This episode felt like an intermezzo. The atmosphere wasn’t as heavy as it was before, though the episode remained incredibly worthwhile. Some new problems get introduced, older problems get brought back, and Paraietta, Aaeru, Neviriru, Mamiina, Rödoreamon, Yun and Harukonfu get a healthy dose of character development.
Firstly, regarding the plot. We begin the episode with the funeral of Angurasu. It’s being helt in the Arcus Prima. Apparently, I was wrong in my conclusion at the end of the previous episode. The enemy has managed to capture a number of Simoun from the Chor Caputo and Riboru, but it hasn’t discovered their secrets yet. What happened in the previous episode was Angurasu, along with two other priests, sneaking into the ruins, trying to steal one of the Simoun of the Ancients. There isn’t that much info about them, but I do suspect that they formed the base for the normal Simoun. The previous episode was meant to show that the enemy indeed is capable of piloting Simoun.
Later, Neviriru and Aaeru speculate about what happened with Angurasu, Limone, Dominüra and Amuria. They reach an interesting conclusion. The Simoun are able to bend even time and space. Angurasu, at the moment she shot her bombs, went to some kind of special place. That explains why she didn’t die that time. Aaeru’s grandfather also suspected something like this. This episode also suggests that in his Sibylla-years, he seemed to have been quite important, or in any case famous.
He also knew quite a lot about the Simoun, as it seems that he used to tell Aaeru that the Simoun can see what’s ahead, which indeed confirms that they do have the ability to mess with time. He also reveals that the Simoun can bring you to a different world. Aaeru’s grandfather has always yearned for this other world. Aaeru and Neviriru then realize that Limone and Dominüra indeed are alive somewhere. And Amuria as well.
The interesting question, of course, remains: is there just one other world, or are there more? Were Dominüra and Limone sent to the same place as Amuria? And how about Angurasu? Was she also sent towards the other world, or did she just teleport to a random place in the normal world? If she didn’t, and really got sent to the other world, then how did she get back? And why haven’t Dominüra, Limone and Amuria come back? I’m suspecting that Onashia’s playing a significant role in this one. I’m also wondering what the trigger is for being sent off. So far, the things that both Amuria as Limone as Dominüra as Angurasu shared in common was that they felt themselves incredibly close to god, and a loud explosion followed. Aaeru and Neviriru decide to keep the things they found out a secret for each other.
Meanwhile, it seems that yet another nuisance has appeared, in the form of a bunch of highly placed government officials. They’ll be playing the role Harukonfu had in the earlier episodes. Only ten times worse. These people also don’t believe that the Simoun are god’s crafts, which results in quite some snide remarks and arrogantic behavior. Aaeru and Neviriru manage to pwn them at first, when they ask the Simoun for their strongest Ri Maajon, and they display the Dandelion Ri Maajon, otherwise known as the one who only gets performed during ceremonies due to its huge symbolism and history. But fortunately (am I getting sadistic?) these guys don’t give up that fast. They even knock Yun against the wall when she hinders them when they try to take away Angurasu’s body and they order Waporifu to dismantle a Simoun once again.
The Sky Fortress from episode twelve is still an issue, though. Ever since we saw it that episode, it has been unfindable. The officials want to find it. This all gets mentioned during a meeting with the officials, Harukonfu, Anubitufu, Guraghief and the high priests of the Arcus Prima. During the same meeting, the fact that Neviriru is piloting Aaeru gets mentioned. The high priests become a bit startled when they realize something her grandfather seems to have done. Then, the scene ends, suggesting something which happens later in the episode.
Yun, meanwhile encounters the officials carrying Angurasu’d dead body away, and gets pushed away violently, like described before. Later, the Sybilla get information about their upcoming missions. It seems that they’ll be heading back to the Messis, in order to locate the Sky Fort, as the Messis works better for these kinds of missions. Everyone also gets surprised when Mamiina is forced as Neviriru’s pair, while Aaeru and Yun don’t get to participate in the mission at all. The events preceding these scenes, combined with Harukonfu’s reaction suggest that the reason for Aaeru not being able to participate is her grandfather, while Yun can’t participate because of her behaviour against the officials. But is that all there is to it? Especially the way this episode ended made me see this.
The Sybilla head off, and Aaeru and Yun are left behind. (Just wondering: where were the Simoun heading to? Were they heading for the Messis first, in order to search for the Sky Fortress based on it, or are they just on a single mission, planning to return to the Arcus Prima later that day, or the day after? There’s quite a significant difference between these two options) Both Aaeru and Yun rush off, in order to do something. What are they planning? Are they planning the same thing? We’ll have to wait till next week in order to find these ones out.
Neviriru is starting to get more and more friendlier with Aaeru. This episode, she also made the initiative of starting a conversation with her. She also looked quite happy along with Aaeru, when they had to perform her Ri Maaju in the Maaju Pool. I don’t think I can believe her when she claimed not to trust Aaeru, and that she only faced Aaeru in order to be able to face Amuria, and so herself.
Aaeru’s reasons for refusing to choose her gender are also explained a bit more, during a flashback of her and her grandfather. In there, her grandfather uses an analogy of a river. The young Aaeru is able to cross it, though the old grandfather isn’t. He can’t go any further. He then tells Aaeru that in order to grow old, you have to make decisions to get there. That means that if you make one, you will be left out on the other options you’ve chosen not to take. This means that you lose tons of opportunities if you make a decision. (interesting note: what happened to Aaeru’s cheek in the flashback? Was it meant as a symbol, to show that Aaeru liked to run off to dangerous places, or did something specific happen to her?)
Paraietta, meanwhile, begins to get more and more doubts. Seeing Aaeru and Neviriru together doesn’t really make her feel comfortable either. Neither is the fact that they seem like the perfect team. Then there’s also the matter that she believes that she can’t make any good decisions at all. Then, during this episode, she finally loses it. She finally realizes that she has to protect Neviriru forcefully. Not quite the best idea ever, though the results were very entertaining. During the evening, when the two of them are alone, Paraietta grabs her chance, in trying to forcefully win Neviriru over her. Of course, Neviriru doesn’t agree with this.
Mamiina reveals that she enjoyed the time she had on the Messis quite a lot (unlike a certain Furoe ^^). Everyone seemed equal at that time, even eating mouse stew. Mamiina did realize, however, that everyone was different. This became clear after they got back to the Arcus Prima again. Later in the episode, when it seems that she finally gets her chance to pair with Neviriru. She then reveals to Rödoreamon that she still wants to be on the same level as the others, but this time it’s because she truly wants to be friends with everyone.
Rödoreamon also showed that she can be strong. This became clear when Mamiina showed her her weakness. The two are living towards each other more and more.
Waporifu, meanwhile, still has Dominüra’s reaction after seeing the dismantled Simoun on her mind. She seems quite against the fact that she has to dismantle a Simoun yet again. She wonders what to do, and eventually reaches the conclusion to do what she believes in. She didn’t get featured too long during this episode, though I don’t think that that was the last thing we’ve seen of this.
Yun finally begins to show signs of weaknesses and determination. We had to wait for this for a long while, but finally, she’s also beginning to break out of her shell. The first sign we see of this is when she looks at a miniature boat-like item with a very nostalgic look. Though I have no idea what this might be. It could be a cradle as well. For some reason, she also was heavily offended by the fact that Angurasu was carried away, and she attempted to stop the officials. Later in the episode, she also can’t get any sleep at all.
Harukonfu seems to have lost the spark he once had. I think that seeing the peace negotiations end up with the initiators killing themselves wasn’t good for his health. It’s like Mamiina said: he’s become an old man now. He’s not able of acting with the confidence and charisma he once had. Therefore, he loses influence. Still, he was quite sad in which he begged Neviriru not to make his job even more difficult.
I’m also wondering about Kaimu. Obviously, her role still isn’t over, as she’s still in love with Paraietta. As the latter is way too busy with getting angry over Neviriru and Aaeru, she fell in the background a bit. Still, the fact that she looked up hopefully to Paraietta when the two of them were assigned to remain in the same Pair, does suggest that she hasn’t lost any of her feelings yet. Paraietta, however, didn’t notice anything.
I’m also wondering about Aruti. For now, it seems that her only reason to be in the Chor Tempest is Kaimu, but I want to see their relationship get even more developed. For now, they act like strangers, while their case really remains interesting. Furoe has gotten some subtle changes, though she remains the most cheerful members of the Chor Tempest. I think that, because of her personality, that she’s able to handle more than the average member of the Chor Tempest. Morinasu also isn’t seen near Waporifu, this time. It seems that the two have made up, though their relationship has changed (I couldn’t help but wondering: how exactly would you define their relationship? Straight, as Morinasu is a woman, while Waporifu is a man? Yaoi, as Waporifu is a man, and Morinasu’s planning to become a man as well? Yuri, as technically, they’re both women? Or a combination of the three of them?)
Memorable Moment: Seeing Yun act differently from her usual self. I’ve been waiting for that. 🙂
