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「時限爆弾を解除せよ」 (Jigen Bakudan o Kaijo Seyo)
“Disarm the Time Bomb”
We really get into the meat of the political tension that was built up in the first cour. Things got dark there with the dog seeing a potential future where Loid is killed in a clock-tower explosion. It’s impressive how quickly Anya comes up with a ramshackle plan that somehow works to save the day. In spite of Anya’s atypical ability, her character doesn’t lose all touch with reality in that she has plenty of other characteristics of children her age. Like not being able to read the clock-a huge impediment for something so time-sensitive as bomb detonation. Kids have no sense of time-asking if 5 minutes are up after only 30 seconds, and they captured that here.
It occurred to me that the dog’s foresight showed so little detail that it could very well be that Anya’s very act of rescuing her father brought about the tragedy. I know this isn’t a show that is perpetually dark (more like darkness and fluffiness mixed together), so I was sure this wasn’t the case (well, also having read the manga gave it away), but it’s still something I pondered. Indeed, it almost looked it when Anya was about ready to dive into bomb detonation herself, which there’s no way that wouldn’t end badly. It’s a good thing she actually stopped to think and that there was a handy bottle of ketchup available for some Pictionary, explosive edition. Hilarious that the one guy thought it was an eggplant-I’ve never seen a roundish eggplant, I would’ve thought tomato, but I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder.
One thing that surprised me was how careless the one spy was (even Twilight reprimands him for this). Chances are, if you are a spy working for WISE (and presumably a senior one at that, given his age), you wouldn’t be so careless as to just open a door without checking for traps, even if the building is empty. In fact, that might be even more reason to do so. That just strikes me as a plot hole for the sake of moving the story to where the author wants it-not the first and definitely not the last time in this series.
While Anya saves the day, Loid ties up the loose ends, luring in the bomber under the guise of the minister. They added a really clever detail that distinguished the two ministers from each other-if you notice, the lapel pins are different. Loid shows off his cool moves-I had to laugh at the bomber’s reaction.
I find it interesting that both the Secret Police and WISE are working for the same goal, albeit independently. For all the enmity between them, they both have peace as their main goal, but are actively convinced that the other side is a threat to it. The real threat lies in the crazy third parties like that extremist group-the kind they both can agree is a danger. It’s a shame the two sides can discover this common ground and work together over it. Alas, such is the nature of politics influenced by propaganda. Things got super dark when Sylvia (Kaida Yuuko) started listing off the horrible side effects of war (and I agree, war should not be romanticized or glorified). It sounds like she’s got quite the backstory herself. It would be fascinating to get an episode on her, expanding on her beyond the WISE leader in the shadows.
Preview
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So far the Second Season is better than the first. Having read the manga, S2 has the same vibe I felt when reading the Manga.
How Anya having to get’er done with the bomb is reminiscent to how Homer Simpson deals with an imminent nuclear disaster. It’s like what Princess Usagi said, Anya’s recklessness could have killed Loid.
Handler (Sylvia) listing off all the horrible things people do when war causes immense strife for people is no laughing matter. In the Manga, Sylvia was a mother before picking up the role of Handler.
But it is not the college students fault for being fooled into wanting war. We as humans are ignorant and don’t learn without first making mistakes.
The students still have to take responsibility for taking part in this bloody plan. And I really hope they reveal the backstory of Sylvia soon because I bet it will be tragic, since she mentioned her daughter once.
The back story for Sylvia in the Manga were a few panels.
Really? Well it may be expanded upon later
Handler’s stern lecture to the student has made me shudder as I have been witnessing war just outside my country’s border in the Ukraine, and delusional Russian propagandists cheering the war on as people on both sides were dying in trenches, and Russian missiles have been raining on cities.
Compare and reference:
I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.
-William Tecumseh Sherman
I agree, it is no laughing matter. For a series that is usually a comedy, it touches on raw, real horrors in a way that doesn’t take them lightly, rightly so. Both Sylvia and Twilight understand the concrete atrocities of war-that’s why they want to be spies so that they can protect future generations from that. I suppose we need a Twilight in our own time as well.
It has been stated that during Cuban missiles crisis it was the spies who secretly hammered out a secret agreement for Soviets to remove missiles from Cuba in exchange for US removing similar weapons in Turkey. So there might be some truth in spies saving peace…
I love how the Handler asked idealistic students about what is reality of war. So real. I think why I love this series is that it has some realistic snippets of life wedged in this overarching plot of comedy. For example, the real about Anya unable to read time and considering ketchup as blood behind the ridic of it all with her trying to disarmed a bomb, Lloyd sit “lost” at the toilet, Yuri’s misconception about human trafficking, etc.