「Transposition」

The fighting at Boreas came to an end which marked the beginning of negotiations. It was less a negotiation than an argument over who was right and wrong, a young queen throwing a childish tantrum, and spontaneous outbursts. It remains to be seen what will happen next due to the events that take place in this episode and since we didn’t get a preview this time around.

What amazed me this episode was how easily Luscinia was forgiven by Sara for his reprehensible actions. He was conducting genocide of immigrant peoples. By accepting Luscinia back, Sara has basically agreed to continue this campaign. Does she know what she just did? Also, where is the maniacal Luscinia from episode 15? He came back way too calmly.

I’m surprised by the amount of good will the people have held for over 10 years towards the Augusta name. Why they didn’t just pretty much strip the power from the queen’s vacant position and keep Sara around as a symbolic head of state is puzzling. It would have been much more easy for Ades to continue doing what they were doing.

The tension at the party was very believable. No amount of crying from a child queen could make adults accept such a forced peace especially not after all the losses incurred. This party did allow us to see Fam, Giselle, Millia, and Tatiana in dresses. I had to double check that was Tatiana because I couldn’t believe my eyes! She doesn’t strike me as a dress person. The party also brought up Fam’s lineage again but due to her clumsiness, it was quickly buried underneath all the other events taking place.

Lilliana became a matyr just as I had predicted back in episode 14. I wasn’t really interested in the fact that she had jumped in front of Dian’s shot to save Luscinia although it’s a little unbelievable that Luscinia didn’t see it coming or would have died from that type of wound. After all, he was deflecting bullets all the way back in episode 11. I don’t believe she saved him because she loved him – it seemed way too superficial. Their attempt to create a romantic subplot in episode 11 had already failed in my eyes. It makes more sense that Lilliana saved Luscinia because she agreed with him and his methods for preserving the world. What did interest me was how Lilliana’s death catapulted Millia to the top of Turan succession and gave her the ability to control their exile. It’ll be interesting to see what path she takes and how she uses her newfound powers (of course, she can’t control the exile without knowing the Mysterion). Whether she was persuaded by her sister’s words and beliefs remain to be seen.

I was anxiously waiting for Dian to do something all episode long. After her outburst at Fam for stopping her from firing upon the third fleet and then seeing her attempting to shoot Fam down and prevent her from carrying out the cease-fire, I found it a little odd that she would be so submissive when it came to the end of the fighting. It’ll be interesting to see what her fate will be after shooting Lilliana.

It’s easy for me to take the moral high road but the fact is that their problem is very difficult one to solve. Still, what gives Ades the right to wipe out people because resources are scarce? The end doesn’t justify the means. Also, wouldn’t the proper route have been for Ades to ally themselves with older nations instead of taking them out? (This point is kind of moot since I’m sure that Luscinia has some sort of ultimate weapon.)

I’m getting pretty jittery over the ending. There are still things left to close out and with only 3 episodes left, it’s hard to see how these loose ends will get meaningful closure. I was surprised when they introduced a new faction within the Turan military but that was handled fairly well and quickly. If they’re going to introduce something (or someone), they better do it soon or forever hold their peace and just tie up the loose ends we already have properly.

Notes:
* Full-length images: 24, 29, 30

 

ED5 Sequence

ED5: 「Sorrows of Life」 by Hitomi Kuroishi

27 Comments

  1. Fam’s lineage might be a Chekhov item so hold on to that one for a while.

    Also Liliana’s death won’t make sense unless she wants Milla on the throne, and in control of the Exile, instead of her.

    I think Sara is still immature to expect anything from her even now. She obviously wanted everything to be what it used to be. So she accepted Luscinia back. Obviously Luscinia will try to backstab her in the end. Whether she survives and learn from the experience or she dies is still up in the air.

    And you might say “the end doesn’t justify the means”. But when people are desperate, even mad things such as this becomes acceptable with a little push and a few bullshit speech. The kind of things Luscinia is good with.

    The Moondoggie
  2. Ah, I was so happy to see Lilliana’s finally buy the farm. Ding dong, the witch is dead. Seriously, I would have much rather her sister have put her down. The writing in this has been horrible. Lilliana should have committed suicide rather than let her power be used in such a manner. No matter what shit they throw at us about how necessary it is, it isn’t necessary. War takes a massive amount of resources. Resources that could have been effectively funneled through peaceful means to finding solutions. Also, trying to make him Luscinia seem like a noble monster is far too late and so ineffectively done. I’m looking forward to the end of this show so I can delete the whole thing and forget about it.

    GuardMonkey10
    1. If people could be logical enough to avoid war and always take the path to peace, then our world would be a very different place.

      War almost never happens through rational cold calculations. Looking back to the start of most wars, it is often because of escalation of tensions on both sides until it spirals out of control into open conflict. Blind hate & racism, refusals to compromise and brashness only add fuel to the fire.

      There are times when a war is inevitable. You might be able to avoid conflict if you maneuver or negotiate well before, but when tanks are sitting at your doorstep and your people are being crushed under the weight of bombs and rubble, it’s much too late for talking. It’s do or die.

      DaSilva
  3. You have to remember that the people from the Exiles have also forced the natives from their homes and forced them to migrate to Ades. Which as shown doesn’t have very good farming land and even the Queen eats the same food the peasants eat.

    The Turanians several episodes ago even had looks of disgust when they looked down at the people originally from Turan being happy at being able to return to their homeland again. Which Millia notices and wondered if her sister also knew about this.

    Then there’s the Empress who supported peace and was murdered by Exile Terrorists. Which is what began Luscinia going to such extremes in the first place. Then Vasant decides to solve the whole Luscinia problem by gather a bunch of revenge filled people who are only out for blood and manipulating Sara to get back at Luscinia. It’s a cycle of revenge and I wouldn’t be surprised if the people from the Exiles started it.

    You also don’t seem to realize how important resources are. Once they start going scarce people will become desperate people and start killing each other to get whats left. It will only end up in pointless death and slaughter which is why they are trying to prevent it now.

    TheVoid
    1. What’s interesting is that according to Liliana and Luscinia, the vast majority of the Earth is still in environmental shambles and that all the countries are grouped into the small region in and around modern day Turkey by necessity and not by choice. Returnees may have be the reason that the natives were displaced but all evidence points to it being out of need rather than greed or malice. The tensions are probably from many years of war.

      Besides, it’s the Guild’s duty to handle where and how returnees are placed when they get back to Earth from their off-worlds.

      But then how did Anatoray-Disith settle into their current lands without displacing people already living there? Their lands appear by all accounts to be incredibly fertile, what with the huge fields of wheat and the apparent lush scenery in the show and manga.

      Perhaps there are other habitable areas that they haven’t spent enough time searching, however unlikely.

      The argument that they need to wage war to secure dwindling resources for the people who are left afterwards is a logical one, if incredibly morally ambiguous.

      Comparisons can be compared to how Delphine withheld resources from the people of Prestor because, by her own words, she said if they grew in numbers without checks they would quickly consume more than Prestor could produce. The main difference being she kept it all for herself and her favorites.

      DaSilva
    2. I think the next episode has the right answers to your opinion about Sara, Vasanto and Luscinia.

      About resources are important, but people are not only numbers. That kind of review is too reductive, cutting, and it’s the result of an inhuman social-emotional logic (don’t worry, many economists and politicians share the same feature).
      Would you ever take the decision about who must survive and who must succumb, if you had the power? Would you base your decision on some strange neodarwinist-to-racist considerations? Would you leave people to kill each other through a war instead, because they are too many to feed?
      Luscinia is leading and putting to reality his ideals about this, reminding me Maestro Delfine’s speech about people who mustn’t reach their dreams, or they’d stop working.
      Some people said Luscinia is a less flat evil character than Delfine, but I still prefer the way how they made Delfine’s char.

      MetalliumSlayer
  4. 3 episodes left? really? I’m not sure how I should feel about that…

    I just hope that they don’t ruin the build up of seeing the Anatoray-Disith Alliance back in action by using it as a dues ex machina for the finale against what ever luscinia has planned.

    For all you people that read the manga LE: Travelers from the Hourglass, what y’all think about the revelations from the latest chapter?

    Xziled
    1. It does seem like it’s going to be tight but I’ve seen more outlandish time frames for show finales. Just gotta hope for the best.

      The latest chapter was amazing. It confirmed without a doubt that the creators of the show and the manga collaborate extensively, making everything within the manga canon, which I was worried about drawing conclusions by referencing both.

      It also explains the Guild on Prestor may not have been so different from the Guild everywhere else either. Their devotion to their duty gives them a drive fueled solely by their given purpose making them seem more like robots than human.

      It also explains how the Guild members are so willing to sacrifice and serve, as well as their almost inhumane grace and powers, as well as their unique build or “look”.

      It’s evidence that the creators are not as simple minded as many seem to be worried about quality of writing. The subtlety is clear to me, unless I’m grossly misinterpreting their intentions and seeing deeper meaning where none exists. Seeing as how they’re professionals in a competitive field that is founded on creative juices, I feel fairly confident it’s not crazy to delve a little past the surface.
      “Nothing is what is seems”

      DaSilva
    1. I forget who said it, but “a death of a beautiful woman is a loss for the world.” Of course, there are some times when that concept is morally grey if the woman in question is a sadistic antagonist like in Last Exile (original), but I don’t think Liliana was that bad. Hell, her actions are more likable than the whining of Millia or Fam.

  5. Firstly, the pacing in this episode was MUCH improved. Everything progressed at a measured pace despite the mass of story and characters involved this week.

    The reconciliation council closed very prematurely as nothing of substance was decided on for the future of all the nations and the Ades. Though it’s to be expected, given how the ponderous U.N. in our world to decide on anything. Despite their peace efforts, it will indeed take a lot more to assuage the hate and loss of those caught up in the conflict.

    Also it doesn’t seem that strange that Sara holds them under her sway. There are plenty of examples where the seat of power is more important than the person sitting in it. Maybe in the Ades Fed the Empress’ word is law. In that case to defy her words would be like high treason. Of course it doesn’t stop the politically inclined to try, if subtlety.

    As for Dian, once the ceasefire was declared, there wasn’t a whole lot she could do since the kind of fighting they do is highly visible. If she broke the ceasefire on her own, it wouldn’t be strange for many to turn their guns on the Glacies pilots. The assassination attempt was probably the most responsible way she could have carried out her revenge, so she didn’t involve her subordinates.

    DaSilva
  6. Horrible episode. The reason the witch died was because of Fam and Sara. Ending that discussion in a stupid way….I mean, did they really think Dian and co would accept it? Luscinia IS A MASS MURDERER. Can’t Fam see that? She should have lost someone to Luscinia to see to how it is to lose someone to him.

    This show is stupid, the only worthwile episode so far has been the s1 recap. The only one that will remain in my computer.

    leokiko
    1. There is nothing with being idealistic but you have to know the limitations of your own belives. There is nothing moral or just in a war so Dian´s action were the right ones, you can´t justify genocide with pretext of few natural resources, that´s insanity in it´s own right. Mark my words, nothing can be be build using the people´s lives as the keystone, a person who uses genocide as a tool to save their kind is a MONSTER and nothing more.

      haseo0408
    2. But by that reasoning, anyone who’s ever led a nation to war is a mass murderer.

      There’s no reason to retaliate violence with more violence when other options are available. It’s not a persons place to judge who lives and who dies and by what standards. To take away ANYONE’S life, no matter how apparently evil or deserving of it nor how many people ask for it to be done, is fundamentally wrong.

      Never should it be done willingly, except to protect yourself or others from immediate harm or death, with no other choice possible. Even then it shouldn’t be celebrated.

      To give in to your passions and strike out in anger or grief is a sign of weakness, showing you are unable to control yourself as well as ultimately self centered. The strongest are those who can resist falling to their level, instead accepting, forgiving and working toward what’s best for ALL. We may not be perfect but we should always strive higher, lest we fall and become something unworthy of being called human.

      DaSilva
      1. You are absolutely right and that´s what I´m trying to say, this is fight of morals, about what is more worth: the life of a monster or the life of millons. Luscinia chose the path of war above everything else and that´s what makes him a monster, because he belives he´s doing th right thing.

        haseo0408
  7. Since no one other than Luscinia has been shown to be any bordering pure Evil in this series, I’m willing to bet the Big Bad is either the guild (again) or some population reducing algorithm that’s a remnant of the guild.

    The image from Milia’s ascension was out to space where all the exiles are parked. Unless the land is extremely scarce, 6 exiles by themselves shouldn’t scare the shit out of Milia and give her catharsis, afterall you see them in the sky all the time. More likely, there’s some giant space station/ cannon there that has a trigger based on population ala Guren Lagan style. THis things would explain why Liliana was so willing to betray her own people and genocide a whole nother nation.

    If Turkey is the only reason that’s regenerated so far, and the exiles are arriving in much greater quantities much earlier than the Guild’s algorithm predicted, its highly possible they have some kind of failsafe to reduce human numbers. I wouldn’t even be terribly surprised if a bulk of the guild is hiding on a space station. Luscinia is likely aware of this and might even be a guild representative that got converted by the old Augusta and is thus looking for a third way out. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended being a tragic hero who was misunderstood all along.

    Tommy
    1. But he can’t be a tragic hero anymore. Nanoha blows people up for doing exactly what he does, not talking nor listening. He’s done nothing but egg things on and cause a lot of grief. Just as no amount of Deus Ex Machina will ever make Lilliana into a martyr for me.

      GuardMonkey10
  8. Who cares about the plot anymore? I just know I was laughing my ass off when Luscinia owned the shit out of everyone. And Fam FINALLY realized she is freaking dumb and an naive idiot.

    I’d say it was an awesome episode xD

    leokiko
  9. Mmmh, I didn’t want to say anything even if (and I repeat, “even if”) I was so emotionally attached to the first Last Exile.
    My thanks to Unlisted and Guardian Enzo, who wrote interesting reviews while Gonzo decided to use its Last Exile label-jolly to do something I haven’t yet understood clearly.
    Also, all the opinions were very worth reading.
    Ending the “captatio benevolentiae”, at this point we could make many (not happy) conclusions about the show, but I usually end watching one before making them, first. And I don’t want to write here spoilers about the episode of this week.
    However, I’m very depressed. With the next episode review I’ll try to write down my opinions.

    MetalliumSlayer
  10. This is my theory on what Liliana and Luscinia’s motivations are. Judging from the flashes Millia saw at the end, I’m guessing Luscinia found the Exile construction factories. From the scale of the field, there should be quite a number of Exiles created in the past. There are about 6 or 7 Exiles up in orbit above Earth. It is not too much to imagine that we probably would have constructed 20 or 30 Exiles to escape a dying Earth. On that big of a scale, if all those Exiles return with a full load of returners, then yea, that would be trouble.

    1. Hmm, I don’t know… If there was a cataclysmic period then I don’t think so many people would have survived already… And many nations “couldn’t make it” to build or set to action their own Exile.

      Actually, let’s hope there aren’t, as the authors are having already a hard time in managing this almost excluding Anatore’s presence, putting them in the pictures with the Sylvius, the Urbanus and their captains. They do probably decisive actions, but too brief to enter or develop a plot (last week, Sylvius doing the “death flower” >_< to interrupt the battle, for example). And some other nations were used almost only for the battle against Glacies (and quickly done) or the conference led by Vasanto.

      I don't know if this show is going to have another season, but I'd really like to know who changed, among the authors, to explain why things are so differently arranged from the first LE. Show Spoiler ▼

      the Manga Show Spoiler ▼

      MetalliumSlayer
  11. story pieces have been falling into place. This ep was pretty good, … until it ended. ffffffffffff….

    The consistency of this series is a royal headache X(;. Welp, hopefully all that’s left is to get a ball rolling and it’ll finish the downhill crash that has been Last Exile: Gin’yoku no Fam. (Dear gonzo, please impress me with the ending, let me remember the ending fondly so i can forget all the annoying and frustrating bits in the middle X(…

    KumaKaori
  12. HMM… MILLIA and ORANG eh pairing interesting… if a season focusing on peaceful days they could be a good subject in terms of romantic comedy hahahahh!!! too bad no room for them to develop with Luscinia mongering for another war.

    Hooligan

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