First Impressions / Zetsuen no Tempest

「全てのことには、わけがある」 (Subete no Koto ni wa, Wake ga Aru)
“Everything Happens For A Reason”

At some point, you’ve probably been in scenario that made you go “Oh, what a coincidence!” or something similar. Chances are you didn’t go start pondering about life’s mysteries and fate afterwards… but the question is, at what point do things cease to be mere coincidence and start delving into something more? And if there’s one thing that Zetsuen no Tempest continuously provides commentary on, it’s that.

And in fact, it’s now such that even the characters themselves are wondering the exact same thing we are. Because when so many little things combine together, you really just can’t help but wonder. The fact Mahiro and Yoshino are together in the first place… that talisman from Hakaze being the same as the pendant Aika picked up for Yoshino… there’s just so much here to ponder about. And the thing is, you just can’t know… which is exactly why it works out so well as a thematic device. There’s so much hinting at Mahiro/Yoshino being the ones that save the world, but at the same time, because you just don’t know whether or not they’re really being guided by fate or not, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s entirely possible that they fail in their mission in order to give someone else a chance instead (say, Hakaze) or something of the sort, and it’s just something that makes the series much more intriguing as a result.

Furthermore, the tie in with Hamlet and the various Shakespeare quotes add in a nice touch regarding this too. I know some people have expressed some dislike at what they consider a great literary work being used as a device in “some random show,” but you do have to at least admit that to some degree, the way they incorporate it (at least in this episode) is pretty nicely done. Point in fact is the quote from Aika to Yoshino:

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Hamlet spoilers below:
It’s just amazingly symbolic, as Hamlet was originally the one who said this quote. And seeing as how we all know what happens to him and what happened to Aika… there’s just that symbolic link there. And in considering how Hamlet ultimately meets his demise after righting his world’s wrongs… you can’t help but wonder about the possible link between Aika and her role in righting the wrong’s of Tempest’s world. And it’s when you ponder this that things get even more interesting, because in many ways, she actually IS innately linked with everything. Her death was the reason Mahiro went to look for the murderer in the first place, and from there, is the reason why Mahiro stumbled upon Hakaze’s wooden doll as well. And the rest they say, is history. From that respect, Aika really is linked with righting the world’s wrongs, because she started Mahiro and Yoshino on this path in he first place. Not to mention, there’s also the massive effect she had on our main protagonists and how they’ve developed and how they react to various scenarios too.

And looking forward, as Mochi pointed out to me earlier… one wonders if perhaps there was indeed a reason for her death… specifically in regards to the one big twist we get at the end of this episode, which is that Hakaze is supposedly actually dead. And as our first major twist of the series, it’s undoubtedly something that really makes you go “what the heck!?”… which is exactly what I’ve already seen in some places. From a personal standpoint, we’re finally almost at the point where I chose to stop reading (I was reading some chapters in order to write the preview for this series), and I’m quite interested to see where the series goes from here. There’s quite a bit of ways to go from this development to say the least, and it’s something that could conceivably elevate this series to some fairly decent heights.

And on that note, I have to say… as someone who read the manga up until this point, it’s actually been quite a fairly good adaption for the most part (in comparison to what I remember from the source material). They’ve stuck to the script for the most part, but at the same time, Bones just hasn’t hesitated to make some changes or shift the sequence of some events around. Normally, such decisions would have some rather negative results… but really, from what I’ve seen, the noticeable changes really have been quite good decisions on their part, which was a tad bit surprising. There were a few questionable things in terms of presenting our main protagonists early on… but nothing really particularly major. In the end, Bones really has done a fairly good job (especially with their animation), and well, I guess they do deserve some props… which is what I’m giving here.

Side-tracks aside, the only real thing to say at this point is to reiterate what I said above. Things really have some intriguing potential to develop at this point and Zetsuen’s slowly rising on my priority list of series to watch as a result. We’ll see have to see how things develop, because there’s the chance Bones decides to do some kind of original ending too. I won’t know exactly if it turns out to be one (please, no spoilers if it does) from an event standpoint, because I haven’t read past the events of next episode, but it’ll also be interesting to see Bones can maintain the current style and pace if they do decide to go original in some respect. Because if there’s one thing that things with original endings seem to do, it’s that they end up being unable to preserve the atmosphere before that original material, and it ends up typically obvious when they do. Guess we’ll see.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank BakaMochi once again for helping me with the caps for this episode and the series so far. Really just saves an enormous amount of time, and it is perhaps the only reason there’s even coverage of this series at all. So if you guys are enjoying this series and/or this coverage, please do take a moment to express some gratitude for her efforts! 😀

Full-length images: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 16, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 35, Preview 02.

 

Preview

53 Comments

      1. Ga Rei Zero (and Senki Zesshou Symphogear for that matter) went with the stupid “let’s spoil major events from the end right in the beginning” route. Here, it spoils nothing.

        P.S. and I really didn’t see that coming.

        SinsI
        Reply

      2. That isn’t exactly a bad thing if it’s executed well. Presenting the ending of the story at the very beginning can be a very compelling plot technique, gripping the audience’s attention early on because he/she is curious about how/why things got to this point. Christopher Nolan’s Memento is proof that this technique works, when used correctly- to this day it retains a stellar rating of 92% of Rotten Tomatoes. And I think just about everybody will agree that Uncharted 2 was an excellent story-driven experience in spite of starting off in medias res with Nate and the train…

        Zen
        Reply

      3. Remeber that great anime “Touka Gettan” with the unforgettable MILF (If you watched it, you know what scene I’m talking about). It also had that reverse chronological order and it pulled the audience in as you tried to make sense and piece together the story.

        Knowngni
        Reply

    1. Was Just about to say that! Bakamochi, your the best! But obviously a thanks to Zephyr as well because without both their talents, there would be no coverage! Keep up the awesome stuff!

      Stormy
      Reply

  4. Not spoilers, just a guess:

    They’re using Aika’s body as a vessel for Hakaze. I always thought those two looked oddly similar, and now that they revealed that Hakaze is “dead,” it seems much more plausible to me that they they’re the most connected out of all the characters.

    James
    Reply

      1. Show Spoiler ▼

        It’s going to be awesome when it’s reveal though, I’m loving Zetsuen no Tempest and its plot twists~

        EDITED: There’s no point to say you’re not going to spoil anything if you’re answering someone’s guess.

        Unfortunately..
        Reply

      3. Agreed BakaMochi. This is what I’m thinking as a possibility too, I’m not convinced that the real Hakaze is dead, least of all due to her being so powerful and little things she’s seemingly done since being exiled on the island like the use of the nails from the barrels as noted in some later comments like Cybersteel’s. Can’t wait for more to find out where this continues going, it’s been great so far.

        DangerMouse
        Reply

  5. Thanks Bakamochi and thanks Zephyr for working hard to cover this show ^^ It would be a shame if it wasn’t! This episode left me basically saying “Wtf?” at the end lol. But that being said, I really do love all the “coincidences” and how sometimes fate needs sacrifices. Most people relate fate to something good but I like that this show tackles the issue of something bad happening in order to eventually bring good. It’s an interesting idea that I think gets overlooked sometimes. Aika is definitely the strings tying everyone together at the moment. And I’m wondering what her connection to Hakaze will turn out to be. So even though this episode may have brought up more questions than answers, I’m loving it!

    Kira526
    Reply

  6. So far so good. Its still hooked as one of my top series this season. But one question that I failed to look up to now. How many episodes will this have?? Will it be one cour or 2 cour? Since the manga is relatively close but still has alot of material I’m pretty confused. And I don’t remember it being said how many cours this would be.

    As for characters Yoshino remains my favorite since I started reading the manga. I think its that mysterious, manipulating feel about him while still being very kind. He’s just a character that hooks onto you because you just want to find out more about him. I’m curious about him. (And I know Chitanda would too….wrong anime, ehem ANYWAY).

    Mahiro is pretty damn up front with you so he’s not too hard to figure out, but hell he’s pretty damn entertaining to watch.

    Hakaze remains to be pretty leveled, but still entertaining here. What I got from this episode? In the past, Samon was her BITCH.

    All in all, manga and anime wise Yoshino and Hakaze continue to be my favorites, Mahiro also but those 2, theres something about them man!! If Hakaze was on point about anything (and she was on point about alot of things) it would be that Yoshino is one interesting person.

    The reason why I admire Yoshino and Hakaze may come soon enough 😉

    swordhack4
    Reply

  7. O.O Didn’t expect that ending at all. Does that mean they’ve been to talking to the past then?
    But damn, Hakaze is freakin powerful; blowing out a huge chunk of a mountain using a teeny little artifact. How the hell did they get her in that barrel again? Or did I just miss/forget that explanation cause I could only assume that they either drugged her or threw a pretty dress in there :3 That picture on the altar also makes me curious as to how old she is in the first place.

    Awesome password by the way. lol

    Watt
    Reply

  8. The ending gives a nice twist and things are really starting to tick down now. The past episodes have all been solid and this one is no different. I like that they’re quoting from Hamlet which can give us some insight into future developments and makes us think about how this anime might be related.

    Entrav
    Reply

  9. This is what i think : she did die in the barrel, when they dropped her of on the island, and you know the idea of how humans don’t remember last 5 minutes of their life when they die. This is exactly the case now.

    Her spirit is trapped in limbo state, but because she had a backing of Tree of Genesis and being such a powerful mage, she subconsciously managed to create a connection to the real world and now is communicating beyond the grave with those two.

    Edios
    Reply

    1. Let me point out the problem with that theory: Dead people don’t eat, or feel hunger. Also she’s useless to her clan dead. Plus since the ToG and fate is at her side, any event that leads to her dying makes no sense, unless it can be to the ToG’s advantage.

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

      1. It’s all in her mind, she didn’t realize she died, so her mind created this delusion to cope with denial of her death. This is basics of post morten sci-fi scenario.

        Also, who is ToG and fate?

        Edios
        Reply

    2. If Hakaze died inside the barrel and never got out on the island then who sent the “message in a bottle” with the communication talisman she is using to talk to Mahiro, and if Hakaze’s brother sent someone to get the barrel back from the island how come Hakaze’s ghost didn’t interact with them .. or maybe the barrel never actually left it’s place .. if that’s the case then why is her so-called ghost is trapped in an island miles away from the barrel and her supposed bones !!! this just doesn’t make any sense.

      IMO it could be that the body Hoshimura (the guy she entrusted with the powerful talisman that Mahiro met in this ep) checked and used to confirm the death of Hakaze wasn’t the body of Hakaze at all, but actually the body of Aki made to look like it’s Hakaze’s body .. as to why Aki’s body would be used for that or what benefit would Hakaze’s brother gain from faking the death of his sister using someone else’s body .. i have no clue .. but it makes more sense than Hakaze being dead all this time (this is all pure guessing though).

      HunterWulf
      Reply

      1. Actually there’s a simple answer to that but I’m not sure if its the correct one though.

        Let’s present the universal truth in the story.

        – a) Ghosts don’t exist.
        – b) Hakaze is alive on the island.
        – c) Hakaze was retrieved from the island by the clan and is found dead in a barrel.
        – d) The Clan has her remains.
        – e) The Clan would never knowingly kill Hakaze.

        With a anything spiritual in nature is off the list. And let’s assume that Hakaze can be alive and dead at the same time.

        Using Schrödinger’s thought experiment as an example, we can assume that Hakaze is dead and alive at the same time. But that would require the assumption that we don’t know the exact quantum state of Hakaze which in this case we know because we opened the box (or the barrel) and found her dead.

        The proof of her being in the dead state lies with her remains which has been correctly identified by the blonde guy. So her status of being dead is accurate.

        The proof of her being alive lies with the talisman. Who is the voice behind the talisman? It should be obvious who the voice belongs to now, which requires no spiritual intervention.

        Cybersteel
        Reply

  14. when i first saw ZNT opening in ep1, i honestly thought among the bodies of people affected by the black iron syndrome, besides the kurasibe clan, i was surprised when the op showed an extra character, so i thought they will be meeting up with some girl (the blond character) that she will guide them the way.

    and today, it was revealed that she was a he!! O.O am i the only one who experienced this?

    chioneicedyrken
    Reply

  15. Perhaps its hinting at the possibility Aika-chan/Hakaze didn’t really die yet. Personally I don’t care that much about Hakaze’s situation, but Aika seems to bit too involved in the story to assume that she is gone in all shape and form.

    Perhaps there are some kind of homunculus in this story. The fact the Hakaze died seems pretty certain as there is no real conceivable reason that we are aware of that they would fake her death (everyone in her clan seems to be rather distant). Perhaps they used Aika’s murder to transfer her soul into some kind of backup plan.

    shin
    Reply

  16. While I honestly do like the setting and characters (I’m a reader of the manga), it’s starting to look a little awkward, again, manga-wise. It does make sense, but at the same time just simply… awkward. Feels like Shirodaira is bending too many things for convenience’s sake, but so far, it still seems promising as a mystery-themed plot. The many straight-from-Shakespeare-works references were good touches as well, and was what impressed and motivated me to continue reading in the first place.

    I was very interested in how BONES would go through with the adaptation, and so far, so good.

    Nothing to do with the story, but I’ve taken a liking Toyonaga Toshiyuki’s role as Mahiro so far. All the cast are excellent of course, but I haven’t really listened to many of Toyonaga’s roles so the hot-blooded feel gets to me.

    And the “breasts that don’t wobble are not breasts” gag didn’t amuse me as much as I expected it to.

    顔無し野朗
    Reply

  20. Just a question to the people who get the magic system of the Kusaribi clan, why isn’t the barrel Hakaze was trapped inside considered a product of civilization that could be used to cast Kusaribi magic (i.e Hakaze could use it as sacrifice to cast magic), i thought that any man-made object that involved craftsmanship is considered a valid sacrifice for the tree of Genesis .. or does it have to be something made of a metal (the talismans that Mahiro uses, the car the spear guy used, .. etc etc) or does it required to have a certain level of complexity to work (i mean the object needs to be complex) .. then again the Talisman that Mahiro use seem simple .. even the tiny talisman Hakaze used to blow a huge chunk of the mountain was very simple !!!

    HunterWulf
    Reply

    1. In this context I believe it’s not valid because the barrel itself is made of wood, which in and of itself is a natural component. The metal nails/screws used to bound it could theoretically be used, but for an island in the middle of nowhere, as well as an island cut off from contact with magic, there’s just not enough there for Hakaze to do much with.

      Zephyr
      Reply

  21. Alright, the big theme that is BARRELING into series today is DETERMINISM (everything happens for a reason, and will end up according to destiny) vs INDETERMINISM (NO FATE, everything is in constant motion including such things as alive/dead status of the locked cat – or mage princess, as in this example). This seems related to the very philosophical base of the internal Kusaribe clan struggles, and ORDER VS CHAOS.
    I am hooked up on the series even more now, and the preview seems to make few more people involved in the battle including Hakaze exiled – childhood friend? brother? and Yamamoto (with magically enhanced MP5, no less! Depleted Phlebotinium Ammo FTW!

    ewok40k
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *