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「罪過の輪」 (“Zaika no Wa)
“Cycle of Sin”
Well I dare say there’s one of two minds after this episode. Either you’re going to be part of the crowd lamenting a return to the daily school-life shenanigans (with a Gundam flare of course), or you’ll be one enjoying just how far down the rabbit hole this story is going. Me personally, I’m holding off for season’s end. Considering what’s transpired to date I think it’s worthwhile seeing how Witch from Mercury tops it from here on out.
With what’s happened these past couple of episodes and Prospera being outed as the main villain I don’t think it’s too shocking how quickly the reveals are now happening. If one death wasn’t enough to confirm it, mama coming out and admitting everything – Suletta, Aerial, Quiet Zero – is all for the sake of Eri and her current bodily predicament. Besides the fun of basically going full 40k biotransference (just in a “data-storm” covering) I find the purpose of this really ironic. Eri after all had to be digitized in the first place – why? What caused Prospera to strip away her daughter’s body and pursue this path? Was it because of what transpired after Delling’s attack in the prologue episode, or something more sinister? If you’ve seen the prologue you can probably guess which of these is most likely, but suffice to say there’s still a major piece of the puzzle missing.
Part of what makes Prospera’s intentions (and the direction of this story) reasonably predictable is what’s happening with her other daughter Suletta. As with Prospera there’s shouldn’t be anything remarkable here, even if it’s eye opening in its blatantness. Yes, Suletta is firmly under the yoke of her mother, and yes the girl is innocent and naïve enough to not even realize it’s happening. You can feel for the fear and frustration of Miorine here: Suletta, if so much as asked by Prospera, would outright kill Miorine all because it was a request from dear old mom. All of Suletta’s and Miorine’s struggles to date? Past events not affecting the present. While I’m leaning towards this being a hamfisted copout stripping Suletta of any sense of agency to force conflict between the two girls (read: Valvrave writing in full effect), I’m of mind to wait and see just how this little detail is handled. Miorine after all is committed to freeing Suletta, nothing says Suletta herself, with a little prodding, cannot break free from Prospera’s spell and realize her own dreams.
And all of that then leads back to the more down to earth plotting within Benerit itself. Electing a new president was largely a given after Shaddiq took his adopted father out of the running, though obviously the results of this election are currently up in the air. While Shaddiq is certain not to get it (one punished hero is guaranteed to make sure of that), there’s conversely no guarantee Miorine herself also succeeds, even with some surgical backing. What this situation basically ensures is that Prospera’s plan is forced into motion and everyone will have to pick a side. Are you with giving the totality of human electronic existence a human form for the sake of one child (and revenge), or would you rather pursue more noble intentions as some desperately desire? Quite a few characters have yet to make this choice, but the moment for that is fast approaching.
It’s simply a matter of who first pulls the trigger.
Preview
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End Card
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Is it me, or does Mobile Suit Gundam: Suisei no Majo Season 2 seem to be going the same route as FMP Season 2?
What I mean is how the first season seems bubbly or benign. The audience may start seeing foreboding scenes. Then Season 2, there is blood in the water, the sharks are alerted, feelings are hurt, and all the characters’ priorities and resolve shift, their alliance either changes or is renegotiated.
It’s honestly pretty par the course for these sorts of shows. Valvrave for one had this in spades, and even more benign series like Hoshi no Kuni or Shin Sekai Yori embraced the concept. Two cour shows especially often get crazy in their second half given the foundation of the first now allows for proper, consequential developments.
[i]Prospera literally says it was because Eri’s couldn’t handle the effects of outer space, so she used the Lfrith to keep Eri alive.[/i]
I dunno, kinda farfatched. If it just to sustain her life, she only need to keep her brain in a jar like Muv-Luv or Nanoha, no need to deliberately make tens or so clones of her daughter (ain’t cheap too). Imagine if your ma make clones of you only to harvest your (and your clones) human skin and turned them into a beautiful Cinderella Dress complete with brooch, frills, lace, ribbons and all.
Should we be happy, tried it in front of mirror to see how it looks like or be disturbed on its very idea since the beginning?
Prospera did not mention Eri going to Peret 4 to 6 and if white higher than blue 8.
Eri still in her space suit she most likely was absorbed by the computer on escape trip.
Eri is Permet being your not making biological clones your cloning a electronic Permet being.
Prospera looking for Quite Zero to extend the range of Permet Data Storm. She not trying to put Eri back in a bio body she’s trying to put humanity in the Permet Data Storm so Eri can live with everyone in her world.
– What caused Prospera to strip away her daughter’s body and pursue this path?
Prospera literally says it was because Eri’s couldn’t handle the effects of outer space, so she used the Lfrith to keep Eri alive.
– Suletta, if so much as asked by Prospera, would outright kill Miorine all because it was a request from dear old mom.
That was never said. Only if Suletta would kill in general using her Gundam.
Yeah, I had to double-check because, after reading the review, I thought: “Am I misremembering things? That’s not what I watched!”
While I understand the misgivings about Prospera’s explanation (she gives an alleged cause, but I’d certainly withhold judgement until we see a detailed flashback), the claim that Suletta said she’d be willing to kill Miorine feels like jumping the gun.
Yeah, it sounds like very obvious foreshadowing that Suletta one day will have to decide between obeying her mother or rebelling, with Miorine’s life at stake. But that’s not today, and the writing this episode shouldn’t be criticized for something it didn’t do.
Indeed it’s jumping the gun, though IMO that’s where this is leading right now. The setup is almost tailor-made for it, particularly given just how much control Prospera has over Suletta.
Could it wind up being a choice of committing “normal” Gundam-esque genocide and forcing Suletta to face things that way? Probably, however my thoughts are currently leading to it being a more personal dilemma given the continual Utena vibes and latest developments – just have to wait and see!
It’s why as stated in the post I’m withholding judgment until we find out exactly what happens. Like you say Mistic there’s not much reason to criticize yet given how much of this theorizing is shooting in the dark.
You can always count on the person with the white mask in Gundam to have some serious issues.
Or just masks in general 😛
I liked the parallelisms in this episode (and the latest episodes). You see how characters are contrasted against each other. Similarities and differences.
Guel and Shaddiq (the corporate heirs with mostly female minions and a taste of Earthian despair9 are obvious, not to mention Miorine and Suletta (the rebellious daughter with daddy issues vs. the dutiful daughter with mommy issues), but I liked how this episode focused on Prospera and Belmeria too.
Two surviving “witches”, involved in terrible experiments and dangerous corporate plots. One willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her ambitions, the other one extremely reluctant about what she does. But as Prospera and Elan point out, it’s not as if Belmeria’s hands are clean.
Belmeria is the interesting case because she’s in effect the adult version of Nika, doing things she knows are wrong yet carrying on because she sees no other path forward thanks to prior choices. They’re the sort of character who will fold more often than not – until they suddenly don’t and throw everything up in the air.
Nika already did this in a sense over the past few episodes, so it’ll be intriguing seeing what finally gets Belmeria to break with Prospera and directly oppose her.