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「フーダニット (誰がやったか)」 (Fūdanitto (Dare ga Yatta ka))
“Whodunit (Who did it)”
After 20 episodes of red herrings, false turns, twists, and many potential candidates… the Mage of Exodus is finally revealed in style — to be Fuwa Aika herself. And well, despite the suspicions many of you (and myself) have had regarding this potential scenario unfolding — I have to say, I found myself quite surprised, as the reveal was much more sudden (and epic) than I ever anticipated. One moment I was just sitting there going “whoa, Hakaze really over did it with the emergency retreat there” and the next one it’s like, “HOLY CRAP WHERE DID SHE COME FROM!?” Some crazy stuff. Took a little bit for it to actually sink in. But in the end… I suppose it had to be her. There’s just no one else could’ve really made that moment more epic than it was — I mean, LOOK AT THAT SWORD! I want one! The question that remains though, is what happens now?
Considering what one knows about the sequence of events and the fact that Fuwa Aika ends up dying… one would reason that Hakaze ends up being the reason why she does. Subsequently, this would leave us with a scenario where Hakaze thus returns to the present to report her findings… and the scenario where Mahiro goes to hunt down Hakaze and Yoshino ends up fighting Mahiro in an attempt to stop him. Of course, there’s the potential that Mahiro ends up not following up on his revenge because he realizes that Hakaze had no choice given that Aika was the Mage of Exodus…. though that doesn’t seem that likely, if you end up taking the reaffirmation from Mahiro and the sequence in the OP (where Mahiro and Yoshino are running toward each other) seriously.
On the flip side though, one has to wonder if Aika’s death is even written in stone at this point. It is not impossible that Hakaze could either die or be rendered unable to return to the present (whether due to influence from the past or the present). Furthermore, if one assumes that Aika has magical powers of similar prowess to Hakaze… then theoretically, Aika could travel to the present herself using the same trick Hakaze does — considering that her bones should still be present and Hakaze herself discussed the possibility of this body switch earlier in the episode.
Indeed, there’s just an unimaginable number of ways things could work out now — despite it seeming that the first possibility is the likeliest at the moment — and at this point, you really have to chalk it up to the series. Zetsuen no Tempest just continues to show just how well it’s been structured and written — making us doubt each and everyone of our predictions and making it so that the ending still isn’t clear despite it only being four episodes away. Just superb writing to say the least, and one highlighted further when you consider how the beginning of the episode actually discusses some of the other possibilities — in terms of who murdered Aika and what would happen as a result — that some of us have wondered about previously (and some we haven’t). The series just knows how to cover its bases even before we think about it — and there’s just this kind of foresight in the writing that makes it above and beyond what one would consider a typical series. On top of it all, they managed to sneak in that whole comedic moment with Samon and his hair (“You sure don’t looked troubled! Your hair is still intact! No. It’s a wig. YOU LIE! Yes, I did. But you never joke around like that! And that is how troubled I’ve been. Oh, I see.”) too, which admittedly put a smile on my face.
Ultimately, there’s just not much I can say aside from the fact that this episode was how the prelude to an end should be. Everything about this week just oozed “the end is coming,” and I mean, if you’re going to set up for an ending, this is how you do it. You save one of the biggest revelations for as long as you can, reveal it in style, then give it more than enough time (four whole episodes!) to resolve. At the same time, you make it so that it’s not easily predictable what’s going to happen in the future, while also making it so that the audience doesn’t mind the uncertainty because they know it will likely receive a satisfactory resolution. That’s how it’s done — and that’s how Zetsuen’s been doing it up until now. With the revelation of Aika as the Mage of Exodus, the epic ending we expected looks like it’ll come as anticipated, and well dang it — WHY CAN’T IT BE NEXT WEEK ALREADY!?
Preview
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That’s a big sword she got there…
Yeah…it really ruined Aika’s perfect image and the whole show.
I think she just trolled with that sword. Not like she will actually use it.
Now think about seriously, how you can prove the best if you are a badass magus?
Glowing red? That would be lame. If I would want to prove I am the Mage of Exodus having a big red flaming sword is a musst. 😀
When Hakaze jumped on the roof, Aika didnt know who is her, or her power. She only noticed she can use magic, only after Hakaze said she is the princess. So Aika did this to make Hakaze believe, she really strong.
Well…if you weren’t being sarcastic:
Perfect image? Have you actually been watching the show? I’m pretty sure they tried to make it clear to us that Aika was flawed and had a bit of a twisted personality. Hell, her entire interaction with Hakaze (from the super deductive skills to giant flaming sword) just made her completely badass and is now probably much closer to being “perfect” in my book.
She played too much Final Fantasy?
Definitely epic introduction, though.
Big Friggin Sword, and a Flaming one to boot. All it was lacking was something along those lines:
“My name is Fuwa Aika.
You killed my fatherI am Mage of Exodus. Prepare to die.”Her (terrible) personality shines too, all with the Holmes impersonation, only for lulz.
The series definitely knows how to make an epic moment. And we had so many twists and turns of plot so far, yet never we got 100% sure of who really was Mage of Exodus. And now we are completely unsure of what will follow, who will kill whom? I can imagine Aika killing Hakaze , only to kill herself later to atone for it? This is as equally possible as Hakaze killing Aika. Of course some crazy plot with “everybody lives” – including Aika – is not out of question. Heck, with knowledge of the future, it would be entirely possible to force Samon into abandoning his plan and stop the entire black iron syndrome crisis, and battle of the trees altogether…
Last but not least, Samon gets his revenge with the wig joke. Well played, sir!
I felt rather impressed and aroused…
Hanemura´s magic looks like fire crackers compared with what Aika can do with what it seeings no effort at all!.
Welp… Words can not do good service to describing this show.
i had a gut feeling they would end the ep at that point but it really makes you excited for the confrontation next ep
(0.0)
My face through the entire episode… nuff said.
Its been killing me for weeks now not to mention that Aika was the mage of Exodus. I wanted to put it in spoiler tags bur decided to not do it.
Quite a revelation, seeing as Aika was the true, and complete magician of exodus. What I find impressive to the show was that it brought out many explanations that could explain what was happening or had happened, and then leaves them so that we can we ponder over them, creating this strong inclination of suspense and tense mood .
But I still wonder with some new arising questions such as: What is Hanemura’s purpose, how did Aika die (along with Mahiro and Aika’s parents), and what are Aika’s motives since she “lives” the role as magician of exodus?
As a side note: Yoshino dated the Magician of Exodus while being the love interest of Magician of Genesis is quite a surprising twist since his mind personality is kind of like Aika, but his behavior is kind of like Hakaze.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”
― William Shakespeare, Hamlet
I’m also curious about Aika’s motives, simply being the Mage of Exodus isn’t reason enough for Hakaze to kill her since she didn’t kill Hanaemura either.
theoretically, Aika could travel to the present herself using the same trick Hakaze does — considering that her bones should still be present and Hakaze herself discussed the possibility of this body switch earlier in the episode.
If aika is brought back to life I see it happening in a far more clear cut manner. The Tree of Genesis’s magic can’t bring back the dead because of how illogical the act is, but that logic doesn’t need to apply to the Tree of Exodus’s magic.
Anyway Hakaze’s method of time travel just wouldn’t be able to work for Aika. Hakaze’s been able to travel through time because her first jump left behind bones. Aika was found dead as an entire corpse. Even if they attempted the time travel there would be no corpse left for Yoshino to find and you couldn’t just use a replacement corpse because then you don’t have the bones to transfer onto.
No corpse for Mahiro to find that is.
I haven’t read the manga, so the following isn’t necessarily a spoiler unless I’m right, but Show Spoiler ▼
Well the different ways the Yu-chan situation could resolve itself, if it even gets resolved, aren’t exactly pretty.
On one hand if Aika ends up being Yu-chan, having faker her death, then she’s simply been emotionally manipulating all the men around her to further her plan. Stringing along Mahiro and dating Yoshino so they would avenger her and dating/dumping Hanemura to push him into making a name as the Mage of Exodus to impress her.
On the other hand if Yu-chan is the convenient double that means they have to sacrifice an innocent girl to save Aika.
Two things, one, from what we know of the MoE he/she isn’t limited by logic so there’s a good chance she can time travel without all the requisites that come for the MoG(although that would make things too easy for the MoE).Two, there’s also the possibility that the writers use Yu-chan as a distraction for the viewers to make it seem more mysterious.
Depending on her motive from this point onwards, Aika can be a manipulating bitch who schemed all of the events for her own selfish reason or a tragic antagonist (as long as she stays dead as there is still a possibility that she may come back in the remaining episodes, we never know…) who just wanted the world be free from the Tree Gods whether that will do good to humanity or not. I for one already admire Aika’s character despite all her flaws because she is not afraid to play her role even if it turns out to be role of a villain and has the guts to sacrifice her own life to achieve her goal. So far, I’m getting the vibe that she has good intentions considering the hints she had been giving to our protagonists, Yoshino and Mahiro, and the fact that this series is entitled as “Zetsuen no Tempest”.
Aika being a antagonist is a reasonable possibility but as far as the Trees go, judging strictly from what they have done so far, I would say the Tree of Genesis if not intentionally evil isn’t a good thing(considering how many deaths it has caused) on the other hand the only thing the Tree of Exodus has done is destroy the ToG which, at the moment, makes ToE a better option.
We don’t know that the mage of exodus has the same limitations on time travel.
It’d be pretty crazy if Aika won the fight and then used Hakaze’s bones to travel to the future … though I doubt that will happen. It’s probably simpler to create a fake body, since the power of Exodus seems less constrained by rules.
Then she doesn’t have to time travel … just lurk & watch. It’d be hilarious if she was Yu. I can see Aika manipulating everyone like that. It’s not like she told Yoshino or Mashiro that she was the mage of Exodus right? So she’s already hiding quite a bit .. this particular episode (assuming she survives) will certainly convince her to hang in the background and not trust Yoshino or Mashiro 100%
I suppose we know that Hakaze’s bones have to end up back on the isle so they’ll be there when Samon & co come to pick them up. That doesn’t imply she made it back to the future though – she could die on the isle instead.
If Aika did survive & didn’t time travel, she’d have a lot of time to figure out the sequence of events. The next logical thing for her to do *gulp* would be to strike before Hakaze can get back from the past, though I wonder what her goal would be in that scenario? I still can’t tell if she has anyone’s best interest at heart or not..
Regardless of what happens, I’m pretty sure it’ll be awesome. I haven’t enjoyed a show this much in quite awhile.
Well that escalated quickly.
Remember when I said that this series was powerful? Yeah? Well now it became god-like in just about 23 minutes.
When Aika appeared on the roof, I yelled out “WTF??!”
When she played Master Detective I yelled “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??!?!”
When she said she was the Mage of Exodus, I friggin foamed from the mouth
When she spawned that friggin badass sword, I died
https://randomc.net/image/Zetsuen%20no%20Tempest/Zetsuen%20no%20Tempest%20-%2020%20-%20Large%2034.jpg That stare……
Now I can’t wait for Episode 21.
I also like how casual Yoshino and Mahiro are about this. Although it must be eating them apart on the inside. Their fates rest in the hands of what Hakaze discovers, and whether or not its Hakaze or even Yoshino, they’re prepared to be enemies if that’s what it takes. That’s true strength right there. Friends but at the same time they know they could become enemies the very next instant, yet they won’t even stutter or flinch when it comes to stopping, or killing the other.
P.S. https://randomc.net/image/Zetsuen%20no%20Tempest/Zetsuen%20no%20Tempest%20-%2020%20-%20Large%2010.jpg I know I wasn’t the only one that said “NOW KISS” when this scene came up. I kinda knew it wouldn’t happen, but a man can dream can’t he?
In reply to DAT STARE, I’m imagining Mahiro or perhaps Yoshino saying “No Aika, I didn’t do it!!”
Aika being the mage of Exodus was my first assumption since the beginning of the series. It was very strange how she talked as if she knew what was going to happen the entire time. It felt as if Aika had crafted everything in the situation that would unfold. Still even if I considered her the most likely candidate the way in how she was revealed left me jumping around my room and wishing it was next week already. No doubts about it. Aika my favorite character.
I find that contradictory with this episode, judging from what Aika said it seemed like she was deducing everything she said and didn’t know them as fact.And since her Hamlet/Tempest quotes were said before she met Hakaze it seems unlikely she told them knowing how the events were gonna unfold(at least atm) but it’s also a stretch to write all of that down as coincidence.
You got a point. I thought she was the mage of exodus because she was adopted and that she killed herself. The mage of exodus would be protected from the killer finding magic. I just find her death very peaceful as if she welcomed death. Didn’t looked forced. So I thought she killed herself for some grander purpose that only she was aware of.
WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!
Only in Zestuen can what Aika did with a stick be possible.
If you look, she dropped the stick just enough to spawn the giant sword in her hand.
You know with the reference of how The Tempest, with its good ending, came about because the mage snapped his staff and gave up magic and everyone kept talking about how it was Hakaze. I wonder…
Yep…
Speechless.
Love this series.
Need next episode 🙁
Personally I didn’t find it that surprising, after all many noted the possibility before and one of the mistakes this show does is have the characters speculate on numerous possibilities but conveniently omit the right one essentially making it more likely and somewhat predictable – it would be more difficult if they had mixed the correct theory with other speculations.
I was worried during the first half of the series whether the anime can progress fast enough to reach this point. After all, EP12 corresponded to Ch15, whereas events in this episode took place in Ch34-36. I’m glad they speed up in the second half, yet still managed to keep it just as good as the original.
This episode is so well executed, it kept me on the edge even though I knew what’s going to happen. Can’t wait for next week.
Fufufuf Most of us were correct all along. Told ya she has to be the MOE.
I know that means Mage of Exodus, but I’m going to pretend you’re saying Aika is the moe instead.
In this kind of a situation Hakaze should turn the wooden doll back on. I’m sure Mage of Exodus Aika has quite a number of things to tell the future Mahiro and Yoshino.
It’s not the most surprising revelation, but it’s well executed. I certainly did not expect Aika to almost ambush Hakaze at the rooftop. That bow and introduction really caught my attention and as soon as I saw it, I was like “Yep, things are going to get real now.”
Looking forward to the direction this anime will go now.
. . . . >________________________>
Aika returns to the future and fights Hazake for the heart of Yoshiro in a retarded rivalry sitcom, and Mahiro wants Aika for himself now that he finally has a chance… while many viewers will ship the shit out of Hakaze with Aika, much like Sena and Yozura, and Yoshino with Mahiro for ‘lolz’ purposes. Zetsune season 2. NOW.
I would actually watch the fuck out of that. Just sayin’. Back to back, regardless of how stupid it was and solely for the “OHNOESHEDIDNT” factor. That’s great television folks. Seriously.
Okay so basically there’s a high chance that Hakaze still did it, the battle that happens next perhaps. This reminds me of Steins;Gate here. No matter what you do the result will end the same way, if not another way.
I was actually all like “oh shitz, Steins;Gates all over again!” a few episodes back. Wait. That’s a lie. The moment they mention bringing Hakaze back to the present when she was in the Island.
But yeah… Zetsune is great and all, but I do see a lot of S;G reference here. But done cleverly as well.
Remember what she said way back? Hakaze is a good liar then, if she really did it.
For the love of…… I knew Aika was the Mage of Exodus!
There was always that feeling lingering inside telling me it was her. Finally!
I KNEW IT I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
I really have a mixed feeling about this.
While watching Aika kick-ass would be kinda cool, but her most awesome character trait thus far is
her being an ordinary girl that happens to be very influential to the event.
As a series revolves around logic, for Aika to be such an influential character really make sense
but wouldn’t it will be equally (if not more) awesome if she just illogically influential in the supposedly
logical world.
OMG Hakaze really has EAR fetish, what to do now? :\
Clean your ears. Remember to wash behind them, too.
Yeah, she looked like she was about to bite gently the ear of Yoshino (Amagami, anyone?)
Aika being the mage of exodus? psshh Samon telling jokes is way more shocking!
Realizing the pidgeons had red eyes was shocking as well. 0_0
I knew this way going to happen. But I LOVE how this was executed.
So why does Hanemura exist again if Aika is the mage?
I believe he will be the sacrifice to bring Aika to the future, a possibility they haven’t said is that you perhaps can exchange one mage of exodus for the other one.
You are forgetting this is Tempest…
Also does someone remember Hanemura’s Girlfriend? (or rather a one-side love) he called that girl Yuki-chan because her skin is so white like snow so he called her Yuki-chan… this might be Aika (or everyone already know this)
Hanemura and Aika must have some kind of connection/s not just they have power of exodus but Hanemura has almost same power as Aika.
Hanemura became Mage only after Aika’s death. Should she be saved somehow, he will be just ordinary loser without any powers whatsoever.
“It is not impossible that Hakaze could either die or be rendered unable to return to the present (whether due to influence from the past or the present).”
NO. Not a chance. O% that will happen and it IS impossible. I practically guarantee you that these two will NOT happen. The plot armor prevents such thing from happening. C’mon~~. I understand it’s folks speculate for fun, but I don’t get how speculating what is so obviously not going to happen could have any meaning or even be fun. Realistically speaking, we are talking about Japanese anime here (I’d have said the same for mainstream hollywood movies). This show is not one of those type that kills off a main protagonist in such fashion. I haven’t read the manga, but no need to see why such faux speculation is meaningless.
However I agree that there might be slightly more leeway on Aika’s death. Even though the chances are mighty slim, they could cop out, revive her, and try to do the good old feel good ending with everyone alive and happily laughing. I shudder at such notion and possibility, but yes, unlike “Hakaze being killed or permanently stuck in the past” (ahem, again not happening, ahem), at least this one has a remote chance and thus more suitable to speculate. I just felt it was slightly dishonest to speculate on things that are so ridiculously obvious that they are not gonna happen and -most likely unintentionally- manufature pseudo-narratives off it (yeah, yeah, that’s a cynic in me, but most of you know I’m right on this). FYI, this is not a direct rebuke on the blogger per se, but just my general thought.
I vote for the possibility of her having faked her death in someway than revival.Both are a stretch but of the two the former would be more likely.
Shin Sekai Yori will probably disagree with you on this but true it is unlikely.
well you’re definitely correct on SSY, but I didn’t exactly dump the entire Japanese anime as “nothing but some sort of formulaic feel good shows where heroes don’t get killed”, you know (most are, though, but it’s not just this particular medium, but pretty much all forms); you missed it, but I did write that “This show is not one of those type that kills off a main protagonist in such fashion.” meaning ZnT is not one of those anomalies.
SSY is an exception and I love how ruthless and almost indiscriminately they kill off its characters (and won’t hesitate to give sucker deaths to many) in that show, but I would argue even that show, Saki, the main protagonist, and most likely Satoru, her companion, won’t get killed.
Actually I’m more or less worried that they wouldn’t have enough cast to last the season. 😛
Like I said from the episode 18, I’m certain Aika is Mage of Exodus. I can’t explain why but somewhere I really think she is rather than Yoshino being Mage of Exodus.
(if somehow aika live, and meet hakaze and yoshino)
Yoshino : no, aika i didnt cheat on you….!!!
Hakaze : After we spend the night at the hotel…
Aika : (activate red flaming sword) yoshinooooo…you know what gonna happen riiight…
This is beyond believable, I had a hunch that this was possible and I also suspected the fact that Fuwa Aika as the mage of exodus must have killed herself (temporarily in order faked her own death)so as to to eliminate Hakaze the mage of Genesis. It’s all part of her devious plans.
The only thing that concerns me at this point……how do you create an ending that holds up to the content we’ve seen so far? So many of the best stories are let down by an anti-climactic ending. I guess time will tell.
<<<< waiting for the next inevitable Samon implosion …..
I really do not think that Aika will be saved. For one, it would be a cop-out. Second, Mashiro and Yoshino actually found her dead body and buried her, so even if she travels through time, she will have to go back and die. Similarly, there is zero possibility that Hakaze will get back to the present. This is the Tempest, remember? We cannot have a tragic ending. For the same reason, I do not think that Hakaze will kill Aika (at least intentionally).
That seems to leave only one option to me… that Aika commits suicide. Well, that would be twist.
I think its going to be a ‘fake’ death. Much like Hakaze’s, and come back to the present, as is the plan that she had already set up at some point.
Well, that’s probably not exactly accurate, but I have a feeling it will play out that way, just like I had a strong feeling that the ‘twist’ was going to be Aika being the Mage of Exodus. Lo and behold…;).
Well, this was simple. Remember it was said that someone in Hakaze’s group caused Aika’s death, but there was no one who actually was the killer.
If Hakaze tells Aika about the future, but Aika commits suicide, then it would be Hakaze who caused it, but wasn’t actually responsible. Why would Aika commit suicide? No idea… That’s the only part of it that doesn’t make sense, though I could bet its just wanting to make sure everything stays the same. Which would at least means she stays dead.
It’ll be a tragedy in the sense that the person Mashiro wants to kill is now Aika herself and also why he’ll regret wanting to kill the person who set all this in motion.
And the next part is just pure random speculation with no proofs whatsoever
Till we find out that everyone’s being played by Hanemura’s girlfriend, Yuri. Who ends up being the ultimate boss (and the true Mage of Exodus) and proceeds to say things went according to her plans of whatever they are. Oh, and she’ll reveal her true self by casting off her disguise of Evangeline and also be the spitting image of Aika, since she’s her long lost older twin sister. She can’t use her powers herself, since that would make too much logical sense (and Exodus hates that), so she had to use other people like her younger sister, Aika, and then her “boyfriend”, Hanemura!
I was think back when the “Great debate” was happening on the mountain that Aika had committed suicide as well. Also that SHE WAS the Mage of Exodus (seemed the most logical person at the time) which is why they could not find the culprit to her murder. I started to laugh at the big reveal only because Aika is a troll I thought she was, and bless her for it!
Now that we see their interacting with Hakaze I don’t think she committed suicide to be the ball rolling but I think she will die by her own choices making her death her choice.
There was rarely an episode of any series I enjoyed so much, like this one, though it had its flaws like most time travel fiction, our convinction of the existing world and its supplementary denial versus relativity which eventually gives… about which reality can exist. If technical means were possible today, and its mostly quantum philosophy, the only thing that would happen the traveler can return either to the reality he or she is accustomed to or to the new one created.
I personally look forward, if Aika really is dead for eternal. I theorize Aika planned to kill Hakaze, it was Samon barring her. Suggesting she is versed in magical foresight, she killed herself (thus why Mahiro couldn’t find anything) let herself given funeral service, split her powers á lá Yagami Light, and counted on the Genesis group to free Hakaze, get puzzled over the Mage of Exodus which forces someone to travel back in time, kill that person (or incapacitate it) get ahold of his or her offering to get to a present after your death, and get back the other half of her magic from the new mage.
I love how the story admires logic and magic and time travel, one scientific, one unscientific, and one somewhere inbetween, it takes even death to a new dimension, suggesting if I’m partly right, at least
Perhaps the entire point of this sequence of events is for Hakaze to go back in time to spill the beans about time travel to Aika. Then they all go back to the present, and Exodus and Genesis shake hands and share a high five.
Yeah that sword Aika pulled was pretty stupid imo. If she were a dude I’d say she was overcompensating for something.