Short Synopsis: Nakiami arrives at Tessik, Haru starts moving again, Akiyuki still really doesn’t do anything, his mother discovers her ex-husband’s little secret and Kagisu is one big bastard.
Highlights: Still surprisingly quiet, and still surprisingly engaging.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 (Excellent)
I must say that with the current arc, Bonen no Xamdou has really set itself apart from all other anime. Sure, this isn’t the first time where a middle arc takes a step back in favour of a quiet atmosphere, dedicated to fleshing out the side stories, but I can’t recall having such an arc so well done as this one. This arc not only gets the chance to flesh out a number of the side-plots and set up for the finale, but it also pushes the story more forward and especially it never stops developing the characters.
I also now understand what the title of this series means. When Akiyuki first showed up with that mask, I really didn’t suspect that the creators actually had the guts to just put him into a vegetable state for more than three episodes, and who knows when he’s going to recover? The “Lost Memories”-part of the title seems to suggest that his lost memories will form a central theme and focus in the series, so the chance might be that it’s going to take until episode 26 for that to happen.
If this series is ultimately about Akiyuki’s lost memories, then we can also predict a bit what will happen to Furuichi. He’s been continuously portrayed as Akiyuki’s rival, or antagonist, and both of their “senses” disappeared around the same time, suggesting that they’re meant to show the same process through different roads. Incidentally, both of them threw away their faces, they just did it in different ways. We’re going to have to wait a bit to see what this actually means, but the eye-ball is definitely a huge clue, especially since it started talking and eating in this episode. My suspicion is that this eye-ball is Akiyuki’s Hiruko, who’s managing to free himself from his arm. This episode revealed that those strange wobbly thingies are actually the Hiruko who are unbound to a human being, and who knows: perhaps there are more forms of these creatures?
Also, Haru seems to be coming into action again in the next episode! That sudden laugh of her seems to suggest that she hasn’t just grown stronger, but still, like everything in this series I really doubt that that hysterical laugh was what it looked like. She really does have guts, though, and I wonder what she’s going to do after escaping: saving her sister, searching for Akiyuki or doing something completely different?
Interesting theory, I never thought about the eyeball being a hiruko.
I have not seen this episode yet but I don’t necessarily agree with you statement on what the title means. Akiyuki losing his memory might be a what the title is talking about, but I believe it is only a small part of it. In the first episode when Nazuna touched Akiyuki’s forehead she said ,”My name is Nazuna… Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Along with our lost memory… Xam’d.” I think that that line is meaning that maybe the memory for all Xam’d or for the Tesscan God. I haven’t thought of it enough but I will get back to you when I think of it more.
This was a great episode. Now that remains to be seen is where the plot goes next.
Interesting. I also cannot wait to see the next episode; if your theories are correct.
I didn’t expect Kujireika to be Nakiami’s sister, or is she really?
The eyeball guy is an interesting fellow, and I did think that he could be the Xam’d resiting in Akiyuki but who knows.
The fact that the eyeball eats and talks (or rather, gives speeches) is a bit weird. Have to wonder where the plot is going with Akiyuki (how does he eat with his mask? he must be starving, heh). Nakiami’s little comment about eloping with a mini Xam’d did make me smile (it flustered the kid into silence, for once). Haru continues to surprise me, offering herself to the commander in exchange for her sister’s safety.
The commander didn’t start off as such a bad guy at first, but he’s becoming more and more of an ass and acts more like a contemptible villain as the series progresses. I wonder why the gradual change of heart with him. Also I wonder if we’ll see more of Furuichi in the future. Seriously, why do most of the male characters act like idiots when Haru is involved?