Short Synopsis: A Dune-episode
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 (Awesome colours!)
You know, it might actually be the case that Casshern’s random encounters are not going to appear in second half of this series anymore, and instead this series is now going to full-time focus on the most important characters. This episode was entirely about Dune, the next episode seems to deal with Dio and Leda again, and so it seems that the random episodes in the first half were really meant to flesh out the setting of this series. Now that that’s happened, it’s time for the characters to develop, and I can’t wait to see both the lesser and the better characters of this series change.
This episode also yet again provides a piece of the puzzle on what happened to Luna: Casshern did stab her through the heart, and she fell into a pool of some sort, and Dune witnessed this. However, nobody said anything about Luna losing her immortality: her body simply sunk to the bottom of that pool, and somehow Dune assumed that she wouldn’t survive it. The big question is now: why did he care so much about protecting her in the first place when she’s immortal? Why didn’t he dive after her to rescue her body? It’s now obvious that she survived, although I guess that it took quite a bit of time for her to recover. The question also remains where the ruins came from and how Casshern became immortal himself.
I also absolutely loved the art in this episode. The art director really went all out on this one, and the use of bright colours forms a huge contrast with the dark and gritty colours that were used in the rest of the series. This again symbolizes the new direction this series is going to take, I assume: the first half of the show was full of despair, so it was mostly filled with grey colours, and perhaps red. The second half, however, confirmed that Luna is alive, and is filled with hope instead, so that’s going to make for bright and cheerful colours.
But the landscape that this episode took place in was also fantastic and truly original. I’m still not sure exactly what it was… some sort of dried up ocean that was filled with semi-glass transparent blue salt, or something?
Casshern again. đ Thank you for blogging again, seems like it will be a very good looking episode.
By the way, aren’t you going to blog Sora o Miageru ShĆjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai?
I think it will be really great. I like how they are using the old OVA’s first (with director’s cut or extended footage) and then continue the story from there where the OVA’s left.
You are assuming that her immortality was instant regeneration like Casshern’s and not coming back from the dead possibly like Christ.
Lyuze is comforting and defending Casshern now. Even until the last episode, I never thought I’d see the day. And that’s only part of it.
To somewhat emphasize that Casshern and Lyuze were indeed intended to be a couple; they made the two walk on something slippery so that Lyuze would slip and Casshern would catch her – resulting in a scene that has got to be the best in the entire series so far. I guess that puts to rest all remaining doubt regarding the matter.
And just look at how happy and undeniably-concerned-about-Casshern Lyuze is now. Even I didn’t see that coming so soon. But it seems I was right all along that she’s just saying the stuff she used to tell Casshern.
This episode is awesome!
Well the art director of this show is one of the directors who worked on Mushishi so I’d chalk it up to noting the quality on that. Can’t wait for the sub of this episode. Heh I figured that Dune was the primary witness and that he would give the crucial piece of the puzzle regarding the encounter. But I never did think even once that Luna didn’t lose her immortality, I always thought she did. So maybe the Luna going around could be the real Luna.
I can see some logic behind Dune and Lyuze’s sister protecting Luna. Doesn’t seem like Luna can actually defend herself, though she doesn’t die. And considering Braiking boss I’d say she needed the protection.
I think that’s a sound assumption because that’s the kind of “immortality” Casshern got from contact/exposure to her blood.
Not to mention what actually happened when they failed to protect her.
By the way, is it really “Dune”? Or is it supposed to be “Doom”? Because the katakana could very well be the same for “doom”, I think. “Doom” makes more sense since he’s called “Shinigami”. Remember that the “Boulden” in the subs is written as “Bolton” in the credits.
I just saw the subbed vid, and this episode is really awesome. It turns out that Lyuze is indeed worried about Casshern, and Casshern finally gets to letting her know how he feels towards her (that she is something that he wants to protect).
Casshern has killer lines that are probably worth trying IRL. Also, he seems to like saying Lyuze’s name, which might also make for a good move.
In my blog, I described Casshern and Lyuze’s relationship as “strange-in-its-own-right”. But I’d like to add “cute” to that. Like Lyuze, especially in this episode, it is cute. There’s a kind of chemistry between them that I have yet to put into words, but I just like. Not even having a “3rd wheel” around could ruin it, if not work in its favor.
It’s kind of weird for Lyuze to try to stop Casshern and Dune’s fight based on the reason she gave, but I guess it might be a sign that she’s started to see things in a different light. And this is just after hanging out for one episode. I’m looking forward to their next appearance. My faith in this shipping is finally paying off.
This really is an awesome episode; of an awesome series; with an awesome main couple; that has an awesome relationship – it’s AWESOME. I’m thankful to God that this series came into existence and that I’ve lived to see it. It may sound pathetic, but it has been the best thing that has ever happened in my life.
CasshernxLyuze: nah, it’s perfectly understandable. I’ve had the same one with a different series: Mahou Shoujotai. The same happened to me what you described in that last paragraph when I watched that series.
CASSHERNxLYUZE still want to chalk up Leda being weak due to losing to an inferior robot XD, Dune really hurt Casshern despite all the multiple injuries and his further ruined body.
I’m starting to understand why Dune loved Luna so much. Luna after all is one who can’t die, in other words a perfect companion for Dune whose very presence scares others away fearing for their lives. So I guess he wanted to protect the only thing that couldn’t possibly have ever been scared of him. Dune’s episode really was quite good, in that it showed just how strong Dune’s will to live for Luna was. Words failing me XD
In any case moving onto the ruin I do wonder whats in the air that is causing ruin, I mean look at Ringo’s upgraded helmet. Along with that I wonder why there was no robots at Luna’s place wonder if she can really heal them, or prolong their lives or is it just a placebo effect. In any case I’m definitely looking forward to the next episode Leda again oh and Dio, I like Leda XD.
@ psgels:
I guess I’m sort of thinking from the perspective of those arrogant types who like to call names based on how other people don’t live (or, don’t live up to) according to their standards (or, the standards that they chose to follow for themselves).
@ Machi:
Yeah, Dune kicked ass. But what I don’t get is why the male “Casshern types” seem to have no difficulty fighting against him. Sure, Casshern gets all bloodied up, but he’s not getting knocked down like in both of his fights with Dio.
Luna is also “the source of life” – kind of an anti-thesis to his “Shinigami” reputation.
Not only this episode was good, but Dune’s “ending” was also good. That is, in the sense that he’s found some kind of closure after a hard-fought personal struggle. Now that I think of it, every “significant character” that Casshern met found some kind of closure for their respective “path in life”… well, most of them.
Another thing is that, why is the Ruin still going on eventhough Luna is supposed to be alive?
By the way, I thought Ohji’s a robot, but seeing his injury from the last episode is gone, that doesn’t seem to be the case. But then, he also knows how to make repairs, and probably has some parts with him.
This episode really did remind me of the story of Christ. The biblical undertones in this anime are coming through.
Which part of it? Casshern “overcoming Death“? Luna “resurrected” after dying?
The main plot of this series reminds me of Norse mythology; in which their eschatological event, Ragnarok, began upon the wolves Skoll and Hatii (kins of the warg Fenrir) finally catching up to and devouring the Sun and the Moon deities respectively, after chasing after them throughout time. Compare that to Casshern killing “the Sun called Moon”… In this case, there are two “wolves” racing to kill one deity, and one of them failed.
Seeing how several characters in this series have been named after mythological characters, and references to both religious and mythological deities, I think it’s likely that they drew ideas from both religion and mythology.
I just hope that I’m wrong in my speculation that Lyuze’s name was taken from “Lucifer”.