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「抵抗者」 (Teikou)
“Resistance”
On any other day I would have a lot to dislike about this episode. Absolutely no one—well, expect god-mode Anson—died, including the death flagged Grantz. Anson’s rampage was stopped short and quite underwhelming given the preceding events. And then there’s the noticeable lack of damage—barring a gunshot—to Tanya herself. I could criticize these points, but I won’t because that would remove the sh*t-eating grin plastered across my face. This week was unabashedly awesome. Period.
The aerial battle was arguably the best part, featuring some amazing animation (for Youjo Senki) and showcasing several delicious facial expressions. While the denouement made it seem a cakewalk, the tension was definitely tangible as our resident Terminator shotgunned men out the sky and had Tanya noticeably nervous for the first time. The cherry on top though was watching Anson bulldoze his way into Tanya’s personal space just to blow himself up, particularly when he came back alive not once, but twice. God may work in mysterious ways, but I think this case is an exception. Viktoriya especially deserves brownie points for being the one who actually saves the day, showing Tanya does have a blind spot or two.
What really made things here, however, was the battle’s aftermath. We had Paris peacefully occupied and yet more WW2 in the form of Dunkirk. The interesting bit though lies in the semantics of these events. The Republic noticeably only signed an armistice, which means an end to the fighting (and willingness to negotiate peace), not the state of war. This is why Tanya was freaking out, because it means the Republic can choose to resume the war at any time. The whole worry about that Brest evacuation? Critically important because it salvages the majority of the Republic’s remaining military strength and places it behind the protection of not-Britain’s navy. Unlike our world’s Free French who all but started with nothing, the Republic retains a solid foundation for striking back at the Empire whenever they desire. As Tanya despairingly noted, the armistice is but a prelude to a larger and longer war.
Particularly satisfying too was seeing Tanya actually break down when the realization sunk in. This I admit was just desserts, the first true “defeat” Tanya has ever experienced after a string of wild successes. The salesman loves the efficiency of rules and bureaucracy, but I have a suspicion he never expected these systems could actually work against him. Whether God had a hand or not in swaying the armistice orders, Tanya has quickly learned just how far advice gets absent of authority. How our little loli deals with this comeuppance will be very interesting indeed.
With the fighting largely over and only one episode remaining, it’s anyone’s guess how Youjo Senki will end next week. Considering Tanya’s attack was bluntly shut down, I couldn’t guess how she might respond, but you can be guaranteed a response is coming. Might not be as wild as disobeying orders, but our little loli won’t leave things unfinished. Not when her life of peaceful bliss is back on the line.
…..
An attack from the south…
I will go with the assumption that Italy is remaining neutral. Other assumptions include, the French navy consisting mostly of cruisers and destroyers and that much of their army has been neutralized. Based off what we know, in their advance into the Imperial lure, they mobilized approximately 300~400 thousand. But since the French have lost almost all of their mobilized forces (air forces possibly included), that would leave approximately another 200 thousand naval and army personnel remaining. I could be mistaken as there are few details.
Considering that most of the Imperial army is currently in France or on the western trench lines, their ability to mobilize swiftly to attacks coming from the southern Alps would be somewhat hampered due to the terrain but it isn’t impossible. Furthermore, there isn’t an eastern front though it could be said that tensions in the eastern territories are high.
How will they react to a surprise landing then? If they are so bound by military bureaucracy, then flexibility in reacting to unforeseen situations can be severely affected. I would reckon that the air and magic forces would be the first to mobilize, but given the available materiel, I don’t see them being decisive in halting a French naval landing. Plus, even if Italy is currently neutral, the chances for them to secretly ally with the French isn’t zero so that must be taken into account as well.
Indeed, if I made a military force in this 21st century and beyond, I most certainly wouldn’t organize them in such fashion. Speed, efficiency, accuracy and flexibility are the key focal points that will ensure survival given our expansion into unknown environments and corresponding technological advancements. True advancement into the next era of warfare requires them, and so do other fields.
America could be the one that can strike back against the Empire, but it will take some time before they reach Republic’s shores and Germany could easily be prepared for the defense.
It’s pretty much a question of who gets involved now, that will determine the next phase of this war. If it’s just not-Britain it could be south or west (i.e. not-Normandy), not-America would probably make it only the west. Bring not-Russia in too though and then we get some fun.
Ahh yes, the potential threat from America as well. And also, let’s not forget materiel and personnel from the colonies too. Whatever the outcome may be, the Empire will have to face the reality that in regards to how long they are capable of maintaining a state of warfare, they are severely disadvantaged unless they obtain allies, but with how anti-Imperial sentiment is strong and with Being X interfering with worldly affairs, it can easily be foreseen that sooner or later, the Empire would be defeated in spectacular fashion, if I may say so.
Indeed, there are just many, many factors to consider- even more so now that that the world has truly advanced into a state of modernized warfare. That salaryman may be a conniving dick but so far as anti-heroes go, he has my support in regards to his commitment to his principles at least. Hope he ultimately triumphs, even though the probability of that happening may be low…
I suppose we should take what we can get; Anton Sue coming back for a second round at all was a treat.
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
As people say, “going out with a bang” is the best way to end a character. Of course, in Deidara’s words, Art is a Bang in anime.
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Anyway, seeing this episode had reminded me how common, in many anime and even in real life, it is when “idiotic incompetent b@stards” take command and ignore the advice of their more competent and broadminded subordinates. Needless to say, if this is going accordingly to our real world history, the Empire will lose due to their “lazy refusal to end a war that could have been ended.”
Napoleon once said, “God always favors those with the bigger firepower.” So we can tell who won for now, the Empire, and who will lose some years later.
If I was Tanya then I would resign, or at least find a way to be honorably discharged , and leave the country before it is too late. I didn’t get why Tanya didn’t first went to people who will listen to her, like Hans von Zettour, rather than the idiot who didn’t listen to her. Random thought, maybe she should go find this world’s Albert Einstein and take him to “America”
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
I don’t know, about real life, but I imagine these sort of medals will cost a lot in the future. So Tanya’s descendants won’t have too much money problems. Anyway, for the anime, I at least hope that Tanya’s name will go down as the youngest soldier in history; along with famous modern people, like Florence Nightingale, Tanya could easily be famous for obvious reasons.
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%20OP2%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
On the side note, when seeing this in the opening, I had a hunch that Tanya would have been killed in this episode, I guess that wasn’t the case.
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
And “sigh” Tanya, if you had a chance to do something in your second life, then help the weak once in a while.
thu it may seem cruel it is war, they did invade their land an win so as the kids said with “know your place” they were defeated.
yet the fact he was still willing to fight or even he could have started it just as easily as the others kids,they had to put him in his place. or would be a future solider with a hidden restraints movement. so their trying break that will early.
we all love freedom an mercy but it comes at a price of forcing others to be like us or else. as society grows so does are tolerance of others beliefs but their not at that point yet in time.
Still………………..well one wonders if Tanya was reborn in Arslan Senki
Even if Tanya went to the General Staff, they likely would have told her no too. Zettour clearly stated the government has control of the peace for one, and the General Staff might believe the Republic isn’t dumb enough to try and fight back after being resoundingly beaten. That or they think any future war will end the same way. The postwar politics here are very Clausewitzian in nature.
I semll Being X’s hand in this. This should had resulted in a collapse of morale leading to unconditional surrender. Not France plans to fight on at a time of their choosing. It was an option that Churchill urged France to take when Germany was overrunning France. Take the government and what was left of the armed forces to the colonies and start from there.
Obviously Being X is doing things that naturally make Tanya angry
Yep and that would keep the French Battleships, Cruisers and smaller vessels available instead of scuttled or destroyed by the British.
Not necessarily, this is technically WW1 France after all. The French wanted the war in 1914, they weren’t going to surrender then even if Paris was taken. Given this show uses WW1 as its starting point, morale should be considered from that perspective IMO.
I can see it now…
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
Not-Germany is destined to loose the war. Not-Germany will attack not-Russia and gets bogged down by the not-Red Army while the not-Western Allies begin a bombing raid on not-Germany.
We can expect not-Normandy invasion from the Mediterranean coastline since the not-French Armed Forces are going to not-Mers el Kébir to refit.
Might not even be the Mediterranean, we could see the Republic move their forces up to not-Britain after refitting and launch a not-Overlord. Personally though I’m more interested in seeing how not-Russia factors into things now.
I really like how they have merged both world wars is a manner that actually works.
To bad Tanya you did not have the foresight or time to write one more position paper on the need to finish off a opponent in the new world war environment.
The shutdown on Tanya might not be the military higher ups. As the Generals told the government officials in the room the military serves the state and thus it up to the government to set treaty terms and goals and so they would have complied with order not to violate armistice.
There was sort of a World War every decade or so going back to 1600’s and most were settled with exchanges of territory leaving all sides the ability to do it again. The earlier wars had less over sea’s action but were fought in the colonies all over the world. But the total mobilization and General Staff systems used by the Prussians in the Franco Prussian war were copied resulting in a much greater casualty count in WWI. The German government still thinking the old we know their will be another war, but we will settle for what we can get this one thinking.
The hierarchy of power really interested me because it also breaks with actual history. From 1916 onward the German state was basically run by the military, with the General Staff all but the head(s) of state–actual government officials were sidelined. The exorbitant German war goals for example came from the military, and were in part the excuse France (and Britain) used when defining theirs.
Here as you mention though we largely have 19th Century politics all over again with bureaucrats controlling the military. It’s a surprising element, particularly given how much this series draws from both world wars.
Finally a war story in which the main character aware of the fact that insubordination can result in a firing squad against them. Usually they’ll just charge ahead like an idiot and higher authority ignore them lol.
Indeed. And you know who were completely insubordinate? The 2 soldiers from Episode 1. Tanya was lenient with them and gave them the chance to go home. They spat in her face and became even more disobedient. She could have openly called for their death and be in the right. What she did was get rid of them and maybe chance for them to die.
And despite all this, people make such a big stupid deal about what she did in episode 1. She did not go beyond the law to be frank.
Even better was how hard Tanya was restraining herself from doing so. She very much wanted to disobey the orders, but felt guaranteed death was worse than potential death 😛
I also liked the nod to WWI where, not long after the M1897 Trench Gun started seeing use in the trenches when the US entered the war, Germany tried to get it outlawed from use because of just how lethally effective it was (primarily due to its “slam fire” ability – hold the trigger and it will fire as soon as you finished pumping each time, allowing for a very fast rate of fire), seeing it as a violation of the law of war (but was ultimately rejected).
Anyway, as I said, you guys view things in too shonen way. Tanya has never truly won anything. She merely survives. The war will not end and without drastic sacrifice will end with the Empire crushed by the world as Being X wants with Tanya also possibly being crushed.
I’ve always watched Tanya’s antics with amusement, but despite her moral bankruptcy I’ve found myself being unreservedly on her side, especially in the last few episodes. It’s easy to see that in a stable, peaceful environment like that of her past life, Tanya is largely harmless, guilty of little more than a lack of empathy. She is a high-functioning sociopath, and it’s the rules of society that keep all that crazy contained. The world would likely be better off if all sociopaths had similar boundaries to contain their range of action.
But a world at war is something else entirely. If law and circumstance dictate that one must slaughter one’s enemies, a whole different beast emerges. It took me a while to realize that this is why Tanya has become so different from the salaryman she was before; how a person who was outspoken about their aversion to killing people, even if was for a reason as devoid of affection as it being ‘a waste of human resources’, turned into a loli superwarrior who gleefully dispenses death to all enemies she is pointed at.
Even so, I must say I miss some of the influences of the Light Novel. The subtle and hilarious interplay between Tanya and Lehrgen/Rerugen constantly misinterpreting one another’s intentions is sadly absent, and of course in the light novel Ansen Sue Show Spoiler ▼
, meaning that the battle featuring in this episode didn’t take place. That’s probably why Tanya’s subordinates weren’t allowed to die here. Filler immunity.
People make far too much of a deal about Tanya’s supposed evil.
let me show you something:
More than 200 civilians killed in suspected U.S. airstrike in Iraq
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-mosul-civilians-airstrike-20170324-story.html
Mukaradeeb wedding party massacre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukaradeeb_wedding_party_massacre
And then there is Abu-gharaib or Nazi’s with their concentration death camps, etc.
Seriously, Tanya and the Empire in terms of what we see in war crimes is nothing.
It’s not the scale but the intent. Tanya cares not for personal feelings and social grace, so railroads through the most efficient solution, regardless of the fallout. This is where the claims of evil arise because Tanya simply does not care what others think–if the strategy works the best, she uses it.
As for war crimes, they are simply anything that goes against established wartime law at the time, no matter the scale. If we want to compare Youjo Senki’s version(s) to something, we need to use WW1 comparisons (i.e. the Rape of Belgium) because wartime law changed significantly after WW2.
Besides filler immunity, I’m also suspecting the deaths were held off for plot reasons. Given how Tanya responded to her countermanded attack order, it might be personnel death(s) will be used to shake her up later and add to her development.
Watching this show is plain frustrating when the main character and her lackeys don’t even get so much as a scratch from their enemies. It’s as if the author is intentionally putting up a weak opposition just to let the main characters easily topple it, and is simply not entertaining to watch at all. Even Naruto or Bleach – the classic shows where the main character just doesn’t die, gets more of a challenge (and even loses from time to time) than what the main characters here face. Tanya here doesn’t even get so much as a broken bone or a twisted ankle; the ‘blood’ seems more like ketchup.
And… it seems no one remember the so-called ‘du Lugo’ (i.e. Charles de Gaulle)
On the military side of things, I simply don’t understand Tanya’s frustration. D-day was mainly composed of non-French forces. Even if they Tanya flew and ‘killed’ ‘du Lugo’, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I cannot see this otherwise than the author not doing enough research.
I personally don’t share your issues cause ultimately they are irrelevant. The true battle is Tanya and Being X and if the Empire loses and it will lose cause of this mistake.
Why is it such a big deal? The entire Notfrance navy left with all of its intact army. This will allow them to create a free republic movement and this will give the NotUk the confidence to jump into the war and also partisan movements will now continue in Notfrance.
This is basically Dunkirk.
Tanya wanted the war to end. It will not end now. Just continue on and on with more nations joining against the Empire cause of propaganda made by Free republic or Being X manipulation.
Also wrong. The characters do suffer scratches and bleeding’s and get shot like Tanya in her arm but they heal up quite fast after some time has passed. Possibly healing spells.
Mages also get preferential treatment in injuries, which is also one reason she got the nickname Devil of the Rhine among the not-Allies, as any mages who end up fighting against her either dies or gets so horribly injured that they die while being treated, thus wasting time and resources.
First of all you’ve got the term wrong. D-Day was the Normandy Landings in 1944. You’re thinking of Dunkirk in 1940. The modern day comparison here is nothing to do with Dunkirk as in this world there is no equivalent. There is no mass evacuation.
What is at issue is the formation of a relatively well armed “Free French” navy which will sail off to Not-England, unlike what actually happened in WWII. That is what Tanya’s pissed about.
Its kinda like Dunkirk. They are evacuating by boats. But the difference is actually that what happened in episode 11 is worse. The Republic escaped with an intact navy filled to the brim with still intact NotFrance army, supplies, weapons, commanders, etc. All this was just let go.
Hmm not entirely true, the army force being evacuated is still substantial. The navy is critical, but the remaining Republican land forces bolster the fortitude of not-France and ensure the inevitability of a counterattack. If the navy was central, Tanya would attack that directly, not bother pushing for an assault on the evacuating personnel. Not-Britain already owns the seas, all not-France does is increase the margin of superiority.