they’re in danger. Just when things are looking stable, one of these carriers releases a giant pillar that crashes into the ship, one composed of small HWs. That coupled with a flying HW hitting one of the engines puts them in a bind. They still manage OK until, after a word about how he sees Hinokimaru as his child, one of the HWs shoots Ahm through the shoulder. He later asks where Yunbo wants to go, but she says she’s rudderless. Nakiami starts defending the HWs when they’re being taken down. I get why she’s like this, but they are attacking you, and you seemed fine with this when Raigyo was doing it. Why the change of heart? We also get to see what these Ongoro can do, with this one turning large, attaching to an HW and turning it to stone. Cool. Ishu finds her way solo to the human behind this attack, who is apparently after Raigyo and Akiyuki. She hints at a destiny for them based on hearing the Hiruko, but Ishu rejects her demands and shoots her. Without the mask, she resembles Nakiami, who Ishu finds in tears and tries to comfort. They crash land on a beach by the end of the episode. Haru doubles down on her military service, clearly concerned for her sister, while Teroaka gets promoted, undergoing ASP training that pushes his mind past its limits. Still not sure why he’s piloting remotely. |
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| Episode 11. Lucky Nakiami was there on her kayak otherwise Akiyuki would've fallen, Can Xam'd fly? I wonder as the way Raigyo told Akiyuki to gotake on the HW made it sound like he expected Akiyuki to transform and fly over there. The little seed disassembles the HW, which in essence means it turns to tiny droplets. Nakiami clarifies for us that the ring on the HW are what allows them to be controlled, so Akiyuki needs to remove the ring. So Raigyo appears to have an affinity to water in his Xam'd state. This is a full on attack on the airship, as Ishu says they've seen through their disguise of a postal ship. So the primary function of the ship must be intel or recon and the postal business allows them to do this. The attack throws up some fault lines in the crew, namely between Ishu and Yunbo, who exchange cross words about the choice of flight path and putting the children in danger. Ishu responds by saying that Yunbo should lose weight and insults her fat ass, again. I can't tell whether that comment from Ahm meant something more, ie as you said hinted at some possible future coupling between him and Yunbo, or whether it was just a promise to a child to be his father, or more like mentor. Just before he gets shot he says 'take care of both our little children', was he talking about the girl (checked, Kobako was picked up by Nakiami), or maybe about an as yet unborn child he's expecting with Yunbo. Either way nice to have the background characters having a textured life out of focus of the main story. The only reason this is slightly surprising is that Yunbo made a huge effort to doll herself up when Raigyo arrived, so I assumed she was hoping to catch his eye, or that's how it appeared. Nakiami's pleading to Ishu not to hurt the HW doesn't make a whole lot of sense. What is Ishu supposed to do, let them kill her. I get that the HW may be sentient and being controlled, but that doesn't help when they're trying to kill you. Kakisu is looking after Haru's little sister, well arranged for her to have additional care because of her injury. Will tie Haru to the military and himself. Teroaka is pushing himself hard to become a better pilot. I can see that ending in him being turned full HW like Sadhara girl from their school. The airship crashes on a desolated beach. |
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| Episode 12 Teroaka’s losing it. He calls himself “Akiyuki’s shadow” and has something dark and painful spreading a pattern down his leg. Yep, looks similar to Xam’d. Haru is tasked with checking up on him, and when she does, she finds the veins spreading down his leg (he thinks it’s the result of the bus explosion, I’m not so sure) despite his attempts to push her away. He gets a deserved slap for his behavior, and they hug it out, wishing for simpler times. Onboard the ship or just off it, everyone’s keeping themselves occupied in various ways, except Nakiami who is down in the dumps. She’s assaulted by a very Ghibli-esque slime monster that comes out of the fallen HWs to nearly consume her before Roppa arrives to somehow drive it away (or its task was done, unclear), leaving Nakiami in tears and apparently without memory of it happening. It’s suggested that the Diamond Towers are spying apparatus used by the Hiruken Emperor, whoever that is. There’s also discussion of the Humanform delivery room. Ishu is described as the writer of Crimson Revolution, hinting at her subversive work. Raizo finally makes a visit to the military base to see Kakizu. They lightly discuss war crimes, previous and ongoing. Kakizu offers to help find his son, which is ignored. Considering what they’d do to Akiyuki if they found him, good on you Raizo. The crew buries their erstwhile foe in a brief but largely heartfelt ceremony. There’s a respect for the dead that is demonstrated in different ways by each crew member, even Ishu who shot her seeks reconciliation. She seems more sentimental than usual. Nakiami is planning on returning to Tessik Village and Akiyuki wants to go with her. Apparently her newfound desire had to do with the black spirit that violated her. So I guess she does remember. Seems Ishu’s sentimentality is tied to knowing that Nakiami was going to leave, since she’s pretty tender in her responses to Nakiami’s resolve. There’s a deep affection between these two women. Akiyuki, meanwhile, is tasked with understanding his Hiruko during his travels. Everyone’s goodbyes are very in character, love to see the variety, particularly the kick in the ass from Ishu. |
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| Episode 12. Teroaka clearly on a downward spiral, as you say likely because he's pushing himself and maybe something to do with the mad scientist working with the Far East Autonomous Army (FEAA), who was watching Terokaka's training last ep. Some black slime comes out of the dead mini HW that assaulted the ship and seek out Nakiami. Yeah they look like No Face from Spirited Away, or the Sludge spirit. The Hiruken Emperor and the Diamond Tower, which Raigyo says watches them (guessing he means Xam'd) wherever they go. Wonder if the Hiruken Emperor is the leader of the North? And more hints about Ishu's past as the 'writer of the Crimson Revolution' (is she an underground leader of a revolution or rebellion against the North?) and mention of a humanform delivery room. The way Raigyo joked about the Hiruken Emperor and him being a pervert and going on a date with Ishu, makes me wonder if they know him, or if Ishu knows him personally? I've got a sneaking suspicion that Ishu is a runaway princess, or fallen leader. Little things like the way the crew treat her, she always eats in her quarters and her relationship with Nakiami, who is the heir apparent of the Tessik village, until she ran away. Just a hunch. It sounds from the way she mentioned it that Nakiami is aware of what the black slime spirit actually is. She said 'it found her'. The relationship between Ishu and Nakiami is truly brilliant, you can't easily pigeon hole it, and that's what makes it so interesting. There's a close bond there that we can't put our finger on, but recognise as very important to both women. Kind of mother-child/sisters/mutual respect with a bit of antagonism. Nakiami and Akiyuki leave the ship, Akiyuki very earnest and serious in his farewells. I really love the circular rainbow effect as the kayak takes off. Haru visits Teroaka and sees his leg. You can taste the salt in his words as he lashes out at Haru saying she's the worst type of friend and she doesn't like him. When the reality is that she is his friend, but she loves/loved Akiyuki, and that is a bitter pill for him to swallow so he lashes out at her and deserves the Bright slap he receives. |
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| I'll be interested to see who Ishu actually is as the series goes on. There's definitely a past there that will become more relevant as the series goes on. We're bound to follow Nakiami and Akiyuki at this point, wonder if the series will still check in with the crew of the Zanbani (haven't heard the name much, but I'm going to start using it) from time to time. Episode 13 The intro immediately answers my question. Guess we're following everyone, so splitting our attention 3 ways including the military subset. The Zanbani is still a mess. Ishu is clearly missing Nakiami, sitting on her bunk. I'm in the same boat as you: I like the complexity of this relationship and all the various facets that have been hinted at so far. There's a lot of history here and, while they've only shown us small glimpses of it, that lack of definition is much to its benefit. This relationship seems particularly messy while also being incredibly heartfelt, and the series doesn't feel the need to give us extensive backstory or exposition to define it. It doesn't seem like it could be defined that easily, but conversations are still heavy with meaning. Not many shows do this well, so major props to this one for managing it well across multiple characters, but particularly with these two. Speaking of well-executed conversation, I enjoyed seeing Akiyuki just talk about what he'd do when he was kicked out of the house by his mother. Getting personal with Nakiami establishes both how much he trusts her and his desire to get closer to her (probably platonically - I don't think there's romantic tension here). They return to Sentan Island for 3 days en route to Tessik Village, but are restricted due to the presence of the army. Haru's gotten much better in a short period in the military, but her worry about Teroaka frustrates her performance. She finds out that Akiyuki's on the island through a military phone line, which means the army knows about him as well. When he inevitably visits his father, Ryuzo is blindsided by his arrival, and they're both awkward in their interaction. As a doctor and his father, Ryuzo inevitably asks about the bandaged arm. Love the line "don't hide anything from parents except your first love." After finding out about his Xam'd status, Ryuzo introduces him to the white-haired girl who blew herself up, barely kept alive on machines in hopes that they might find a way to forgive her for that act of terrorism that took Akiyuki away. This question of where the Hiruko in Akiyuki wants to go surfaces again, and he suggests Hiruko want to join as one. The military eventually arrive at Ryuzo's house and Akiyuki escapes out the back. He then goes to visit his mother Fusa, only leaving behind a lunch to mark his visit. She's desperate, though, and runs out of the house without her shoes to find him. She knows exactly where to find him, a memory of him running away as a prank guiding her to him. I particularly like the music in this scene, rising to a crescendo just as she finds him... just to vanish on the passing of a bus, Fusa left behind with bruised feet. She returns to Ryuzo, and there's a mutual recognition that Akiyuki is now truly gone and not returning, sad as that is. Meanwhile, Nakiami meets Haru. Haru clearly resents her, having believed that Akiyuki would be returned to her sooner. She's desperate to have him back, but feels as though it's too late. Nakiami seems to recognize her feelings and apologizes, though it certainly wasn't her fault. Later, we see Teroaka on the phone with Haru's sister, unfortunately making him aware of his resurfacing on the island. Seriously, girl's just mishandling this information all over the place. Akiyuki goes to meet Haru at a cemetery and she tells him that she has to report him. You can see how painful this is for Haru who knows that she has no choice based on her position, but still loves Akiyuki dearly. Teroaka arrives there as well, talking about how he's always envied Akiyuki, but that he has 12 cm that he has that Akiyuki doesn't. Cryptic. Nakiami confirms that he is Xam'd, and his hatred quickly activates his Hiruko. He grabs Haru as it spreads across his body. Guess we're starting next episode with a fight. |
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| Episode 13. The messy, non defined relationship between Ishu and Nakiami is definitely a strength. Real life relationships can't always be easily categorised so it's nice to see that reflected in a fictional setting with these chars. Also Yunbo and Ishu sitting on the bunk with a bottle of booze confirms the tight bond they both have despite Ishu's constant griping about her 'fat ass' and Yunbo calling her a drunkard. Ishu freely admits that Yunbo is always there to pick up her mess, and Yunbo says Ishu is trying to be strong. They get each other and each have a place on the ship. I also don't sense anything beyond a platonic relationship between Akiyuki and Nakiami, and that's a credit to the show, no little hints shipping these two together. Another thing, despite the close bond between Akiyuki and Haru, neither have ever mentioned romance, at least that I can recall, as if it doesn't need saying out loud. They both know how they and the other feels and that's enough. The awkward way Ryuzo's reacts to Akiyuki sudden appearance tells you everything you need to know about their relationship; heartfelt, loving but no overt displays of affection. Most dads would at least hug their child after they returned, when for a time he didn't even know if Akiyuki was alive. But you can tell that's not because he doesn't love Akiyuki, but because he doesn't know how to express that love, Ryozo isn't a hugger, and that's ok, doesn't mean he doesn't love his son. Ryozo keeping the white haired girl alive in the hopes he can forgive her is equally telling of his personality and moral compass. Lovely scene of Fusa running to find Akiyuki after she discovers the lunchbox and thinking back on his behaviour as a child. OST is solid throughout but that was a lovely little piece to go with Fusa running through the town. I liked how she ended with 'and that's because, he's....my son...'. Again this felt like a scene from a Ghibli movie. Wonder if any of the studio Bones staff working on the show worked at Ghibli previously, or maybe just Ghibli inspired. Teroaka faces off against Akiyuki, and openly talks about his jealously for everything Akiyuki has, though I don't think either Haru or Akiyuki really know what he's talking about as it hasn't dawned on them that he's in love with Haru. |
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| Episode 14 We get a bit of greyed past with Teroaka and Haru where we get some of their interactions before Akiyuki pulls her away. It transitions beautifully into the present. I guess he did get the Hiruko at the bus explosion, I just don't know how he could have controlled it so well up to now. By now though, he has apparently lost himself to hatred, obtaining a form that looks both a little more human (visible face) and a little more deformed (increasing in size and with odd growths) than the Xam'd we've seen to date. Turns out, he can't form a Xam'd face over his own. Unlike with Akiyuki and Raigyo, he can't speak with his own voice to say he wants to live and lashes out instead, harming Nakiami and forcing Akiyuki to step in before taking Haru hostage. Teroaka clearly resents what Akiyuki represents to him: someone who casts a light that dazzles Haru, but renders Teroaka in shadow. It's nice symbolism layered with meaning, and the Hiruko in him brings out as much of that negativity as possible. We get some creepy ass transformations that are somewhere between Ghibli and Akira, morphing and increasing the size of his face. Haru grasps Teroaka's feelings, but makes clear that she loves Akiyuki. Seems like a bad way to talk him down when he has Akiyuki in his clutches, but hey, you do you. Things get a lost worse and his face more bizarre (yeah, definitely more Ghibli) when she tells him he never really loved anyone and he just swallows her whole. At this point, his view is that he was chosen just like Akiyuki, that he's just as special if not more special than the one Haru loves. He quickly learns that Akiyuki's in far more control of his Xam'd form, and when it becomes clear that Akiyuki has to kill him to save Haru, he attacks savagely. Hard not to feel for Teroaka, even after everything he's done, as he's in tears begging Akiyuki to stop. Akiyuki struggles with it, seeming to grow tired and heavier with each punch. The introduction of another seed causes him to burst into tiny droplets, releasing Haru and an intact and human-looking Teroaka. Akiyuki comes under attack from a set of ASPs that followed them. He's quickly subdued and Teroaka are taken into custody, with Haru being promised interrogation. Seems they have a plan to experiment with both of them. Nakiami escapes at Akiyuki's urging before he takes Kakisu hostage and escapes. The latter tries to ply the former for information, but Akiyuki escapes after having learned that Kakisu knows his father. Kakisu seems genuinely interested in Xam'd, but also treats them like things and not people. Akiyuki runs into another ASP, but clearly either lacks the will, the power, or both to fight it, and ends up injured in the river. Teroaka also escapes, likely killing his captors and going for some ramune for himself, Haru and, presumably, Akiyuki. He then proceeds to literally behead himself. I'm not sure if he was basically guaranteed to die, or at least turn to stone, but clearly he didn't see any point in going on living as he was. Sad end. Akiyuki is found partially transformed on the riverbank, but we don't know by whom. He wakes up on a train with amnesia, apparently in chains in a cage. Nakiami waits on the boat out. Back with the Zanbani, Ishu worries for them both. |
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| Episode 14. Dynamic fight between Akiyuki and Teroaka, where Nakiami isn't able to halt the process or get through to Teroaka, he's too far gone and has surrendered to the hatred of the Hiruko she says. It transpires that Teroaka believes he was infected with his Hiruko on the bus at the same time Akiyuki was. Wonder if that's right, or whether the mad scientist implanted the idea in his head, and is the one responsible for the emergence of his Xam'd form now. Would depend on how the bomb that the white haired girl let off on the bus works, does anybody within a certain radius get infected, or are there a finite number of seeds in the bomb that then latch onto people and turn them into Xam'd? Haru actually says she loves Akiyuki. It really is a credit to this show and the character writing that this statement isn't really necessary, as it so often is in most anime. Haru is onlt saying it out loud now for Terokaka, to make him see that his line of reasoning and actions won't get him what he wants; her. You do feel for Terokaka, a crushing inferiority complex is the downfall of many. Learning, and more importantly accepting, that there is always someone better than you is a fact of life. But maybe growing up with himself, Haru and Akiyuki it became unbearable. Teroaka beheading himself was sad. Yes he was a bit whiny at times, but solid secondary character. We end with Nakiami waiting on the boat and Akiyuki in a cage on a train, and doesn't look like his captors are the army, who are they? |
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| I agree, very much think it's to this show's credit that it can have a declaration of love that's functional and not out of left field. One of those aspects of the dialogue that sets it apart. Episode 15 Ooh, new OP. A little more of a downbeat on this one, like the instrumentals and the visuals still go pretty hard, a lot of great action. Song's not quite as good, though. Seems Akiyuki was taken prisoner by some traveling mercenaries who are apparently engaging in some human trafficking. He's also seeing those weird dark globby creatures, still has no idea who he is and lacking any knowledge of the world around him. Kakisu seems put out after his encounter with Akiyuki, but is as dedicated to his mission as ever. Haru seems to be grieving, but has also become all too aware that she's at odds with the military leadership, who do not trust her and imprison her, once again threatening her sister. I love that they have yet to make any direct threats, only implying a threat. Lesser shows would just do the mob thing of "she might have an accident." Nakiami is stranded on her way to Tessik Village and receives quite a bit of subtle racism. It's not super blunt, but it is obvious in peoples' willingness to house her, a landlord's trust of her payment, and even in a casual statement about how Tessik people sit. She spots a Tessik child thief and chases him through the village, finding out he's Xam'd and helping to bring his arm under control, advising him on using his powers. Apparently, he's an orphan (became one the day he became Xam'd) and gets tracked down by some thugs. Nakiami arrives and... offers up her Kayak to protect the child? Wasn't expecting that. Sad to see it go. The kid rejects her when she tries to give him some money to escape the village, figuring she's just trying to get rid of him, but ends up leaving her a stolen apple anyway to show his appreciation... though it's in the falling snow so it probably will be covered by morning. He ends up following her out of the village the next day. We get his name: Yanko. Back to Ryuzo, he's watching over the white-haired girl and discussing the science he's using to help heal her. We hear about a Jibashiri (those crow-looking guys who harvest Hiruko from corpses) landing. Apparently, these are also known as children of the Tessik God, and touching them can bring ruin. That sounds bad, but a couple of military grunts do it anyway in hopes of a promotion, finding and shooting them. Apparently, these Jibashiri are part of the group of white-haired people themselves, and their deaths can be sensed back in their religious order. There's discussion of a pilgrimage and an impending quickening, suggesting a birth perhaps? Unclear. New ED music slaps. |
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| Episode 15. Good OP, I think I like it more, but maybe that's because it's got an indie feel to it. I'm sure I've heard the name of the band, Boom Boom Satellites, before, but can't find which track it was, or what anime it came from. I hate it when you get a track in your head from one of the hundreds of anime we watch and you can't pinpoint exactly which one it was, so aggravating, especially when you only have a 10 sec clip playing over and over in your head, ahhh. Bit funny that a small island like Sentan has people traffickers, surely the local police force would've stramped out such practices, or maybe the advent of the war allowed them to move more freely. Anyway Akiyuki has been kidnapped. Nakiami lands in a village after running out of fuel for her kayak. I wondered what they ran on, netsokadama oil we're told. Doesn't seem like the people in the North are particularly warm towards those from Tessik village, maybe because they're connected to the Xam'd and HW. Am I right in thinking the silver haired girl came from Tessik? Later in the ep a prisoner says the white haired children are 'the gods of Tessik village' and can't be touched. Giving away her Kayak in exchange for the boys safety was a mighty fine gesture by Nakiami. I love that flying craft, so cool and sleek. I like the setting of the town, nestled in amongst the mountains, and neat designs for the buildings, maybe inspired by Italian alpine villages? Nakiami relents and takes the kid, Yango (?) with her. As you say, it sounds like the Jibashiri are from Tessik village also. Sounds like they're scavenging for souls in the Northern towns, which I guess may be why the townsfolk have little regard for people from Tessik village. Then we get some mention of an awakening and pilgrimage. Good new ED, sounded a bit like Evanescence. |
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| Episode 16 The military get ahold of their own white-haired child, this one a boy. It is confirmed that these kids are the ones in the masks who gather Hiruko. Reizo, who clearly comes from Tessik, is shocked that they have him. Doesn't stop him from testing on the boy and finding that he has no energy in his body, suggesting he's already effectively dead... at least initially. It becomes clear that he's deferent towards the boy and is using this as an excuse to stop testing on him. But Kakisu overhears his plans and interrogates the boy. The boy freely tells him of the Hiruko's gathering, and of Lady Sannova, their leader. He later contacts Haru through a hologram projection generated using a magic circle drawn with a marble taken from a hidden compartment in his shoe. He mentions the Quickening will be happening soon, that souls will be devoured by darkness, and that he needs her help to lead the Xam'd to "the place of the Haruko's Advent." Cryptic. Haru is to seek Nazuna on a hill to find out where Akiyuki has gone and to save her sister, who is in great peril. Yango (seems like the correct spelling) and Nakiami near Tessik Village receiving more casual racism that delays them, but receive some help from another Tessican. They visit Yanko's home village, but it's in ruins from the war. We get some insight into just how dire the situation is here. They then proceed to get lost and separated. Nakiami worries and runs to find him, only to discover a village with him. They have a bit of a heart-to-heart where Nakiami talks about her childhood with Ishu and Yango makes her smile. Sukaki performs ASP tests on Haru's sister. Ryuzo treats Fusa's feet. She still has a sharp tongue and remains focused on their son, leaving early. Ryuzo returns to his charge, and with the addition of some unknown vaccine, she returns to consciousness. The crew is till stranded - apparently Nakiami's absence really does leave them without an alternative. Elsewhere, an older woman sees one of those weird floating eyes Akiyuki has seen. It leads her to him, and to purchase him. Should be interesting. |
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| Episode 17 The dynamic between Reizo and this white-haired boy Azami couldn't be more opposite to their actual circumstances. Despite being in a cell, Azami holds all the power in their relationship, with Reizo begging him for forgiveness in tears and getting promised Salvation after Lady Sannova's Great Pilgrimage. Kakisu overhears this as well, and with the slow clap of disrespect, he invites Reizo to a walk with him. Not at all ominous. Kakisu demands that he use Azami to further their experiments, though Reizo refuses. So Kakizu threatens Reizo, calling him a filthy Tessican before literally dragging him out of his chair to demonstrate his intent. Kakisu interrogates Haru, calling her a coward, but she proves very well how brave she is, dragging him back as he's leaving and even offering up her body to protect her sister. This baffles Kakisu who doesn't understand her at all, though Sukakki looks impressed with her and the smile Haru flashes afterwards shows that she feels she's taken back some of her agency. Sukakki puts on a good show later, saying Haru must be a virgin and that she doesn't like Haru, but that she has guts and... oh my, her key's gone missing so she can't lock the cell and will walk away. Guess Sukakki has some sympathy for her after all. Meanwhile, the older lady who bought Akiyuki, Sumako, is treating him well. Seems she's not in the best of health (some incurable illness) and receives medical care. She's staying at some kind of hospice facility with expansive grounds. Like Sumako, I'm surprised no one seems particularly bothered by Akiyuki's mask, though his inability to eat with it on presents a problem since he can't seem to take it off. Interestingly, those floating eyes can eat. Even if the doctors can't see them, can't they see the food disappearing? Akiyuki is given the task of delivering letters from people who lost their lives, as it has a pronounced effect on everyone who receives them, though Akiyuki seems not to register it. He does this with a background of a radio speaker who gives more philosophical thoughts on how we perceive our enemies. Appropriate in wartime. Turns out, this is diegetic - though they don't have the radio with them, the floating eye has a mouth that's speaking those words just as if it was coming from the radio. Creepy. Neither we nor Akiyuki have ever seen these things talk before. Ryuzo introduces Fusa to the white-haired girl, which upsets her for obvious reasons (inciting incident and all). When he explains the aim - for both he and Akiyuki to forgive her - Fusa doesn't know what to do with that and collapses in tears. They discover that she's awake (not really - Azami is speaking through her) and that her name is Nazuna. Did she not wake up last episode, then? Was that just establishing this connection? Are they all connected this way? Nakiami and Yango are near the village, but heavy snow in the mountains makes it hard to find. More concerning, Nakiami says she's not welcome in Tessik Village, presumably because she ran away from her duty as leader. The other Tessicans didn't seem to think that way, but I can understand why she'd be concerned about her reception. An Ongoro, referred to as a guardian spirit of Tessik, finds them and keeps them warm in the night, directing them to an entrance the next day before sealing it - pretty damn cool way to keep it secret. They arrive in a place that feels like it's in a different season altogether, surrounded by Ongoro alive and dead, and find their way to the large Tessik Village. They're welcomed by the current leader, who is the same girl Nakiami has a photo of with her, and her sister - Kujireika. |
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| Episode 16. Interesting that the mad scientist, Reizo, is awed by the white haired child (just wondered, why are they all children, do they die early before adulthood, or do they just look young?). Nakiami and Yango find passage on a 3rd class ship and we see scores of airships heading into the North to continue their bombardment and the scores of injured it leaves in it's wake. Very good show don't tell approach here. We've heard of the war from the outset, but the show has left it until now for us to see how the war is conducted (mainly the South bombing the North) and the impact it has. I wonder if the Zanbani is still damaged or whether as you suggest, they can't fly on without Nakiami's navigation. From what Nakiami says to Yango, it sounds like she's been living with Ishu since she was a child, so ~10 years, longer than I guessed and adds some texture to their relationship which is becoming clearer as more of a mother-adoptive daughter bond. That magical holographic projection is another cool inclusion, created with some sort of magical circle. I appreciate that the show doesn't feel the need to explain any of the tech and magic we've seen, just that it exists, and only elaborates when the story demands, like nekodama oil to power Nakiami's kayac or touches on how souls of the dead become hiruko and then Xam'd. Haru gets hints that she needs to find someone, Nazuna and an old lady is led to Akiyuki. |
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| Episode 17. It is very telling that even the mad scientist, prepared to experiment on humans to create HW becomes so meek before the white haired child Azami. There's mention of a god absolving all sins. I wonder, are the white haired children from Tessik village or somewhere else? Gutsy move by Haru, although she missed her mark thinking Kakisu would take advantage of her sexually, he doesn't seem the type. I think Sukakki has deep affection for Kakisu and wants Haru out of the picture, although this won't help her as Kakisu doesn't appear interested in either women sexually or romantically. That Northern propaganda on the radio is depressing, weird that the floating eye starts transmitting the sound of its own accord. We heard some of it earlier when Ishu listened to it on the beach. How is Akiyuki eating? The hospice has a strange feel to it, although it looks very cosy and well maintained with decent care for the patients. The nurses assume that Suamko has bought Akiyuki in place of her dead son, but don't query it with her, or, as you say, mention the fact he has a strange mask on his face. Lastly an Ongoro opens the way to Tessik village, which was hidden, and they meet.... Nakiami's younger sister, the girl in the pic she carries with purple hair, Kujireika. HOw will Nakiami be received? |
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| Yeah, there's definitely something going on with those Jibashiri. They're deified, and it seems like they earn it through their various abilities and interactions with Haruko. Whether they're from Tessik Village or arrived there, they are clearly set apart. Episode 18 Haru's escaping and spots her sister Midori who also spots her, but seems upset about it. Sukakki says she's coming home soon. Getting some low-key Crowley Hamon vibes from her, and not just because they're both blondes. Haru has an interesting interaction with a soldier who doesn't know she's been imprisoned. I like that there's some genuine comradery here, not just antagonism. She goes to Ryuzo and asks about Nazuna, having learned of her from Azami. It's clear Azami has revealed that he's speaking through her. He gives her some info about Akiyuki, including general location and a concerning darkness that is working to devour him at the summit of a tall tower (those Diamond Towers? So Lord Hiruken?), and are instructed to lead him to the Quickening Chamber. Honestly, sounds sexual, but I don't think that's the purpose. So Haru's got her marching orders: find Akiyuki, and she has some help to get there from the local General (even a side character like this gets a good deal to do and is involved often with Ryuzo, it's nice to see), bringing along a vaccine from Ryuzo. Haru meets with Midori in secret before she leaves the island, telling her to not go back to the military, but Midori thinks she's abandoning her (not entirely wrong, at lest for the short term) and tells her she's going to submit to the military's experiments willingly, rejecting her entirely. Haru's resolve remains intact, though, and leaves with Fusa's blessing. Love the thank you note she left for Kakisu. We get an explanation for the climate near Tessik, which is that there's prana radiation pervading the area, the same stuff emitted from HWs. Interesting, guess it's not dangerous. Apparently, the place was mined of all of its red sky stone by the military, so it's not quite as vibrant as it used to be. Her people really do seem to look up to Kujireika, but very few recognize Nakiami as Lady Tenjo, though she wants them to refer to her as Nakiami. We learn some lore about the Tamayobi Maidens, girls who are elevated in the community and some rare few of whom serve Lady Sannova, the head of the Jibashiri. Do they become Jibashiri by this ritual purification? We get little hints of how tense the relationship between Kujireika and Nakiami is as the conversation goes on. When they're alone, Kujireika lets Nakiami know that they were driven from the Quickening Chamber, which is their holy land, and that they may soon be invaded. She talks about Nakiami's body being corrupted, and their aim to retake the holy land, showing her a giant disk with three people on it. Turns out, this is used to make prana-giving ututu seeds, which normally creates Ongoro, by adding in the blood of young girls. It bears fruits that can be devoured to strengthen the body, turning them into Xam'd of their own will. Kujireika reveals she implanted the Lifespirit (guessing something akin to Hiruko) of the Maidens into herself three times, making her quite a different beast than the other Xam'd. So she's on the warpath with what are likely other homemade Xam'd, all losing themselves in the process. Ominous. Akiyuki's floating eye is getting fat, breaking plates and telling him he has to remember his name. He both can't remember and says he doesn't want to, though it's unclear why not. Ishu and crew remain stranded, but we learn a bit about how Ishu's presence on a battlefield makes the result lucrative and we learn they're planning to "raise the war banner," so they're likely not stranded much longer, but without the ship and most of the crew. Only Ishu and Raigyo are going to go. |
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| Episode 18. Have to admit I'm a bit puzzled by the personal attention Midori is receiving. At first I assumed it was a ploy to keep her sister in check. Now it transpires she's a promising ASP candidate, but it feels like she gets preferential treatment above and beyond that of regular recruits. Do the army and Kakisu know something about her we don't? Lady Tenjo or Cloud Rider is Nakiami's given name in Tessik village. There are some maidens present, who go through a purification ritual. The camera focuses on the scars on their arm and Nakiami looks pensive, so it's likely that this process isn't simple or easy and some maidens die, hence Nakiami's misgivings and maybe why she left the village in the first place. Haru seeks aid from Ryozou, who puts her in touch with an ex army buddy 'the General' who gives her advice on the route to take and gives her some cash. Ryozou leaves her with a vaccine, which may or may not work on Akiyuki. We hear that Ishu is lucrative for mercenaries on the battlefield. Yep, there's defo more to learn about her past, was she a leader of the defeated North, maybe a famous mercenary leader, or a Southern rebel? Kujireika says that the North drove them from the lands of the Quickening Sands, holy ground, and now the South is forcing them out of Tessik village. I thought Tessik village was in the North, as we saw Southern ships on bombing runs. Ok, so Kujireika says the Hiruken Emperor is the leader of the North and the one who drove them from the Quickening Chamber, for his own purpose, and wants their souls devoured for HW I guess (so he can use them in the war effort). So the setting is the North, and the South have invaded far enough into the North that Tessik village is now in peril. That's my reading of the situation. Kujireika calls Nakiami a 'naiobi' (?), denoted by her red hair, which gives her a special connection to Xam'd and Hiruko/Ongoro etc, but Kujireika doesn't have this 'naiobi' power so resorted to implanting a number of seeds into herself to make herself an especially powerful Xam'd. She also using the maidens blood mixed in with prana to make special seeds. I think Midori mostly wants to run again, or run with the assistance of ASP units, and partly she felt in Haru's shadow, and is stepping out on her own, but to become a puppet of a mad scientist isn't the best idea, but she's young and rebelling against some notion in her head that Haru thought she was a burden. This show feels like one long Ghibli film at times, high praise. |
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| Episode 19 Midori’s an odd duck, submitting herself to experiments in the apparent hope of restoring her legs, though she knows all too well now that the military’s aim is war. She’s tenacious yes, but also self-destructive, and they’re glad to take advantage of her, save Reizo who seems torn up about it. Akiyuki keeps rejecting opportunities to recover his name, so the eye tells him to walk on a high water tower to remember. Haru finds herself a junky hover bike on the black market and a way to get where she’s going. She almost bites it against an HW after jumpstarting the bike with a high kick (Chun Li would be proud). Akiyuki seems to remember only the names of others, and just when he's at the edge and bemoaning his lost name, he's told to jump and die. So he does... only to be caught mid-fall by Haru, the mask retreating and revealing his face in a rush of returning memory when she says his name. They almost die anyway when her bike fails yet again, but he sprouts wings and brings them in for a safe landing while the eye eats his armband, telling him to come and kill him. Is this Lord Hiruken? Why does he want to be killed? And why is Sumako, who's watching all this, unsurprised? They go back to help Sumako out a bit and thank heer before taking off for good, presumably looking for Nakiami. A photo drops quite the twist: Kakisu is her son. No wonder he hasn't visited - truly, as villainous as they come. Kujireika serves up beefed up ututu seeds at a small feast in Nakiami’s honor. She doesn’t feel honored, refusing to fight with them, clearly still torn up about them turning themselves into Xam’d, a process she believes is sacred and consecrated by Lady Sannova alone. The others agree with Kujireika when she says that this is an exit from their pain, though Nakiami’s assertion that she can become that exit flips a switch and Kujireika lashes out. It’s Nakiami’s ideals vs. Kujireika’s resolve, but with the latter in power, it’s not much of a contest right now. She and Yango decide to leave, heading to the Quickening Chamber. Everyone on the ship who is left behind by Ishu is dealing with their abandonment differently, with Yunbo in particular taking it hard. Ishu apparently wanted to leave without any fanfare. Raigyo notices that the oil in his bike is full of rust - wonder if there's symbolism there akin to what Fuso was seeing with rust in the water. |
whiteflame55Sep 9, 5:44 PM
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| Episode 19. It is an extreme move by Midori to knowingly sign up for military experiments, but after losing her mother, and the use of her legs I can see how she might end up in a negative head space where she views Haru as someone she needs to outdo rather than her loving and carefree big sister. Pretty low of Kakisu to make use of her. Kujireika and Nakiami face off over a feast and Kujireika forces her sister into a corner serving big seeds, no sure if they were expected to swallow them or if it was just for show. either way, Nakiami and Yango leave. The central disagreement is over how Xam'd are created, something Nakiami believes only Sannova can do after certain blessings. Whereas Kujireika wants lots of Xam'd to help protect the village and take back the holy land and quickening chamber. Wonder why Lady Sannova left in the first place, and is that their mother? I like Yunbo acting ala Ishu, sitting in her chair with a glass of booze, tapping her finger on the armrest. Felt a bit contrived, but a well engineered reunion between Akiyuki and Haru as he falls off the water tower and she catches him (he'd strike her craft like a canon ball and kill them both, but good shot) saying his name and breaking the spell of forgetfulness. Nice scene between the two of them. And who was the black ball, and why do they want Akiyuki to come kill them, guess we'll find out. We get an after credits scene that shows the black ball returning to a stone humanoid form, which we hear is indeed the Hiruken emperor. Nakimai calls herself a purified tamayobi, some special skill, and wishes she hadn't been born this way. Akiyuki says goodbye to Sumako, who as you mentioned, is Kakisu's mum. Didn't we hear that she came from Sentan Island (allied with the South), so why is she in a care facility in the North? Maybe Kakisu is keeping his distance to keep her safe. |
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| Episode 20 Ryozo is tasked with saving Midori before she's sacrificed for these military experiments, "her loneliness offered up for the Hiruko to feed on." It's interesting because this is Azami tasking him with this, and Midori's being used in this way to spare him. Ryozo later meets with Haru's father, and though we haven't seen much of the latter, Kakisu is rushing the testing as well despite the risk to her to interrupt the Great Pilgrimage. Reizo goes to Azami begging for council, revealing that he's not actually crippled (not sure why he was putting up that front in the first place). Nakiami left behind a flower for her sister, just like the one in the letter she'd delivered to Ishu. A lot of feelings contained in that symbol for her, something words probably couldn't express. Kujireika prepares to surrender to the attacking southern forces, mainly to buy time for her own plans while the kids and elderly retreat to safety, but the military still drops ASPs and bombs on them, refusing to heed their surrender. It's brutal to watch the fight and see how, despite some interesting tactics with the Ongoro, the villagers have no chance in this fight. Tessik Village is soon in ruins without a fight. Kujireika stays behind and we find out that Nakiami, despite her position, was actually born to a nursemaid, so they don't share a mother. Kujireika seems resigned, prepared to use her own strength with the ututu seeds to fight back despite the intense toll it takes on her body. When she arrives on the battle field, Kujireika wreaks havoc, spawning wings and going full Xam'd in a display that makes the other transformations we've seen so far look weak by comparison. Nakiami sees the battle and wants to return to help, but Yango holds her back, fearing for her life as the only person he has a connection with in this world. She eventually relents and carries him away. The General, as well as several of those under him in the local military, resign their posts rather than become lapdogs for Kakisu and his forces, still entreating Sukakki to ensure Kakisu is given a smoother landing when he falls. He may hate what Kakisu is making them do, but he still has some affection for the man, even inviting him to get a drink (which is refused). Lot of complicated relationships in this show. Akiyuki and Haru find their way to the Quickening Chamber, a large and intricate domed structure in the middle of a lake that has been sealed up. There are other people in this town, including someone in a maroon robe with white hair, that are up to their own machinations. He finds A&H, saying he can get them into the Chamber and revealing that he's spoken to Akiyuki before in his dreams. Probably someone associated with Lady Sannova. |
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| I've got to start checking for after credits scenes. Yes, it looks like that is the Hiruken Emperor. Episode 20 Ryozo is tasked with saving Midori before she's sacrificed for these military experiments, "her loneliness offered up for the Hiruko to feed on." It's interesting because this is Azami tasking him with this, and Midori's being used in this way to spare him. Ryozo later meets with Haru's father, and though we haven't seen much of the latter, Kakisu is rushing the testing as well despite the risk to her to interrupt the Great Pilgrimage. Reizo goes to Azami begging for council, revealing that he's not actually crippled (not sure why he was putting up that front in the first place). Nakiami left behind a flower for her sister, just like the one in the letter she'd delivered to Ishu. A lot of feelings contained in that symbol for her, something words probably couldn't express. Kujireika prepares to surrender to the attacking southern forces, mainly to buy time for her own plans while the kids and elderly retreat to safety, but the military still drops ASPs and bombs on them, refusing to heed their surrender. It's brutal to watch the fight and see how, despite some interesting tactics with the Ongoro, the villagers have no chance in this fight. Tessik Village is soon in ruins without a fight. Kujireika stays behind and we find out that Nakiami, despite her position, was actually born to a nursemaid, so they don't share a mother. Kujireika seems resigned, prepared to use her own strength with the ututu seeds to fight back despite the intense toll it takes on her body. When she arrives on the battle field, Kujireika wreaks havoc, spawning wings and going full Xam'd in a display that makes the other transformations we've seen so far look weak by comparison. Nakiami sees the battle and wants to return to help, but Yango holds her back, fearing for her life as the only person he has a connection with in this world. She eventually relents and carries him away. The General, as well as several of those under him in the local military, resign their posts rather than become lapdogs for Kakisu and his forces, still entreating Sukakki to ensure Kakisu is given a smoother landing when he falls. He may hate what Kakisu is making them do, but he still has some affection for the man, even inviting him to get a drink (which is refused). Lot of complicated relationships in this show. Akiyuki and Haru find their way to the Quickening Chamber, a large and intricate domed structure in the middle of a lake that has been sealed up. There are other people in this town, including someone in a maroon robe with white hair, that are up to their own machinations. He finds A&H, saying he can get them into the Chamber and revealing that he's spoken to Akiyuki before in his dreams. Probably someone associated with Lady Sannova. |
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| Keep forgetting to mention a historical show called Those who are about to Die, that came out on Prime recently. It's set in ancient Rome and as good as the Rome tv drama series and Domina that I watched recently. It does a good job of mixing between the normal guys on the street and the rich nobles and emperor. Lots of action and sex too, bit like Spartacus tv series, but not quite so graphic (god Lucy Lawless sex scenes in Spartacus were awesome). One for your radar as I remember you also like historical shows. Episode 20. Nakiami was born from a nursemaid, which may go partway to explain the strained relationship between her and Kujireika. This might explain quite a bit about the two women and why Nakiami left, especially after hearing Kujireika talking to her mothers ashes and saying 'only look at me'. Nakiami was born first, but to a nursemaid, so an illegitimate child, but possessed of the special abilities of a 'tamayobi' (good with Xam'd I think). Kujireika was born later to her mother but not special, and Nakiami was the mothers favourite, earning her scorn from Kujireika, or creating friction between the half sisters. This might have been a contributing factor in Nakiami leaving Tessik and not becoming the next chief, and also played a part in why she and Ishu developed the relationship they did. Would the Southern forces have known the smoke signal was the sign for surrender? Maybe it's the universal sign for surrender in this world? Another interesting character dynamic is Reizo now calling Kakisu the mad one, a subversion of the usual mad scientist trope. Yes he experimented on people, but suddenly he's gotten a conscience and is seeking salvation from Azami. Kakisu, in furtherance of his orders from the Southern council, otoh, has plunged his hands into his task and is up to his elbows in dubious moral decisions, praying that Midori will put on a good performance as the new test subject. I do wonder if there's something holding him back from quitting the army, as earlier on, he didn't seem happy about the acts he was being asked to carry out on his home island, maybe something to do with his mother? Short scene with the General and Kakisu but more great character writing. The General understands that war does mad things to people, and makes them act contrary to their nature, so he doesn't berate or insult Kakisu, just resigns and then says they should share a drink sometime, then urges Sukakki to save him from becoming a lost child. Decent insight from a character with only a handful of lines in the show. H&A get an offer of help from a purple robed man, maybe the Hiruken Emperor in his human form? |
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| I'll have to add that one to the list. Always appreciate the historical show recs. Episode 21 Kakisu and Reizo's character dynamics continue to get stranger and more interesting as Kakisu seems to be fraying in real time (losing it emotionally while trying to pursue his goals) while Reizo is just desperate to see Azami safe. There's also a line of "we can't go back" from Sukakki. Wonder what they would even go back to. Kakisu then finds his way to Azami, who proceeds to just rattle off some apparently devastating parts of Kakisu's past (relating to his mother and his desire to join the military, and a statement that his stepfather hated him), who throttles hard from desperately sad to furious. Seems that the General is now working to help Ryuzo and Haru/Midori's father get into the facility and get Midori out. They bring guns. Fusa gets informed by letter and signed divorce papers, with Ryuzo clearly expecting to meet his end here. She takes off after him anyway because of course she does. When they arrive at the base, the General doesn't hesitate to pull a gun to get them through an otherwise friendly security team. Even after they do, when both of the other men find their way in, it's all friendly on the inside at first. Ryuzo mentions he has someone else to rescue, obviously Azami. I like how they talk about this as though it's a game of hide and go seek to steel themselves. It doesn't take long for them to get found out, though, as they try to access more restricted parts of the facility and have to fight their way through unsuspecting soldiers. Ryuzo finds Azami apparently dead in a pool of blood. Midori's father doesn't find his daughter, who is with Kakisu. Ryuzo finds his way to Sukakki, who tells him where Kakisu is (I guess he knew Ryuzo was coming?) and suggests a history of love between them, something both of them nonetheless seem to set aside entirely for their mission. Ryuzo, who is joined by Fusa who really lets him have it over leaving her behind (their scenes together are a real highlight of the show and say so much with so little - you can tell they still love one another long before that passionate kiss), now heads to Kakisu for their much anticipated confrontation. Nakiami runs into the crew of the Tessik ship we saw before. Akiyuki and Haru sit and discuss with the white haired gentleman, continuing to walk down a long flight of stairs to the Quickening Chamber's nadir. There are many people there awaiting the Hiruken Emperor, who arrives every 1000 years and coincides with Lady Sannova's Great Pilgrimage. This person also refers to the Emperor as "the void that sits upon the Northern Government throne... great sadness personified." Sounds delightful. We find ourselves in a new location near the Quickening Chamber with a set of apparent revolutionaries trying to take the Diamond Tower. This is where Raigyo and Ishu ended up. Both are treated automatically like leaders among this group. |
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| Episode 21. Very interesting interaction between Reizo and Kakisu, with the latter bowing and pleading for the other not to make things difficult for him, as he acknowledges that he's in a tough position with his superiors orders for result from the experiments. Kakisu goes in for a kiss with Sukakki, wasn't expecting that, only for her to say 'they can't go back, it would be too difficult for him', so they have some history. Azami talks to Kakisu and he certainly has some powers, apparently seeing into Kakisu's past and mentioning a trip with his mother to see warships. I really like the General character, he's workman like and smooth, talking to people like a regular old day, then pulling a gun. In the dub Sukakki says Kakisu saw through Ryozou's plan and has taken Midori to a hilltop where their old comrades are waiting (graveyard I guess) and confirms she in love with Kakisu. Azami looks like he's be shot, unless that's a vision of some sort. A void of sadness at the heart of the Northern govt and an Emperor that returns only once every 1000 years, the mystery deepens. The emperors shadow must be the black blob that was speaking to Akiyuki when he had the mask on. Brilliant scene showing Fusa waiting when the drawbridge lowers, choked me up more than any other scene from this show so far. You really feel the love between the two of them. |
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| I think Fusa and Ryuzo have been the surprisingly powerful emotional core of the series. Much as Haru and Akiyuki's relationship is a breath of fresh air, it also still feels very much in its nascent stages and hasn't gotten much development, even as both of these characters have. With F&R, though, we've gotten glimpses into a long-standing relationship that soured, but the love is still there and it's been a joy to see how these two clash and come together. It's exceedingly rare to see something like this portrayed in anime at all, much less with this amount of nuance and subtext. Also, totally agreed, the General is a great character. Episode 22 Raigyo starts the assault on the Diamond Tower, which is well-defended by a giant cannon HW. Raigyo's a beast, though, and makes short work of it with Ishu's help. Sukakki is confronted by the General and Midori's father, but seems entirely unflappable. They surrender in the end. We see them later in jail doing what they can to keep their spirits up. Reizo is with Midori, who has largely become a very ill-formed Xam'd and fused with the green crystal, bound for the Quickening Chamber. Fusa goes to Nazuna's side, apparently having left Ryuzo's. She considers ending the comatose child's life, and talks about having been killed by her husband, probably more a reference to destroying their relationship. Still, she couldn't abandon him in the end, delivering a lunch she didn't expect him to eat (he does eventually) and cleaning up after him. Ryuzo ends up sharing the lunch with Kakisu, who reminisces about Ryuzo's having saved him previously. It's a testament to this series' belief in the strength of its dialogue that we don't cut away to scenes of the war while they talk about it. Kakisu views himself as a purveyor of death, someone who Ryuzo kept alive despite all the harm he would bring. Ryuzo, however, was a battlefield doctor and his focus was always on saving lives. They're very much opposed. That doesn't stop both of them from holding a gun to the other's head, Ryuzo demanding Midori's return. Kakisu seems to want to die, but Ryuzo is unwilling to pull the trigger even now, knowing he killed Azami and mutilated Midori. In the end, he refuses to take Kakisu's life, resulting in Kakisu slashing his eye. But then... Ryuzo shoots him anyway, saying he's killing the commander and returning him to the person he was. Turns out, this somehow didn't kill him, instead sending Kakisu into a spiral of what I think are memories of him returning to his mother before the events of the series, but they could be visions of a potential future where he returns to her. A&H make it down to the core. We learn that Xam'd are known as the Guiding Hand. The hiruko are meant to be shepherded through the Quickening Door by the Xam'd in order to go to Heaven, and many humans wish to join them as they suffer the consequences of the war above. The Xam'd are supposed to forget themselves, which is what Akiyuki's been working against this whole time, to help with this flow, i.e. the mass suicide of a group of cultists. One even "throws off" the "unclean shell" of their apparently still alive infant. Damn, no wonder Haru is upset. This is all done for the apparent purpose of ensuring that other people can live on, but I'm not sure what the connection is. Haru is confirmed to be a Tamayobi, which I guess means she can commune with hiruko and the humans they overtake. A&H are given the opportunity to leave, Lady Sannova issues her last orders before departing for the Great Pilgrimage with a couple of white-haired kids. We end on shots of everyone dealing with their absent loved ones, wondering if they'll even return. |
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| It's a nice contrast between H&A and F&R, one relationship at the very beginning (at least of an open romantic nature as they've been close friends for years) and one long standing relationship that's had it issues, but they both feel organic. Usually the drama and elation of new relationships, certainly in anime, trump those of a long standing couple, but not in this case, both are equally well written. There was no extra fluff or melodrama in H&A exclaiming their love for each other (I'm not even sure if they're an actual couple, and that's what's so great, they love each other so there's no need for them to define their relationship for an external audience, they each know how the other feels and that's enough for them, which is what can happen irl, whereas anime audiences want those clear markers; they confessed, they kissed, they had sex, they're dating/married etc) and completely agree, F&R have all foibles and nuances of a genuine couple who have been together for years and gone through a lot. Episode 22. I've got a terrible cold so may not write much. Kids are also sick so looking after them whilst feeling poorly, not fun. Raigyo is pretty badass when he goes all out. Sukakki also has some very good writing. She could've been just the blonde lady who was kakisu's love interest, but she's got her own distinct personality, well aware of her weakness for Kakisu but unwilling to let her love for go, so continues to follow him even though they're not really a couple anymore (we haven't gotten any clarity on them, but that's fine, we know they had some sort of relationship and those feelings still linger on both sides). Nonchalant or unflappable, Sukakki is an admirable woman (not for her actions but her strength of purpose) and one of the side characters that really beef up the roster. We get cut scenes going back and forth between H&A who get a crash course in what takes place in the quickening chamber and the people who wait (something about going into the void and becoming hiruko, and the Xam'd taking them into the void), and Ryozou and Kakisu who are in a life and death struggle with Kakisu really pushing Ryozou's morality to it's limit, until at last Ryozou shoots Kakisu. Haru is also tamayobi, like Nakiami, and so can hear the hiruko. All Fusa wants is for Ryozou to show a bit of gratitude and thanks and make her effort feel valued. Despite having his eye slashed, Ryozou does indeed finish her lunch and says 'it's good', now he just needs to repeat that to Fusa. These two are so good. As for the next watch, I'll create a thread for Samurai Flamenco soon, looks interesting. Geoff usually has very solid suggestions for shows that have gone under the radar. |
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| I decided to just handle the Samurai Flamenco thread myself since you've been on top of it more than me of late. I agree, should be a crazy watch and Geoff recommends well. Episode 23 A major operation is in progress by the Southern forces centered on the Quickening Chamber. They don't know that the unarmed and robed civilians are their target, not the Northern forces who they believe are stationed there. With Midori's Xam'd body now having grown to fill a very large chamber - none of her human body is visible and only an oversized eye peeks out of the mass of flesh - she's told that she has power to grant her own wishes now but only thinks of her mother. Nakiami and Yungo apparently are on the Tessik ship. The Ongoro from earlier in the series joined them. Nakiami reaches out to the Zanbani and talks with a few of the crew members. There's a bittersweet moment where Akushiba tries to confess his feelings for her, but ends up only wishing her well. We haven't gotten a lot of time with him, but as you've said of other side characters, the show says a lot with a little. In general, less is more with this show, and I love it. The Zanbani is almost ready to fly again, with a plan to catch up to Ishu once they get moving. Ishu and Raigyo invaded the Diamond Tower. Their banter about the past speaks volumes about their trust in one another. The lack of exposition in this show is striking. When Raigyo takes several gun shots and eats an explosive with his transformed arm, their situation feels harrowing, and when he catches a falling ceiling and stays behind to hold it up, there's a sense of finality to it. Apparently, the purpose of this for Ishu is to "strike the last blow against the enemy of the man" she loved (someone named Rado), so she has very personal reasons to be in this fight. Another case of love that's never the focus of the story, but has always felt like it was there, even as we learn that Raigyo always accepted that he wasn't the one she chose. He ends up crushed, leaving her in tears. We may not have gotten to know Raigyo terribly well, but I still felt this one. It's the first death of a major character, and I'm sure more are coming. A&H struggle with what they've learned as they approach the exit to the Chamber only to be confronted with a force of ASPs ready and willing to commit war crimes. Apparently, Lady Sannova is very familiar with what they learned, as is Nakiami, who says that their sacrifice "offsets the encroaching blackness." Still not sure what that means. And this is the point where we learn Nakiami's past with Sannova. Apparently, Nakiami's unwillingness to harvest hiruko from a dead woman whose living child was still clinging to her desperately resulted in her abandoning her efforts and taking the child with her, leaving both the Dragon Shrine and her Tessik Village duties behind. In defense of the Chamber, a group of sycophants seem to almost merge with organic portions of the Chamber, resulting in the rapid growth of defensive cannons that function like HW with intensely powerful blasts that wipe out the Southern forces shockingly quickly. Those screams over the radio are haunting. Nakiami and Yungo, with the Ongoro in tow, fly into the scene on a new kayak. Ishu arrives to confront Emperor Hiruken as we saw him before. It's here that we learn about Rado, a poetry enthusiast and revolutionary. We never find out how he died, but we don't have to, since we know that his importance in Ishu's life was felt so deeply that she was willing to take his place in the revolution and fight to overthrow the Emperor. She prepared explosives for the purpose, detonating them and ending her own life along with the Emperor... only for a new and gigantic HW to emerge. The Hiruken Emperor survives and he looks absolutely monstrous. But he's not the only monster here: Midori arrives on the battlefield, released with a bell toll from Reizo. Damn, this ending is going to be hype. |
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| Episode 23. On Ishu, she's been a central character from early on and there was some question over her history with Raigyo (comrades, ship mates, lovers?), but we never got any details. Most shows would try and flesh out her backstory well before this point, but this show leaves it until now to elaborate further and let us in on her past lover, Rado, and possible feelings Raigyo may have had for her. I love that the show didn't feel the need to explain this early on but left it until later. We don't get much info, but it's enough to fill in the blanks. Same with Sukakki and Kakisu, who clearly have a complex relationship, past lovers who now work together but aren't a couple anymore and her trailing after him despite his self destructive nature. It's like when they uncover a portion of an ancient Roman mosaic, and from the glimpses that get unearthed you can get an idea of the whole picture, or at least a good idea. We've been shown and told small details about some of the characters' backstories and relationships and from that we can infer a lot, without the show having to patently explain step by step what's going on and how each of the characters feel or think about each other. It's very impressive writing. From their conversation, Ishu and Raigyo knew each other before he became Xam'd, sounds like they fought together in the past, then later he became Xam'd. You're right, a few lines of dialogue about their past fighting gives us a lot of insight into these two, which wasn't apparent up until now. From the moment he arrived on the Zanbani, it wasn't quite clear exactly what the relationship was between these two, but the show left it deliberately vague until now and then filled in the blanks, well some of them. We see Nakiami describe that in the past she was a Jibashiri, but couldn't go through with collecting the soul of a dead lady, whose child was still alive (she mentioned the soul returning to the flow of something...) and she abandoned her position and took the child, Kobako, who now resides on the Zanbani, and left Lady Sennova and Tessik village behind. Moving final scene with Ishu and Raigyo. From that kiss I take it that something may have happened between those two if not for the fact that Raigyo became a Xam'd as he says 'I'm a monster and you're beautiful and perfect, it would never have worked'. even though he didn't get much screen time or focus, I liked Raigyo and he had a big impact on the early eps onboard the Zanbani with his sudden reappearance. Ishu arrives at the Hiruken Emperor and blows it up along with herself, talking about Rado, her dead lover who started the revolution against the Hiruken Emperor. It appears he survived as a huge Xam'd and then Midori is dropped by Reizo to fight him. Shaping up for an exciting finish. With promising series like this I'm always anxious, waiting for the point where it drops off or the story or writing falter (Kobato was a good example), but that hasn't happened with Xam'd. 3 eps to go and it's gotten better as it's gone on. On a side note, another show I thought we could add to our future watch list is Texhnolyze, a sci-fi mystery that people mention alongside shows like Ergo Proxy? I remember @inim saying it was very good. |
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| Yep, absolutely agreed that this series has only gotten better over time. It's certainly not what I was expecting in the best way. And yes, I’m up for adding Texhnolyze to the list, gotta do those @inim recs. Episode 24 The Hiruken Emperor is a legit WMD, with its blast blocking out the sun in a wide swath before it grows a whole floatation apparatus around itself, energy shield included. The worshippers in and around the Quickening Chamber view it as the time of salvation they've awaited. The Quickening Chamber opens up just as Sannova and Midori arrive. Haru, being nearby, hears the voice of the Xam'd she has become, whose thoughts are focused more on shoes than the world around her. And yeah, this thing is insane, releasing blasts of light with huge areas of effect. Still, it isn't long before Haru and Midori reunite. No horror from Haru, who was clearly expecting something. There's some discussion over Midori only having one shoe and she mentions Haru thinking she killed their mother. Her leg isn't just a physical impediment, it's a reminder of her mother's death, which she feels responsible for. Haru doesn't blame her, but Midori thinks her mother didn't even love her. She ends up swallowing Haru, which nearly triggers Akiyuki. Nakiami arrives on the scene in time to try and calm Midori down before she destroys everything. I like how Midori remembers and responds to everyone differently, but yeah, situation's desperate as Midori recognizes herself as a monster and loses control, absorbing Nakiami as well. Thankfully, her history as a Jibashiri allows her to project into Midori's mind. This allows Midori to absorb the hiruko from her mother's dead body, which Nakiami somehow extracts from the memory and feeds to her, as Jibashiri have done before. After doing so, Midori opens her eyes to a changed world, one where she has both her legs and has her mother promise to attend her play performance, just as she always wanted. Nakiami then convinces Akiyuki that, despite his delicate emotional state (dude's been through a lot and just watched his girlfriend get devoured), he should dismantle Midori to save her. Akiyuki rises and fully transforms, resolved to do what he must and apply the vaccine he received from his father. This causes the large egg-like Xam'd to burst, releasing all three girls. With this, Akiyuki finally has his hiruko merge with his soul, fully becoming the Xam'd of Lost Memory. Haru leaves with Midori while Akiyuki and Nakiami proceed with their mission. Even the Jibashiri defer entirely to Akiyuki now, calling him the mediator between Heaven and Earth (it only happens once every 1000 years, so I get it). He sprouts wings, and confronts the Hiruken Emperor who appears over the Chamber while Sannova meets with Nakiami. A little anticlimactic on Midori in her Xam'd form - I was hoping that she would clash a bit with the Hiruken Emperor or otherwise showcase just how powerful that form was, but she only ever attacked some jobbers. Still, powerful emotionally and there's not a lot of time for side-tracks at this point. |
whiteflame55Sep 15, 5:04 AM
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