First Impressions / Vividred Operation

「つたえたい想い」 (Tsutaetai Omoi)
“Feelings and Words”

Hello Vividred fans! As you may have noticed, I am not Zephyr. He is currently off having fun at PAX (was I supposed to say that? Oh well, too late now…find him and mob him!!), so I’m filling in this week. And as luck(?) would have it, this is the one episode without a vivid-style ass shot. Dammit!! Oh well, I guess I’ll talk about the plot instead.

Gathering Their Resolve

From the second Akane and the girls visited Rei’s room, I knew what they were doing – gathering their resolve. They didn’t go there with that express purpose in mind or anything, but their assault on the headquarters was a foregone conclusion the second they were barred from talking to Rei earlier. Butt-service aside, what Vividred is really all about is friendship, and there was no possible way they were going to betray theirs with Rei, just as the professor expected. Love that ojii-chan!

The Right Answer

Speaking of friendship, I had to cringe a bit when the “adults” called for Rei’s disposal. Seriously? Tone aside, it was obvious that such a thing would not be allowed to happen. It’s not real smart either – the danger of the Alones aside, imagine what they could learn from a girl whose body is built so fundamentally different that she can bounce around like a superhero with no apparent effort! They should have just moved her to some remote location and studied her there.

Fortunately, it did give ojii-chan another opportunity to be totally f’n badass. His speech about water, air, light, and friendship was a bit cheesy, granted, but I appreciate someone who isn’t about to kill a young girl just because she’s inconvenient. That’s not the kind of thing that civilized people do. Civilized talking stuffed animals, either.

What I didn’t expect was that being the right answer to the bird’s game. That was a nice moment…but when she came out and said that the test wasn’t designed to be winnable, and that the results were “mistaken”? Bah! If the test can’t be passed then don’t waste our time testing, just wipe out the damn world and be done with it! Unless…unless that’s part of the test as well? AHHHHH! Stop with the mind games and just kill the damn bird already so you can get Black-chan back!!

Looking Ahead – A Bum Game

Rei-chan made a bum deal with a deluded liar, so it’s time to quit and get on with her life. Fortunately, rather than give up on her, ojii-chan is determined to invent a way for her to stay…if only they can get her back from the last boss first. One more fight – let’s do it vividly, girls!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Akane & the girls gather their resolve & launch an assault to talk to Rei. But what is that bird–HOLY @#%^ DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!? #vividred

Random thoughts:

  • I know it wasn’t really her episode, but I just want to say this because it cannot be said enough – Yellow is best vivid, especially when she’s with Green. Himawari-chwan~!!
  • When they were invading, you know they all totally could have gone ahead with Akane. On the plus side, we got a fun “You shall not pass!” moment from the others. WTB Lord of the Rings with Gandalf replaced with a flying Japanese schoolgirl. And some of the hobbits too. Hell, replace the whole damn cast with vivids! *throws money at the screen*
  • I think I speak for everyone when I say WTF JUST HAPPENED THERE!?

Full-length images: 03, 10, 32.

58 Comments

  2. https://randomc.net/image/Vividred%20Operation/Vividred%20Operation%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2036.jpg

    Super Robot Wars, ftw? XD

    https://randomc.net/image/Vividred%20Operation/Vividred%20Operation%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    And god, I know I should feel shocked and bad, but it is just so f-ing ridiculous that I can’t stop cracking up, lol. I mean, it reminds me of those animated commercials or comedy gags where a bigger creature moves in to eat the smaller “prey”, then that “prey” just *GULP!!!* the bigger creature in a single instant.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  4. I didn’t expect the crow to swallow Rei. That black devil angel reminds me of devil may cry. Otherwise good ep. I want to see vividred since the show is call vividred. Maybe all of them will combine together?

    Kuro
    Reply

  6. @Stilts et.al.:

    – And as luck(?) would have it, this is the one episode without a vivid-style ass shot.

    As truly surprising as that was, you did get Rei’s naked Barbie Doll imitation as a consolation prize. I’m sure Ero Ferret spent a LOT of time “reviewing Rei’s data” over and over and…

    – I had to cringe a bit when the “adults” called for Rei’s disposal. Seriously?

    I hear, err, read you on that, but when I saw that scene I kept thinking “And yet no one gave a second thought about all those F-22/F-35 fighter pilots who (needlessly) sacrificed their lives to protect Manifestor Engine” (not all bailed out in time). Power of Moe?

    – Bah! If the test can’t be passed then don’t waste our time testing, just wipe out the damn world and be done with it! Unless…unless that’s part of the test as well? AHHHHH! Stop with the mind games and just kill the damn bird already so you can get Black-chan back!!

    LMAO at that. Awesome writing! *sigh* That was one of the worst villain “justification” speeches I’ve heard in a long time. IMO, Crow-san needs to take a lesson from the Major in how to give a proper villain speech [Totally JMO, but calling the linked scene epic (esp. voice acting) is actually an understatement.]

    – I think I speak for everyone when I say WTF JUST HAPPENED THERE!?

    Yeah, pretty much, though I’ve seen that “swallow opponent/hero” type power up before a couple of times. Just can’t remember what show(s).

    – Yellow is best vivid, especially when she’s with Green. Himawari-chwan~!!

    Can’t argue much with that though I still like Green and Blue quite a bit as well. Detailed Yellow+Blue and Yellow+Green docking scenes would be my favorite ending. I don’t care if it’s “not “possible” under the storyline – just call it a software upgrade and get it done… NOW! 😛 Oh… before I forget, save the world/Rei while you’re at it.

    daikama
    Reply

      1. @Stilts: My question with 4-way docking is that if two girls docking = taller, most often busty “adult” form, what do you get when all four dock? Extra-busty 7′ tall Amazon warrior type?

        …what? Don’t look at me like that! I-I’m not the ecchi writer, I swear!

        Silly Stilts, it’s because you ARE the ecchi writer that you’re so popular. 😀

        PS/OT: On that note a little surprised you didn’t cover Senran Kagura this season. Actually, I’m not even sure if you’re watching it.

        daikama
        Reply

      2. I am watching it, though I’m currently a couple of episodes behind due to being-insanely-busy. I would have enjoyed blogging it too, but I just couldn’t let Maoyuu or Tamako Market go unblogged…and I’m too proud and love it too much to even consider dropping Sakurasou. That + a busy life cut Senran Kagura out of the cards, I’m afraid.

        Stilts
        Reply

      3. considering it’s right in the very name (VividRED Operation, as opposed to what they’ve shown of Vividblue/green/yellow) i’m pretty sure 4-way docking or a docking with Rei is going to have to appear in the finale. there is no way they’re getting out of this without an epic namedrop.

        Nitro
        Reply

  9. Ah, so Rei-chan has unwittingly made herself an Angel Magnet, and by getting eaten by the crow, she’s more or less the Last Angel.

    Himawari-chan FTW for her witty one-liners.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  11. And just the night before, I was watching Nanoha A’s movie.

    I did not foresee this turn of events but I like it.

    Though what ever the crow said, bout being a mediator, bout being neutral and bout serving the best interest of the higher party, makes her look like our favourite and friendly magic girl contractor

    c2710
    Reply

  12. And the train-wreck begins! Glad to see that my prediction didn’t disappoint, because this show would have been largely forgettable otherwise.

    So many moments that could have been over-exaggerated and hilarious, and instead were glossed over like nothing. Like the aforementioned Gandalf reference, and really everything in this show that got taken too seriously. All the potential dripping from this show is rather sad.

    But at least I got my trainwreck that is this episodes’ plot. And the hilariously bad NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM.

    Freddeh
    Reply

  13. Oh no! The CrowAngel ate Rei! http://postimg.org/image/6puiqowgj/
    Whoops, wrong Rei ^^; https://randomc.net/image/Vividred%20Operation/Vividred%20Operation%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    Still, as weird as that scene was, I found it more lol weird then creepy weird

    Quote the Raven: “Nevermore.. Ass shots of Rei!”

    Hmm, an eight winged Angel… let’s see what the Internet says about that:
    Cherubim – The Cherubim (singular “Cherub”) are beyond the throne of God; they are the guardians of light and of the stars. It is believed that, although they are removed from man’s plane of reality, the divine light that they filter down from Heaven still touches the lives of living things.

    They have eight conjoined wings covered with eyes, and they have ox’s feet (or in this case Crow’s feet – ha!)

    Cherubim are considered the elect beings for the purpose of protection, to guard Eden and the throne of God.

    Some believe them to be an order or class of angels; others hold them to be a class of heavenly beings higher than angels. Cherubim are said to have perfect knowledge of God

    …and there you have it ^^

    Digid
    Reply

    1. So, this is another Evangelion moment: “God is in his Heavens, Everything is Alright with the World”
      If the Crow is a Cherubim, then Akane and the girls are Angels, the beings that are closer to God’s power, but not inferfere in other’s life just for the pleasure of do it. And that makes the Vivids Archangel-class beings.

      Crow is so getting owned next week…

      SeedStriker
      Reply

  14. I’ve seen traces of Uta-Kata in this week’s episode of VO. The unwinnable test humanity has been put, the “a girl must die only because” and the main villan kicking the table at the last moment just because we have a different answer than “live or die”. That and the fact that the friggin Crow shares way too many traces of Uta-Kata’s Saya (black-colored motif, the “I’m god for you” attitude, and the fact that I wanted to punch both in their faces)
    So, the endig is clearly the rematch of the Superbowl, because we have the main Raven against the cocky newbies who needs to prove themselves (let’s be honest, Akane and Rei will be the ones that shove Crow’s bottom as Vividred)
    The real question now is: How to get Rei out of there? Maybe her key will be the Key to to that…

    SeedStriker
    Reply

  16. While I’m here… From what I got out of this, the test itself was simply designed like an ordinary test: you can either pass or fail. The crow simply decided on her own initiative that, because no one had ever passed before, no one was ever MEANT to pass. Her bosses never gave that order, she’s simply gone insane after destroying so many worlds when they failed the test, and she decided by herself that EVERY world is meant to be destroyed no mater HOW they do on the test.

    Wanderer
    Reply

  17. When Akane gets her girl on, Cherubim or not, that bird will be road-kill before you know it.

    This series has been a good ride – but you know Rei will return and become one of the team, IMHO.
    I wonder if this will (or is attempting to) follow the series pattern of Strike Witches and we’ll
    get a second season.

    Here’s hoping!

    BTW, than Stilts for covering (and of course Zephyr).

    mac65
    Reply

      1. I think, the Girls will somehow merge her out of the Alone.

        But there is still some problem…

        Does she still have the 3 feathers?
        If yes, then She will probably use it to Power Up the “Power Rangers!”. Because it is the same Energy
        If no. Will She vanish? She is not from this Dimension….

        or at end, the “Them” will see what the Crow made a Mess, and Correct it, and give Rei the “life force” that she need. Or restore her own World

        Germanguy
        Reply

      2. @Germanguy

        That’s an interesting point – will those 3 feathers
        somehow come into play in defeating the bird.

        I’m not convinced that the bird is telling the truth
        that Rei will vanish if she uses all of her arrows.

        mac65
        Reply

      3. My prediction for this ep was the emergence of Rei as Vivid Black (isn’t “Vivid Black” an oxymoron?). Crow-san’s gluttony killed that theory for now, but I still can’t help but think Rei is somehow dragged out of… whatever that is, then a quick friendship/bonding confirmation scene between Rei & Akane followed by new key, ignition and Vivid Black w/ Naked Bow/Crossbow weapon. I’d be a little disappointed if this ends with no Rei/Vivid Black ignition scene.

        daikama
        Reply

      4. Rei dont need the Key, She have already some “superhuman” Skills 🙂

        And, dunno. Is the Energy in the same “time shift/dimension shift” like her Body? Not that a goodwill Action will turn out “ugly”

        Germanguy
        Reply

  18. rest if vivid rangers arrive see rei give feel call the vivid rangers all liars give akane tried to tell we’re not liars while the “crow” watch.

    then rei being locked in a room after some test & info dig reveal she from alternate world (DECADE doing) yet vivid rangers are not allow to see rei give all wonder even seeing her place yet wonder why give they want to ask rei & get her story on it.

    meanwhile weasel grandpa doing full explain on rei & alone with alternate worlds give generals go like axe’d the rei yet after some think vivid rangers go in & free rei.

    yep they did vivid rangers storm the base with rest going you shall not pass while akane get to rei show her we’re not liars to free her & yep all fine rei is ok with vivid rangers.

    but here come “crow” give pulled a narutaki’s speech give how world has failed & tell them axe’d the rei but weasel grandpa will not allow cause no axe’d the rei.

    cause friendship also count as well for everything give “crow” find it blah go full ANTI-SPIRAL give no blah about give back rei’s world.

    so what “crow” did it ATE rei whole in one gulp go full ANTI-SPIRAL/FINE/GIANT CROW MONSTER!!!

    clubt
    Reply

  22. Moar Eva hat tips – a bit of reversed, though as Evangelions girls attack NERV UDF HQ. “You shall not pass!” made me LOL!
    OK, I was right about the entire thing being test, and letting Rei live was the best answer!
    But the examinator thinks of this as cheating, devours Rei and becomes Last Angel Alone!
    Hang on girls, you can bring Rei back, I believe in you – and the power of friendship!

    ewok40k
    Reply

  25. So, there are 3 Races…

    Human
    Alone (The Fighters here)
    Them (The Godlike Race that exist trough Time or so)

    And the Crow is a Medium? That ran now Amok?

    A bit confused here

    Like The Last Exile, where the Spectator Race runs Amok, too

    Germanguy
    Reply

  26. I wonder if the “test” is actually a Kobayashi Maru.

    Basically, it’s not about passing the test, as it is unwinable by design. It’s about learning from the failure. Now that the girls and Rei have “failed” the test, they will show the crow that just because they are facing insurmountable odds, they will still stick to their beliefs and friendship, or will die trying.

    MasterDragonKnight
    Reply

    1. Awww, you beat me to the Kobayashi Maru test. That’s exactly what I was thinking when I was going through all that test. That the test is just for one to experience fear and test of character on how one faces certain death.

      Yuhsaku
      Reply

  27. Maybe this is one of those “We are the most powerful beings in the UNIVERSE!, Uh, except for those guys over there.” We’ve got to give a test because the real masters demand it, but they didn’t say it had to be fair.

    Bear
    Reply

    1. Well, perhaps inside the Crows Body is another Dimension. Something between Time and Space. So Rin’s Body is elsewhere. The Crow eat the Body just because of the Last Arrows

      Germanguy
      Reply

  30. “I am always fair and neutral.”
    > [echo] “I have come to understand… lowly beings such as yourselves… No world must ever pass this test.” [/echo]

    “That bird is insane.”
    Ojii-chan pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Though might I add, that bird also doesn’t seem very smart. All day, every day, all it does is whine and b*tch and moan about destroying the world, that and bully Rei.
    I was really ready for someone to pull a shotgun by the end of that sequence, and then all that’d be left is a puff of feathers and two smoldering cartoon bird feet.

    mythnut
    Reply

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    webschlampen
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