Scarlet Nexus – 02

「スカーレットガーディアン」 (Sukāretto Gādian)
“Scarlet Guardians”

Scarlet Nexus continues this week, bringing a little more explanation on the Yuito and Kasane situation, the question still stands, how was she able to save him as a child. There was a little bit of foreshadowing as they explained that Spring Arashi (Horie Yui) is much older than her brother. Time doesn’t matter in Scarlet Nexus and it has Yuito confused. As when he tries to recall the memory, he is unable to make sense of it. Nagi explains that honorifics are not really a thing in this world, and mostly can just be dropped because time is immaterial. Or so it seems. It still doesn’t make quite the full circlet of sense, but it’s getting there.

This episode also saw the introduction of something called The Extinction Level Band (is that what it’s called?), a circular halo that surrounds the earth, and supposedly where the Other’s come from (I’m guessing). In this episode the band reached a low atmosphere and made their coms misbehave, it probably affects the PsyNet altogether. The PsyNet allows them to do everything the internet allows us to do, video calls to each other, shopping, google up information, and other such fun stuff. The OSF uses the PsyNet to hail their PsyPowers. There was also weather-like prediction, but from my understanding, it was how likely the Others were to appear in each area, almost like how weather forecast might predict how likely it is to rain in a certain region of a city.

I’m guessing The Extinction Band rises and falls depending on certain elements within the earth, much like typhoons get stronger if they contact warm water. I’m not an expert on weather prediction, but it’s amusing how much lore and worldbuilding Scarlet Nexus is packing in a couple of seconds. On top of that, in this episode, we got to see two sorties, one for training, in a capture the flag type of scenario. And another one against the Others. In the end, it was Arashi’s laziness and Nazar Tsugumi’s (Kouno Marika) sharpness that nabbed her the flag. Also, it was a fun opportunity to introduce the rest of the cast. PsyPowers are a little bit more special, or so the series wants us to think. I wonder if everyone can use PsyPowers or only the OSF soldiers that have to go through special training. Or it’s as simple as stimulating them? Like turning on a switch.

Then Yuito’s dad meets with a blue hair character, who I’m guessing is Arashi’s brother, yet I’m not quite sure, they talk politics, and explain there is unrest in the East, with those dam ‘Moon Believers.’ I wonder if they have anything to do with what happened at the end of the episode.

Furthermore, this episode saw the introduction of the valve-slinky-sakura monster, which was easily dispatched. One of the things I’m starting to notice is that fights just seem to be undoubtedly won by the characters, there’s no real tension between them and the monsters, you know they are going to win because otherwise, the plot wouldn’t move forward. Whereas in a video game the tension rises because it’s you the one doing the fighting, pressing the buttons, moving the character.

The anime offers a total disconnect from that. I found similar problems with Subarashiki Kono Sekai The Animation where fights were just too easy, and characters just won no matter what. Don’t get me wrong, I love TWENY like anyone else, but it’s something I’d like to point out. Since there’s no real buildup, just monsters to fight that are in the way of story progress, and the fact these characters have to struggle because otherwise there’s no plot.

I had a lot more fun learning about this world, and I wish the anime would more heavily lean on that, rather than trying to surprise us and entertain us with fights. Battles just follow the rule of cool anyway, Yuito cleaning up a row of monsters with one fell swoop. It’s not a total unhand for the series though, it’s still enjoyable. It’s just something I wanted to point out, anyone else feels the same way? Probably just me though.

I want to talk a little bit about the cliffhanger of this episode, situated right at the end, Naomi jumps in front of Kasane to save her from a bullet, because she has the precognition Xenoblade thing, and was able to see a couple of seconds in the future, foreseeing Kasane’s death. But then as the bullet seemingly grows inside her body, a weird thing starts to happen, red strings travel through her, and before she knows it, she’s trapped in a sort of arachnid-like substance that stretches to all sides of the underground cave. Almost reminds me of crystal stasis, from basically any Final Fantasy / Kingdom Hearts. If anything is to go by the preview, the next episode’s title is Conspiracy so there might be some explanation to what actually happened with Naomi. And the sniper wasn’t actually targeting Naomi but Kasane, the question still stands.

Anyway, I can’t say I’m not having fun with Scarlet Nexus, but next week reveals the meat and bones of the series, for me at least, as these first two episodes I got to watch because of the pre-air. So the next episode is the walk of fire so to speak.

Preview