What did you think of this episode?
5Loved it!
65.1%
453
4Liked it!
24.4%
170
3It was OK
8.2%
57
2Disliked it
1.3%
9
1Hated it
1.0%
7
Average 4.5
696 votes
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
| Given the nature of this show, taking on combat missions almost seems like a suicide. Machine lifeforms in ths show are like an enigma. 2B had her hands full dealing with them again, a strange group of them tbh. It was cool to see 2B team up with other characters though. Even with this episode's feeling of despair, it felt like a classic. Music in this show still sets a high standard. |
 |
| Interesting backstory. Pretty much as emotional as the previous episode. Lots of nice action scenes too. |
SerafosAug 2, 2024 9:45 AM
 |
| Another excellent episode and quite some brutal imagery there shown in the other side of the Pearl Harbor Descent incident, focusing more from A2's backstory side this time around and the rollercoaster of emotions and the shitshow that took place as a whole towards the end there. Connects well with the sixth episode material from the first season and seeing how some people went out like Rose in full force was brutal as hell with the suicide there, since that episode did show her forcing to separate herself from Lily and tell her to escape before everything went down that was seen here. Tragic stuff as a whole once again and with seeing it more fleshed out in this episode, the overall incident collectively does feel even more disturbing as a whole. I mean, A2 did lose everyone and managed to survive and those sacrifices to people that she loved and cared about were to satisfy goals that were planned out for the future? This occurring with no care or remorse whatsoever. Music once again was absolutely top notch and it looks pretty solid too once again, this cour in general has just felt much more polished and consistent than the first season in that aspect. Good focus on giving more depth to A2 as a character as she takes center stage as one of the key characters for the remainder of this series. This whole cour so far has just been one painful episode tone-wise after another, and it all works so well without feeling forced or overloaded with that kind of emotional storytelling that I find taxing and forceful to the point of parody in a lot of other series. Testament to just how good the writing in the game and side material are when it comes to NieR:Automata. |
| Another emotionally charged and beautifully executed ep by A-1. Man I’m so happy with how they’ve adapted this. The emphasis on the resistance and their relationships in general with Yorha has been great throughout this adaptation. They’ve made them feel like living breathing proper parts of the story as opposed to just the NPCs they felt like in the game. But A2’s story in particular today was gut wrenching because we see this happy go lucky full of life person in A2 suddenly lose everything in the crash, gain a new family and then have them brutally taken from her, see her friends and comrades’ bodies desecrated and then watch the last remaining ones make the ultimate sacrifice saving her. Easy to imagine why A2 became so jaded and rebelled against the bunker. Stranded with no 9s to be her emotional support like 2B has, no help from command and her trauma.. anyone would go into a little emo edgy phase. Her hatred for machines makes sense for obvious reasons too. What makes 2B different is having 9s right there at her side through all the hardship. Having someone that can help carry that burden is tremendous. A2 enduring all this time is why she’s best girl. Can’t wait for the next episode! |
Marinate1016Aug 2, 2024 10:36 AM
 |
| Now the first part flashback was completed. Sure, was PTSD fueled nightmare, but the way I see 2A was dreaming. |
 |
| Ah, now I understand why Toshimasa Ishii was the episode director for this episode in particular, because he also directed and storyboarded Episode 6 from the first cour, which told a similar story from a different perspective. Here, we got the flashback in A2's memories. Another really solid, emotional episode, with a whole lot more polish than the material in the first cour. Painful times, one after another here, and this is really showing off how well written the game's story was, and I can tell even though I haven't played the game myself. |
| As tactics go EMP combined with surface to orbit fire was textbook for dealing with void insertions. And damm it was real effective. But in the early days trust between the two factions sure was tense. It must had been heartbreaking to fight against your former allies now being controlled by the machines. Damm man that fight was equally traumatic and one that had disturbing revelations. No wonder A2 decided on her new path. I think A2 would be pleased to see how much Lily has grown since then. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| The direction of cour 2 is so good, much better than first cour. Remind me of 86 Eighty Six |
 |
| Another backstory episode with A2. This part wasn't in the game. Which means this episode probably also adapts from a book. Even though they're machines, the gore looks so realistic and disgusting. I think they can show this only because they're androids. If they were human characters, the gore would probably be heavily censored. This was a really good episode. It probably connects with the A2 and Lily episode from Season 1 well which I mostly forgot. I need to rewatch this anime once every episode is out to experience it properly like the game. I really feel bad about A2. She was such a cheerful android. But she had to go through so much shit not just because of the machines but also Command for using her unit like guinea pigs. It's sick. She wasn't fit to be a leader. She probably could've done better as an Operator. But then the moon base would've been destroyed anyway. So, in a roundabout way, this ended up saving her life. Tho I doubt you can call surviving after being so heavily traumatized living... It's sad. Can't wait for the next episode. |
0451Aug 2, 2024 11:35 AM
| Ugh I don't mind Pearl Harbor being shown (for the second time, at that) and I understand not everyone played the game, read the manga/novel but I am getting sick of seeing this story. Not only that, just like the previous time, the adaptation is god-awful. It's rushed and convoluted mess with certain parts missing. The smart thing to do would be adapting it ONCE, either in this season the previous, even better- make 3-4 specials/ovas to show the entire material. This way you don't steal screentime from actually important events that still need to be shown here. Because I highly doubt anime-only viewers have any attachment to these characters, except A2 and maaaaaaybe Lily. Everyone else are just cannon folder |
Reply to 0451
Another backstory episode with A2. This part wasn't in the game. Which means this episode probably also adapts from a book.
Even though they're machines, the gore looks so realistic and disgusting. I think they can show this only because they're androids. If they were human characters, the gore would probably be heavily censored.
This was a really good episode. It probably connects with the A2 and Lily episode from Season 1 well which I mostly forgot. I need to rewatch this anime once every episode is out to experience it properly like the game.
I really feel bad about A2. She was such a cheerful android. But she had to go through so much shit not just because of the machines but also Command for using her unit like guinea pigs. It's sick. She wasn't fit to be a leader. She probably could've done better as an Operator. But then the moon base would've been destroyed anyway. So, in a roundabout way, this ended up saving her life. Tho I doubt you can call surviving after being so heavily traumatized living... It's sad.
Can't wait for the next episode.
Even though they're machines, the gore looks so realistic and disgusting. I think they can show this only because they're androids. If they were human characters, the gore would probably be heavily censored.
This was a really good episode. It probably connects with the A2 and Lily episode from Season 1 well which I mostly forgot. I need to rewatch this anime once every episode is out to experience it properly like the game.
I really feel bad about A2. She was such a cheerful android. But she had to go through so much shit not just because of the machines but also Command for using her unit like guinea pigs. It's sick. She wasn't fit to be a leader. She probably could've done better as an Operator. But then the moon base would've been destroyed anyway. So, in a roundabout way, this ended up saving her life. Tho I doubt you can call surviving after being so heavily traumatized living... It's sad.
Can't wait for the next episode.
| @0451 it was in the novel, manga and yes, it was in the game- in logs Anemone shows you. You can visit the camp and read them but I understand people were bored to do that or simply missed that. |
Reply to TheMangaManiac
@0451 it was in the novel, manga and yes, it was in the game- in logs Anemone shows you. You can visit the camp and read them but I understand people were bored to do that or simply missed that.
| @TheMangaManiac I didn't really pay much attention to the terminal stuff so I probably forgot them. |
| They went back to show more of the play and manga now that the latter is finished. Makes sense, and helps to flesh A2 more before continuing the main plot. |
CaptainKenshiroAug 2, 2024 11:52 AM
| Vietnam flashback! |
| "The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there." "Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life." |
kyo2004 said: @0451 The A2 side adapts from the YoRHa Stage play which was for a brief time in Japan and then adapted to a manga short series. I completed the game a few weeks ago and rewatching the anime has been a rollercoaster of emotions, this episode has been a gut punch with how crude and somber the story of A2 was. Also, a few days ago I watched the whole lore of NieR/Drakengard and now I really want an adaptation of Replicant and Drakengard 3 with this same studio/quality... XD I really hope Replicant gets an anime. It could really use it. As much as I love the game, it's full of fat and could use a lot of trimming. Most of the side-quests are fetch quests and unlike Automata which only has you replay the whole campaign twice to get the full perspective and the final ending, you need to replay Replicant 4 times to get the new ending in the remastered version. By the 3rd playthrough, it starts to become a chore. So, it'd be great if they make an anime adaptation where they show you the story in a satisfying way without all the hallmarks of a PS3 game from 2010. However, it must be with the same team that's currently doing NieR Automata Season 2. I wouldn’t trust it with a different studio and also without Yoko Taro's supervision. |
| The direction of this episode was superbly well done. It followed the same story that we saw from the previous season, but it was solely more from A2's point of view, showcasing the struggles that her squad went through on their mission. It was painful to see how the harmony that A2's squad the the Resistance group had was short lived as their enemies took most of them out one by one. Honestly, you can't help but sympathise with A2 and why she's become who she is in the present story, thanks to how she and her teammates were nothing more than test mules on a mission that was supposed to have all of them killed off. With A2 now awake again thanks to Pod 42 helping her out, along with Pascal, I do look forward to seeing her interactions with them and seeing what she'll do next. =) |
| The worst part of the episode is that you know how it ends to some extent, but this time, instead of seeing Lily's perspective, we see A2's, and that doesn't make it any less sad. Poor A2; she just wanted a family. I'm not sure if she already knows there's no human to save. What I didn't quite understand is whether YoRHa had been hacked for a long time or if YoRHa betrayed them to create better models by sending them on that mission. I'm convinced this story won't have a happy ending. I just hope A2 and 9S find peace, along with the remaining YoRHa units (if any are left) and the peaceful machines. It's worth dreaming. |
 |
| The imagery at the beginning of the episode was really disturbing with the mutilated androids. I remember they showed part of A2's backstory in part 1 (I'm anime only) and it's interesting how they split it up like that, I wonder if there is any particular reason for it. |
| Mostly material from the novel but it's pretty important. Part of me feels like this adaptation is kind of checking off boxes like "yeah that happened" but this is one of the first times you can feel the emotion from the source material. |
 |
| Wow we finally getting the full backstory from A2. Damn what an emotional episode π |
 |
| What an episode π they are nailing this adaptation this season, this is incredible |
| π i just want gintama back |
| 3/5 I didn't find this episode as good. It's not the same without 2b. |
 |
| Achei bem interessante apresentarem dessa forma o passado da 2B. |
Reply to diavol90
It is normal to be so, it means that the plot is working. A2 will eventually enter your heart equally. Don't be angry, you will see that the best is yet to come.
| @diavol90 nah even in the game I didn't enjoy it as much without 2b. I need that black Gothic dress, kuudere persona and yui ishikawa |
|
| I love how even if I played the game this show keeps coming up with new surprises. Damn, this episode got me emotionally destroyed just as much as the first part of this story did. A2 is such a great character and I loved her in the game. So, I am so glad I got to learn more of her backstory. I really need to pick up the manga and the books some day. Great episode! 5/5 |
 |
| I NOW FEEL LIKE 9S AFTER WATCHING THIS EPISODE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ONORE YOKO TARO |
| Nice A2 flashback with a familiar story which we saw in season one from Lily's perspective. Also my man Pasqual is back. |
alshuAug 5, 2024 8:22 AM
More topics from this board
Poll: » NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Jul 12, 2024 |
64 |
by Weeb_Isekai
»»
Jan 18, 4:27 PM |
|
Poll: » NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Jul 5, 2024 |
95 |
by Weeb_Isekai
»»
Jan 18, 3:24 PM |
|
Poll: » NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )Stark700 - Sep 27, 2024 |
134 |
by Jagerschnapps
»»
Jan 17, 12:42 PM |
|
Poll: » NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Sep 13, 2024 |
55 |
by CroMaka_DeeJaay
»»
Dec 7, 2025 1:02 PM |
|
Poll: » NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 )Stark700 - Jul 19, 2024 |
76 |
by CroMaka_DeeJaay
»»
Nov 26, 2025 12:32 PM |