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「湧きあがれ、いのち」 (Wakiagare, Inochi)
“Rise Up, Life.”
There was a lot of love triangle tension in this episode. When in doubt, It’s best to talk these things over with your friends. It’s always nice to have Mix and Andy chime in on the issue. Their suggestions showed just how opposite they are. One says to get rid of thoughts of love and the other advocates passionate love to grow. This is what makes them a particularly great pair.
If it’s digging you want done, you brought along the right man. Andy arrived at the same conclusion as I: they were going to dig up Aquarion. By the end of the episode this assumption was wrong but Andy did end up in a space that I could only figure is the original DEAVA base. Being the shady bastard Fudo is, he tricks people to go to a lake for free time with ulterior motives.
It’s not often you get to see your teacher’s body in a swimsuit and it’s even rarer that your teacher is quiet the looker with a swimsuit on. She should definitely refrain from wearing those robes.
This episode’s fruit of choice were bananas (in hot baths). These scenes totally fit in since this is a series that frequently references Greek mythology and the Bible. It was just more over-the-top craziness from out favorite show. I didn’t catch the pineapple flag/reference last time around with Jin but with the anime explaining its historical significance, I didn’t have to miss anything.
Speaking of flags, it’s funny how Andy mentions possibly raising his own death flag. I liked the fact that he took the initiative in trying to convey his feelings towards mix. Amata should take note on how a real man should be! Unfortunately his choice of words was not the greatest. Mentioning wanting to fill a girl’s hole (without any context no less) is a very big no-no.
All the action was very well done. It was nice to see what looked like a Cherubim from the original series. The detail of the CG was excellent and the fighting was very fluid which spoke to how much effort I thought they put into this episode. The cluster punch was ridiculous (As Gwen Stefani said: “This shit is bananas!” See what I did there?)
All in all, I found this is probably one of the more memorable beach/swimsuit episodes that I have seen from any anime. In fact, it’s the most memorable one since Infinite Stratos’ beach episode. I’m always amazed at the creativity of artists when it comes to creating unique swimsuits in anime. You can’t deny that this was one great looking episode.
Notes:
* Full-length images: 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 25, 35
Preview
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No mention of how Zessica’s straightforwardness and independence were shafted because “guys apparently like girls that are dainty and need protecting”? And then there’s that dress that covers up everything the last outfit didn’t, but has the chest area that’s absolutely ridiculous.
AMATA. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. JUST PUT YOUR ROCKET IN HER SCIENCE.
At least Andy’s making some progress. MAH BOI.
“Awww, Zessica’s now wearing a dre- OH MY FUCKING GOD!” o_____o
If this is what happens when Amata doesn’t tap her, then by all means Amata, don’t! But on the other hand….
Also, Unlisted, no screencap of that ‘Oh shit’ look on Mikono’s face at the end? xD
Okay, this made me laugh hard.
DAT UNDERBOOB!
I’m just not a fan of this change. I’d prefer she going back to the old outfit, if it didn’t make it seem like backtracking (you know, KIND OF LIKE THIS WHOLE EPISODE WAS FOR HER).
…I USE CAPS LOCK FOR EMPHASIS.
“Awww, Zessica’s now wearing a dre- OH MY FUCKING GOD!” o_____o
That my reaction as well… I’m again questioning people (the designers sanity) on outfits that have no support. I’m afraid for Zessica to pop out of those straps with on wrong move… also think though X’s are to low as well…
the thing is, why have the top part of the “dress” when it’s all X’s below?
“I’m afraid for Zessica to pop out of those straps with on wrong move” – super strong double sided tapes or that spray glue they use on pageants. loads of spray glues. or the X’s may be elastic??
She’s clumsily trying to emulate Mikono. Which is not a good thing.
However I think the issue will be dealt with in the next episode (ditto preview) and she’ll understand she’s sdoing it wrong.
Right, that’s what it looks like. Also looks like this massive change is really giving her an identity crisis, so hopefully this whole thing doesn’t break her.
It’ll turn into the lesson of always be true to yourself.
You know, I believe I saw you make this same post on another review and I agreed with you there. But I agree with you so much that I feel the need to agree with you twice.
That was offensive. It was one of those unfortunate scenes in anime, which is of course from a foreign country, where bullshit ‘cultural differences’ come through and horrifically offend the foreign audience. Now, I lived in Japan, but as much as I loved it, the sexism there is intense, over the top, and just wrong. And fortunately, the women there are quickly beginning to not take it any more (I did a college paper there on how Japanese women are starting to lose it over how useless Japanese men are at things like parenting and housework. The statistics I found showed that even when a woman works full time in Japan, she usually does about 85% of the housework).
And they did two things that made that scene even worse. First, they had Zessica be the one to say it; the sexy, independent girl being the mouthpiece of sexism. And Second, they had her ACT on it at the end. ‘Maturing’ by trying to act more like Mikono.
Hopefully the next episode fixes this.
And I appreciate the further agreement, KR.
Yeah, I heard it had something to do with Japanese sexism, but they could have been at least a bit more subtle about it. Here’s what I heard when Zessica was talking to Mikono:
Z: “You know why Amata doesn’t like me? Because I’m not a housewife and I can take care of myself. I should become an insecure, angsty, indecisive woman who can’t make a decision without assistance.”
M: “Um…I dunno if I’d go that far. I mean, maybe it just wasn’t mean-”
Z: “Nope, it was definitely what I just said. Girls like me are a fling, but they end up with ones like you.”
Reading the other comments, it’s at least relieving to know that this was the intended result and that the staff knows their characters, which implies they have a plan for them.
Yup-thankfully it’s changing. A lot more independence shown by women in the younger generations.
i still cant get to the mecha absurdities but im still enjoying it!
throughout the whole episode… i saw nothing but Mix, Zessica and Mikono
Oh my god, I don’t understand how Zessica’s new outfit is any less risque than the previous one.
It’s not less risque, it’s just more absurd.
Agreed. Either my anatomy has failed me, or Zessica has inverted nipples.
I am NOT a fan of her new dress. It’s kind of creepy and gross. And like you say, the anatomy seems off. I get where they were going with it; it’s a Zessica-fied Mikono dress, but it looks like some kind of cosplay-fetish thing.
It’s going to make me sad every time my favorite character is on screen for the rest of this series.
Seriously, where could her nipples be in that outfit? I vote for inverted as well.
x marks the spot guys.
Zessica’s new outfit is insane. I never thought that she could top off her last outfit in terms of how revealing it was, but apparently I was wrong!
Oh no Andy talking about his own death flag?
And it looks like Zessica is going to be back to her lively fun self again! \^w^/
1. I think Andy joking about causing his own death flag may have saved him from dying. I don’t think they’d be that obvious if they were going to kill him. But that’s just my theory.
2. Preview makes it look like not yet. But if she is, IMO it’s a sign that her arc is over and she’s probably done being all that important to the story. Once Zessica fell for Amata, her arc basically had two possible outcomes: getting Amata or getting over Amata. I figured we’d find out which at the end. If we’ve already gotten our answer, then it probably means her role in the romance stuff is over.
She’s supposed to be part of Mikage’s drand mysterious plan according to some interview.
And I don’t doubt the authors are going to drag the romance thingy as much as they can.
DAT Finland! DAT Confession!
Other than that why did they ruin Zessica’s outfit when she had a very good sexy outfit before? I know it’s all about her becoming more lady-like and modest or whatever but that chest area is so ugly. I don’t think her chest area is revealed, it’s just skin colored (I may be wrong here though). But still, that bit makes it look ugly when the rest of the dress looks beautiful. Why did they do that!?
Despite this episode being very enjoyable with Andy’s confession and the beach scenes, I am annoyed at the design of Zessica’s new dress and her saying how guys prefer girls who need protecting. So what, guys don’t prefer girls who are independent and strong? It’s kind of sad seeing out-going girls like Zessica being degraded down because she thinks being like Mikono is better. Both girls are great but the previous outfit of Zessica highlighted her personality more IMO.
Gaah not Finland! Suomi!
This is why I should not do my assignment researching Finland and go on RC at the same time!
That’s a funny typo.
Other than that (I have no opinion on how sexy Finland is), I agree with you completely. And even if they wanted that shape to her dress, what were thinking with BLACK X’s on her chest. It makes it look like she tore her shirt and then strapped electrician’s tape across her boobs. It’s weird.
Like you say, I liked her old outfit. It was sexy and revealing, but in that anime way where you don’t feel like you’re watching porn. This is not that. This DOES make me feel like I’m watching porn.
And yeah, using Zessica as a mouthpiece for the writer’s crappy sexism made me really mad. Maybe some men want a partner, not a dependent. I know I do.
I don’t think her chest area is revealed, it’s just skin colored
check the preview dude
orz
It’s not skin colored… check the preview again when her new outfit is on the hanger.
Zessica’s clothing is … oh nevermind
and “Razanka” doing キラッ☆ キラッ☆ キラッ☆ LoL Macross.
P.S She’s no longer a sister
Nope, she’s now a onee-chan <3 It's a pity they probably pair her with robocop.
Poor Donar 🙁 I think he deserves to be happy and that he and Miss Suomi would make a great couple 🙂
SisterXRobocop is much better than AmakunXMikosan…
Is not like I don’t like sister x Donar but it’s a obvious couple and it doesn’t leave much room for imagination or plot, even if they are side characters. What if Donar’s lover is still alive in Altair and in the end they got reunited? That would interesting.
“I want to fill your hole!”
They should have made it as the episode’s title so it could match up to P4’s “The world is full of shit” episode title.
But seriously, it was hilarious.
Man, I’m just hoping that Zessica won’t end this anime like a secondary character with that feeling of: “At least, he’s happy.” Currently she’s my favorite in this anime and personally, I think she deserve something better then this.
By the way, it seems that the next episode will have its focus on Zessica and her platonic love. Hoping that something great happens to her, because she already suffer a lot with that.
My only consolation (as a supporter of Zessica/Amata) is that at least I’m assured that Zessica will remain in love with Amata for the rest of the series
and so there’s a possibility she can still win Amata in the end!. I mean, if writers will have Zessica fall in love with whoever after this, then they’d pretty much be throwing away all her development until this point (and that spanned half this series already). On another note, while previews are notorious for being misleading, I wonder if Zessica’s the real Rare Igura or if the writers will pull another Sirius…She cannot really pull another Sirius. Unless she joins Mikage, which makes no fucking sense.
I meant the writers pulling another Sirius ^_^;
Like, Zessica gets kidnapped, lead to believe she’s the Rare Igura, only to find out in the end that she wasn’t and it was all an elaborate scheme to get Mikono to Altair. Then Amata, Zessica, and Kagura (just throwing him in since it doesn’t seem like Mykage’s gonna turn ‘good’) will sacrifice themselves in the end for..something. Cue Kimi no Shinwa a capella English version~
^But if she survives the trip, she’s the real deal (atleast it’s why Izumo thinks). And if she isn’t she’s bound to end up as a vegetable.
Again, it could be another ‘Sirius’; she’s half of the Rare Igura, the ‘Eve’ of Altair.
While I’ve been enjoying the writing so far (bar Fudo’s metaphors), I do hope the writers won’t pull that card again…
Fudo…you’re more manipulative than you were in Sousei, you bastard. Interesting though; it seems the true Aquarion fragmented somehow, and Fudo and Mykage are racing to collect the pieces. Of course, Fudo’s got that ‘just as planned’ smirk since he apparently has the most important piece (Amata?)…
Also, it’s safe to assume Zessica also doesn’t wear a bra?
Well, she never wore panties, that’s for sure.
So she, er, wears the full set, I see o_-
Fudo, pimpin aquarion since 12000 years ago. No loli headmaster, fujoshi pilot or sister in swimsuit can resist his pseudophilosophy shit. This series should end with him getting a harem. Like a boss.
Hahahaha!! This episode is so ridiculous its hilarious. But still it was enjoyable. XD
So what exactly did Any land on? From what I can make out it would seem like an arm joint of the original Aquarion’s world holding mugen punch?
Bananas and holes. Kawamori isn’t really trying anymore with his metaphors. Thankfully after several weeks of painfully boring love triangle shenanigans, there’s at least some return to the the old Aquarion formula with the Cluster Mugen Punch.
Was Zessica wearing a swimsuit? I didn’t notice, she seemed to be showing as much skin as before. But her new dress was disappointing. Andy once again proves he has more balls than Amata ever did(why isn’t he the main character!?). Too bad he worded it wrong.
And you know what? F*** Amata and his shipping options. I’m shipping these two now. That little talk between Mikono and Zessica is far more better than and scene they have with Amata. Andy, Fudo and my Yuri goggles are the only thing that keeps me in this show. Amata is a pain to watch.
He isn’t that painful when he isn’t interacting with Mikono or thinking about her though.
But when she’s here, he switches on doormat/beaten puppy mode.
No fun.
You know, before this episode I would have disagreed with you vehemently about Andy. Not because I didn’t like him (who doesn’t love Andy?) but because he was mostly a one-note joke/advice side character for Amata. After this episode though, I agree with you completely. Here we got to see Andy have emotion and ups and downs and courage and setbacks; all in the space of like ten minutes. All the stuff a good main character should do and all the stuff that Amata rarely does.
I liked Amata (w/ Mikono) at first but like almost everyone I slowly came to hate them over the series. I’ve been wondering why. But I think I’ve finally figured it out. They (the main freaking characters) are entirely passive in their own show. They don’t DO anything. Hell, they don’t even interact with each other more than a few sentences every couple of episodes. People ship them, but what are they even shipping? A couple of nice scenes in the first three episodes? If you want people to support an anime relationship, you have to give it some moments once in a while. But Amata and Mikono have nothing.
Hell, Mikono was totally overshadowed in the SWIMSUIT episode of all things. A swimsuit episode is usually a chance to make the hero, and the viewers, think WOW about the main heroine. Mikono got one beauty shot and then was basically forgotten. She and Amata are like some sort of weird experimental anti-protagonists. The story is clearly about them, but they do nothing and provide no forward momentum to the plot.
Bait and switch.
Âuthor shows a nice little pair and then authors sink it.
You cannot tell me they sincirely believe what they’re writting about them is any kind of heartwarming. At the same time the rival comes as more sympathetic and more deserving since they are at lot trying and have better interactions with them.
Kagura is the real main character. He moves on the plot and he’s the key of Aquarion LOVE (I’m a shameless Kagurafag)<.<
I don’t know, around episode 12 that was how I felt, because of the exact things you said. The mains weren’t sympathetic, the rivals were, etc. But we’re getting closer and closer to the ending and it continues to show nothing other than just bad writing. Still fun, but the main characters are just bad.
I hope you’re right though, but it’s reaching the stage where they’d have to do it really well otherwise even if I get the pairings I want, I’d still have to just say it’s badly done.
@KaleRylan
You just gave me a eureka moment. Amata is the reincarnation of Allelujah Haptism of Gundam 00. Think about it, he’s billed as a main character but has very little involvement with the flow of the plot, his only defining characteristic is his crush on his love interest and he continually says her name (Mikono-san!) to the point that its annoying enough to compel me to castrate him with a box cutter. Add to that he has an evil counterpart(Kagura) that has more personality and is more interesting than he is. It all makes sense!
I don’t really ship AxM, but they have had a lot of great scenes together and can see why some people ship them. It didn’t just stop in the first 2 episodes. Seriously go back and watch the show…. The best one was the flying one during the movie not all that long ago. I’m not sure where they have “nothing” considering they actually do really know each other well. If anything they are too boring for the main couple.
And Amata has had emotional up and downs throughout the show. Andy is a joke character. I like him, but his hole digging BSOD wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.
Funny thing is, my Yuri radar was also going off. When Amata suddenly popped out during that gattai scene with Zessica and Mikono, the first thought that popped into my mind was “Amata you cockblocker…”, nevermind the obvious semantics of the phrase :’D~
Just when I thought risque anime outfits won’t surprise me anymore, Zessica strolls in with that dress. Another theory: SHE ACTUALLY DOESN’T HAVE NIPPLES.
Here is what I thought gonna happen next :
1. Next episode is focusing on Zessica
2. Izumo come to Vega in search for Rare Igura
3. Rare Igura turns out to be Zessica
4. Fight, fight, fight!!
5. Izumo defeat Aquarion and goes on after Zessica
6. Caught Zessica in the same fashion as Alicia
7. Amata see Zessica got taken, remind him of his Mother Alicia and realize “something”
8. Amata goes after Izumo to save Zessica
9. Amata spot bla,bla,blah… how he didnt want to lose anyone “precious” to him
10. And were on our a way to AmataXZessia ending!! Yeah perfect!! XD
Its gonna happen!!
I live in hope that you are correct, but am also basically certain that you are wrong. Unfortunately the Amata/Mikono/Zessica thing isn’t even really a love triangle. Amata has shown ZERO interest in Zessica. He hasn’t even flown for her in forever. And he shot down her confession like nobody’s business. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed about it.
Given how he treats her, she’s lucky he didn’t just say “NO” to her in the cockpit last episode.
The reason im writing this is because at the beginning of this episode. The scene of Amata and Zessica show some progress between them the way I look at it. Amata said to Zessica “I can’t. Right now Mikono…” whats that supposed to mean? Not right now? Maybe later? and then when Zessica runs off, He goes after her and catch her hand. Why would you that? If you really dont have any feeling for someone. You should just ignore them and let the person go. Maybe Amata just wanted to be nice, but i just don’t see it that way.
and after this scene:
https://randomc.net/image/Aquarion%20EVOL/Aquarion%20EVOL%20-%2017%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
Any Zessica related episode should just take a break or stop for any development. But thats not what the episode preview said to me. Thus, defeating the purpose of that last scene.
Hahaha…I knew someone would reply sooner or later (behold!)… well let me put it in simple typing ‘short and sweet’:
First Paragraph: “Mikono doesn’t do much of anything most of the time” (umm…what??)… I’m pretty sure she’s piloted, interacted with other characters, use her powers to connect other characters, listen and give advice to other characters, said her mind etc…Also, she shows more emotion to Fudo (again…what??) like in one episode…I don’t know what you classify as in showing more emotion but the only emotions she has shown to Fudo is perplexity and distrust (maybe)…heck Amata get’s love, happy, sad, worry, jealous (pretty sure there is more lol)… (not even going to reply the last part because that baffles me and I would have another huge post as a response) 😀
Second Paragraph: Um I’m pretty damn sure they do talk…I mean this is how misunderstandings and what not happen, you can’t just say they ‘DON’T TALK’ because they do (don’t let me get into my recap mode)… “move the plot that once again has nothing to do with them”? (errr <_<)…pretty damn sure this happens in anime all the time especially when it concerns a couple (you do have to get on with the episode, even if the couple are plainly just shy and stuttering words)…I'm not saying people are asking her to be like Zessica (cos that would be so silly…and I would prob send Kawamori a pineapple in the mail)…I'm using it as an EXAMPLE (put simply) because I do know a lot of people like Zessica's fun/cheeky/genki girl attitude (I do too!!! XD moe)…that doesn't excuse the fact that there have been comparisons between her and Mikono (obviously…beware of shippers!!).
Third (and thank my brain) Paragraph: Well obviously if you have romantic feelings for someone, you LOVE them to some extent. Obviously they aren't to the stage that they are 'SO IN LOVE' (like Zessica moe)…I never said they were SO IN LOVE, I said (and I do hate repeating myself) that if you classify Mikono's reactions to Kagura as romantic feelings then you can also classify her reactions with Amata as romantic feelings as well…And I think you need to re-read what I posted and what the above people have posted pretty sure someone mentioned something about Amata grabbing Zessica's hand and stuttering (like he usually does), that's what I was typing about previously (not the confession from previous episode if that's what you were pointing out) AND LASTLY the final part is yet another example how two people can have mutual romantic feelings for one another without the use of words, by being connected on a profound level (and I'm not going any further).
Apollo and Sylvia: Err yeah I know that they had a different relationship than that of Amata and Mikono, still doesn't change the fact that they never said 'I love you'…and I think I should do a recap post for Mikono and Amata conversations next time! 😀 he he
1. Mikono’s powers are passive, while important to the plot, they aren’t that interesting to viewers and are extremely vague. Piloting is not that unique in this show, EVERY character pilots. True she pilots in the important fights, but it’s generally with amata and he overshadows her when they pilot. As for more emotion to Fudo, I wasn’t counting the NUMBER of emotions she showed, I was commenting on the strength. When she’s mad at amata, she’s kind of mad and huffy, when she’s happy she’s shyly happy, etc. When she was mad at Fudo, she was very freaking clear that she was just MAD. What’s baffling? They’re not bad characters when they interact with others (Andy, Mix, Yunoha, etc.) but when they talk to each other they’re boring and stuttery.
2. They do not talk for real, what actual CONVERSATION have Mikono and Amata had in the last ten or so episodes? Amata talks WAY more to andy. Compare this to Apollo and Sylvia, who even when they hated each other, talked more than this. And while the protagonists do not have to be the only source of plot movement, A/M are unusual in that they do NOTHING for plot progression most of the time.
3. I do qualify her feelings for both men as romantic, that’s what makes it a love triangle. That said, her feelings for amata have been poorly handled. Also, I’m sorry, but your example of your parents is irrelevant here (it’s nice though). That kind of non-worded love is supposed to express confidence and mutual understanding. That is NOT what is going on with Amata and Mikono. They’re just freaking out and sitting in corners without acting. They’re actually acting kind of like diet-Shinji, but without the setting to justify that kind of a character.
1. Piloting in this show is the lowest common denominator; EVERYONE pilots. And ‘interacted with other characters’ is not a very strong defense. Were they meaninful interactions? And were the meaningful interactions with Amata? Because I would argue that most (not all) of her meaningful interactions were with Kagura, Yunoha, Fudo, etc. And almost every example you give is stuff she did with characters besides Amata.
What’s baffling? Characters can be better off apart then together. There are numerous examples in media of two characters who just shouldn’t be in a relationship because it’s boring.
2. What ACTUAL conversations has Amata had with Mikono in the last ten or so episodes? Of course they talk, but do they talk with any depth? The rest of this I basically covered above. One thing though, if you’re not saying that people said Mikono should be Zessica, and it’s just an example, what is it an example of?
3. I never said they aren’t in love, I said they aren’t in the kind of mutual relationship you were talking about. People (like your parents) who don’t say I love you usually trust each other and understand each other’s feelings and are in a confirmed, mutual relationship. Amata and Mikono are not. They do not know each other’s feelings. If they did, they’d stop spending half the series angsting about it.
And you missed my point about Apollo and Sylvia. They were NOT suddenly connected by some deep, non-verbal love with no development. Their relationship developed over the course of the series. Almost every episode had a scene between them.
Okay, this is annoying. the ‘awaiting moderation’ post wasn’t showing up, so I wrote it again. Now it’s back. Sorry about that.
@Ria: Just felt like adding this in…
Actually, misunderstandings happen because people don’t talk, and thus fail to communicate their intentions. Not the other way around. If that was the case, then I guess there’s no point to learning languages.
In Mikono and Amata’s case, they do talk but rarely about what they ‘feel’ for each other. So far, Amata has been making his intentions known- he pretty much asked her out on a date and then Kagura came in to crash (or crush?) his hopes- and even going so far as to apologize to Mikono every time she jumps to conclusions. On the other hand, Mikono’s still flighty with her feelings.
The closest we’ve seen of Mikono’s feelings for Amata is her jealous mouthing of “Amata-kun, you’ll fly for anyone!” which can easily mean “Amata-kun, you’re just a pervert!” instead of “Amata-kun, I’m not special to you then, am I?”. Small wonder why Amata doesn’t know if Mikono likes him, eh? And before someone says “but Mikono comforted Amata before the movie!”, I’d like to point out that Mikono pretty much did the same thing to Yunoha (except Yunoha even got a hug out of it…Mikono/Yunoha, then?).
Mikono and Amata could try and talk more, or at least Mikono could make up her mind and make her intentions clearer to Amata.
I don’t really know what to do with Mikono’s scared/weird face at the end of the episode.
Zessica told her 3 things :
-she was rejected. Nothing for Mikono to worry about.
-she is going to continue loving Amata.
-And she noted that the Aquarion never went berserk out of mutual love.
The 2 last points are probably the core of the problem.
I’m puzzled on how to interpret it.
Or maybe it is just Mikono really despising/fearing competition.
Mikono’s still
incrediblyinsecure o/They really haven’t given us enough reason to empathize with Mikono’s insecurity. She’s beautiful, she comes from a rich family, she has friends, she’s even got useful powers now, and she has two boys that obviously like her. OH NO, THE HORROR! Look at Accel World. Now THAT’S a main character with reason to be insecure. He’s fat, ugly, his best female friend started going out with his best male friend, and he’s bullied mercilessly.
Mikono just comes off as a self-centered child.
She is.
Mikono is not designed to be a gunuinely nice character. According to the authors she’s a bad woman who unknowingly manipulates men (Amata). She’s not completely rotten either, she’s league away from Mykage. But she’s definitelly not perfect GF material.
That’s why I like her more and more as the story progresses.
Thank you for summarizing my thoughts. This is why I don’t understand Mikono’s character drama.
Mikono could try and make up her mind; Amata’s certainly made his (and his intentions) perfectly clear since the beginning.
^My theory is that Mikono isn’t romantically interested in Amata, she just loves all the attention he gives her. It makes her feel good and special (that explains the jealousy).
@NB: Ah, I guess that does make sense if that was the author’s intent. Doesn’t make me like her any more, though ^_^;
NB, that stuff you say the authors said, is that from an interview? Because if that’s so, I may have to give the authors more credit, and maybe they can pull this out in the end. I just thought they were writing your standard demure female lead, but doing it badly.
^It’s from an interview.
There is also another interview where the staff mock Amata for being an idiot deadset on Mikono.
You know, I’m glad. But I’m also deeply confused where they’re planning to go with this series. Are they just gonna have Kagura and Zessica end up together all of the sudden and leave us wondering why we watched two unpleasant people for 18 episodes?
But, the simple fact that the staff understands that Amata and Mikono are not good people gives me hope that they have a plan.
Either they manage to patch brilliantly the currently extremelly pathetic relationship between Amata and Mikono (I don’t see how it’s even possible, because even at its best it’s still boring, you don’t pair 2 relatively dull characters together if you want something a bit intersting).
Or Kagura gets his wench and Amata is left in the dust where he can finally open his eyes.
Or they just have been writting crap and are aware of it and are semi apologizing about it in the interviews (I hope it’s not the case).
I don’t really see a KaguraxZessica outcome at the moment.
Maybe a suicidal 4some to save altea.
@KaleRylan
>But, the simple fact that the staff understands that Amata and Mikono are not good people gives me hope that they have a plan.
Uh, the staff has never said Amata wasn’t a good person. He is actually a really good person, though too blinded by infatuation for Mikono. The interview simply mentioned he would have an easier time with Zessica than with Mikono, who is a “bad” girl. The head writer can’t stand Mikono for some reason. Not sure why she writes her in a way she hates.
^She doesn’t necesserally hate her.
She acknowledges her shortcoming and decided to not write her as the perfect thoughful kawai trophy girlfriend. And that’s an excellent thing.
The quality of a character is not to be judged on how much of a goody 2 shoes they are.
@elle: Sorry, I meant to say that they understand that their relationship isn’t healthy. you are right that it’s not like Amata, or Mikono, are truly BAD people.
And like NB said, admitting a character has faults/writing a character with faults does not mean you’re writing bad or that you hate your character. It’s a totally valid way to write.
All I meant by hope is that I hope this means, even if Amata does go with Mikono, that they won’t ignore the faults of their relationship. They’ll hopefully address the problems and have them grow.
That said, it doesn’t really have anything to do with this episode, but no matter how any of this is portrayed, I will STILL be angry if they throw out the reincarnation romance. Sylvia and Apollo DESERVE their happy ending.
Sadly(or not?), Kawamori is known to ship two characters from the start and make them end up together. I dislike(maybe even hate?) Amata but because of Kawamori’s history, I won’t be surprised if Mikono and Amata ends up together. I just hope he pulls something off to make him more interesting.
Show Spoiler ▼
I’ve been following up on this blog spot for quite some time now regarding Aquarion Evol and frankly I sense a lot of tension when it comes to evaluating Mikono’s character. I am a huge shipper for Amata x Mikono but I still do love the whole Zessica x Amata and Kagura x Mikono shipment. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with Amata and Mikono’s relationship so far, yeah Amata has made it plain obvious who he likes, and we all know Zessica loves Amata, but to say Mikono has no feelings/intentions/is a boring character because she doesn’t hype up the relationship between her and Amata to the same level as Zessica has, would be saying Kawamori obviously didn’t think her character through well enough…Like I said in other forums if Mikono were to start acting like or similar to Zessica then we would have two characters that are alike and where would we be able to get the drama and the triangle from?…Wouldn’t it just be a lot more difficult to choose who we like then,(correct me if I’m wrong but I think a character who is continuing to grow as the series progresses is far more interesting than a character who is already at the level we deem interesting)…Oh and btw Okada who (apparently) said that Mikono is a bad woman for blah blah blah (you can actually interpret what she says in a different way as well)doesn’t mean Mikono is a BAD woman or whatever (if you want more details follow up on Animesuki.com, the translation is there)…Also what is all this about romantic feelings Mikono has with Kagura?? (Ahem…if you classify being wide eyed and blushing romantic feelings then she basically has romantic feelings with Amata as well..uh duh!) Just because she aint yelling it out to the entire cast and audience (like moe Zessica XD) does not mean she has no romantic feelings for Amata…What’s that old saying “Let love grow”?..In this episode Amata just didn’t want to hurt Zessica’s feelings because she is one of many of his friends…Just think about the situation as it would occur in real life (it’s not all complicated you know)…Oh and on a last note Apollo and Sylvia never uttered the words ‘I Love You’ (unless I’m deaf)…from what I gather the feelings they shared for one another was mutual, the did not have to say anything (or rather they didn’t get the chance too) their feelings connected (I’ll use a real life example)…My parents hardly say I love you (actually I never heard them say it) but I can tell they both love each other with the way the look at each other and the things they do for each other (again what’s that old saying “actions speak louder than words”)…LOL another long post XD hehe
Ok first off, that is a massive wall of text. Try to break it into paragraphs or something at least.
Secondly, in response to your wall of text. People are not saying Mikono is a boring character because she doesn’t throw herself at Amata, they are saying she’s a boring character because she doesn’t do much of anything most of the time. Although this is even worse when she’s with Amata (she shows more emotion to Fudo). And in many cases (like myself) many people don’t seem to hate Mikono or Amata as individual characters so much as they hate them any time they talk to each other.
Because they don’t talk. They usually just sort of stare at each other hesitantly for a while and then something else happens to move the plot that once again has nothing to do with them. No one is asking for Mikono to become Zessica, that would be just as dumb as Zessica becoming Mikono (…wait a second). They are asking for Mikono and Amata to stop doing NOTHING. There are perfectly good relationships between shy people in media. This is not one of them.
That total lack of action, combined with Mikono’s jealousy any time Amata looks at another girl, is what makes me people dislike her.
And your last part doesn’t seem to be in response to this post. No one mentioned Zessica’s confession and Amata’s reaction to it here. And as far as actions and love not needing words, that is NOT what is going on with Amata and Mikono at this stage. They don’t know how the other feels about them. That’s why they’re sitting around worrying about confessions. They are likely to be the main couple in the end, but that is NOT because they are already so in love they don’t need to say anything.
And Apollo and Sylvia had a totally different relationship. They interacted constantly, with arguments, fights, making up, having fun. Amata and Mikono rarely have actual conversations.
What Kale said.
damn you type fast >_>In romance, “actions speak louder than words” only works when the couple actually are in love with each other and know it. Amata’s actions show that he’s in ‘love’ (I’m still not giving up hope! D8) with Mikono. Zessica sees it, Andy sees it, Fudo sees it, everyone bar Mikono herself sees it.
On the other hand, Mikono’s reactions are still quite vague, and as the previous episode shows, she’s unsure of her feelings, too; this I can respect. However, her not being clear- whether telling Amata ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘I’m not read yet’- and continually ‘leading him on’ and getting jealous when others show an interest in Amata, I’m none too pleased about. Of course, this is not entirely Mikono’s fault since Amata latched onto her thoughtless words in the first place.
On the bright side, at least Mikono’s not acting bitchy about it bar “Amata you’ll fly for anyone!” spiels, so I don’t totally hate her character. I do wish Mikono would actually do something so Amata would know she’s ‘interested’ in him the same way he’s been going out of his way to do things for her.
As it stands, NB seems to be thinking along the correct line. Mikono’s keeping Amata to boost her self-esteem, which is the main reason I dislike Mikono.
That the author/writers intentionally crafted her character that way makes me happy since now we’re sure they do know what they’re doing.
@Ria
The problem is with Mikono is up untill now, she has done nothing(action) that could be called as her affection towards Amata. As proof you clearly see that she is more worried for Kagura rather than Amata and she tends to think about Kagura in her free time rather than Amata. Mikono even save Kagura from Amata even though he already caused a lot of Neo-Deava kids to be killed including Jin. If you say that Mikono needs time to be honest with herself or she is shy, then what about Mix? Mix is just as shy as Mikono when it comes to boys or men, she even said that she hates Men. But then when it comes to Andy, where did all the hatred grow? As shy as Mix with Andy, she still take care of him(you clearly see that in this episode) and goes to see Andy on occasion. The same thing can also be applied to Yunoha with Jin, which is much much much much shyyyyyerrr than Mikono.
I don’t if you see it but it seems that Amata and Mikono has not been talking to each other for quite some time. It seems more like Mikono is running away and dodging from Amata.
I take it as she’s going to have to move forward one way or the other. She’s been dragging Amata along playing dumb and acting like the whole Kagura issue isn’t an issue. I think Zessica will force her to woman up and claim Amata as hers or give the guy up and let him off gently. Zessica also basically just outed AxM as not mutual love or even really love.
LOL I had a reply but posted it in response to JONZ above the start of NB Link, sorry guys! It’s like 3 am here o.O…but yeah I understand the way Mikono has been acting rather recently after the Kagura got shot event but honestly it’s understandable (well for me it is)…She’s uncertain as to why she protected Kagura + all the emotions and what not that surface because of him and Zessica’s confession in previous episode and her now declaration of undying love to Amata, who wouldn’t be spacing out and not focusing on her relationship with him? I think at the end of this episode Mikono’s face is more realization than being scared or what not…maybe she’ll wake up finally
Lol, i thought it was weird that your comment post pop up and it doesn’t rhime with my comment. Haha…
Btw, if Mikono finally realize something. Then she better wake up soon and take action fast. We dont have much episode to bear with her anymore.
If you look closely, the island where Mikono and Zessica were look very very similar to the place Apollo made graves for his animal friends. That means the lake they were at was where the original Aquarion was found in the Genesis of Wings movie.
I grinned when I first saw the lake, thinking the same thing. Until I realized that was the OVA, and we already have confirmation that EVOL’s following the series…
But the OVA/Movie is canon. At the end of the movie Silvia, Reika and Apollo destroyed the world by accident but then used the Genesis Punch to create a time-space continuum which created the world of the original series.
My theory is that the Celestial Genesis World (OVA world) is Altair because Altair’s been destroyed and all and the Holy Genesis World is Vega.
Also Mykage is actually the son of Touma after he got “pregnant” during the fight with Genesis Aquarion.
The lake probably has no significance in Holy Genesis World but both worlds were exactly the same before Aquarion was discovered.
andy is a pretty cool guy. eh raises death flags and doesn’t afraid of anything.
Poor Andy, got rejected and left out of the combination again… Suomi-sensei is HOT in those swimsuit!!! Zessica too her BIKINI IS A HUGE WIN with MIX!!! XD
How the hell did Zessica hide her nip in those new outfit?
After a meticulous imagery analysis of gattai scenes in previous episodes, I’ve reached the scientific conclusion that no one have nipples in Aquarion EVOL universe. They must use cat milk to feed the babies, and Altair as run off of cats. Izumo will bring his cat-harvest mobile suit next time.
https://randomc.net/image/Aquarion%20EVOL/Aquarion%20EVOL%20-%2017%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
I wouldn’t use the gattai scenes as evidence as that would mean everyone’s also missing the more important bits. :’D~
Aquarion characters have nipples, you just can’t see them in the TV version. OVA has no problem showing Sylvia and Reika’s tits completely even during gattai.
“Boys want girls they can protect.”
Yunoa, check.
Mikono, gtfo.
What did they do to my sexy Zesicca? This is unacceptable T_T
And oh Sazanka, my glorious fujoshi with your awesome ☆～（ゝ。∂）poses, I’ll take you any day 😉
zessica’s swim suit is awesome, I mean it isn’t too different from her normal cloth, but the new color is great! her new outfit on the other hand, takes a bit of time to grow… except that Show Spoiler ▼
Sazanka needs more screentime or an ova for herself, definetly.
andy : i want to fill….. your hole !! ( lmao )
banana, banana, banana , muhahahahah, such an evil episode
BANANA IS NOT FOR DESSERT!!! best line of the episode…
Fudo, get away from that awesome loli headmaster!
Zessica, fight fight!
Seems like more Zessica centric episode coming up 🙂 hopefully it won’t be heartbreaking :()
Aside the fact the whole episode was basically fanservice (and it was the best one to date >.<) I find it strange that the Wings of the Sun is fragmented. Amata has the wings attached to his ankles, unless…its not the wings…ITS THE GOLD AQUARION!!!! Notice every part of the first one was all gold. The current one only has its fist gold. I think Fudo is trying to reconstruct the legendary Aquarion so it can fight once more (my theory anyways).
The only thing I disliked was Zessica getting depressed again, no matter what she does Amata is still not getting it through his concrete think skull. She freakin' confessed to you and you brush it off? Man, you make us guys (and other anime male protagonists) look like the worst kind of scum on the earth. Dude really needs to reevaluate himself.
It has already been drilled into his thick skull from the previous episode or else he wouldn’t have had the conversation with Zessica in this episode she is just not his type “yet” (I say this because I do not know the ending of Evol? XD hehe
@Ria
Heyy!! That smells fishy. What do you know about Aquarion ending? XD
Oh my Banana!
I guess next episode will involve some girly slaps from Mikono…”Zessica, you should be yourself!! I like you better that way!”, or something along that line…and then Zessica goes back to her old uniform.
screen# 35 – is that a body-coloured top “cup” or is that the flesh in a perverse reversal of classic cleavage?
Looks like the next episode is going to reveal who Zessica was in the original Aquarion series. And we’re going to have Izumo finally come out and fight, with hopefully some revelations as to whether he’s Amata’s father or not. I don’t know why she looks so angry and sad in the preview though, since she seems fine with just her unrequited love for Amata. Might be her visions are showing her something she doesn’t want to see.
So the Solar Wings are fragmented? This first fragment is where the original Aquarion lay in the OVA, I can only guess that the rest are in places that relate to Apollo somehow, like maybe the original DEAVA base. Then there’s still the question of exactly what Amata is considering he seems to have what Mykage wants but Mykage just doesn’t seem to notice.
I feel bad for Andy. I hope he can fix things with Mix somehow. I also really hope he doesn’t die!
I could be wrong, but I’m not that worried for Andy. The simple fact that he made a joke out of possibly dying suggests to me that he’s probably not going to die.
Zessica needs to be paired with someone decent (and male; I don’t have a yuri fetish). She deserves it.
Well, not that I didn’t know it before, but Andy really is a far better character than Amata. Sad that it didn’t quite work out for him with his choice of words. Well, I hope that he gets his feelings across before the series is over, because Mix most certainly likes him as well…
That aside, I don’t dislike Zessica’s new outfit, but the chest part simply doesn’t make any sense anatomically…
Haha I wonder who your favorite Aquarion EVOL girl is, unlisted! 😛
And um… what the heck, Zessica? That outfit is so not you.
That aside, I hope they don’t do to my Andy/Mix OTP what they did to my OTHER OTP (two if you count Macross) -__- Kawamori’s a huge troll though, so unfortunately it wouldn’t be past him…
I think that the who is in charge for the draws should check again an anatomy encyclopedia.. Zessica’s brests doesn’t make sense at all!
Actually I liked a lot Zessica’s characters at the beginning, the only thinkg I could stand was the fact that she wasn’t able to see that Amata wanted only Mikono.. or rather, the fact she had seen it but she wasn’t able not to being in the middle. Now I’m starting to hate her character, she would made a great bad-ass woman, compared to Mikono who is more the damsel-in-distress type, but writers should ruind everhthinh for the sake of the usual boring love triangle almost any series cannot miss to have -_-“” And this time it’s also more ridicolous because Amata’s isn’t Alto, just to name someone. I really hoped that Zessica could get over Amata and be with someone else, not to turn in the stupid character she is now. Major disappointment there. The most stupid thing is that Zessica loves Amata so much but she thinks he’s so superficial that he would change his feelings because she starts being another person and not herself? Great opinion of him she has. And I don’t buy the fact she really accepted the fact she was rejected, or she would have remained the same as before. Such an hypocrite!
le sigh…. Amata you suck…. the girl confesses to you and you just shrug her off for another girl whos obviously in love with Kagura…. damn son you need to face facts. Zessica>>>>>>>Mikono by miles.
Things look grim for Zess. The chances Zess pairing with Amata is pretty much impossible now with only 9 ep left with no progress of their relation . Damn you Amata .
Pretty much my thoughts exactly.
Mikono Hair Color = Zessica Eyes Color.
Zessica Hair Color = Mikono Eyes Color.
mind blowing.
Still think that they share Sylvia/Celiane’s soul, any stupid clue is a clue xD
Genius! And also, never noticed that distinction. So, Apollo and Slyphie are both split apart? Man, Reincarnation is a bitch.
https://randomc.net/image/Aquarion%20EVOL/Aquarion%20EVOL%20-%2017%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Too bad Shrade isn’t there.
The names of their finishing moves are so ridiculous that I don’t think there will be a game for this.
I wouldn’t be so sure~
Another Century’s Episode: R XD
Aquarion might get included in Super Robot Taisen
lol
Eh, Aquarion’s already in SRW Z.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fl4ov5uf6I
With Zessica’s new clothes she might as well just have her boobs hang out with some band-aids to cover her nipples.
Yeah, I am NOT happy about that. I prefer characters to be either (somewhat) clothed or to just be naked, something as fetishy as her new dress is not my cup of tea.
pft. i used to be zessica’s fan until she wear those shit. btw i love big bang’s swimsuit!
haha well, you seem to be forgetting something. this is Kawamori’s show. This guy is a troller. Look for the “obvious” main couple (*cough* Amata/Mikono). I tell you, that ship will sink. Great Kawamori will sink it. Zessica will be the end girl. Nyahahah
Let’s hope so, harhar.
Let’s hope so.
I’m less embitious.
I just want them to at least sink AmataxMikono. i’m sick of him looking like a complete doormat and their relationship going nowhere for 15 episode straight.
I’m with you buddy.
Basically what I’m hoping for if the ship is to stay afloat is that Mikono and Amata improve their personalities, Mikono with her self worth issues which i believe is why she’s content with leading on two guys, as long as she’s ‘needed’ by them she’s happy. And Amata can get over his fear of abandonment, grow a backbone and really take charge of his romantic situation with Mikono. But I’ve lost hope that any of that will happen (mostly on mikono’s part, i’m holding out where amata is concerned) since we are more than halfway through.
If I could draw a comparison to the original Macross, it seems like Mikono is turning out to be Minmei and Zessica is turning out to be Hayase.
I think your comparison the original macross is spot-on. But as anyone who has seen the original Macross knows, Minmei (Mikono) was an self-centered, immature little girl. That was the point. She really only matures at the very end when her immaturity loses her Hikaru (Amata). Because in Macross, Hikaru (Amata)eventually realizes that as much as he likes Minmei (Mikono), she is a child, and so he ends up choosing Hayase (Zessica).
We can only hope that Amata proves as wise.
But I’m just not seeing it here unfortunately. In Macross, while Minmei was the main girl for most of the series, Hikaru and Hayase still had CONSTANT development so that by the time Hikaru chose her over Minmei, it was completely natural. Amata on the other hand, barely pays attention when Zessica talks, for him to suddenly go with her would seem very left-field at this point.
^I think you put too much of the blame on Mikono’s shoulders though.
There is also a big problem with the way Amata treats her. Putting her on a pedestal as a sort of kawai doll that needs protection and you cannot be too demanding of.
An exemple that is, I think telling : In episode one, when she was crying in the cockpit, he though it was alright because she was just a girl. In a way, it’s super condescending.
The best BF for Mikono would certainly be Zessica. One who has been regularly confronting her on her BS, helping her to better herself. *Yuri*
Well, we’ve got 7 (or 9; how many episodes will this be?) weeks to go; that’s a lot of time for Amata to change and start reciprocating, (insert fanfiction goggles here) culminating with him and Zessica parting at the very end a la Apollo/Sylvia, with Zessica spouting that one line that lured Amata to Mikono, and Amata being all giddy because of it. Cue music and season 3/OVA/Movie~~~! (takes off goggles)
Anyways, we’ve seen Zessica’s half of their ‘relationship’ thus far. I’m guessing the deadline will be next week, assuming Izumo is there to kidnap Zessica. Jonz outlined a possibility how this could come about.
Oddly enough, I’ve always felt that Zessica is the main heroine, mostly because we see her interacting with Amata a lot. Here’s to hoping the writers did that intentionally so the viewers won’t feel too disoriented if they do pull a bait-and-switch.
Mikono = Minmey
Kagura = Kaifun
Starts with the same letter. It probably means nothing in Japanese, but I still find it funny.
>NB
Is that in response to me? I mostly was just describing the Macross love triangle, I didn’t really put the ‘blame’ on anyone. The main reason I kept mentioning the names is to point how similar it really is to macross.
And I don’t think it’s all Mikono’s fault here, nor was it all Minmei’s fault in Macross. It took a lot of (very well-done) maturing in Macross for Hikaru to realize Minmei wasn’t right for him. That is what I meant by I hope Amata proves as wise. I hope he grows up and realizes their relationship is crappy.
It’s no coincidence that the original Macross is considered to have one of the best, if not THE best, love triangles in all of anime. Certainly in anything that isn’t strictly a romance anime it’s in the top two.
Mikono and Amata need to be slapped silly by someone’s banana. Preferably with furikake on it.
Hey! GET SCREENSHOTS OF EPISODE 18 NOW…..!
IT’S BEEN ALMOST A WEEK SINCE THAT EPISODE CAME OUT…..
WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?
Hey! GET SCREENSHOTS OF EPISODE 18 NOW…..!
IT’S BEEN ALMOST A WEEK SINCE THAT EPISODE CAME OUT…..
WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?
PAOSTING IT 2
Hey! GET SCREENSHOTS OF EPISODE 18 NOW…..!
IT’S BEEN ALMOST A WEEK SINCE THAT EPISODE CAME OUT…..
WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?
PAOSTING IT 3