Summary:

Welkin finds out from Varrot that Squad 7’s next mission is to destroy an enemy base at Mulberry shore. This is a dangerous mission because there’s no cover on the beach, and it’s defended by enemy positions up on the cliffs. These are orders from Damon, and coincidentally, Irene shows Welkin photos of Damon meeting with von Borg. Given what happened previously, Irene is very suspicious and warns Welkin to be careful. Faldio also comes to Welkin with top secret military documents that mention a mysterious blue light phenomenon that’s doing damage to their forces on the Northern front. When Welkin later briefs his squad on the mission, one of the main complaints is that it’ll be during the Feast of All Spirits, so Welkin apologizes and takes responsibility. This doesn’t sit well with Alicia, and Rosie goes on to blame Welkin and his medal. The others defend Welkin and get pumped up about the battle, and afterward, Isara actually thanks Rosie and insists that no one is allowed to die.

The squad sets out and sets up camp near the battlefield, but for the time being, everyone’s thoughts are on presents for the Feast of All Spirits. Alicia is still conflicted over Welkin, and she accidentally burns her hands when baking bread. Faldio comes to help her, but after he dips her hands in water, she claims that she’s a really fast healer and runs off. Alicia ends up seeing Isara working on something, and after Isara tells her what it is, Alicia feels bad about her own self-centered thoughts. When Isara asks what Alicia thinks of Welkin, Alicia calls him a good leader, so Isara talks about how Welkin has to work hard at it and about how he’s been at a bit of a loss since their father died. Isara mainly doesn’t want Alicia to hate him. The next day, everyone hands out their respective presents, and Faldio ends up giving Alicia the ragnite piece again. Welkin sees this but doesn’t do anything about it and instead concentrates on the upcoming battle. He’s given a pleasant surprise when Isara shows him the smokescreen shells she’s been working on, and he’s able to devise an attack strategy with them.

Later that night, Rosie sees Isara working on the Edelweiss and turns to leave, but Isara stops her and gives her a present: a good luck charm in the form of a doll. Rosie reluctantly accepts it, and the following day, that doll saves her life. She drops it in the middle of the fighting, and in reaching to pick it up, an enemy bullet that was aimed for her head ends up only grazing her arm. Welkin leads the rest of the attack personally and leaves Isara and the injured Rosie behind with the tank. The assault ends up being a success, and the remaining Imperials retreat. While the fighting is winding down, Rosie tells Isara that the fact that she got off with a relatively minor injury is thanks to the doll. Unbeknownst to them, an enemy soldier is still nearby and manages to fire his rifle at them. The bullet hits Isara in the chest, and she collapses in front of a shocked Rosie.

Preview

Okay, I definitely didn’t see that plot twist coming, though I probably should have suspected something big was going to happen after seeing so many people refer to this part of the game in ominous ways. Isara dying – and I’m assuming she’s dead given the next episode preview – serves once again as a reminder of the cruelties of war and is probably the final straw in getting Rosie to accept Darcsens (geez, how many people had to die for that to happen). She’s not, however, a character that I cared too much about and this wasn’t a particularly emotional scene – a friend told me that the game version was much more touching – so my own reaction was limited to the initial surprise that they actually killed someone off. Her death does make for a great cliffhanger though, and I’m glad that the second ED is a slow song because the first one just wouldn’t have been appropriate in this situation.

With what the next episode preview shows, it’s pretty clear how Rosie’s going to react, but I wonder how Welkin and Lamar will feel. Hopefully it means Lamar will disappear altogether, but my fear is that this will also drive Welkin further into his powerless funk (it is noteworthy though that he finally showed some leadership this episode), and it’s going to be that much harder for him and Alicia to reconcile unless Faldio dies or something. On the other hand, maybe Alicia consoles him, and that draws them closer together. Either way, it looks like next week will cover the fallout from Isara’s death. What I’m more interested in though is the mysterious blue phenomenon that Faldio and Welkin were talking about, and it likely means that overpowered Selvaria is right around the corner.

67 Comments

  1. it’s VERY touching in the game, i wonder who the replacement driver is going to be seeing as how the character who does it wasn’t introduced into the game. this also brings up that the end is most likely going to be different as well Show Spoiler ▼

    RickyMack
  2. Well, it was a nice show, but kill one of my fav chars and that’s it…
    even though she could have survived a shot like that, with the help of a medic.
    Like in the movie “Three Kings” from 1999…

    zeds
  3. I’m personally hoping for the ‘Alicia consoles Welkin’ route. Also, I’m going to guess that Lamar is going to become the new tank driver since the character who’s supposed to drive it now was never introduced, and the fact that Lamar is the only other character who had a significant relationship with Isara.

    aether
  4. The game’s scene is way too superior (in all senses). Even if there’s impact in the way A1-Pictures has made it, it lacks the punch of the game’s (for a gamers’ POV, it felt like FFVII’s Aerith scene at the end of disc 1). About Lamar, I got a feeling that he’ll request to be transfered to the 7th to take Isara’s place as the Edelweiss driver. His late closeness with Isara will drive him to aid her brother in what remains of the war.

    SeedStriker
  5. What Isara dies!? That just doesn’t make sense everyone on the beach getting shot at by 4 MG bunkers with rosie only recieving a scratch but yet the tankdriver only dies. Now what will happen to Lamar? I was looking forward to see how their relationship would develop. T.T

    Siege
  6. I was looking forward to Lamar and Isara’s relationship too, but I knew this would happen, so I’m more wondering what’ll happen to him when he finds out. I guess he will take the tank driver role. =(

    Satoida
  7. Her death in the game was the greatest shock I’ve ever seen in a video game (note: I’ve haven’t played FFVII yet but I know of that scene). Anyways, as people have said here it was really sad, touching and powerful, particularly seeing Isara smiling with the dark marks under her eyes in those final seconds. Too bad it seems that they haven’t shown the cemetery scene yet.

    As for Lamar, the two of them looked really cute together and I was hoping more development had happened earlier as I knew that there was a 90% chance that they were not meant to be. Also, I’m sure he’ll become the new driver and may replace Isara in the opening next week as the two mechanics from the game have not made an appearance.

    Well, one shocking event down……two to go.

    FX102
  8. Although it’s kinda sad that Isara got shot, I’m glad that at least someone on the squad finally received a serious wound… the battle was laughable as always, but at least they remembered that people die in wars.

    TJ
  9. Reading this after having dropped VC after Ep2 makes me realize how far from the game we are now….Isara’s death aside i have no clue what you are talking about and don’t even know who Lamar is…(if he is the R&D guy i prolly forgot his name cuz he was so irrelevant)… quite funny :p
    Welkin didnt show much leadership skill? Trouble between him and Alicia? hm…..

    andreas
  10. I disagree with those who thought the game’s scene is superior. Both scenes are pretty similar, to be honest – the differences are mostly superficial. If anything, the whole thing works better in the anime, because Isara has been given quite a bit more character development. In the game, she’s basically just the dependable little sister type, while the anime has gone a bit beyond that.

    Keldorne
  11. Judging by Isara’s shot wound, I’d say the bullet was right on the kidney. The left one.

    Anyway, I don’t have regrets watching this anime because I take my interest in genres like these…all about war XD.

  12. For the love of god I hate how much attention they give to Faldio x Alicia Show Spoiler ▼

    I hate how they waste all this time on them when Faldio has such a very minor part in the games… Show Spoiler ▼

    /endrant

    Anza
  13. It’s funny how people hasn’t realised yet that Zaka is not here when he should have been.
    Since Lamar is not a tank driver(and Faldia is obviously not a tank commander in the anime), does that mean that
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Leon741
  14. So Isara dies… poor Lamar, and he was just beginning to get on good terms with her. Rosie… will she be able to overcame her hatred of Darcsen? Welkin and Alicia… will they be drawn together now by that drama? And “mysterious blue light of destruction” – Selvaria on the rampage alert. Seems Faldio gets another piece of his puzzle with “fast healer Alicia”. Wonder if those Ragnite crystals are of some deeper meaning in his plans?

    ewok
  15. Not sure it’s been mentioned but there is an interesting scene were Faldio tells Welkin to not get Alicia hurt. It will complicate things for him? This was said just prior to the recent battle. Seems like a prelude to something.

    Irie
  16. I don’t think she’s dead really because the shot doesn’t seem to look like it’s in a critical area. If you noticed the sniper ended up taking a horrid shot to her rib area, it might of punctured her lung but I’m not too sure she can die unless it was a critical area to the heart or artery. We’ll just have to see how things go.

  17. Or sorry, I agree with raz it might be near the kidney area. She still has time to get through it before she dies from a serious amount of blood loss. Hopefully they can get her to a hospital to have it treated before its too late.

  18. If she’s not dead then all bets are off on how this shit will end now. The writers are once again taking something good and already planned out in a good way (the game) and screwing it over with some lame ideas of their own.

    Isara should be dead, there is a bigger reason for it, if she’s not, then screw it.

    Game >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anime. I feel so let down now.

    As if cutting off Welkins balls wasn’t enough already. I hope they don’t change more of this.

    GP
  19. I don’t see how you guys think she’s still alive:

    In the preview, it seems that Damon’s stepping on a Darcsen scarf, most likely Isara’s. If it’s not around her head, that probably means she’s dead. On top of that, the scarf has flowers on it, like a memorial.

    I know the anime has deviated from the game a bit, but that doesn’t mean you guys should jump the gun and claim that the writers would really fuck it up with this one.

    Also, the anime doesn’t have to do a picture by picture remake of the game. They have a limited budget, and also may have wanted to do things differently after seeing how the story in the game turned out. While the original was good, it was nowhere near perfect. There were parts here and there that could’ve been more dynamic, or could have been elaborated on more.

  20. this anime is one of the worst anime adaptation I have saw, It remind me the Tsukihime anime.

    It follow the same storyline, but change the chara design, the character (Alicia is’nt a Tsundere in the game she is a girl who hate war, Welkin isn’t powerless, Faldio don’t love Alicia, Isara is a really stubborn girl who have guts with Rosie, Homer, the blond guy of the unit is a masochist).

    This episode is really mor better in the game, because Rosie haven’t already sung and we know that Isara had a dream she cannot accomplish.

    Look the scene of the game on youtube.

    The anime also removes some important character (Leon and Weiss) and add filler character (Ramal).

    If you want a good adaptation of the game, try the manga, it’s really really better, the story change a little, but not the character.

    kraken
  21. @kraker: Instead of thinking too much about how the anime adaptation sucks, go learn some grammar instead. Your English is also the worst.

    I, as a person who is in love with the game as well, like this anime pretty much. Just because there are lots of suckers with no life exist, the series has become so underrated that it’s unbearable. I’m sick and tired of so-called high and mighty gamers (I believe that they’re just faggots in real life) showing off by bitching about the series.

    Gear
  22. @Gear

    Wow, temper temper, faggots eh? Attacking a specific group of people doesn’t make you any better oh wise one. Everyone has their own opinion, so live with it. I hate the fact the anime has nurfed Welkin and made Faldio’s part bigger when there doesn’t have to be a reason outside of giving us unneeded and cliche angst between Welkin-Alicia-Faldio.

    It’s unoriginal and boring. It also takes away from the bigger plot and wastes time from showing the impact of war and it’s effects. It’s like what hollywood did with their Pearl Hardbor by adding in a silly love story which actually falls close to what’s going on now in VC by boosting Faldio’s part. There is this silly need in anime to add d0rama and angst to things when you don’t have to, and I, and others, are growing tired of it. Is it such a wrong thing to ask for series to start following a more mature line now? I’m not 15 anymore, I want more mature plots and events, and if I want angsty romance as my main plot I know where to look for that as well, it doesn’t have to show it’s face in everything though.

    GP
  23. Gear, I am french, not english.

    The anime is good if we don’t know the game but It’s a Bad adaptation.

    exactly as the Tsukihime anime.

    But the manga is a really good adaptation

    kraken
  24. @ShiroiRyu

    Oh yeah, that one too.

    @X-Rick

    Well I think someone mentioned one of them here in the comments (just hope the anime doesn’t make same mistake as the game). As for the other, with regards to an earlier episode, they either threw the whole idea out the window or threw us a red herring.

    If you really wanna know, check out one of my earlier comments or even better (if you can) I suggest you play the game itself, you’ll not be disappointed. Though finding a copy today may be hard.

    FX102
  25. I remember Omni posting this somewhere else but the point still stands, not everyone has a PS3 so they can buy this game and even if you do have a PS3, doesn’t mean they are going to buy the game, so will the people who keep saying to play the game drop it and let the people watching the anime enjoy it?

    Som1
  26. @Sam1

    No one has demanded you buy and play the game, it’s been suggested if you can not that you have to. At least I haven’t seen any post of the sort myself.

    That aside, regardless of the game and if you’ve played it or not, I still take a negative look at what they have done with Welkins character. For a leader, he’s not really leading. He’s been nerfed any way you look at it. And instead of this being about the war and how it’s effected and effects people in the process, we get sidetracked by a angsty and unnessisary love triangle.

    GP
  27. I haven’t said to play the game neither.

    I have said “Read the manga and watch the cutscene on Youtube” The game is linear, so the whole the story is in the cutscene.

    I understand that not everyone has a PS3.

    you can find the manga in scanlation

    kraken
  28. I am actually thrilled that there’s blood here, and what is this, a bullet hole? Wild! When she gets shot in the game, she just falls over without any blood.

    Anyway, the emotional part in the game, for everyone saying it was better in the game… that’s for the next episode, anyhow.

    Kylara
  29. @Kylara: Agreed. The thing is, it’s too early to say whether the game’s handling is more emotional or not because the game would have already kept running at this part. Right now we’re just at “BOOM! Isara’s down!”

    Acerbus
  30. Originally posted by lolpilipino:

    “In the preview, it seems that Damon’s stepping on a Darcsen scarf, most likely Isara’s. If it’s not around her head, that probably means she’s dead. On top of that, the scarf has flowers on it, like a memorial.”

    Isara’s shawl has fray-like (forgot the word) edges, while that of the material on the ground has intact and straight edges.

    Buffalobiian
  31. I looked up the in game scene on Youtube, and it is indeed sad; but I am sure the anime scene will be just as sad.

    And about Welkin being a “wuss”, I think it is realistic. He’s a nice, sweet guy whose only interest is in nature. He knew nothing about war or being a leader when he gained command of a squadron. Sure he has talent, but can anyone expect him to be a 100% super-focused leader all the time just because his father was a great general? Plus, this seems like it is his first time truly liking a girl, and he’s having love troubles. Plus, people like him need something drastic to happen to them to make them stronger and step up and take hold of the reins again, so to speak. Squad 7’s had it pretty easy for being in a war. Now they’ve lost one of their own. This will certainly change things, and I’m sure Welkin will become a strong commander again because that’s what he’ll need to do to deal with his grief. Tragedies don’t break people like him, it only makes them stronger.

    And concerning WelkinxAliciaxFaldio, what’s a romance without a little drama?^_-

    julygirl17
  32. That was only thing that I didn’t expect!!!! Poor Isara and just when she And Rosie were going to be friends. I don’t have the Game yet so I didn’t know that this was going to happen. I’m damn sure that in episode 19 Imperials will get their ass kicked by Squad 7!

    Jarjaxle
  33. Well, thanks to the numerous (technically still spoilerish) comments of the game players, we know that she didn’t survive it. Unless the anime makers want to surprise us, of course. 😉 I kinda expected that someone would die due to the 00:15 sec mark in the OP with Maria’s rifle sticking in the ground. Shows once again what a disaster that spoiler OP is. Is there anything left that hasn’t already been spoiled by the OP? 🙁

    bobara

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