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「4TH DAY – 変容の水曜日II」 (Henko no Suiyobi II)
“4TH DAY – Wednesday’s Changes 2”
That gap in the ending feels ridiculously huge, and I can scarcely imagine what it’s gonna be like in a few more weeks. Having three “significant” characters killed off in one move was going to be an unexpected turn, whatever the circumstance; but I think by nature of the game’s storyline, this episode was much more shocking to us players of the game than the average anime-only watcher. Killing off Ronaldo and most of the “Nagoya team” here basically means cutting the entire insurgent faction out of the narrative. It’s not something I was expecting considering the significant position they held in the storyline, and it’s not a plot divergence that I am particularly happy about either. I’ve said before that I was liking the portrayal of Ronaldo and his faction much more than what was ever done in the game; at this point, it seems a complete waste for them to cut the entirety of what would’ve been a potentially interesting counter-perspective to Yamato’s overbearing JP’s.
I’m guessing that Kishi’s intended role for them in the anime was already fulfilled for this to happen. Over the course of the last few episodes, the incapability of Ronaldo’s faction had shown why JP’s -or more specifically, Yamato- is a necessary evil if humanity is to survive the apocalypse. Killing off Ronaldo and most of the Nagoya team cements this point in; not to mention the fact that Yamato was overpowering the very same enemy all by himself. Looking at it positively, there’s a chance for a sharper focus on the main conflict between Alcor and Yamato, which has been heavily foreshadowed for some time now. With three Septentriones and 5 remaining episodes to go, trying to stuff anything more with the insurgent faction seems like a near impossible task without severely watering down the remainder of the narrative.
I’m also somewhat surprised by the number of revelations this episode managed to shoot off- certainly not what I was expecting given the way the previous septentrione attack episodes went down. There’s almost no rest from the huge losses incurred from taking down Megraz; the characters learn –and JP’s being JP’s knew all along- that the world wasn’t just facing the Septentriones, but was also slowly being eroded into “The Void”. It’s bad news after bad news as Alcor reveals that the god Polaris is the perpetuator behind this entire ordeal –hence “Purge of Polaris”. Alco even reveals his identity as a septentrione acting as a mechanism for Polaris, albeit one that has somehow attained self-consciousness and wants to see humanity survive. The revelation explains his ambigious nature; helping the Septentriones along as Polaris’s mechanism while giving humanity Nicaea and the summoning app, to hopefully survive the 7 days of judgement and stand before Polaris for arbitration.
But putting all that aside, this has been my favourite of the Septentrione fights thus far, and kudos to the team for somehow making that giant rolling ball of death seem like a properly formidable foe(s). It was impressive to see it bulldoze its way across the cities towards the barrier towers, with the characters –especially team Nagoya– barely making a scratch on it, and was the first fight that didn’t (completely) seem arbitrarily won by incomprehensible demon powers.
Random Notes
-The stronger your willpower, the stronger your demons? Of all the clichés…
-Minor trivia that’s not particularly plot-essential anymore; the Septentriones are patterned after the Big Dipper constellation, and you can see it in that final scene.
Preview
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Damn, that was hardcore. But can we really consider Ronaldo’s group dead? I mean we saw their statuses on the screen, but we didn’t get to see any bodies…
They’ve disappeared from the Ending, so… I think we can consider they’re dead. /=
So the shit has hit the fan eh…
I still don’t understand a lot of the plot as I am totally unaware of the happening in the game. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of information that is “loss to translation” when it comes to those who’ve played the game and those who has not. At least for me, I’ve played previous persona games so I know about attributes and immunites, etc.
Oddly enough, I find myself not as attached to the characters of this Persona Series, than let’s say Persona 4 or Persona: Trinity Soul. Might be, there hasn’t really been much of a “crisis” here… What I mean to say is… ermm, yes, “mankind’s imminent destruction” can be considered a “crisis”, but the events hardly even struck me at all… Like you said, the show uses a somewhat cliched approach… that or I find some of the characters’ wardrobes to be ridiculous… or I am feeling rushed…
I’m hoping that the last few episodes would shed some light on the things that has happened…
I think it has something to do with the fact that it is a mere 12 episode so they are trying to cramp it all up. A bad strategy.
TQ
As much as I can believed this is getting rushed, I think a two-cour series would have turned it boring… so I guess there’s no happy ending for us viewers lol
Was hoping for Team Nagoya to survive T_T
I was thinking about buying the game, but this anime is so bad, the characters are so boring, that I won’t do it anymore.
Try looking up some gameplay videos and see if it tickle your fancy. I’m personally waiting for Devil Survivor 2 Break Record to get a English localization before I decide to get it. There’s more backstory in it, and awesome jokes thrown in. Definitely much better than the current anime adaptation, though the recent episode is probably one of my favourite so far.
Was expecting them to show the three shielded by some new powerful demon…but nope…MISSION COMPLETED. LOST: RONALDO/OTOME/JOE my jaw dropped even more when the ending confirmed their deaths.
Yeah, don’t worry the game handles this story MUCH better
Just because an anime is bad doesn’t mean that the game isn’t good.
TQ
So the whole world’s going to be swallowed up by an all-encompassing void, eh? Minus a few alterations here and there, it’s almost like DS2 stole a page right out of Evangelion 3.0’s playbook, and it gives the same chilling foreshadowing in terms of plot.
Seriously, what’s the point in saving humanity if the whole world’s already going to hell in a handbasket?
Now it would be one thing if it were only billions of nameless citizens that were being wiped from existence, but the actual cast are dropping like flies. Might we play a guessing game as to who’s going to be next to bite the bullet?
Pretty sure Devil Survivor 2 was around like a year before anyone had seen Evangelion 3.0
Hence why I said “almost like”.
Maybe I’m just mad because my favorite character in the game, Otome, just bit it, but I think the show took a turn for the worst… If I really wanted to be mean, I could say I feel like watching a fanfic trying to cram as much elements from eva as possible. Show Spoiler ▼
I also don’t remember the mythical lance they mentioned, but it was probably in the game too.
I too found the fight impressive. I also really hope they don’t screw up the whole Yamato vs Alcor dynamic which they even sacrified Ronaldo to buiild and that the show as a whole ends on a better note than this episode.
Show Spoiler ▼
Just to be safe…
Show Spoiler ▼
The more you deny fate the more condensed the Black Rukh gather :/
Yamato Baal looks cool. Wonder what else he has hidden.
WHAM!
The last Angel, erm, Septentrion introduces himself properly.
Void starts devouring the world.
Oh and like about 1/3 of the cast dies.
I am hoping that whoever is left by the end of the 7 days will be smart enough to dispose of Yamato. All power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely…
“Either u die a hero, or u live long enough to see yourself become a villain”
Then again Yamato isn’t really a “hero” (to me). He’s more of an annoying guy who refuses to admit that he loves Hibiki. But yeah someone should kill Yamato ASAP.
Technically any very strong emotion will strengthen or summon a powerful demon. Demons can use it as a powerup when they need it. Just one of the many traits their kind have.
Show Spoiler ▼
After I finished this episode, I was still in disbelief that they just killed 3 characters in one go, and since none of them were really developed that well to begin with, their deaths lacked emotional impact… What the hell was that? I’m going to finish the series despite how absurd that was, but I don’t have many expectations for it now. Shame too, I was really looking forward to this adaptation- ah well, there’s always the game.
Also, I was really hoping Airi summoned Nyaruko there, that would have been awesome. (and hilarious)
Nooo! Emiya Kiritsugu is dead again! Damnit I really dislike Mr-Tsundere-Yamato but it does seem like the ending will be JP’s “controlling” the world. That’ll definitely be a piss-poor world I’ll never want to end up in
That world is pretty piss-poor already, disappearing into a void & all.
Anyone noticed the disc underneath Yamato disappeared in the opening?
Now, I really hope we get extra episodes or OVAs with BD/DVD release. I understand there’s time constraint with only 13 episodes and tons of characters to work with but there’s no excuse for leaving out characters’ background story. Joe and Keita didn’t get one, Airi had like 10 seconds flashback…
I’m really glad I didn’t drop this show off my list. The first two episodes gave me a “meh” impression but after this episode’s final scene I’m almost slapping (yes, slapping) myself for even thinking that. The final scene left sucha good impression on me, that I even got goosebumbs. Having the reality that world would vaporize into something beyond empitness and nothing and you have to save it from it combined with matching music is just wow. I can’t wait for the next episode so fingers crossed and let’s see what happens.
So this means we are left with either Yamato, Anguished One or Daichi’s ending since Ronaldo died :/. I hope the anime goes for the the Anguished One’s.
I don’t get it. Almost all of the world is already swallowed up in the void so what would the humans be left with if they win?
Nooo Index died! Still…that was a great fight !