OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「Cloud Age Symphony」 by (Shuntaro Okino)
Watch the 2nd OP!: Streaming ▼

「Second Adjournment」

This second recap didn’t really feel like a recap at all. I’m not saying I enjoyed it since it was mostly just footage from the original series but it didn’t feel out of place at all. In fact, it probably should have come earlier in the series. I think it would have helped anyone that hasn’t seen the original (why haven’t you seen the original?!). It was very concise and re-framed the original’s information in a way that helps focus the sequel’s direction.

It was nice to hear the old OP again but it threw me off at first. You don’t really expect them to pull off something like that. It reminds me of a time when we had a slightly better story. All of the old footage hasn’t really aged well in my opinion. It’s much too blurry for my spoiled eyes. It doesn’t help that all the colors are flat but that’s the artistic style they chose back then. I much prefer the current style we have now.

We finally revisit Dio and Alvis who were last seen running away from Alauda in episode 12. It seems that they’re still on the run. The most important part of this whole thing was being able to see Lavie and Claus alive and kicking. The little line about Alvis losing people important to her when she was introduced seems to have been answered. The wheelchair Lavie was pushing was a little perturbing though. Was Claus hurt? If so, how badly? (Could that have anything to do with the additional manga that I didn’t read?) I guess we’ll have to wait and see if they enter the fray within the next couple weeks. All that is left to reveal is Sophia

Notes:
* The older Lavie was voiced by Saitou Chiwa.
* Sorry for the delay. I caught the flu. I’m getting better though.

 

ED3 Sequence

ED3: 「Over the Sky [Angel Feather Ver.]」 by (Hitomi)
Watch the 3rd ED!: Streaming ▼

55 Comments

  1. FINALLY. After 16 episodes we finally get an episode of Ginyoku no Fam that is comparable to the first season of Last Exile. This episode had it all. There was an exhilarating aerial dogfight, an adrenaline pumping Vanship race, a frenzied Alex Rowe, a mind-broken Dio, Luciola ballet dancing with his nii-sama, massive airship fleet VS Exile battle, an epic poem recital complete with a glowing loli Alvis, a fakeout Mullin Shetland funeral service and etcetera. We even have a “new” OP and ED song too. Now how can this not be the best episode of Fam yet, right? Hmmm.. but why do all the scenes look strangely familiar? (^_-)

    On a serious note, it certainly was good to see this recap of the 1st season of Last Exile. Its not like I needed it as I’d marathoned the first season again just before Fam started airing, but I guess this episode would be invaluable to all those fans who have forgotten about the events in season one or fans who are new to the franchise as it looks like Fam is shifting its focus towards Anatoray and the returnees from Prester. I wouldn’t say that this episode was a total waste with the bulk just recycled footage from season one and 2-3 minutes of new content. In fact, I really appreciated Dio’s and Alviss’s narration (to who they’re narrating while being on the run from Guild assassins we can only guess) concerning the events of the previous season. Especially Dio’s narration during the scene when Luciola left Claus and Alviss to escape with Dio in the hangar made me shed a tear when I hear how bitter and sad Dio sounded at how he wasn’t able to say goodbye to his BFF.

    But the biggest reward for all the fans of the old Last Exile would have to be seeing our favorite Vanship pilot/navigator duo, Claus and Lavie. They sure are a sight for sore eyes after how long Gonzo refrained from showing them and even hinting of their abscense from the world of the living. Lavie seems to have grown much hotter (that shot of her back!!) while Claus is implied to be crippled in the legs. All in, I’m certainly looking forward to whats in store for us in the next episode.

  2. This episode was a mistake by the studio in my opinion. All it really did was draw attention to how much better the original series was. I thought the artwork from the first season held up remarkably well when compared to this season, and the story and characters from season 1 are leagues ahead. Fam isn’t over yet so there is still hope for some redemption, but watching the S1 recap at this stage of the game made it easy for me to look at the two side by side and find the current season up to now seriously wanting in comparison.

    Beckett
    1. Take off your nostalgia glasses my friend. Seriously. Fam isn’t the best titular character, but the second season is much better with regards to world-building and antagonists. Let me tell you, Prester’s two warring countries can’t compare to the wide variety of cultures we have surrounding the Grand Lake region.

      And was Delphine a compelling bad guy? Nope, she was just power-hungry and insane, while the Ades Federation are actually understandable in their motivations. And let’s not forget the fact that, a good chunk of the middle of the first series was devoted to building Claus a virtual harem.

      1. Fencedude: I wouldn’t say that, but it was definitely an awkward segment in Last Exile when, over the course of a few episodes, Tatiana and Sophia suddenly got the urge to cozy up to Claus. And let’s not go over how Lavie moped around for four to five episodes.

      2. Oh absolutely. At no point did Tatiana or Sophia’s sudden interest in Claus make a lick of sense, and it came perilously close to destroying Sophia’s character.

        At least with Fam you can get why both Gisey and Milia are into her.

      3. I agree that the scope and diversity of the warring states are better in Fam, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that we have the Jar Jar Binks of Last Exile characters as our main protagonist.

        Griffinman
      4. The “tactical” aspect of the battle also lose out if compare to first season. It is somehow analogues to 19th century musket war (1st Season) and WWI Meat Grinder (2nd Season)

        Silent Minstrel
      5. Exactly. The tactical aspects of this show just seem sloppy. What gets me is how long did it take for them to find “Special anti vanship weapons” which turned out to be simple flak when their massive ships can be decimated with one small fighter and one torpedo (or one pistol shot fired blindly from a princess who’s probably never held a gun before…)

        The lack of vanship defense in the first series made sense because nobody had used them in combat before, save the Sylvana, so the concept of fighter defense was brand new. However in Fam it’s blatantly obvious that vanships had not only become a staple in aerial combat, but one of the most effective methods to take out massive ships crewed by hundreds of people. Seriously, how many captial ships did it take to stop the Sylvius (an entire fleet couldn’t manage it) versus how many vanships it took to take out an Ades ship (one)?

        Going back to my original Star Wars reference, it would be like having the second Death Star (assuming it had been finished) that didn’t fix the ventilation shaft, refused to build fighter defense, and also refused to stock fighters of their own when they knew that a single fighter and a single shot was all it took to destroy the first. I’m not a military historian or tactician, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that it’s one hell of a stretch.

        Griffinman
      6. If we really REALLY want to give a reason why Ades didn’t employ vanship earlier, maybe the older generals like Sadri and Kayvan has a more ‘old school’ mindset and prefer lots of ships and big guns, while younger generals like Orang/Sorush/Luscinia/Vasant are more open-minded and deploy vanship/anti-vanship weaponry to great effect.

        Silent Minstrel
  3. I wasn’t going to watch this due to the last recap. But since you say that….

    This second recap didn’t really feel like a recap at all.

    I’m going to put my bet on your opinion on this one.

    The Moondoggie
  4. I really enjoyed the OP. Otherwise, I skipped throw watching the recap portions. I felt very nostalgic even though I just re-watched the series last month.

    I did notice that Dio was running from Guild Starfishes at the end. The Earth Guild organization have yet to show themselves in Ginyoku no Fam besides Luscinia and his partner’s assassin squad. I hope some revelations are coming soon.

    1. Yeah, you really have to wonder about the Earth Guild since Show Spoiler ▼

      . What HAVE they been doing since that time? Ades couldn’t have annihilated them in that short interim, could they>

    2. Noticed this too, it was really thrilling and tension filled seeing them and their deadly chase of Dio and Al, I’d like to know whose they are and like Myssa Rei, I’d like them to address the Earth Guild situation in the remaining episodes too.

      DangerMouse
      1. and i get a felling. That every one Exile is a Fragment of an Ark to Terra forming an death Planet. Clacies was an Vulcan/Heat Source in a Ice/Snow World/Area. Some Exile is the “Water” Type and so on…

        I bet if they Combine the Exiles. It will became an Huge Death Star! Aehm. Artificial Human made Planet.. Hows they calling that again? DysonSphare?

        Germanguy
  5. This episode did make the original cgi look aged, but it was good to see the recap of s1. The wheelchair is pretty mysterious, as there still is a pretty big gap between it and the series. One of them needs to explain the earth guild soon.

    dustandechoes91
  6. That was a nice throwback to the original LE. I don’t think the older visuals were all that bad, it looked fine for me in 720p, but the part about the colors being flatter is quite true.

    I didn’t think that Lavie was pushing a wheelchair at first; I thought it was a food cart, but I had to take a second look after seeing everyone’s comments. The directing for that scene was spot-on; everyone was definitely wondering what happened to Claus and Lavie, and that question was answered at the best possible time — at the very end of the episode. Kudos for that.

    DCLXVI
    1. Agreed, I think the visuals have held up surprisingly well and then taking into account it’s age and this is even a show that does feature quite a bit of CG. Everything still looks quite good and while some of the ships were obviously a little simplistic or lightly shaded compared to the gorgeous HD CG of Fam’s ships, considering their age I think they look quite good still and the vanships (Claus and Lavie’s still looks quite good in it’s scenes and visual effects on it for example) and Guild Starfish and Silvana still hold up quite well as did the Exile visuals.

      Loved seeing Claus and Lavie’s vanship there at the end in new CG, added to the awesomeness as they zoomed in on their vanship and then revealed them in new animation for the first time, it was so good. 🙂

      DangerMouse
  7. This episode is one of the reasons why I’m slowly losing my respect to Gonzo, whom I have been giving lots of credit. This episodes is clearly a blatant attempt to sell the first series.

    And my worst fears have come true: They showed us Claus and Lavie. I hope they wont have a major influence in the series. Just focus on Fam & the gang for christ sake. Do they really need to show us Claus & Lavie to make the show interesting? have they given up on Fam?

    Alec
    1. Sorry I can’t agree with you. It was an excellent episode and perfectly placed for those who have forgotten or haven’t seen the first series.

      Plus, Claus and Lavie are still a big part of the Last Exile universe/storyline, so I’m not sure why they shouldn’t play a role (significant or not) in this… and as a fan, were you not even a bit curious as to how they were both doing?

      Also, it’s not like they haven’t shown half of the cast from the first season already!

      Fam
      1. so, story-wise, what did that episode accomplish really? Does knowing the recap of the first season really help us understand what the current series is trying to do? No, we already know what the new series is trying to do.
        They should do a recap of the new Last Exile (which they already did) rather relying on the olf Last Exile’s glory by showing us an a recap of the awesome series.

        And I’m not a bit curious at all. Their story were over…done.
        Though I’d be lying if I said my fanboy-heart didn’t rejoice when I saw then, or when I heard Lavie say her usual phrase.

        They decided to milk the franchise. Heck, they recently even made a direct manga sequel to the old Last Exile. They just couldn’t make Last Exile stay as it is. They had to make a less-stellar seuqel. They should’ve made a Last Exile that is completely unrelated to the old series. That way, they wouldn’t have to taint the awesome series.

        To me, Gonzo has gone low with FAM. I admit it’s a bit effective. But it is a cheap move. It is something I thought Gonzo wouldn’t do. “Desperate times require desperate measures” This term really applies to GOnzo now.

        Alec
    2. Do they really need to show us Claus & Lavie to make the show interesting?

      Yes. Du-uh!!

      have they given up on Fam?

      Sadly, no.
      The recent ep once against features the Jar Jar Binks of the LE universe.

      Litho
    3. Perhaps they just showed us Claus and Lavie, to complete the “Resume of Last Exile 1”. So the current Viewer, has more Background Wisdom to enjoy/understand the 2 Season. But.. Now the Time of War is coming.. Dunno if it was the right Timing..

      And, i wonder what happed to Her. Is She now the Rules of their Country? https://randomc.net/image/Last%20Exile%20Ginyoku%20no%20Fam/Last%20Exile%20Ginyoku%20no%20Fam%20-%2015.5%20-%20Large%2023.jpg

      She was the 2nd behind Alex..

      Germanguy
  8. Felt a bit cheap since they just reused old footage most of the time, but it did drive home the FACT that the original had so much more atmosphere and “feel” over the sequel (plus better leads). Hell, only reason I watched the whole thing without skipping was BECAUSE they featured the old scenes, plus I wanted to find out if they were gonna show a grown up Claus and Lavie (which they did). With regards to new material, the scenes with Dio and Al were as good as usual, and felt really powerful despite Dio uttering the most overused sentence in anime (I’ll protect her).

    Was hoping the next ep would give us the reason why Clause seems to be wheelchair bound. Alas, just when the creators could have salvaged this series, they go f*ck it up again by reverting to the usual drivel featuring Fam Fence Fart and Gizelle Fish Face. Should’ve just discarded the two-bit rejects and given us Claus + Lavie and/or Dio + Al.

    Litho
    1. Well, this is Last Exile Fam afterall, not Claus. xD
      The creators made Fam their main character… They should stick with her until the end, like what almost all, if not all anime companies

      Alec
    2. Episode 16/18 is out there as Raw

      And, tehy focus on Fight.. That can be the reason for this 15.5 to get more Budget for the Battle Animations.. It is really good Made, btw

      But “Glory to Augusta!” is a bit overused…

      Germanguy
  9. I’m really liking Last Exile Ginyoku no Fam (don’t why people are complaining)and i really liked this episode since i never watched the original.

    I also hope Gonzo animates Alive: The Final Evolution i really loved the manga:)

    iroha360
    1. You probably wont realize why we’re complaining unless you see the first one in its entirety right next to Fam. The first is one of my favorite animes and when I heard a new one was being made I was ecstatic. I was even at the AX 2011 premier of the first episode of Fam and got a signed poster by the creators. This series comes nowhere close to the original.

      Griffinman
    2. Unlike Griffinman, I loved the original and I’m loving the new season so I totally agree with you and while there are some who complain about Fam there are also plenty of us S1 fans that have liked the new season as well. Also, since you enjoyed this ep and you said you’re enjoying Fam and I’d imagine the great LE setting, you should definitely give the original a watch someday too and see the rest of it, these are both great series and the original as you can see from this ep still holds up remarkably well even visually for something over 8 years old now.

      DangerMouse
  10. Thank god UNLISTED I tought the site droped Last Exile Ginyoku no Fam, this really makes my day, thanks, keep up. Loved this episode, even if it was a recap of the original series, but this time on Dio and Alvis’s point of view, Dio is my fav character of the show and I would love GONZO gives a Last Exile series as Dio as main, well if he lives this series, but still hope he is given more screen time, good to see Lucciola againand great a reminder of Lost Friend track.

    balker
    1. Totally agree. Loved this ep and how they integrated it in through Dio and Alvis. It was great seeing the recap and I thought Dio and Al’s scenes at the beginning and end were wonderfully executed.

      I second that, thanks UNLISTED!

      DangerMouse
  11. I never realized that what Lavie was hauling was actually a wheelchair…
    Now that made me concerned what happened to Claus!
    I do hope the translation of the Hourglass manga picks up, so that we might know what possibly happened…

    While it maybe cheap, especially to those who have seen the 1st season already, the recap was at least a good refresher for those who forgot, a primer for those who haven’t watched the first season; and a nostalgia factor for those who really liked the 1st series.

    I sure hope though that LE:Fam picks up better in the upcoming episodes…

    P.S.
    I find that Fam is the Jar Jar Binks lead comment really funny! :))

  12. Two things I hate about Last Exile:
    1. If you rage, you lose
    2. It’s hard to breathe when watching it

    At least that’s how I felt.. and I still do, with the newer shows..
    I feel like waiting till the series is complete before watching it :s (actually I forgot to follow LE:Fam since the two-week break, and just watched ep11-16. Fun, but I don’t think I can last episode per episode)

    acolyte

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