Short Synopsis: Furuichi freaks out once he sees Akiyuki again.
Highlights: Furuichi, obviously.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10 (Awesome)
Finally Bonen no Xamdou is back! And what a way to return with such an episode; it’s here wehre Furuichi’s development finally comes together, and I really loved the way this episode unfolded itself.
Furuichi losing control was one thing, but what especially made an impression on me was how he behaved afterwards. I originally thought that the guy would simply die, but he till managed to survive the whole ordeal and got taken in by the forces of Sentan Island. After that, he escaped, and went back to the old couple that took care of him, in a perfectly calm mood. I don’t think the guy committed a real suicide, and that his real soul seems to be somewhere else. This is indeed the point in the series to suggest that there’s something deeper than just what the first half of the series would have us expect.
This episode also successfully eliminated my fears at Akiyuki ending up at a harem, because the episode ends with him, away from both Nakiami and Haru, when it seems that he now has amnesia and has been captured by what I guess are a bunch of circus-performers. I have no idea why the creators decided to schedule a hiatus right after the previous episode, instead of this one, which seems to be far more appropriate.
Furuichi’s animation was also wonderful, there was so much attention to detail, and I’m glad that the Xam’d fight with their bare fists. This turns the fights into much more than just throwing a bunch of flashy beams at each other. This series also really makes telling sound so easy: just progress everything naturally and don’t rely lazily on clichés, and yet it feels so much more creatively written than most other series.
To clarify, it was Sony who put it on Hiatus. They started airing it on the American Playstation Network Months months before the Japanese Playstation Network got it. As a result, they had to stop the American release and wait for the Japanese releases to catch up to Episode 12/13. And now the episodes are being released around the same time both subbed and RAW.
So yeah, blame Sony for their terrible management and lack of communication and information, as well as their trademark feature of lying to their customers and betraying them.
But yes, great episode! Some great displays of animation, as well as excellent drama, character development and a plot that seems to be rocketing along now. And once more, it rises questions about things regarding the Xam’d and other aspects. Although i’m not always a huge fan of “everyone gets lost” directions, Xam’d gives it the potential to be interesting – the preview especially looks worth watching.
Either way, i’m glad Xam’d is back! One of my favourite shows this Year.
From episode 13 onwards, this is also classified as ‘Season 2’ of Xam’d on the PlayStation Network. So it was a combination of Japan catching up, and splitting it into the 2nd season.
This is definitely a focus-shifting episode for the series.
I don’t think they lied, but they didn’t say anything about the break.
As usual a large number of people watching this show do not care about it (or even know where it comes from), so no harm done.
Akiyuki can’t remember his name. Nakiami repeated and repeated him not to forget his name or who he is. I wonder this adventure will lead us…
Hmm, I wonder if those who are accompanied by Hiruko/Xam’d can’t die as easily as humans. I certainly hope not, after the foolish thing Furuichi did, that idiot. He has become so lost, and I was so clad when I thought he would become more like how he was at the start couple of episodes back.
I like Xam’d Lost Memories very much, and thank you for blogging this. I will follow with interest.
Erias: the thing is that we’ve already seen many humanforms die already, so what’s the difference between them and the Furuichi who just cut off his own head?
I have no idea. I just don’t want Furuichi to be dead, so it seems like I’m searching for something.
But, I thought that Humanforms and Xam’d were different from one another. Weren’t humanforms made by this worlds military forces and Xam’d come whereever those white haired kids seem to release those strange light things?
I think I will watch the previous episodes again since my memory is a little hazy about those events, and of course there are still a lot of episodes to come so who knows what will happen.
Well, I’m going to start from episode one again.
And I suppose Furuichi’s body will be picket up by the military and who knows what they will do with his body, but I also wonder if he turned into stone or didn’t.
I’d be kinda pissed if they find a way to bring Furuichi back, I don’t really want a FINAL BOSS ending.
It’s a very abstract anime. I think they push the ‘abstract’ button a bit too much and risk losing the connection between the viewers and their characters. They did this with Eureka Seven and slaughtered the 2nd half of the series.
I think someone at Bones need to pull their original concept shows a bit back into the concrete.
Less is more. Employing fewer and simpler motifs will actually be more effective.
But I did like how enormously powerful Furuichi’s feelings were expressed in animation.
“It’s a very abstract anime. I think they push the ‘abstract’ button a bit too much and risk losing the connection between the viewers and their characters. They did this with Eureka Seven and slaughtered the 2nd half of the series.” (From commenter #9)
Yes bones loves to kill off the 2nd half of their series. As a matter of fact, they slay off half of their characters in their series.
eg: twenty faces,juuosei,darker than black,
ahem – wolf’s rain.
What other mass killings of theirs might I be missing.