「鴨川にも届け, この声」 (Kamogawa ni mo Todoke, Kono Koe)
“May This Voice Reach Kamogawa”

So much of fiction is about miscommunication. We see it continually in romcoms, where miscommunication leads to zany hijinks that keep the main couple apart long enough for the writers to run out of other material. Yet in tragedies the beast also rears its scaled head, with more dire results. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this episode a tragedy – though laughing I was not, or at least not too often – but there were definitely elements of it throughout its ~24 minute run.

The first time miscommunication reigned was a bit subtle, though to me, with my practiced eye for history, politics, war, and the manifold foibles of humankind, it shone as clearly as the crystals that threatened to engulf our heroes. I am talking about the miscommunication that lead to this episode’s battle. They started with a bad situation – Yurikano’s release from beyond the Rin’Ne let loose the aforementioned leaf-crystals, which were doing a number on Dizelmine’s ship. That’s definitely bad. Then the KISS Three rose to retake their lost friend, causing Le Garite to suspect De Metrio’s involvement in the anomaly. Ovids were launched, which caused De Metrio launched ovids of its own, and pretty soon a series of decisions that ranged from reasonable to only slightly stupid led to a lot of people dying. I love seeing decision-making on this scale, especially when it’s shown realistically. When you have a crisis full of uncertainty and incomplete information, people often jump to conclusions based on prejudice, suspicion, and fear, decision they often end up regretting in retrospect. Stupid on their part? Yes. But it’s also very, very realistic. I’ll admit, I’ve been there myself.

The other area where miscommunication mucked up the works was with Yurikano’s feelings for Dizelmine. As Madoka mused over the open comm channel (which she accidentally triggered, of course – classic Madoka), had Yurikano told Dizelmine and Villagulio about her feelings – both that she loved Dizelmine, and that she didn’t want them to fight – then perhaps things would have ended up differently. Probably not; people in general are stubborn, and Dizelmine and Villagulio especially so. Still, what if, what if, what if…? As I myself have talked about before (note: heavy spoilers to multiple shows in that link), it’s the stories that make you wonder what could have been that stick with you. Me? I’m wondering what this story would have been like if Yurikano, a young woman who was grousing about her skills being rusty even as other people praised her fighting prowess, were a cast member from the start. Probably a lot more boring, admittedly. She’s way too competent! She’d probably solve problems without even needing Madoka’s help. Heavens forbid.

One more thing. I’d like to talk about how the Yurikano-loves-Dizelmine reveal was done. I’m not certain whether it was done beautifully, or if I’m just terribly biased in Rinne no Lagrange’s favor by this point, though if it’s the latter, it’s only because it has earned my goodwill so consistently. Still, I can say this – when the reveal came about, my jaw dropped, and stayed that way for some time.

Thinking on it more, I do think that scene was well done, especially with how the soundtrack completely cut out while Madoka was floating and playing her little word game (another good touch there, btw), only to come back with mournful, wistful piano strains as Madoka moved further and further away from Earth. Wait, when the hell did I turn into Moomba here? Regardless, it was a good moment, which was punctuated nicely by Aura flying over to save the day. I expected it, but I still laughed at Madoka’s genki “tadaima!” Glad you’re sticking around, Madoka.

From the sound of it, next week’s episode is probably going to revolve around Yurikano’s feelings a bit more, judging both by the tone of the preview and by Madoka’s expression at the end. Beware, all ye leaders of intergalactic governments, of the wrath of a genki girl from Kamogawa. Nations have fallen to forces weaker than Madoka. …this should be fun!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Love from politics, that stretches across ideological divides…& yet is still consumed by them. Yurikano… #LagRin #Kamojo

Random thoughts:

  • Good try, Madoka-chan.
  • This episode reminded us that those KISS guys are actually pretty strong. That’s easy to forget since they got whooped by Madoka so long ago, but come on, let’s face it – who doesn’t get whooped by Madoka sooner or later? Other than Asteria, who is perhaps the only person more badass than Madoka. Perhaps.
  • When Muginami got spaced, I originally thought she should have died immediately. However, that’s not quite true. A human can (apparently) survive in a vacuum for a few minutes before dying of hypoxia (i.e. no oxygen in the body). However, Muginami definitely should have lost consciousness (humans lose consciousness in a few seconds, and she was out there for at least 10), and there’s a pretty good chance her lungs should have sustained serious damage from holding her breath. Still, I thought that was a serious breach of science, but they were actually way closer to the truth than I was. Well done, LagRin. Well done.
  • I forgot to mention above, but I got some serious Evangelion vibes when the Voces launched themselves in order to save their pilots. This isn’t a bad thing in my eyes, but your mileage may vary.
  • Blushing “Yurika” is cute! In related news, IZO YOU BASTARD!!!
  • Finally, I’m not entirely clear on why Yurikano disappeared. She had a real body, right? I’m not sure, but my best guess is that she didn’t have to. Rather, she once again chose to, in order to avoid seeing her brother and her love fighting over her (and her ability to destroy planets). My guess is that she’s back behind the Rin’Ne, and we’ll be seeing more of her before this series is through. At least, I hope so.

Full-length images: 38.

 

Preview

End Card

46 Comments

  1. I must say, the return of Madoka and Midori from deep space was truly hilarious. Can’t stop myself from rewatching that scene over and over again. Someone gotta make an animated gif with voice for it.

    I must say, for this episode, it was a ibt unexpected. Thought there might be something deeper behind the conflict and Dizelmine and Moid. Although this was concluded rather nicely, it still feels as though not all has been explained. For one, I’m still suspicious of Moid and Dizelmine. There’s something about the two of them that I cant put my finger at.

    And seriously, where in the universe can you find a normal gengki earthling girl putting 2 kings of 2 alien races in their place? >> https://randomc.net/image/Rinne%20no%20Lagrange/Rinne%20no%20Lagrange%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2039.jpg

    Oh and tilts, you forgot Super Wan Wan running to the rescue (Lan in her hime outfit running through the halls)

    c2710
    1. I got to say that the ending was tear-jerking. I almost cried when Yurikano vanished. It would be great to see more of her. Well at least it is great that she too has a funny side, especially when she and Madoka swapped bodies.

      Muginami has shown us more of her ninja skills as she fights off the guards and rescues Yurikano (in Madoka’s body) in the beginning. Awesome Mugi is awesome!

      I should have mentioned this last week but Dizelmine looks like Friday Monday from Madlax.

      With Yurikano gone, it is all up to those three girls and two boys to settle this major issue.

      By the way, I love that end card very much. In my opinion, it is the best one this anime has featured. I have seen some Lan/Mugi moments in recent episodes and I feel like thinking that they should be the OTP of this show. Madoka should stay away so that Lan and Muginami can be together. Just kidding.

      JohnHayabusa
  2. Madoka’s despair then epic return with Midori was hilarious.

    I’m glad that Midori can easily tell who the real Madoka is because she loves her too. Midori is part of Madoka’s harem! In hindsight it just proves how dumb Dizel plan for mindswapping is in the first place.

    But now Madoka is mad and her waifu’s don’t approve either. Considering she was strapped to a machine, mind-raped, body-swapped and then spaced in an escape pod, no one can blame her. I hope she gets a chance for a good beating on the two Onii-sans.

    fragb85
  3. When Muginami got spaced, I originally thought she should have died immediately. However, that’s not quite true. A human can (apparently) survive in a vacuum for a few minutes before dying of hypoxia (i.e. no oxygen in the body). However, Muginami definitely should have lost consciousness (humans lose consciousness in a few seconds, and she was out there for at least 10), and there’s a pretty good chance her lungs should have sustained serious damage from holding her breath. Still, I thought that was a serious breach of science, but they were actually way closer to the truth than I was. Well done, LagRin. Well done.

    If my physics is right, then Muginami should have died because she was holding her breath. There is considerably less pressure outside the body in space so the oxygen in her lungs should have rapidly expanded, causing her breasts chest to burst. But hey~ Rule No.1 of Anime~

    Regardless, I loved this episode. Leave it up to Madoka to use shiritori to divine Yurikano’s feelings, as well as turn a bleak farewell into a genki return in the span of a second. Though I didn’t really believe in her farewell given that we know the Voces were flying after their mistresses, that turnaround still had me grinning wryly at the typical Madoka-ness!

    Also, it seems Youko’s influence on Madoka is showing given the look Madoka gave the baka-kings in the closing scene.

    Beedle
    1. Your physics is right, but your human anatomy is lacking. The human body and muscles around the lungs are stronger than, say, a balloon. People do not “pop” in vacuum as I think happened in like the first Total Recall. Although, yes, Muginami should have exhaled everything first and she definitely did right in keeping her eyes shut. While watching, I did not find it unrealistic that she lasted the 4 something seconds before pick up.

  4. Before we start experiments on living subjects to determine the effect of the hard vacuum on human body, (which was done already by Nazis in concentration camps… forgive me for not wanting to look up the results) lets just appreciate the fact Muginami is safe.
    Madoka was pure comedic gold, both when she tried to impersonate Yurikano while in her body , and when she accidentally switched comms on and let entire Galaxy listen to her munching on snacks combined with philosophical musings.
    Yurikano had to go to stop the crystals from completely destroying dizelmines flagship with its crew and himself. Sad, but completely in line with her character and self-sacrifice attitude.
    With Yurikano gone, but having declared her feelings, there is at least the chance to stop war from escalating, though there is still pending problem of the planetary collision. But I have great expectations of Madoka in solving that problem too…

    ewok40k
  5. This week Rinne tries its hand at some Kokoro Connect magic, resulting in a lot of jaw dropping moments through the cast. The most important one being the revelation about Yurikano’s true feelings that I definitely didn’t see coming, Yuriyuri’s innocence maybe?

    Anyway biggest WTF moment this episode was Midori grabbing a Madoka drifting away in her pod.

    Now that things seem to be heading toward a peaceful resolution, what kind oh shit is gonna happen to keep the show going?

    Ananas
  6. It was a good episode in a great series…
    But somehow, I felt that things were rushed entirely too fast.

    Like you, Stilts, I’m not sure of Yurikano’s future role or, after having
    expressed her feelings and reasons, why she had to leave so suddenly.

    Is there a strong Yuri vibe next week???

    mac65
    1. Yeah, it was a bit odd, pacing-wise. It was almost like one of the central conflicts of the story was resolved…only not, because those planets are still set to collide. Only once that is taken care of will Yurikano be able to resurface.

      Stilts
  7. When Muginami got spaced, I originally thought she should have died immediately. However, that’s not quite true. A human can (apparently) survive in a vacuum for a few minutes before dying of hypoxia (i.e. no oxygen in the body). However, Muginami definitely should have lost consciousness (humans lose consciousness in a few seconds, and she was out there for at least 10), and there’s a pretty good chance her lungs should have sustained serious damage from holding her breath. Still, I thought that was a serious breach of science, but they were actually way closer to the truth than I was.

    Muginami is an alien, so human body sciences does not apply 🙂

    taiakun
    1. What fragb85 said. All characters in this show are biologically human, whether their ancestors were on Earth in recent generations or not.

      Besides, I’m a big proponent of, if an alien looks, speaks, and acts like a human, it should be assumed that human biology applies to them until otherwise noted. Writers need to introduce facts ahead of time, or they’re just pulling stuff out of their asses.

      Stilts
  8. one of the things i really love about the main character is that, well, madoka is kind of a shitty pilot.

    in just about every battle she’s been in, it was either won by luck, pulling a madoka (robot german suplex), someone else doing the work for her, opening the flower of rinne, or whatever. madoka literally has no skills whatever, apart from being a madoka. and that’s what’s so great about her as a main character of a mecha anime. she can’t pilot a mecha for nuts.

    Nitro
      1. I think that Madoka being a good/bad pilot is debatable and doesn’t really apply as so far she hasn’t had need or time to become a good pilot. Theres also other stuff like the Voxes being noticeably more powerful than the KISS3 Ovids, which again are better than bog standard Ovids.

        Madoka isn’t obviously smart or skilled but being Madoka she’s an unstoppable force that will excel at anything she wants to put her effort into. She just has more important things to do with her Harem. Just give Madoka an hour and she’ll be the best pilot in the universe.

        Errant
    1. Actually, this episode proved that Madoka isn’t a technically skilled pilot. When she gets swapped back to her own body and finds herself in the ovid that Yurikano stole, she ends up getting hauled to Dizelmine’s ship by Lan and Muginami. Compared to Yurikano, who piloted a standard ovid like a champ, Madoka doesn’t have the experience or skill to jump in any vehicle and start kicking ass.

      …that said, the bond between Madoka and Midori is something special, and with that she can run rings around most others. I also have little doubt that with as much experience as Yurikano clearly has, Madoka could become every bit as technically skilled as she is. She just hasn’t been piloting for nearly as long.

      Stilts
    2. Madoka’s piloting is one of those things that I think she’s awesome when she’s not actually trying to be a pilot for Midori. When she just knows something has to be done, she and Midori go do it. But when she’s actually gotta pilot Midori? Pretty hopeless. And other ovids? I think we can give her a break on that.

      What’s inexcusable is how unwaveringly shitty all the normal Ovid pilots are. Le Garite’s ship launches how many of those guys, and they barely even get off a shot against the KISS guys?

  9. Okaeri, Madoka chan!!! Was my scream at the monitor for that genki come back!!!! Kept me happy all night long.

    Miscommunication IS a real issue even in every day life. In a tense situation like in here, having the two fleets almost facing each other. The fall of a pin on the floor could trigger that war. So I wasn’t that surprised. I did miss, like the first season, the naming of the lost pilots as they clashed. Wonder of some of them are able to survive if the void doesn’t fully explode.

    Mugunami = Resilence Is not the first time she pulls graet escape, though this time she really was lucky!

    Yes!@
  10. Shin Muginami can survive in space because her mecha has a cape and she’s fucking badass.

    I pretty much agree with you about misunderstandings and everything you said. Also, like I said back in the episode when Villagiulio & Dizelmine met, scriptwriters guys could’ve just taken an “easier” route and made it so they would have never met, or back to this episode, make the whole situation that was developed here and in the previous ep stretch until episode 22 of the show or something, if you get what I mean. And frankly, I have to say it just makes me dislike the 1st half of the show more. Admitting the conflict got resolved, I would’ve liked it better if that “arc” was in the 1st half of the show, instead of taking things so slowly only for stuff to start moving at episode 11&12. Anyway that’s just me disliking the pacing, still mad like a child at people who thought that the first half of Mouretsu Pirates was slower than Rinne no Lagrange’s first half.
    I wonder what will happen now, there’s 8 episodes left or something.

    Seriously, didn’t you guys notice how Shin Muginami trashed those soldiers at the beginning? They are soldiers on the royal ship guys. And Shin Muginami kicked their asses.

  11. My problem with this show is that the plot advances only through absurd coincidences, like Madoka accidentally triggering the intercom, or Yurikano and Madoka switching bodies again when Dizel took Yuri’s hand (why??).

    Son Gohan
    1. I don’t disagree with your point, but neither do I disagree with Jello’s. Yes, there are coincidences – Yurikano and Madoka switching back upon Dizelmine’s touch being a pretty big one – but yes, coincidences really do happen in real life sometimes. I’m willing to cut a writer slack if they don’t make use of coincidences most of the time, or if taking the time to explain them away would destroy the flow of a scene.

      So yeah, I see what you mean, but Rinne no Lagrange has historically been so good at avoiding coincidences that I’m willing to cut it some slack. Just so long as it doesn’t become a habit, of course.

      Stilts
  12. After this episode, after seeing her tsundereness, I want Yurikano to join the Jersey Club when she returns.. 🙁

    PS: Small detail here but when Madoka swapped back to her original body I loled when Muginami and Lan had to drag her ovid by the hand because she is unable to pilot it unlike Yurikano.

    The small little things in RnL really makes up for some of the head-scratching moments that this series is kinda known to throw at us (example being Yurikano just leaving like that).

  13. I agree. The “confession” scene was done excellently. It was like staying on the tracks knowing that you were gonna get hit by the slow-moving train in your sights. A train loaded with intangible awesomeness.

    I’m confused as to where the story goes now. RnL is slated to run for 24 episodes, isn’t it? So there’s 6 episodes left. I’m guessing something happens that doesn’t let the war resolve quickly, or something ELSE is revealed that suddenly throws Le Garite and De Metrio into a haphazardly thrown together alliance to fight “something bigger”. I’m leaning towards the latter, maybe because of a tingle in my anime gut, or maybe becuz2muchgundamlolz.

    Jello
    1. 6 more episodes seems just about right. All that’s happened so far is opening the forum for Le Garite and De Metrio to actually talk about the situation peacefully.

      Things still needing resolution:
      1) Voces, their role in the past, harnessing their power for the future – currently being investigated by Youko’s team.
      2) How to stop the two planets from colliding – possibly tied to the first point.
      3) What is the purpose of Rinne? – possibly tied to the first point
      4) Who is Asteria? – tied to the first point

      The ‘something bigger’ will probably something coming out of the Rinne. After harnessing the Voces’ power to prevent the collision of the two planets, those Rinne beasts that attacked Madoka before resurface. Cue bleak moment for our Jersey-Bu girls and KISS boys when, out of nowhere, Le Garite and De Metrio flagships come out of hyperdrive, ready to lay the smack down on all hostiles while Nakajima Megumi’s music plays in the background…

      Beedle
      1. What Beedle said. The conflict between Le Garite and De Metrio was a major subplot, but it was still a subplot. Asteria, the colliding planets, the purpose of Rin’Ne and the Voces…there are still plenty of plot threads that need tying up.

        Oh, and we need to see the Madoka x Lan x Muginami wedding. So there’s that too!!

        P.S. I agree with Beedle that the big thing will probably be something coming out of the Rin’Ne. Remember those weird crystal-studded ovids we saw emerge from it a few episodes ago? I don’t think that’s the last we’ll be seeing of them…

        Stilts
  14. Guh, The lighthearted moment of “Tadaima~” ruined the intensity for me. It was facepalm and resisting the urge to die chuckling than outright laughter. “Goodbye Cruel World!” HAI GAIZ I’M BACK~ orz… Dammit Madoka ^_^;;;.

    Hmmn, I have my theories, but I’ll keep them to myself for now. Tch, We’ve been taken for one helluva ride, this whole series has been about Yurikano the whole time, we just haven’t seen her until now.

    Giuvi-nii’s sister, Dizel’s betrothed, the KISS trio’s leader, Madoka’s Rinne confidant…

    The relationship and connections map is swirling in my head, just like the intro animation. So many connections. If this series has time to finish in two seasons I look forward to it. If they push it out to a third season, equally awesome, but they’d damn better save Yurikano in all of this. She’s stolen my heart as she’s stolen the story.

    kumakaori
  15. Loved this episode. Since the revelation of Dizelmine and Yurikano being a couple is canon. I feel like his actions make a lil bit more sense. His conviction to save his people is real, but his real reason for him going to such extremes (I’m assuming) is because he wanted to destroy everything that reminded him of Yurikano (before she sacced herself). After all, it’s easier to be hated than pitied when you’re hurt over losing someone you loved deeply. Specially more so by your best friend.
    And another random guess is how to Madoka will solve the big issue = Show Spoiler ▼

    Lastly, this = this Totally.

    Kyzel
  16. My guess is, the main focus is going to shift away from De Metrio vs Le Garite and more towards the Rin’Ne. It’s about time for Youko nee-san’s research and Moid’s secret ulterior motive (whatever that may be) to finally have the chance in the spotlight.

    I’m impressed how they didn’t drag out the body swap thing for more than 1 ep.

    Kentaiyoshimi

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