| @inim @23feanor @filifjonkan @RandomFriday @Antalk @jdvz @JokerVentura @ruckes @kekekeKaj @OrlahEhontas @cipheron @botnetMAL New thread for Future Boy Conan starting Tuesday, October 21st.  |
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| Thanks for creating the thread. Didn't even realise we were getting close to the end of Lupin 6 already. |
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| Good to take a trip back to the 70s in our watch again, been a while (last time was Treasure Island almost two and a half years ago and before that we only had Mobile Suit Gundam). Episode 1 Found a dub for this one, looking forward to soaking in these visuals. The OP is a good time, I like the duo singing and the visuals are smooth. We open on an invasion with giant manta ray-like crafts flying over a bustling city and leveling it with bombs in the far off year of 2008! This is part of a much larger man-made apocalypse caused by supermagnetic bombs that results huge changes to the Earth, killing the vast majority of humanity, some of which escaped immediate danger and crashed back down to Earth in spaceships on an island called Remnant Island. We aren't initially told how long it takes, but apparently Conan is born just 8 years after these events. You would think with all the overgrowth on that spaceship, it would be longer. Can't find his current age, but he can't be much more than 10, so all that in roughly 20 years. Conan has no chill, spending the early part of the episode hunting down a gigantic shark with a spear. They really sell some of these scenes well as Jaws well before Jaws, and in the end, Conan proves the victor even dragging the shark out as his trophy. Kid's strong. I like the music they use in this episode, which is jaunty clearly made with a wide variety of instruments, though it does seem to cut in and out rather abruptly. Conan finds a young girl in Chinese garb (roughly Conan's age) passed out on the beach. With his grandfather's help, they rouse her. She mentions two other locations - High Harbor and Industria - and says she's looking for a Dr. Briac Lao. Clearly, there are other human survivors. She also struggles with some trauma, apparent in her fitful dreams. We get some indications of life on the island. Conan's clearly never seen a girl before, there is access to clean running water in the form of both a waterfall and water pooling inside their spacecraft, they clearly have abundant vegetation including fruits and vegetables, and a ready supply of fish as one would expect. Seems pretty optimal all things considered, especially given the apparent lack of predators on the island that might make things dangerous for them. They're isolated, but comfortable. Seems the girl, Lana, can communicate with birds. She wishes to get home of course, but they lack a ship capable of traversing the now much larger oceans. They spot an airplane flying overhead from Industria searching for Lana, who is from High Harbor and views them as enemies. Conan's grandfather Ojii confronts them first, a group in green uniforms with guns who are pretty rude (some discussion of generational trauma clears up the why of that). Ojii ends up pulling out a missile to shoo them off, and a hastily fired gun sets it off, surprisingly not killing him. The Industrians find and take Lana hostage, with Conan in hot pursuit. He hitches a ride on their plane as they fly off. Damn, series got off to a fast start, intrigued to see where this goes. Another nice song for the ED. |
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| @filifjonkan my heartfelt congratulations on your retirement, you've surely earned some respite from the wearisome world of work. I hope you have more time on your hands for fishing, anime and spending time with your grandchildren. And great to have you watching along and get your thoughts. Apropos of nothing, had an eye test now I'm past 40 and turns out I needed some glasses, as reading small text close up was getting troublesome. I picked up the glasses yday and using them now. It's very weird getting used to wearing glasses when you've never worn them before. Does make all the text crystal clear, so I must've needed them. Episode 1. Yes, another show from the 70's. Looking at my stats I've only watched 7 titles from the 70's, 2 of them with our watch group. @filifjonkan I also noticed that Miyazaki and Takahata co-direct this series, who both went on to found studio Ghibli. We're very briefly introduced to the post apocalyptic setting, 20 years after a geo-magnetic worldwide war caused most of continents to disappear underneath the seas. I like waterworld settings, only one I can recall of the top of my head is Agent Aika, but I like the idea of a waterworld with hidden underwater cities. Same with skyworlds, like in Granblue Fantasy where everyone lives on isolated islands in the sky. Creative little sequence with the shark, going in and out of the submerged buildings, even using trapped air to breathe. Conan finds Lana on the shore and we learn of the existence of other cities populated by people who survived the disaster. She mentions High Harbour and Industria, must be two opposing cities or groups. Lana can also talk to birds, helpful skill when at sea. Conan's an infectious young lad running about the place. High Harbour sounds nice, a mountain village untouched by the war and now an island. And Lana's home. Two people from Industria appear in a plane, the plane and outfits remind me of later Ghibli style, Nausicca specifically. They have a confrontation with grandpa, and resent his generation for dragging them into a war, which they are the later generation have had to deal with. Lana is captured and Conan jumps on the wing of their plane taking off to retrieve her. That was a fast paced start. |
23feanorOct 22, 2025 3:53 AM
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| Yeah, you can definitely see some of the early Miyazaki hallmarks in the animation. I clocked the Nausica style on that aircraft as well @23feanor. Episode 2 Damn, Conan brought a spear to a gunfight and won. And he hangs onto the aircraft by his toes!? Kid's next level. Shouldn't save him from a fall of that height even if the sharks don't get him, but they're not going to kill a kid this early. Not going to stop them from killing off Conan's father figure, though. The call to adventure is so often heralded by the death of a parent (one of the things I liked about Treasure Island was that the MC did have his mother to come home to in the end), but at least they gave us a couple of episodes with him before taking him out. It's rough watching Conan taking out his devastation over the loss, and one again, kid proves he's absurdly strong. He buries Ojii, leaving the island on a makeshift pontoon boat (eventually - he has some trouble figuring out the whole "floating object" and "sails" thing) and promising to find Lana. Small things about the animation just tickle me, like Conan picking his nose with his big toe. Nice to get some of the story for how they reached the island, as well as some of those early struggles and how they had an apparent well of clean water came to be in their spacecraft. Less believable is the apparent growth on their small island, which comes up very quickly for an island that almost entirely lacked vegetation. Not like the seeds were just waiting in the rocky ground to sprout when they hit that underground spring. Unclear how the other members of the crew ended up. The plane runs into what looks like a metal ship complete with sails, which is apparently from Industria. Captain Dice seems vain and self-serving, frustrated that they found Lana and not him. Lana herself is trying to find her grandfather, Dr. Briac, and of course that's what these people from Industria want as well. |
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| Episode 2. Despite his best efforts with the spear, Lana is taken by the people from Industria. Remnant island looked like a barren rock when they crash landed. Without soil it is hard to imagine the island flourishing into ths place it is now in just 20 years, but mother nature is a special lady. Maybe winds blew dust, ash and seeds, they took root and voila. Gramps passes away giving Conan the final push to leave the island and search for Lana. Adventure is on the phone, will you take the call? According to Gramps, Conan's strength is due to the fact he was conceived and born on the island, a seed of the new world, reborn after the disaster. Maybe his parents ate or drank some glowing fish. The airplane meets up with an iron masted ship, like the old tea clippers I assume. I like these bumbling idiot types that we meet on board the ship, and the captain's back and forth with Monsley. Getting some Nadia & Bluewater vibes, although that ofc came later. Lana asks her bird friends to look out for her grandpa, Dr Briac, as well as Conan, who she says is 'one of the good ones'. Watching Conan put together his boat was enjoyable. There's lots of little visual details here. So off he goes in search of Lana. These eps have a slightly longer runtime than your usual anime eps, clocking in at 29 mins. The OP and ED are of their time, remind me of the ones from Macross and LotGH, almost like ballads. |
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| Yeah, I noticed these were a little longer than the usual anime episodes. In part, that can be chalked up to the intro sequences before the OP, which take a little over a minute, but that still gives these episodes almost 25 minutes of runtime absent that, the OP and ED. Happy to have a few extra minutes an episode. Episode 3 Conan's craft affords him a lot of protection even from storms as he can just go into one of the floatation chambers and ride them out there. Doesn't have any trouble catching fish using his toes as bait, but access to water is still at a premium. After multiple days at sea, he lands on an island to look for water and soon finds himself in a town largely abandoned, but one with a working aqueduct and fruit trees. He find a native named Jimsey, a wild child who plunders his makeshift boat. Thankfully, they speak the same language so that they can make increasingly absurd claims (Conan is accurate on the shark) about their feats of strength (lol, 19,090,909,009,000 gigantic rats). They both are quite capable in their own way, both wild boys with plenty to prove to their newfound rival. Love watching them run around and display feats of strength, speed and skill. Eventually, they acknowledge each other and have a frog meal together. We learn that there are others on the island, but Jimsey doesn't get along with them, so they stay clear. We find out later that most of these are elderly people who are pretty desperate since younger folks have left on ships before. The next morning, Jimsey quickly grabs his food supplies and heads for a ship he hears just off the island. This proves to be the very same one Lana's on, the Barracuda. What a coincidence! The crew comes to land and aims to sell their goods to the islanders, offering to give them cloth and tobacco in exchange for work on hard labor digging through plastics that have washed up on the beach. I like the designs of those mini-mechs some members of the crew pilot. Jimsey gets some tobacco for his haul of food (yeah, children smoking in an anime is very much of this time), Conan steals one of those riding mechs leading to an absurd chase sequence, and the two of them make off on foot. Thus, a friendship is forged, as is a plan to board the Barracuda to go after Lana, not knowing she's onboard. |
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| Episode 3. Time crunch today. Conan gets to a new island, I guess the first he's ever been on except Remnant island. There he meets Jimsey, who is to all intents and purposes, Conan mark II. Those mini mechs are amusing. Kids smoking, last time I saw that was in Ashita no Joe, another 70's anime. That was a funny little sequence with Conan in the mini mech chasing after the captain furiously trying to escape on the old bike. Dyce and his crew are looking for discarded plastic which they want to refine for oil. Conan and Jimsey bond, sealed with Conan's first puff of a smokey, and they plan to board the Barracuda and make for Industria. |
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| Episode 4 Jimsey and Conan easily board the ship. Guess they're pretty lax on lookouts - you'd think these kids were going to board a Gundam here or something. Conan discovers Lana was onboard and we find out that their aim in finding the doctor is to obtain secrets about solar energy. Interesting. Get some great comedy onboard the ship after Jimsey steals some food and alcohol before shouting through one of the speaking tubes on the ship. Interesting that they have to hand crank those mini-mechs. It's always intriguing to see how modern technology of the time is incorporated into their vision of future tech. Despite their best efforts, Jimsey and Conan are captured and are punished for the harm they caused by "planking," which is just spanking with a plank. Conan proves his mettle be taking all of both of their punishments himself, even having the board break on his tuchus. Kid keeps a smile on his face throughout, too, even if he passes out with a neon pink glowing butt. So now they'll work to earn their keep, which starts with raking plastic to ensure they can fill the hold. Jimsey, ever the team player, refuses to cooperate wanting to return to the island. Feel for Conan doing all this by himself doubled over in pain. He develops a fever and Jimsey helps nurse him back to health, cooling his butt (that thing literally sizzles) and stepping up. Nice to see the bond between them has grown through both of their efforts. When the ship's hold is full, they set sail for Industria, worked to the bone the whole way (with a little bit of tomfoolery that gets them a beating). On the way, Conan recognizes one of the birds Lana was talking to she named Tikki, which comes with a strand of Lana's hair on its leg. Nice to have a bird-based communication system that only these kids are privy to. |
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| Episode 4. I'd forgotten that Lana was with Monsley on the airplane. So they're after Lana's grandad for his secrets on solar energy. Given they're scouring beaches for scrap plastic to refine for oil, that makes sense. Looking for a reliable source of energy. Why is Lana's grandad keeping this info secret I wonder? What does Industria plan on using the energy for, weapons manufacturing maybe? Kids scarfing down a bottle of wine, yep, this isn't a modern show. Conan and Jimsey sign on as crew of the Barracuda, on the proviso that they undergo corporal punishment known as planking for their transgressions. Bit brutal watching Conan get smacked by full grown men with a huge ass plank of wood. Jimsey learns that Conan took his planks and starts pitching in, nice moment. Conan learns Lana is still alive from one of her birds, Tikki, or is it Tekke? They'll have a link and maybe means of communicating if the bird can carry a small message. This show doesn't have the comedy tag, but many moments of amusement this ep. Some camera shots too, like the one where the camera was above Tikki as he wheeled around Conan who was stood on top of the ships mast. |
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| Episode 5 We arrive in Industria. The captain isn't particularly fond of it, though there seems to be some concern that they may not be free to speak their minds about it, particularly in front of Monsley. The sound design for their arrival is particularly creepy, love the echoes as they're going through the wreckage around the island. The island itself is full of sterile buildings, some appearing more modern day and a couple of very tall futuristic buildings. The slow process of unloading the plastic and converting it to oil is briefly interrupted by Monsley arriving on a bike in a dress and broad-brimmed hat. Apparently, picking up Lana was a mixed blessing at best - we find out later that they're generally against kidnapping (could've fooled me) and are worried they might antagonize her father. Conan recognizes and attacks her impulsively, but the captain knocks him out. Dyce (that's how it's spelled in the subtitles) is summoned to a disciplinary hearing led by mostly elderly scientists over his conduct. Lana's just sitting there for some reason. They let Dyce go and opt to take custody of Conan. Seems they're dealing with some overpopulation issues (can't imagine they have a lot of resources here) and the solar energy tech Lana's father has could bring back more of human civilization (they're on borrowed time here with an aging nuclear reactor). They're pretty gentle with Lana, but when she asks to return home, they say it "would be more pleasant for her" if she cooperated, and Lepka (the head of administration) is far more blunt, threatening to brand her if she doesn't tell them where her father is. And now Lana knows that Conan's on the island. Conan escapes the ship in a mine cart, finding himself with all the plastic trash which is... being made into bread? The staff here try to shoot him with what looks like live ammunition for checking out a loaf. A lot of the people on this island, likely the underclass, are dressed in tattered brown clothing with the mark Lepka threatened to brand on Lana on their forehead (basically meaning they're useless - hell of a place to put it). Conan maneuvers his way around the facility and finds a lit up window with birds flying outside, assuming its Lana. Turns out, he's exactly right. Lana and Conan reunited again! |
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| Episode 5. Lady Monsley hey, she must be important, but not too important as she went out on the plane hunting for Lana herself, Maybe she's hand on. You notice the branded foreheads straight away. All the workers and all looking grubby with a sickly green hue to their skin. From the meeting turns out Dyce kidnapped Lana from High Harbour. She then escaped the ship and was found by Monsley. The Committee explains to Lana that in order to preserve civilisation they need Dr Lao, Lana's grandfather, and his expertise in the field of solar energy. Makes sense, but guess there's more in play than meets the eye, and some reason Dr Lao doesn't want to willingly work for them. Maybe the branded foreheads methinks. The bureaucrat guy in the brown suit is much more direct, straight up threatening Lana with being branded useless unless she cooperates. He says they don't have time to waste and need solar technology up and running before their nuclear plant stops working. It does look like plastic being used to make bread, or is the plastic being burnt for the ovens that bake the bread maybe? The massive Industria tower complex is quite advanced, with Star Trek style doors that open silently with a slight swish, panels in the walls that control things. Wonder if it's a spaceship, like the one on Remnant island. It's called the Triangle Tower. Improbably Conan finds Lana's window and they see each other. Next he needs to find a way to break her out. |
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| The building could be a spaceship, that would make sense of why it looks so distinctive. Episode 6 Impressive how much punishment Conan's head can take, but... you know, maybe don't slam your head into the window at full force when falling means death. Subconsciously managing to grab on by his toes is practically a superhuman feat. The bumbling guard eventually lets tries to kill him and gets knocked out. Thus, it becomes a manhunt for these characters as they scale the outside of the building. The design of this building is just so interesting with the turrets that fold out. Captain Dyce also spots them. Conan is eventually required to leap off the building, absorbing the impact with legs that would be fully shattered, top to bottom, along with his spine. But of course, Conan is built far too tough for that, even if he has to remove his feet from where they've basically adhered to the ground via impact. Dyce follows Lepka (dude in the suit) who is somehow able to track Conan and Lana. Apparently, that technology isn't broadly known, or at least not broadly in use anymore. Dyce mistrusts him a good deal, mentions later that he's lying, but we're not sure about what yet. Conan and Lana find their way to a giant bomber in a hangar. Looks a lot like the large airships from Nausicaa. She tells Conan that the solar energy source her father has access to is a satellite (she calls it a star) that could power a lot of the tech around here. Lepka finds them and shoots them with a green gas that knocks them out. Lepka threatens Conan, telling Lana she has to contact her father telepathically (guess that's how she communicates with the birds) or he'll be tortured. I admire the girl's resolve, she refuses to do it, saying that he's sure Lepka and the others will use the solar array to power weapons of war (good call on that one). Conan does prevent himself from being tortured, but he's taken away using some powerful magnets in his cuffs (another nice touch). Seems Dyce plans to commit treason, learning of the warplanes and spy technology that could kick off a new world war and seeks to kidnap Lana (for good purposes this time). He nicely asks his crew if they're willing and gets them onboard (literally and figuratively), believing that having Lana with them will protect them from Industria's backlash. The next day, they carry out their plan, dressing the captain up as a brute who can't speak with one of those mechs to make his body look bigger under a giant coat. They take out the guard, bag up Lana, and make for the exit. But Conan remains incarcerated and Dyce lies about him being on the ship already. Dyce is shaping up to be my favorite character of the series. Morally gray, but with a standard he holds to regardless of the trouble it puts him in. He obviously isn't returning Lana home despite his promise (they need her to prevent Industria from coming after them), but they can't risk her father falling into Industria's hands, either. |
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| Episode 6. Ah, so it appears Monsley reports to Lepka. All those gun turrets that pop out from the tower definitely give the impression this is a fortress of war, equipped with some neat tech to track people and control doors from a central location. The maze underneath the Triangle Tower looks older though. Maybe the tower was built on top of an existing structure. That is the same design for the bombers from Nausicca, they do look imposing, but also cobbled together with all the plating and rivets. Interesting to learn from the link that they were based on a real German aircraft. A satellite that collects solar energy and sends it down to earth to be used to power machines. I'm with you on Dyce, he's not exactly polite or considerate, but he's not downright rotten. Different between a rogue and a villain. I'd forgotten about Jimsey, still onboard the Barracuda. Dyce busts out Lana using one of the mini mechs, really love these with the crank handle. |
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| Episode 7 Dyce makes off with Lana with the forces of Industria in hot pursuit. I thought Dyce's bravado about knowing these waters was overblown, but dude is extremely capable of maneuvering close to wreckage without hitting it, something his pursuers are decidedly worse at, resulting in their safe escape in the fog. Meanwhile, Conan is still stuck in a cell. I get why Dyce didn't go to free Conan and why he lied to Lana, but he had to know it would be hard to get her cooperation after his lie was revealed. Monsley wants to use Conan for her own means, but his captors underestimate his resolve and dedication. Kid escapes by just looking like he's unconscious upside down, finding his way onboard a small plane (the Falco, the same one Monsley piloted earlier) on the hunt for Dyce. Interesting to get some idea of the cost of Dyce's rebellion: Industria only has enough plastic to manage 3 months of energy at their current rate. That is a problem, surprised they're so reliant on a single captain for all their energy needs. They do not, however, understand why Dyce rebelled and they have to manage energy carefully, even debating the supply required to send Lepka after Dyce. Those floating chairs are nice. Dyce hides out in a rocky cove close to Industria to avoid detection (pretty smart - not like they can be easily tracked, they don't have to rely on wind, and their enemies will assume they've gone farther). Turns out, Jimsey stowed away onboard their ship, and manages to convince Lana he's there to help her. Nice to see that he's quick to set aside his reservations as well, seeing a bit of what Conan saw in her. Dyce invites Lana to dinner with him. Dude devours a whole lobster, shell and all. Damn. He does make a convincing case that he cares about preventing Industria from receiving access to the solar array for its violent purposes, which is his actual aim. In a moment of frustration, he gives away his position to the Falcon when they set out at night, but thankfully for him, Conan nearly causes the plane to crash, giving them away as well. Unfortunately, Conan is still wearing those cuffs, and Monsley opts to use them, almost resulting in his drowning (kid's insane, managing to keep his head above water even with his legs and arms joined at the wrists and ankles and then grab ahold and hang onto the ship, though it doesn't last). Lana hears his shouts as he's left in the ship's wake, unable to help him with Jimsey stuck in her porthole. |
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| See you're watching Gosick and Nanbaka. Gosick is good, but it took me a while to finish. Nanbaka just didn't work, one of those shows I knew in the first couple of eps wasn't for me. Sometimes you just know straight off the bat a show isn't working for you, despite not being a bad show, the female warden was hot though. Episode 7. I read that the dub was produced in 2021, sounds like an old dub, so well directed by the dubbing guys. There is an older dub from the 80's but it's lost media and never released, or so I read. With it's style and linear plot, this is another one of those shows that almost feels like you're watching segments from a movie. Think I said the same about Nadia and the Secret of Bluewater. Timely demonstration of Dyce's skill at the helm losing their pursuit in the fog and shipwrecks. Yeah, love those chairs on rails. It does sound like they're using the plastic for food and fuel. No idea how they're turning old plastic into bread, maybe that's why the branded people look green. And only 3 months supply of plastic. No wonder Lepka was trying the bad cop routine to persuade Lana to talk. How to cheer up a mopey young girl, why have her watch you wolf down a huge meal and ply her with wine, as you do, lol. Dyce is fun, although not very sophisticated, crude and direct. His dub VA completely sells his personality. Despite having his arms and feet bound by the cuffs, Conan makes it to the Barracuda, but at the end we see him let go. What'll happen next? Getting drawn into the story now. |
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| Gosick's been good, I've been enjoying watching each of the mysteries of the series play out. Given how many of the mysteries are tied to Victorique and her family, how this plays out in her story is going to be indicative of how much I like the series in the end, but the journey's been a good one so far. And I have to agree on Nanbaka, it's not really working for me. It's weird how everything and everyone literally sparkles in the sun. The biggest problem, though, is the tonal shifts. I think it's the kind of series that does OK leaning into the humor, but doesn't really work when it tries to get serious (which is where it's at right now). Haven't decided yet if I'm going to pick up part 2, but I got this recommended as a sort of anime "Secret Santa," (last one was Psycho-Pass, which was a far better choice for me) so I'm just rolling with it for now. I've got a couple of other series planned for the rest of the year, including my first foray into one of the Fate spin-offs (Babylonia) and I'm finally going to get into Golden Kamuy with the aim of catching up before the final season ends early next year. Means I'll have to put off my Hajime no Ippo watch for now, but I'll get there. I can see you're delving into Detective Conan, now that's a big watch! Episode 8 I'm with you on this series, I'm invested in seeing where things go with this series. Also, didn't realize the dub had been produced in 2021, but they're doing a pretty excellent job with it. Dyce proving that he's just so morally strange, reassuring the tied up Lana as he straps her to the bow of his ship to ward off attacks from Monsley and Lepka. It's mainly a show, but he's still putting her in harm's way and using her as a bargaining chip. Have I mentioned I love this character? Unfortunately, he underestimates Lepka's willingness fire upon them, even if he's unwilling to sink Dyce's ship. Risky, but for once there's a reason for the enemy's terrible aim. Lana calls out to Conan, who lucks out as the Barracuda has to turn around to escape Lepka, so he gets another chance to get onboard. Lana manages to free herself with her teeth (damn, girl) and uses a small boat lifeboat to reach Conan. In an impressive comedic moment, we watch as much of the crew has to join up to hold onto the boat, but they end up losing her as Lepka's ship breaks the line. Lana and Conan are chased by Lepka's crew, who end up sinking them? Some real idiots, here. Dyce isn't a murderer, but Lepka sure seems willing to kill some kids, even if he didn't realize Lana was onboard. Of course, Lana's fine, but Conan is trapped on a piece of metal, his cuffs holding him underwater. This looks legitimately desperate as he thrashes for air. And, once again, Lana proves herself by going up to the surface to bring him air by breathing it into him (not sure that's how that works, but I'll give it to them). Lana, episode MVP and not just the princess in the tower. With enough effort, Conan is able to break the cuffs (don't know how the ones on his legs broke so easily) and rescue both of them. Teamwork makes the dream work. The kids find themselves in a desert that has swallowed up a whole battalion of tanks. Though Monsley is still searching for them in her plane, they manage to stay hidden, surviving on some fruits growing on the vehicles of war. Lana locates her grandfather telepathically, and the two begin to make the journey across the desert to find him. Their fruits will give them the necessary water and food for a while, and it's cute to see Conan running with Lana on his back, but how long can they survive? |
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| I did the mal secret santa a couple of times, never really worked, it's hard to judge a strangers taste based on their list. There are scores I've got that I highly doubt I'd give these days if I rewatched the show. I watched Gosick when I was getting back into anime in 2019, and some of the later rapey stuff, which gets a bit dark, put me off. I was a bit more squeamish back then. Victorique was investing. I've gone quiet on the Fate franchise, watched Apocrypha last year and meh, then Prisma Illya S3 and dropped that hard, really overt sexualisation of the young girls. Will see what you think of Babylonia as it's on my list and the premise sounds interesting, they always do with Fate franchise using historical people and settings. And Golden Kamuy, countless people have recommended this one and I keep forgetting to add it to my ptw list, so just done it, thanks for the reminder. I'd tried a Detective Conan movie and it was ok, I'm just watching an ep here and there. The episodic mysteries angle is getting a bit stale after 30 eps. Starting My Hero S4, going to try and get through that as my background watch. You'll have to see what you think of Ippo but I was underwhelmed, but then any boxing show is going to have a hard time in Ashita no Joe's shadow. Episode 8. strapping Lana to the front of the ship, and claiming it's all ok and she'll be down soon, you've gotta love Dyce. And then blaming Lepka for being so heartless, this guy is too much. Lana proving her mettle getting free and saving Conan, atta girl. The human chain was funny. Lepka and Dyce think Lana and Conan are killed when their boat is hit, so maybe they won't be hunted any longer. The show does a good job of making you feel like the characters, mainly Conan, are in real jeopardy, falling off a ship, being stuck in jail in magnetic handcuffs and now being stuck underwater. Through sheer force of will Conan breaks free from his shackles, yeah I'm not sure about that one either. Conan recalls meeting Lana for the first time on the beach on Remnant island and acts it out with a board instead of a shark, nice moment and call back. Lana and Conan wash on a desert island, they briefly mention their telepathic connection, no doubt come in handy. This show does wholesome fun little moments very well. You have the scene on the beach where Conan makes Lana laugh by acting out their frst meeting, Conan squeezing the fruits so Lana can get liquid and then Conan running through the dunes with Lana on his back whilst they both laugh. All well animated, make you smile and laugh. They head off over the desert to find Lana's grandfather. |
23feanorOct 29, 2025 4:01 AM
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| I don't mind doing a Secret Santa and getting a dud every now and then and I've had to throw out some curveballs in an attempt to guess others tastes (suggested Hinamatsuri for someone this time and they're loving it, but that was a shot in the dark), mainly just frustrated that every time we seem to run these, people just don't complete their series and they fall apart. And yeah, agreed on Gosick, entering the last quarter of the series and I'm in for however these mysteries pan out. Haven't seen those other entries in the Fate franchise, but I'll let you know how Babylonia goes. Same with Golden Kamuy. As for My Hero Academia, I'd say S4 is where the cracks really start showing in both the production and the narrative, but it does get better, particularly in S6 as things ramp up. Episode 9 So yeah, maybe not the best idea to expend so much energy running through the desert. Conan's dead on his feet before long and they clearly ran through those fruits in short order. I like how they depict the sandstorm, very much a sense of being lost and direction-less. Thankfully, before they perish, they're found by a balding man with a missing eye and a scar on his head named Patch, who is an engineer. They made it far enough to reach a body of water with some salvage equipment and a number of people. At least some of the people here, particularly a man named Terit, are seeking second class citizenship (suggests they're third class) through a points-based system, so a step up in whatever society they've built for themselves. The workers quickly recognize that the kids are escapees from Industria and lock them in a room, giving them some water and food, though they're treated rather roughly. Conan tries to lie about how they got here, though Patch doesn't care if they came from Industria. He needs the workers and he puts them to it. Conan was a capable diver from the start with an incredible lung capacity, so he proves his worth quickly, even exploring a shipwreck while he's at it and finding a suitcase full of supplies (getting a Bright Slap for his trouble). Lana doesn't feel right about Patch, and neither do some of the other workers. At least one of his workers seems to see them as actual children, saying Lana reminds him of his granddaughter. Lana still seems weak from the trip. Seems the crew's aim is to raise the ship by sealing the hole in it and pumping it full of air. Reminds me of an amusing bit of trivia: a Donald Duck comic detailed a method that utilized ping pong balls to raise sunken ships, and even had a patent stem from it (though that stopped the technique from being used for 15 years!). Terit tries to ply Lana and Conan for information about where she came from, leading Terit to grab him with one of the massive metallic arms and figure out that they did come from Industria. A plane arrives from Industria, the Falco itself with Monsley onboard. Patch opts not to tell her the kids are there, even acting pretty hostile in response. Terit, however, swims out and boards the Falco undetected before it takes off. The episode ends with Lana wondering if Patch is her grandfather, but disbelieving for some reason. |
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| Made katsudon last night, breaded pork chops with sauce and eggs over rice. Probably the most fiddly dish I've ever made, but very tasty. I'm not used to shallow frying, an area of cooking that needs improvement. Do you ever get tempted to make dishes you see in anime? I've made Japanese curry and rolled omelette before. Hero Aca is ok, it's one of those stick on in the background shows, I like All Might and the fact people (citizens) die, and the villains kill people, it's not too sanitised. But the main group are a bit wet and boring. I remember gigguk saying the same, the middle seasons drop off then it gets better from S6 onwards. A comparable show set in a school that I think is much better is Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun, really fun with some amazing side characters, you could base a whole show on Clara and her songs. Then it gets a bit darker than you expect. Patiently waiting for S4 next year. Highly recommend, it's a solid 8/10 for all 3 seasons (S3 was a bit weaker, but still very good). Episode 9. A points based citizenship system, and people can dock other peoples' points, sounds dodgy and rife for corruption. Sounds like this place is within the boundary of Industria. Patch is pretty rough with them both. Lana believes her grandfather may have led them to this salvage town, but for an unknown reason. Terit thinks the kids are being treated specially by Patch, don't know what he thinks is regular treatment then. Looks like Patch has been rough handed with them. The show is dropping breadcrumbs about Patch so guess there's going to be more to him than meets the eye. Interesting trivia about the Donald Duck comic and raising the ship; 'novelty destroying prior art'. Mosley arrives on the falco but is sent packing by Patch, however, Terit sneaks on board the plane with secret info for Monsley. Suddenly Lana looks up at Patch and says 'grandfather'. Patch has a scar on his forehead. I wonder whether Dr Lao, Lana's grandfather had an accident and maybe has amnesia, but his skills as an engineer remain? Why wouldn't Lana recognise him though. She never said 'he looks like my grandfather'. |
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| I really should try out some Japanese cooking one of these days. I've been tempted before, but beyond something like a stir fry (e.g. yakisoba), I haven't given it a shot yet. I don't mind MHA, and I think even these middle seasons get more hate than they deserve from some fans, though even at its absolute best, I think the series has a habit of undercutting its broader messages. That's particularly a problem in this final season and soured my reading of the end of the manga a bit. I have Iruma-kun on my ptw, definitely getting there at some point. Glad to know they're still coming out with more of that! Episode 10 I love me a minion who learns - he doesn't open the door and goes off to report Dyce apparently hanging himself in his cell. So next it's Lepka who arrives at the cell with two men, both armed, and they opt to have the others in the cell tickle Dyce to test him, which of course gives him away. Their ruse discovered, Dyce is threatened with death in the desert. I thought Lepka was smart, but rather than praise the guard for taking a beat, he strips him of citizenship points instead. Bad boss behavior right there. Dyce and crew do discover that Conan's alive and with Lana, though, as Terit arrives and reports on it. Terit is returned to the worksite to act as spy, earning points for his treachery. We get a fascinating bit of worldbuilding with a gigantic swarm of moths crossing the ocean. Not sure what that's about. I'm familiar enough to know that moths do migrate away from terrible weather, but I don't think it's usually in a gigantic eclipse (I looked this up - that's what a group of moths is called [also a whisper or a flutter, but this is more interesting and seems to stem from them "eclipsing" light sources]! I've got to remember this one, that's awesome!) like this. Back at the worksite, Patch seems to know what's coming, spotting the Falco while finding some pill bugs in the desert. A lot of the moths arrive at the worksite and swarm it, and a number of them die overnight. Lana wants to stay at the worksite, saying she hears a voice telling her she must. Could be her grandfather. Terit overhears this. Patch calls everyone together in the morning, telling them to secure the ship and winch. There isn't a single bird in the sky, no waves or clouds. Looks like what was coming was an earthquake, not a storm, and when it hits, Patch is underwater and is apparently crushed by the ship. His air tube is nearly severed in the process. Most of them think he's lost, but Lana can still hear his voice in her head. Looks like Patch is, indeed, her grandfather, who was badly injured escaping Industria (hence the lack of recognition). Conan doesn't waste time, heading underwater to see what he can do. He helps drag Patch out from under the wreckage, but the air tube is severed. Conan manages to save his life by bringing him air from a small pocket in the ship, and they make it to the surface. Now learning that he's Dr. Lao, Terit calls for his capture, but none of the other men move to do it. Good on them. Terit does report Dr. Lao, but with the earthquakes, subsequent storms (damn that's a lot of pill bugs, unofficially called a "blister pack," love it) and tsunamis, acting on that info is going to have to wait. |
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| We've all come down with colds so just flumped on the sofa yday and had MHA on. S4 is meh so far, as with Demon Slayer, the characters are all so bland, only All Might and a couple of others make an impression. I like the idea of quirks and super hero agencies, but think OPM does it infinitely better and with much better chars. I was planning on bingeing MHA to get through at least a couple of seasons, but I'm already bored, will finish up S4 and try and binge S5 soon. I make stir fries every month but they're never as good as the yakisoba I get from a restaurant. Maybe they use a particular sauce and noodle type, guessing soba as it's in the name. Will have to investigate. Episode 10. Poor minion, he thinks this time, gets Lepka, but still gets in trouble. Yep, bad boss, he should've realised that Dyce and co might've escaped already if minion hadn't called for him first. Next time they might escape. Eclipse of moths, TIL (today I learnt...). Never heard that noun myself either. Apparently all the nouns for collective groups were randomly made up by Victorian (correction, medieval gentlemen) gentlemen, which is why they're so..... not sure what word I want here, random, poetic, descriptive, nonsensical, take your pick. Conan saves Patch, who is none other than Dr Lao. Bit of a stretch to believe Lana wouldn't recognise Patch, if would have to be a pretty extreme accident to make you unrecognisable. Apparently it was. Terit radios in his discovery of Dr Lao, but as he's doing that an earthquake hits. Dr Lao takes Lana and Conan on a small row boat to escape the barge just as Monsley is on route in the Falco. |
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| Hope you all feel better soon! I agree on MHA, does feel like it falls far short of OPM in its setup, powers and worldbuilding for a number of reasons. Agreed on stir fries, never can nail those but the sauce helps. Oh, and happy to see that Quest for the Best is doing Michiko and Hatchin next week. Will be excited to hear their thoughts! Episode 11 Seems things have calmed down. The Falco arrives, but too late to catch Dr. Lao who is already well away on a boat. Once again, bad bosses on display: I don't love Terit at all, but he's proven nothing but helpful to Monsley. Telling him off and leaving him behind when he's clearly eager to help just because he couldn't keep Dr. Lao from taking off is just dumb. Dr. Lao, Conan and Lana find their way to a stranded ship where Dr. Lao hid an airship a while back. Seems to use it for long distance travel, they'll have to make their way back to Industria, directly into the Triangle Tower. Despite the risk, they seem excited, with Conan and Lana pumped to save Jimsey. They can, however, at least fly the short distance to Industria with some help lifting the craft by hand. Conan, ever the gentleman, helps Lana board first and even goes back for supplies before hopping on. Whimsical watching them fly with Conan and Lana on top. Dyce lucks out after being splayed out in the desert to dry, with their little craft coming upon him. Lao recognizes that he's not exactly a stalwart ally, but Conan and Lana cut him loose and leave him with water anyway. Unfortunately, this is also when the Falco arrives, so they come under fire (with Dyce playing dead because of course). Conan's courage is a different story, though, and he uses their gunfire to damage the Falco and causes it to crash. Kid has no fear of bullets. Industria's weakened by the earthquake. Lepka puts resources towards finding Lao, while the scientists are focused on reconstruction. Lao and co. find a tectonic fissure splitting the desert in half. That's a problem, seems more sizeable and damaging earthquakes are coming, to the point that Lao believes Industria will sink into the ocean. Still, they take off with Dyce in tow (literally) to Industria. They split up, with Conan and Dyce going to rescue the crew and take the ship while Lao and Lana head for the tower. The former steals a mini-mech and make a ruckus to draw all the attention, but Monsley gets through to Lepka on a hastily repaired radio and attention is refocused on the tower at the worst possible time. Trouble incoming. |
whiteflame55Oct 31, 2025 8:14 AM
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| Looked it up and there are special yakisoba noodles, which have been pre-steamed and then you cook them over oil in a pan or on a griddle. You can get them on Amazon or Asian supermarket, former is easier as they deliver. The yakisoba sauce is very similar to the one I used for katsudon; ketchup, oyster sauce (never bought this before, has a distinct taste that I recognise as being prominent in a lot of Asian dishes), Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Then it's just some meat (pork or chicken, or tofu) and veg (onions, carrot and cabbage), all cooked in a big pan, wok or griddle. Ordered the noodles and going to try it out. Do you enjoy cooking? I enjoy making nice meals, although it's stressful cooking fiddly dishes with kids underfoot, hanging off my leg whilst I'm trying to prep. Must be a bit tough cooking with the diabetes, do you use an app and count the calories, so you measure the insulin? My mum was told she was pre-diabetic so had to use on the apps and count the calories for everything she ate, she said it was a huge pain. I saw that about Michiko and Hatchin being next up. I watched Space Cobra then they release an ep on that, although it was the movie, and then you watch M&H and they release an ep on that show! Are they tracking what we watch, just they can customise their content for us, conspiracy uncovered, lol. Really enjoyed the last ep on Howl's Moving Castle. I've rewatched that movie a lot of times, never gets boring. I'm watching the next in the Monogatari series, Owarimonogatari, and noticed that you haven't seen the first one, Bakemonogatari, or have it on your ptw list. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's dialogue heavy, but it's a unique show and definitely worth your time. |
23feanorOct 31, 2025 10:10 AM
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| I do enjoy cooking, something I've picked up and run with in the past decade or so. Mainly gotten into grilling, but I'll throw together a pretty good curry or stir fry every now and then. I'll have to keep this yakisoba sauce recipe handy and give it a shot. I do tend to try and count the calories with any meal, which is a lot easier to do when you're making everything yourself, but it gets a little difficult to figure out on occasion. You don't always know how much a given dish is going to either spike your blood sugar or yield a very prolonged rise (the latter's more frustrating because you'll often see normal blood sugar for a while and then a persistent plateau above normal levels for hours, even with subsequent doses - often happens with corn products for me). Things get even wonkier when it comes to exercise, since if I do it after a meal, it'll often lead to spikes as my body starts processing the carbs faster. Yeah, crazy how they've timed it. I'll have to watch Space Cobra at some point. Really does seem like they're aligning with us somehow. I love Howl's Moving Castle, just one of those movies I vibed with so much that it's remained my favorite Ghibli film over time (well, that and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) despite some better-written movies I've watched since. I haven't added it to my ptw, but the Monogatari series is definitely something I plan to get to. I know we both appreciate good dialogue (look at Frieren), so it's an easy sell for me on that front, and I know it looks impressive. Mainly just have to carve out time for it, which might have to be after I plug through Gintama next year. |
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| That sounds a pain with measuring the calories. Must be easier with apps and modern tech gadgets. The ex I mentioned had to record everything in a little book, and she had a reference book which gave approximate calories for various meals. I would recommend Dirty Pair before Space Cobra, unless you mean the movie. If you want 80's sci-fi with some comedy and action then Dirty Pair is a good time. Space Cobra is something I got to because I've watched all Dirty Pair and City Hunter, my go to 80's shows. Monogatari is very good. I'm on what is effectively S7, but a lot of the entries are shorter, less than 10 eps. Not all of them land, the early ones are especially good, Bake, Nise, Neko and Monogatari 2nd Season all very good or great. As distinct as it is, Gintama is better, at least imho. I've been rewatching bits after starting the Gintama spin off this season. It's so good. I'm feeling like crap today, been awake since 1am, so going to make a bacon sarnie, then curl up and watch some anime as Em is off today. See if I can't finish Owarimonogatari and maybe MHA S4. With less time on my hands I'm missing being able to dive into anime films and OVAs. There's loads I want to catch up on, the next entries of Hibike Euphonium (saw one of the movies last week and need to watch the next one), Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out, been years since I watched the last movie for Rascal franchise. Episode 11. Wonder how Dr Lao's machine floats, anti gravity or some such? Staked out in the desert to die, that's pretty brutal. Conan taking out the Falco was great, teasing them into shooting up their own plane, lol. So the earthquakes may herald worse to come and Dr Lao predicts that Industria could sink into the sea! 'fare thee well Monsley', love Dyce. Conan and Dyce rescue the crew and head to the ship. Meanwhile Lana and Dr Lao head into the Triangle tower to get parts for his flying ship, but little do they know Lepka is aware of them and they're walking into a trap! |
23feanorNov 1, 2025 2:38 AM
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| Yeah, things have gotten significantly easier than they used to be. No more finger sticks with the CGM, which is a massive improvement, as is the automatic pump (algorithm included) instead of the pens I had to inject myself with 4 times a day at the beginning. Still have to calculate, but not quite as much as you used to. I really should get to Dirty Pair. That plus City Hunter are on a shortlist of 80s anime I need to get to, while Monogatari remains a must watch. I know it's not absurdly long, but it just has a lot of seasons, so I really need to settle in for that one. Hope you feel better soon! Seems like you've got your dance card full with anime. I'm up to 4 drops among seasonals: This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Wandance, Touring After the Apocalypse and the newly added mouthful that is My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s (yeah, it's even tropier than it sounds). Still, I've got a good chunk of series I'm enjoying. Among the new ones, highly recommend Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, which is just a blast about a set of people who really love Kamen Rider and desperately want to be Kamen Rider and pals only to have the villains from the show suddenly become reality. Hilarity and fun action ensue. Also, for pure catharsis, May I Ask For One Final Thing? is just too much fun and features my favorite leading duo of the season. So many people get punched in the face. Along with Sanda, they're keeping my hopes afloat for a decent Fall season, even if others are a bit more mixed. Episode 12 The trap slowly closes around Lao and Lana. They recognize it too late to escape easily, but Lao still seeks out the circuit they need. Love all the little musical stings they put into this, always a good time. They end up in a desolate space that is overgrown with dead trees and features dilapidated buildings. It's a shelter that was built during the war with its own ecosystem, but the underground facility with its 50,000 residents largely perished, with the survivors founding Industria. Dyce sets sail after abandoning Conan when the latter tries to free a set of prisoners. Jimsey goes after him. Conan's choice ends up being a good one - these prisoners know the tunnels well and are willing to help. We get this nice little moment where an older man who looks like Conan's "grandfather" and who is the father of one of the prisoners thanks Conan for saving his son. Lepka takes a contingent of soldiers down after Lao, arming themselves against the orders of the committee that are his superiors. They fire him on the spot, but he persists anyway (not like they could stop him). Soon enough, they corner Lao and Lana, who find the circuit. Lao draws them away and gets captured while Lana escapes. Conan and Jimsey running down that steep tunnel is a fun shot. They catch up to Lana and rescue her because both of their legs are made of steel. They fly over to rescue Lao and Conan overpowers a mechanical winch (seriously, kid's crazy strong). They end up escaping through an old service tunnel opened by their newfound friends who wave them out, allowing them to exit through the top of the Triangle Tower. Lepka clearly loved their ingenuity. Off to rendezvous with Dyce and then to High Harbor! |
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| Monogatari is one of those heavy dialogue shows that requires a lot of reading, plus it's a bit abstract. You need to pay attention. Like a heavy meal, you wouldn't want more than one sitting. I prefer to break it up, although I might try and watch the remaining films and seasons a bit more quickly. I've left a year gap between the last couple of seasons. I'm only watching 5 seasonals, so not too onerous a time commitment. Touring After the Apocalypse is a bit flat, I like the girls banter, but it does feel a bit like Yuru Camp in that it's a 'let's tour Japan' promotional video, but a post apocalyptic version. Not in the same league as Girls Last Tour or Kino's Journey. Episode 12. That's Dyce for you, always looking out for no 1. The citizens of Industria are the remnants of the population of an underground city, who chose to wait out the devastation below ground, rather than fleeing to space like Conan's grandfather. With some help from some escaped prisoners, that Conan freed, and other citizens of Industria living in the tunnels, Lana, Lao, Jimsey and Conan make it out with the floating craft and new integrated circuit board. Next onto High Harbour. |
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| Yeah, have to agree on Touring After the Apocalypse. The comparisons with other post-apocalyptic anime don't do it any favors, but it doesn't stand on its own very well either. I'm at 14 seasonals right now and likely won't expand from there. Episode 13 Dyce very kindly offers to escort everyone back to High Harbor after abandoning them. Hospitality, remember? Lao opts to return to Industria, recognizing that the people there will all be killed when it sinks into the ocean if he does nothing. Doesn't seem smart since they will capture him - really, there's no other way to transmit this information? No way to setup a radio for this? A crew of fisherman outside High Harbor spot Dyce's ship and, recalling that they kidnapped Lana. They bomb the ship and shoot at Dyce, resulting in the Barracuda almost sinking and having to be dragged into port. They arrive and find quite the natural landscape with a small village on a lake. Of course, Jimsey immediately goes hunting for animals. They run into Orlo on horseback, with whom Lana clearly has a frosty relationship. So I guess not everyone lives in harmony here, there are multiple factions on the island. Also, seems like a relatively normal assortment of animals, including chickens, ducks and pigs. We meet Lana's aunt and uncle and a lot of the people in the village who don't initially take too well to Conan and Jimsey, wild children without much idea of how to behave in polite society. Seems some believe they belong with Orlo and his people, though at Lana's uncle recognizes that Lana owes them her life. Seriously, they've earned the appreciation, and it does seem like the town agrees in the end and really gives them a hero's welcome. |
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| Episode 13. Halfway mark. Enjoying this so far. I suppose Lao thinks that warning the people living beneath the tower outweighs the risk of his capture. Even if he is captured, there's a very high possibility that Industria will sink into the sea any day now, rendering all Lepka's plans mute and defunct. I think he may have some faith that the committee aren't as war hungry, or power crazed as Lepka. Love some good old cannonball action, then Dyce getting his hat blown to bits. It's looney tunes sort of comedy action and I love it. High Harbour is lovingly brought to screen, distant hills reflected in the lake, staple scenes from the countryside (not sure what country or region this was supposed to be, maybe Alpine? But then you have the name Lao and Chinese style sail boats), all peaceful. The kids bump into Orlo, and old friend, or maybe acquaintance is nearer the mark, of Lana's. He looks a lot older than Lana, but says they're known each other since they were little, suggesting they're roughly the same age. He tries to recruit Conan and Jimsey right off the bat, seems suss. He goes on to say he 'has lots of other strong boys working for him'. Basically his own little gang. Hmmm. Maybe not all is as peaceful as the bucolic visage would lead us to believe. Lana clearly doesn't like Orlo, saying he and his people are greedy and not to be trusted. Conan and Jimsey are feted in the village for rescuing Lana. Conan notes how HH is the polar opposite of Industria, although I note that this is only Lana's village, and Orlo and his gang aren't present. All the people in Lana's village have that generic WMT look, slightly rotund women, men with moustaches, both brown haired. |
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| Episode 14 Conan and Jimsey are having some fun with their new setting. That scene with Conan showing that the shoes "fit" only to immediately walk out of them when he moves had me smiling. It's nice to get a break from the action and stakes and really showcasing the island's visuals, letting it be a playground for our characters. They are definitely all out of place in crowds, though, and those ill-fitting clothes emphasize just how out of their element Conan and Jimsey are. That's a stark contrast from the crew of the Barracuda, who have taken well to work on the island even if Dyce is struggling a bit with the blacksmithing. Seeing this, Conan and Jimsey opt to create their own jobs, as it were, with the former fishing and the latter hunting. Do what you love. In the process, Conan finds a small craft in a cave with computers arrayed around it. The ship captain from earlier finds him there, telling him that these machines haven't been in use for a long time. For now, they've been using this as a fish farm, keeping everything netted in. They catch fish in the broader ocean, but have these as backups. Looks like Conan's got a new job. Jimsey struggles to catch some hopping rodents before facing down a giant boar. He does manage to take out the boar by accidentally having it fall off a cliff, and even manages to skin and spit roast the thing. Rough around the edges, but he's certainly capable. Unfortunately, this boar belongs to Orlo and his people (didn't exactly fence it in, did you?), who demand excessive compensation in bags of flour for their loss. Jimsey didn't know any better, but the village is in a tough spot now. Lana's uncle says he has something that Orlo wants, not sure what, that he can give in exchange. Overnight, Conan and Jimsey decide to go meet Orlo themselves and apologize. This... wont go well. |
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| Episode 14. It's heart warming seeing the boys delight at new things, shoes, clean clothes, food they haven't eaten before, girls. Love the name Dongoros, although the credits in mal say it's spelt Dongoroth, but Dyce says it was an s at the end in the dub. Aria named a new ghost owl toy she got Dongoros as I kept saying it, now she goes around singing it, lol. Wonder if Dyce could get the sub working again. Sure it'll come into play soon. Conan becomes apprenticed to Mr Gull as a fisherman, and Jimsey goes hunting. Jimsey vs the Boar was amusing. 'not knowing doesn't excuse their actions', well it kinda does. Jimsey is a boy from the wild, let loose he went hunting, and found a boar. Now Orlo has a claim on the village, and wants unfair compensation. Jimsey and Conan head off to visit Orlo and sort the matter out. I predict the peace and tranquillity won't be last much longer with Conan and Jimset about. Nice to have a down tempo ep. |
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| Episode 15 C&J don't make it far before they're discovered (not that they're trying to sneak in). That bone trap near the entrance is as much a statement to "keep out" as it is an alarm. They soon find themselves chased by masked, ping-wigged and purple-cloaked figures on horseback who corralled them into a trap with hook-like polearms. They discover that the leader of this group is a young girl. They speak with Orlo and admit to killing the pig, but he refuses to believe that the village wasn't involved. Still, he opts to test them to see if he can make use of them (kids go through a lot of physical tests, don't they?). This time, it's about catching another boar roughly the same size as the one Jimsey caught. They actually seem to plot this out a bit and their strategy yields fruit, using the boar's own weight and size against it and trapping it against a rock. Orlo's impressed and tries to get them to stay, which speaks better to Jimsey than Conan. Still, both opt to stay for now, Conan more hesitantly. Doesn't seem Orlo's gotten over his grudge, though. Meanwhile, Lana discovers that C&J are gone. With her aunt and uncle out, it's up to her to help. She grabs a jewelry box containing what looks like a large emerald. Maybe that's what Orlo wants. She arrives and Orlo tells her that they joined up with him, so she runs off. Seems Orlo and his company believes might makes right on this part of the island, with Orlo's little sister (that's the girl) making demands of a shepherd as their proclaimed leaders. Even Jimsey starts pushing back and quits straight up. Good on you kid, recognize that toxic leadership. Seems they've found a like-minded group of villagers in their own town, all willing to defend what they have and even put Orlo in his place if push comes to shove. Nice to see that they don't immediately ask for help - they've been here long enough and know what they're dealing with far better than C&J. Orlo and his gang decide to use this moment to attack C&J. Lana intervenes to protect them using the necklace she grabbed earlier (which was her mother's), and we get our first real moment of conflict between her and Conan. The Conan thinks they can handle this themselves, but Lana refuses to let things become violent. The struggle earns him a slap that leaves Conan stunned. They walk back together, apologizing to each other, and all three opt to build a house of their own and make their own way. Nice to see that the heavier moment doesn't last and they really do care more for each other than about what happened, particularly after all they've been through. |
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| Episode 16 Lana dreams of some pretty dark stuff regarding her father's fate and the burning of the village with some nightmare fuel of a ship turning into a face at the end. She seems to believe this is Lao talking to her from afar. She tries reaching out herself, but doesn't hear back. Cute shot of Conan literally carrying Lana above the water to get her in a boat without getting her wet. Shots like this really do a lot to showcase his character in a very straightforward way. Seems Conan's boss is trading with the village in Orlo's side of the island, recognition that not everyone follows what Orlo wants and they can help out this still relatively small group of mostly young adults, not to mention push back on Orlo's control. Seems Jimsey's helping out here by raising pigs, having full on rejected Orlo. They don't want Orlo or the leaders of the main village finding out about this arrangement. Seems Dyce is making moves of his own. He meets with Orlo and gives him a watch as an inroad before espousing the greatness of the sea, hoping to recruit Orlo and his people to repair his boat and, in return, give him a "wildcard" to take over High Harbor. Dyce, ever the scoundrel. Lucky for him, this is also when Orlo discovers the secret trade going on, so he decides to throw in with Dyce (love that he keeps calling Dyce "old man" and how much it irks him - feel that). Seems Conan and Jimsey have been busy building a treehouse by the ocean. Conan says he wants to return to Remnant Island one day, bringing people along with him to live there, particularly Lana. She agrees to that promising future. Yeah, things are looking a little too rosy, the calm before the storm. Turns out that wildcard of Dyce's is the minimech he took from Industria. Dyce ends up having the tables turned on him, though, and he's forced to do Orlo's bidding and use the mech to go after Conan and... damn, try to burn his new treehouse with him and Jimsey inside. Once again, Dyce getting in over his head. Surprisingly, it's Tera who has the biggest problem with this, running off to try and save Jimsey (seems she's fallen for the wild child) before the attack commences. This leads Lana to discover the plot and head out herself, running for the treehouse in emulation of the dream she had at the start of the episode. Seems there's a bigger problem on the horizon, literally. A ship has arrived from Industria, and all this jockeying for power is small potatoes next to that. High Harbor is at war. |
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| Episode 15. C&J captured by Orlo and his crew. Lana discovers them missing and heads after them with a jewel in hand, compensation for the pig. Seems like Orlo's main beef is with the adults on the island. Jimsey is won over to by Orlo with the promise of a horse. Having your own horse at 11 would be fun. Conan catches up to Jimsey after he witnesses Orlo's sister attempting to purloin a goat that belongs to a nearby village. Turns out that was Orlo's home, but he decided to make himself into a self styled 'leader' and start pinching things. Agree about the village guys notion of having the village itself deal with Orlo, he's their problem. Lana gives up her mothers necklace, desperate to avoid violence between people on HH. She slaps Conan for trying to gainsay her, but quickly smoothed over, which is nice to see. Very mature of Lana to place the boys lives above her mothers necklace. Not many girls her age would've put it so plainly and with complete conviction. C&J decide to build a house and Lana says the whole island needs to deal with Orlo as his greed is becoming a problem for them all. |
23feanorNov 5, 2025 8:42 AM
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| I'd forgotten about Star Wars Vision anthology series, I liked S1 but forgot to watch S2, maybe I'll check out S3 after reading your write up. Episode 16. You make an observant point about Conan. He grew up on an island alone with his grandpa, so he doesn't know the social construct we would term being gallant, or chivalrous, or gentlemanly. He isn't helping Lana out for appearances, or because he was trained to do so, but because he's a considerate lad. You're right, small shot, but speaks volumes about his character. Jimsey the pig farmer, suits him. Dyce trying to get in with Orlo, that tracks. A treehouse and a proposition for Lana, to return with him to Remnant Island when the time comes. He's a busy lad. Dyce laughing loudly to himself whilst raising the mini-mech, then suddenly looking sideways with a shifty squint and saying 'shush', when it was him making all the racket. This guy cracks me up. I'm also not sure why Orlo decides Conan suddenly needs to die, bit extreme. Dyce jumping on board and nearly roasting C&J alive is very harsh, but dude is all about his ship. We end with a gunboat from Industria, Lepka probably. Fare thee well peaceful days! |
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| It's worth picking Visions up again. I think Volume 2 was pretty good as well, but as per usual with anthologies, variable quality. Episode 17 Another small touch I like: when Jimsey and Conan are heading out to monitor the ship, Jimsey carefully hands over the small pig he's carrying and, for all he's literally calling it Tasty, shows some real care for it. He hasn't been doing this long, but he's clearly attached. C&J soon discover Dyce and Orlo and his gang, the latter of whom is planning to engage in battle. They do surprisingly well considering they're bringing horses to a gunfight... at least at first. Can't really fight a battleship on horseback. They rescue Tera and end up running off with Dyce, who ends up admitting to his misdeeds. Dude's an ass sometimes, but he feels bad about it. The village debates responses to the attack, getting some insight and support from Dyce's crew. Nice guys. Dyce ends up helping out, but considering his attitude, he isn't exactly heralded for his help. Everyone opts to guard the pass to the village (as Jimsey says, "all that talk just to make the most obvious decision"). Jimsey gets informed about Tera's attempts to protect him before all this went down and goes to comfort her, as the young girl doesn't know if Orlo's even alive. Not his forte, but at least he tries. Menawhile, Monsley is plotting how to take the village without destroying it and Orlo (hey, he's alive) comes to bargain. Nice to see that Conan's optimism hasn't been dampened at all. His bond with Lana remains one of the best things about this series, with these little exchanges showcasing so much in so few words. And Conan is extremely perceptive; I really like how they showcase his strong intuition this episode, noticing that Orlo got away from the Industrian soldiers (with a suspiciously bandaged hand...) much too easily while everyone else just views it as a stroke of luck. Jimsey's no slouch in this department, either, mistrusting Orlo from the moment he arrives back in the village. I'm very fond of shows that showcase different kinds of intelligence like this in small and entirely believable ways - both C&J have more than enough experience by now to not trust everything they see. And it seems they're not alone, as the old fisherman camps out on the coastline and spots a gunboat headed to the other side of the island. Their race agaisnt the ship features more of the delightful touches I've been loving this whole series, with Conan literally carrying him piggy-back to get them there faster. So everything looks like it's going to be fine... before the gun turret aims down at them and blows up their diminutive vessel. Really sends a message that this is a real threat. They survive this undetected, but the fisherman's clearly injured. They start bombarding it and Jimsey apparently gets knocked out as Orlo reveals a gun under his bandages. Lana gets knocked out in a blast, Orlo threatens continued bombings if they don't surrender (I thought he was bad before, but this is truly the scummiest he's ever been), leading to them waving the white flag. Dyce escapes in his minimech, the villagers in the pass surrender, and Conan fights to protect Lana. |
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| Episode 17. It's almost admirable how open Dyce is about his duplicity, almost. He's out for himself, his ship and crew (kind of, in so far as he needs them to work his ship and provide meals etc), that's it. Stand up guy that Dongoros! Both C&J have really good instincts, both for nature, and for people. I'd call it street smarts, but ofc they never grew up on the streets. Things aren't looking good for HH. After some trickery by Orlo, the village raises the white flag. Monsley and her troops enter the village and Orlo swaggers cock a whoop. Lana is injured and Conan comes running to her rescue. And Jimsey is knocked out. Will C&J be able to turn the tide? |
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| Episode 18 Damn, Conan's just much too mighty for these peons. He makes off with Lana, barely escaping goddamn rocket launcher shots (guess they don't care if they burn the fields, eh?) before getting bonked on the head by an errant stone. Conan manages to stay hidden due to Lana's quick thinking, but Lana gets captured. Later, Conan is found by the fisherman with the help of Tasty (pig's too good). He immediately heads to the village to scope it out. Monsley introduces Orlo as the new leader of High Harbor, threatening a key set of hostages including Jimsey. Conan doesn't take to threats easily, though, and uses his harpoon to send quite the message before high-tailing it out of there. Gives everyone in High Harbor a reason to hope despite their circumstances, kid's just a fount of optimism. Lana is being held on the battleship. Seems the fisherman is ready to go big on this, preparing some explosives to take out the ship (he did prove quite capable of that with Dyce's ship). Conan (who is really kinda perfect for this mission) takes the gunpowder in a water-tight barrel, slow fuse already lit, and brings it to the ship, placing it on the propeller. This is unfortunately when Conan discovers Lana's on board, and the ship is ordered to move further out to sea, so he can't remove the barrel. Conan finds his way over to Dyce's partially sunken vessel (where the captain is hiding out), using it to board the battleship. That gets him captured and beaten... all according to plan. Kid's taken beatings before and, despite substantial injuries, he's up and moving pretty quickly. He's prepared to save her regardless of what happens to the rest of the ship, even if her small cell sinks to the bottom of the sea. Kid's got guts to spare, even telling the crew about the bomb he placed. Some inconsistencies in the animation of Conan's injuries in these scenes are the first real drops in quality I've seen from this series so far. The crew brings up the barrel, which explodes on deck, sinking the ship anyway. Lana's fine, thankfully, but her cell springs multiple leaks. Girl has no an ounce of panic, though, and just waits for Conan to arrive so they can swim out together. The trust between these two remains so touching. Of course, they make it out just fine. Score one for the heroes. |
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| Dropped Dusk beyond the end of the World. I kind of liked the post apocalyptic vision for a new society, kind of, but then it all went a bit sideways with polygamous relationships (even brother-sister is ok, they make it a point to clarify it's ok), and the narrative went down this dumb route of match making dates, with the mafia for some reason, and now at a mixed hot springs. It lost me. Episode 18. HH becomes part of the Industrian Empire, my aren't they lucky, and they only have to pay over a tithe of their crops for the privilege. Why didn't Monsley say so sooner, no doubt she could've saved everyone the bother, fiddlesticks. Orlo is now in charge but Conan soon makes a mockery of the dear new leader. Kid is a one man walking army. That is one reckless plan. Blow the ship up with them both on board (guess they can't exactly escape before it blows) and Conan will rescue Lana, even if the ship sinks. You're right, the connection between these two, and the bond and trust they share, is heart warming. It's the pure belief of children, untainted, and innocent. Very sweet. Don't think I'd have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it, but yep, Conan's shiner disappears for a couple of shots and then reappears. Minor inconsistency, but someone (think shows usually have a dedicated consistency checker, so didn't do his job here, oops) dropped the ball. In general production values for the animation and backgrounds, shot, camera angles etc have been decent. I remember watching this video from modern animators praising Ghibli and Miyazaki for the visual depiction of water; running water, standing water, flowing water, poured water etc. I was watching Ponyo with Aria the other day and I see what they mean, the water looks real and has such texture and vibrancy. Same for this show, although not as polished as the Ghibli films. The water pouring in, the air pockets, underwater scenes. Water has so many hues and faces, it's something we see, touch and taste every day, but, according to this animator, one of the hardest substances to accurately bring to life on screen. But Ghibli and Miyzaki mastered it. Conan's plan works and he rescues Lana. Wonder what Monsley will do next. She's cut off now. Wonder if there are more HH people than soldiers on the island? |
23feanorNov 8, 2025 7:32 AM
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| Oof, I'll hold off on Dusk Beyond the End of the World, then. Was considering picking that one up, so I'm glad you let me know since that does not sound like something I'd enjoy. In brighter news, I watched through all of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, an anthology of shorter works of his. Thought it was pretty decent even if a lot of the individual projects are just concepts. Easy favorite was the last one, reminds me a lot of Look Back with sisters instead of friends and some tasteful nudity. Episode 19 Monsley is pretty pissed that her soldiers didn't rescue Lana. She blames Conan for the explosion (I mean, she's not wrong), and opts to raise the Barracuda. They lack a lot of resources now, though, including ammo. Hand it to Monsley, woman's cool as a cucumber and believes they can sustain their occupation so long as the residents of HH don't know about their limitations. Not wrong. Kinda feel for Monsley as we see into her backstory. Clearly, she went through it with the worldwide bombing - apparently, not a lot of dogs survived the event, and hers was lost too. Yep, losing a pet is an easy way to get some empathy. Looks like she was just lucky, picked up by an Industrian gunboat when she was dragged out to sea by a tidal wave. Conan confronts Monsley, and now she knows Lana is alive. Such an acrobat, dude can't be caught. He regroups with the fisherman (Garu, looked up his name finally) who is making more gunpowder (such an eclectic group of freedom fighters). A lot of interesting things coincide here. Monsley heads out with her men to raise the ship, bringing the village to the shoreline. Dyce leaves his ship during a suspiciously low tide to avoid being spotted, entreating Luck itself before finding his way to Lana's hideout, and Conan and Garu head out to sea to set a charge. Lana notes some odd behavior from the fish in the preserve as well as the absence of birds and knows instantly that they've got an earthquake coming. Yep, things are going to get Dycey (had to do it). Orlo spots Lana and corners her, but once again, can't get past his own hang-ups to see the bigger picture staring him in the face. Lana isn't afraid of him, though, and she calls to Conan telepathically. Shockingly, Dyce ends up being her protector in the end while Conan discovers the impending quake, spotting in the coming tsunami as waters retreat. Monsley initially dismisses it, but Conan's bravery convinces her, leading her to just stand there as the wave approaches, defeated. It takes longer for Orlo, as even seeing the approaching wall of water isn't sufficient to convince him that maybe she shouldn't get into a knife fight with a child. Conan rescues Orlo and Monsley (kid never holds a grudge, does he?) while everyone else heads for higher ground. In the end, everyone survives and the soldiers surrender in the face of something much bigger than themselves. Problems solved by natural disaster. |
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| Dusk Beyond, it isn't terrible, it just went in a direction I am not fond of, and didn't connect with the central romance. You're in this post apocalyptic future and the narrative is focused on these match-making dates, and mixed bathing. Feels more like a harem than a sci-fi original. Episode 19. You have to give it to her, Monsley is calm and efficient, she leads her men well, most of the time. There've been a couple of incidents we've mentioned where she's been unreasonable to her subordinates. Plus putting Orlo is charge isn't the smartest move. A lot of scenes, especially the ones where characters or animals run up and down hills, look very much like every clip I've seen of WMT shows such as Anne of Green Gables, which I've actually added to my ptw list, well the modern remake after it aired recently. Maybe we should add that, or the original, to our group watch list? So Monsley literally owes her life to Industria after being rescued by an Industrain ship after the war. You don't get the feeling she is cruel, but she is part of the machine that perpetuates the class system in Industria. IN the dub it sounds like the old fisherman is called Mr Gull. 'Things are going to get Dycey', oh dear oh dear, lol. Dyce does step up to protect Lana from Orlo, but only at the last minute when it looks like Orlo is going to cut her face. The tsunami is an equaliser that crushes the remaining soldiers, handing power back to the villagers. Looks like the Barracuda was raised, but is now a little way from the water. Everyone survives and C&J and Lana are all free. What'll happen to Orlo and Monsley. |
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| Yeah, I get that impression from looking at the trailers. Was surprised so many people seemed to love it, but it sounds like my initial read of the show was correct. And yes, I'm absolutely down for adding Anne of Green Gables to our group watch. I watched the modern remake and it is pretty great, but you can definitely feel where they rushed things and I'd like to see the WMT take on it. Episode 20 All the soldiers have been taken prisoner. Despite all the trouble they've caused, they're welcomed as residents of HH so they can learn how to plant and grow crops. Seems a little optimistic, but the soldiers don't have anywhere to go. Monsley is the only one who still seems standoffish, though they do unleash the women on her and forcibly change her into a nice dress. Conan broaches the idea of going back to Industria. After some frustrated back and forth, Jimsey opts to go with him. Seems Dyce wants to set sail as well, but his Barracuda's in terrible shape. We get a nice little scene between Jimsey and Tera where the latter gives him the necklace Lana handed over to Orlo. I love that the writers didn't feel the need for there to be apologies or some other exchange here, since this says a lot with a little. Conan considers the defunct vessel in the preserve and opts to go see Monsley to get it up and working again. She does know a good deal about similar flying machines and discovers that it can indeed fly. She warns him that he can't trust her, but he accepts that. Doesn't mean the villagers do, though, and they tell Conan he has to wait. Trouble is, Conan's not so good at the waiting thing. Lana, of course, instantly wants to go with them, but Conan initially refuses to put her in harm's way (dude should know by now that she can handle it). Lana's uncle overhears their conversation and, going back on what he'd said before, opts to let Conan leave. He convinces the mayor and they take off the next day. Lana sees them off standing on the coastline, and just before they're going to take off, Conan swims over to her, opting to defy the promise he made and take her with them. Yeah, figured she wasn't sitting this one out. Looks like Dyce stowed away too. Can't have an adventure without him. They arrive at Industria and Conan's unshaken trust of Monsley keeps them together for now. They face down a newly repaired Falco in a midair battle, and things don't look good... |
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| Episode 20. Offering an olive branch and the chance to learn new skills is a smart idea. Teach a man how to farm (or fish/hunt/gather...) and he'll never go hungry. Love how Conan doesn't push Jimsey to go with him, just tells Jimsey what he's doing, waits, and Jimsey finally comes round. Conan wants to take the plane in the cave to Industria, to check on the people and find Lao. To do that he needs Monsley to fly the plane, but she openly tells him she's his enemy and there's no guarantee she'll help him return. Monsley is perplexed by Conan's willingness to help others, even at great risk to himself. After some deliberating the village elders agree to let C&J travel to INdustria in the plane with Monsley as pilot. They aren't happy about it but Uncle Sean points out the kids have faced more dangers than any of them. As they're leaving Conan relents and brings Lana along, had to, and ofc Dyce stowed away on the plane. So our ragtag band is on the way to sus out the situation in Industria. The way Conan treats Monsley comes from a place of trust and understanding of people, but also instinctive. Conan showed in waiting for Jimsey to come around to the idea of travelling to Industria that he is very capable when it comes to personal interactions. He wanted Jimsey to come, but instinctively knew that the way to go about that wasn't arguing or pleading, but quietly waiting. On some level Conan trusts that if he has faith in Monsley, that she won't deliver them to Lepka, that trust will bear fruit and she will aid them, or at the least won't betray them. Sometimes how other people see us, or the best in us, can have seismic impacts upon how people act. Let's see how Monsley repays Conan's trust in her. We end in the middle of a dog fight with the Falco. |
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| I agree that Conan has this incredible capacity to connect with others. I don't think he's actively thinking about these as conversational tactics to get others on his side, but he places a lot of trust in Monsley and Jimsey. He believes they'll come around if he just shows them his dedication and earnestness, and we already know that worked for Jimsey. For Monsley, you can see her walls coming down bit by bit in the face of someone who isn't two-faced or hiding an agenda. Episode 21 Damn, only 5 episodes left after this one. I've thoroughly enjoyed this series and I'm excited to see how it ends. Been a while since a series has hit so quickly and easily on so many fronts. Conan and Monsley crash. Love how Dyce comforts Lana: "if something like that could've taken him out, I'd have done it a long time ago." You sure would. Lepka moves to capture Lana as quickly as possible after having collected Conan and Monsley, seeing her capture as key to getting ahold of the solar satellite. Dyce and Jimsey's quick thinking send them on a wild trip through the underground of Industria, eventually leading them underwater. Here, they discover that the city is indeed starting to flood as a result of the earthquake. They opt to look for Luke, the guy who helped them escape last time and are lucky enough to run into him as they're escaping the soldiers. Seems Dr. Lao is still here and being held prisoner by Lepka. He was planning to work with the scientists in charge and prevent the city from sinking into the ocean, but Lepka threw a hostile takeover, hence the underground has largely been abandoned. Lana tells the workers that they could all come to HH, but they'll need to get Dr. Lao first. Lao offers to give Lepka the solar array, but only if he lets the workers go free and everyone throws away their weapons, which he refuses to do. Instead, Lepka seems prone to flooding the lower districts and acting by force to get what he wants. Lepka clearly doesn't trust Monsley at this point, and there's no more apt scene for the kind of person he is than when he's sitting on the mobile chair grinding his shoe into the bandaged Monsley's head. Monsley's clearly not the same as she was when she left - she's positive on growing wheat with HH, on throwing down their weapons and on abandoning what she aptly calls "a prison made of steel and plastic." Lepka's not in a listening mood, though, and tells his soldiers to prepare to execute Monsley. Yep, power mad. Love how in the very next scene, here's Conan literally breaking out of his steel cuffs by tearing off a massive piece of concrete from the wall. He's literally the embodiment of Monsley's newfound mentality. Kid's a superhero, and he uses the opportunity to escape with Monsley when she arrives. Another convert to the way of Conan... only to be shot in the back as she leaves. She's still joking to the end about how often these soldiers miss their target, staying behind to cover Conan's escape with pistol in hand. We don't see her fall, but it doesn't look good. |
whiteflame55Nov 10, 2025 10:55 AM
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| Episode 21. Yes it has gone by very quickly watching this show. Reminds me of Nadia, a classic adventure story, told in a way that feels like a segmented movie. Lepka has gone full on power crazed, laughing to himself that everything is falling into place and the Triangle Tower will serve him, and him alone, cackle cackle. He's even torturing Lao on a metal table bond villain style. Jimsey and Dyce's double act in front of the mining cart is so good, understated comedy gold. Seems like her time with Conan and the people of HH has rubbed off on Monsley as she tries to convince Lepka of the merits of moving there and growing their food, and throwing away their weapons. He's having none of it. You're right, Monsley hits the nail on the head 'a prison made of steel and plastic...solar energy won't change that'. Ladies got a very good point. Pulling an entire section of the wall out of place is freakish, even for Conan. Monsley frees him fully repaying his trust in her. Oh no, not Monsley. Hope this isn't the end for her. She's been a very good side character. |
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| Cold morning here. Didn't help that our heat wasn't working overnight (it now is), so we got pretty chilly overnight in this sudden temperature drop we're experiencing. Dog's loving it, though, full of energy. Episode 22 Still incredible how Conan's legs can take that impact from hitting ground at that speed. Also, kid's just insane at dodging, manages to avoid laser beams and hails of gunfire alike. By now, these people should be thoroughly aware that Conan survives everything. Seems the scientific leadership of Industria is still active (Conan finds his way to them), but Lepka maintains control over their actions in the tower, literally holding them at gunpoint and even shooting at them to force them to flood the underground. Like you said, he really is just a cartoonishly evil villain at this point. Kind of amazing he still has so many loyal soldiers. Conan, now aware of this plan, heads down to warn them before it's too late. Another fun sequence sliding into the underground past some guards. Sequences like this are where the series is at its best animation-wise. Damn, he even stops an explosive in interesting fashion, trying first to put out the fuse by smothering it in his mouth and then just tearing off the end with his teeth. Unfortunately, it's not enough to stop them all and the underground soon is rapidly flooded. The mad dash to get out of of the underground is desperate and the closed shutter cuts everyone off from the surface. The demand is that they hand over Lana, but everyone remains steadfast, seeing this as an obvious trap. And yeah, obvious trap is obvious: she hands herself over and Lepka closes the port after her, demanding that she convince Lao before he opens it for them. Conan reunites with everyone. They're all working to dig their way out, but they don't have the time to manage this. Conan, Dyce and Jimsey take the mining cart and, using it to hold a pocket of air (can't last that long) make their way through the flooded tunnel - another great sequence with Dyce losing his footing and having to swim back up to them, and Jimsey being so short his legs are up in the air. They eventually make their way out, if barely, and luckily manage to prevent Monsley's execution while they're at it. Lana goes to Lao's side and it's becomes clear that he's insensate. It's unclear what they subjected him to or, honestly, why Lepka didn't figure it out up to this point. Thankfully, Lana can still communicate with him telepathically, and neither Lana nor Lao will subject themselves to Lepka's strongman tactics. He's got a time limit since, if everyone dies, he'll have no more bargaining chips to wield against Lana. Little short-sighted. I appreciate how they demonstrate that, yes, Lana can still be terrified as she's forced to walk a long plank and yet show courage in the face of that fear. She collapses, but thankfully Conan's climbing for her. Dyce and Monsely get to the tower and free the scientists so that they can open the shutter, and now Lepka has a mob of workers coming for him. Yep, it's all coming undone for him. |
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