First Impressions / Romeo X Juliet

Summary:

With the crops are withering because of the poor soil, Romeo tells the men to replant and goes to see the old man. After finding the old man at the ruins, Romeo tells him about the situation, and the old man recites him the song of Escalus and talks about man’s sins and the earth dying. Romeo doesn’t want to give up, so the old man tells him to shoulder Juliet’s fate. When Romeo returns to his village, Giovanni informs him of the Capulet rebels occupying Neo Verona. The guys are aware that Romeo is worried about Juliet and urge him to go to her, so Romeo sets out for the city. Over in Neo Verona, the nobles have barricaded themselves off along with the military police, but Francisco has learned that there are those who want to help the Capulets. After the strategy meeting he’s in with Conrad, Curio, and Juliet gets interrupted by the arrival of Vittorio and his wife, Juliet and Antonio accompany them home to Cordelia and Benvolio. Later that night, Juliet notices that she’s got a marking on her chest and wonders if it’s a bruise, but her thoughts get interrupted when Cordelia brings her a change of clothes. The two girls talk briefly about how Benvolio has changed and is able to do chores now before Cordelia urges Juliet to go to bed.

The following day, Romeo arrives at Neo Verona and informs the guards that he’s returned to persuade his father to accept unconditional surrender. The guards won’t let him through, and it’s not until Juliet shows up at the gate and hears his plea to be allowed to talk to his father that Romeo is permitted through. Around this time, Montague is holding a session of parliament with some nobles who are unhappy with the situation, so he proposes the extreme measure of burning all the commoners so that they can’t help the rebels. Initially, only Mercutio stands up in agreement, so Montague grabs a sword, kills the assembly speaker, and takes over the proceedings. When he puts the proposal up for vote a second time, everyone stands up in agreement out of fear and resignation, and Montague places Mercutio in charge of the task. Romeo arrives soon after and is shocked to see his father carrying a bloody sword, but Mercutio immediately orders Romeo to go back to the mines and claims that Montague having only him as a son in enough. Romeo is surprised to hear this, but Montague then dismisses Mercutio and questions what Romeo wants.

When Romeo asks his father to give up the position of grand duke, Montague thinks that his son has lost his mind, but Romeo replies that it’s his father who’s gone mad. He notes that his father doesn’t have anyone on his side anymore and feels that Montague isn’t qualified to be grand duke. Montague laughs at him and suddenly thrusts his sword towards Romeo’s head, but when his son doesn’t even flinch, Montague decides to show him the truth of this world. He then takes Romeo to Escalus and reveals that it’s the tree that controls the prosperity of their world, including enriching the soil with its roots. Without Escalus, the ground would dry up, the forests would wither, and wildlife would die out. Montague claims that he’s been protecting the tree for the sake of the people of Neo Verona, and he thinks Romeo should take over after him – that’s the bonds of his love. Romeo, however, feels that his father is a pathetic person, and before his father can really get mad at him, the ground starts shaking. After seeing one of Escalus’ branches fall off, Montague runs further into the room to find Ophelia, and Romeo is soon cut off from his father by falling pieces of rock.

All across Neo Verona, the ground is shaking, and in the ruins that the old man is watching over, the tree roots turn gray. At the same time, Juliet is experiencing a deep pain in her chest while visiting her parents’ grave, and Ophelia suddenly appears. She says that Escalus’ throbbing is about to end, and when Juliet questions what that tree is, Ophelia explains that the floating continent of Neo Verona was long ago supported by twin trees. However, with greedy mankind’s sins, one of the trees rotted away, leaving only Escalus to support the world. Thus, Escalus can not be allowed to perish. As she approaches Juliet and stretches her hand out to Juliet’s chest, Ophelia talks of purifying sins and wants Juliet to offer her body for the sake of the earth’s harmony. The seed of Escalus has been planted inside of Juliet, and Ophelia wants her to save the world.

Preview

Ahhh, it’s all coming together now. Instead of the play’s story where the two lovers kill themselves, it appears that what they’re doing here is having Juliet be the chosen one to sacrifice herself to replace the dying Escalus and save Neo Verona. This makes even more sense when you remember back to episode 13 when Ophelia brought Juliet into Escalus’ room, and she touched Juliet’s forehead and talked about something not budding yet. They’ve already set up Romeo’s potential end too with the old man suggesting that he shoulder Juliet’s fate, so I could see an ending where both lovers end up as trees or something, perhaps like the twin trees that the continent originally had. If all that does end up happening, I wonder if they’re going to be changing the suicide-because-of-grief-and-love from the original play to be sacrifice-for-protecting-the-people-of-Neo-Verona for this. Hopefully that won’t happen because it would shift the fundamental story away from being a lovers’ tragedy. Either way though, I’m really interested to see what happens in the last four episodes.

42 Comments

  23. Thank you kandidy for the translations! Now, I don’t have to do them. Phew.

    This episode was good. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Romeo. He can’t stop his father from his own rage. I was surprised Esculas actually appeared out of nowhere and in front of Juliet. Looking forward to what Orphelia has been thinking. In the preview picture, on the official site, she looks so happy in a wedding gown. Haha. 😀

    And yeah. O.o Two people turning into trees plot also sounds familiar. I’m pretty sure it’s been done before. *imagines the future* Antonio: And here lies today, the trees known as Romeo and Juliet. Their everlasting love for each other and the city of Neo-Verona led to their changes from human form…

    tg
    Reply

  26. Thsi episode looks great! Can’t wait for the subbed version. SO glad the hiatus is over! lol Even if it *was* just a week. >_>

    Corvolio moments! *points* YES, I love that pairing. Its so cute that he is holding her during the earthquake. Personally, I want to know what he and Cordelia are doing living in the same house, though… O.o Last I checked, Benvolio was living in Curio’s place while Cordelia was in the upper rooms of the theatre. lol

    And, tg, I RAN to the official site when you said that. I had to see for myself, Cordelia in a Wedding Dress?! ^_^ Gee, I *wonder* who she would be marrying? lol Or at least, who she is thinking of as she models it, if it isn’t for an actual wedding yet. lol I just hope those tears in her eyes aren’t a bad thing.

    Alleluia
    Reply

  31. I am not freaking out about the tree thing b/c its… well, not sunk in yet, I guess. Ok, maybe it has a little, but only to the point where I find it funny. >> The freaking will come out once I see the subbed episode, I am sure. lol

    What is Cathedral Terra???

    Alleluia
    Reply

  32. Thank you soo much for the tranlations!!! I love how they added a fantasy aspect to the seris. Im still hoping for a happy ending-but it would really take away the whole aspect of the romeo and juliet tragedy thing-

    Till the final episode, im still gonna be holdin onto my false hope 😛

    I cant wait to see this episode!! I’ve serching everywhere for the RAW, but no luck yet. Hoepfully it will be up soon.

    Thank you for the screencaps and summary for the meantime!!! MUCH LUV

    Croft
    Reply

  33. NO.NO.NO.NO They are suppost to follow the already made scrip and kill themselves in the end. But like I said I personally think that this could of been wrapped up in 12-13 epi if they did sticked to Will’s play. All of this fairy tale stuff just messes it up.

    Tokki
    Reply

  34. Sure, this has more sense now.

    Just this time I’m not agreeing with you Onmi. As long as GONZO don’t pull off an ending where Romeo and Juliet remain alive; I’m fine with whatever way they have to die the producers what us to see. Is odd in some ways, therefore dying together would be enough to show their love for each other. Remember, their vows were “until the dead part us.”

    Taking note of the next and final episode titles, the main story will end in episode twenty three, and finally twenty four will be an aftermath of what happens to Neo Verona. Regarding of what GONZO has chosen already; I’m looking forward for this final arc.

    Good bye.

    Syaoran Li
    Reply

  37. Thanx 4 the summarry i am dying to see this episode and the last ones. But i dont want them to die or become trees or watevr. It would be better if they stayed as rulers of Neo Verona….

    AnimeFreak4evr
    Reply

  38. I, too, am actually starting to think that it might be more similar to the actual Romeo and Juliet than everyone thinks. Maybe it will be as Omni said, or maybe, Juliet will offer herself to Escalus, and then Romeo, assuming that she’s truly dead, will kill himself to forever be with Juliet. Then, maybe Escalus will bring her back to life (mystically), and once she finds out that Romeo has killed himself, shee, too, will kill herself to be with Romeo. Then, it’ll work out kinda like the real Romeo and Juliet does. But Omni’s theory makes more sense. Then again, I don’t want a tragedy either way, and besides, this anime is really different. I mean seriously, they’ve got William Shakespeare in it.

    Jenn-Jen
    Reply

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