First Impressions / Vividred Operation

「ゆずれない願い」 (Yuzure Nai Negai)
“Unyielding Wish”

This week on Vividred Operation, it’s a tale of two stories.

The first up? Some Metal Gear Solid style infiltration by Kuroki — who succeeds in finding out a secret beyond her wildest dreams… just not the one she intended to find. A swift chop from Wakaba prevents Rei from finding out anymore though — did I mention how much I’m starting to like her character and seiyuu Ootsubo Yuka? — and the first half of this episode ends up pretty much what we’ve come to expect from the series. Some cheerful banter, quite a few laughs with the full court press from the Vividteam in their attempt to get Kuroki to go study with them, the usual mayonnaise on everything… you know the drill.

But as the second half rolls in, things get notably grimmer — to my surprise — as the series seems to takes a few pages from Evangelion as the sixth Alone arrives in style, fully equipped with its own AT Field equivalent. The initial fight ends up being a fairly typical affair, but Rei’s involvement ends up reviving what was believed to be a defeated Alone, who proceeds to successfully knock out Akane from the picture.

Suffice to say, that wasn’t what I was expecting at all… and well, I’m admittedly wondering how the series is going to take it from here. Part of me believes that it’s likely that this’ll be the turning point that gets Kuroki to join the Vividteam… but I don’t know. For some reason I suddenly just can’t shake the nagging feeling that the series could possibly take things down a much, much darker route. Though, I suppose in the end, that’s probably just me spending too much time watching UroButcher series and other related grimdark/gloom and doom shows… heh. Interestingly enough though, there were quite a few signs that pointed to this scenario happening throughout the episode, which make you wonder just a bit.

Regardless though, with only 5 episodes remaining, at least that many Alones left in addition to the current one (or at least, according to Rei’s feather count) and this surprise development with Akane, it’s really becoming a pressing question as to how things will wrap up in time. Quite a few episodes have wrapped up in a rapid sequence of events — although recently, it’s been fairly tame compared to earlier — and it really makes you wonder if this wasn’t something that was potentially intended to be two-cour or something of the sort. I guess we’ll see how that works out. At least though, it was pretty fabulous seeing our four heroines just jumpin’ outta planes and kicking butt for a little while there.

44 Comments

  3. Well, i dunno. But every “Anime” needs a “plot drive”. And here it is the “Alone” and what is behind them and this “Bird”

    Die First Episodes so far was more “Introduction” of the VIPs Chars

    Germanguy
    Reply

  4. I found it amusing (in a somewhat morbid sense) that the girls had enough time to yell Akane’s name one at a time in sequence while she was trying to hold off that attack, but apparently not enough time to actually do anything useful like help her.

    Rule of drama, of course. Akane was required to get hurt at this point, so she was.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    2. I wondered that as well. Ladies, get your shorts in gear…one of you is in trouble!!! I’d guess a possible start for next episode is to see the final attack from Rei’s point of view, and her seeing Akane fall. Somehow, maybe, she will save Akane, remembering about getting her wish withough hurting others. Then Rei is in for some dice of damage from the crow, but maybe the crow’s story will start to unravel. Ah, the possibilities…

      SmithCB
      Reply

  6. What~~~? No arse-shot? What happened, Vivid-red Pantsu show~~~? Don’t go all angst-mode on me now, ah ha ha ha!

    ….Seriously, I can’t even laugh at the screencaps anymore! Damn you~~~~:P oh wait, I still can at the sheer st_p_ _ i_ _ of it all (now that’s my hangman word game for y’all~~~)!!

    Deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
    Reply

  7. Zephyer, you totally got me with the ‘usual mayonnaise on everything’ image – not the one I was expecting at all. Well played.

    I also agree with Wanderer – they can fly as fast as F18s and can turn on a dime but seem concerned about Akane just falling straight down with a gravity assist (9.81 m/s^2).

    btw, how come Akane gets all the docking love? Are the others just incompatible with each other? If there is a possibility for a triple kiss (or quad) will the resultant character be brown? I need answers people.

    7godeohs
    Reply

  8. Welp, the Alones are back with a vengeance. I’m glad to see there’s finally some serious opposition now, and that alien thing looked badass. Would actually be pretty funny if this show went all Evangelion now, hah.

    Yet, I’m left with one burning question…

    …what happened with the tomato that Rei squashed in her hand (to which the others reacted like she just killed a kitten)? I mean, it’s not in her hand anymore, there’s no juice dripping anywhere, we had no scene of her throwing it away (she just walked out) and there’s nothing on the ground either.

    It’s a mystery…

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  9. the question that plagues me the most about this ep….

    WHY NOT DOCK BEFORE THE TEST lol… then she’d know everything because she shares memories with her friends lol :c

    aside from that I loved the ep yet again, Between this, Sasami, and love live this season of anime has been amazing for me!!!! ofc theres alot of other goodies like mangirl, yama no susume, and tamako market, but yea I’m really loving this season and it makes me sad to see that its already on the second half of the season *cries* I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts
    YEY FOR VIVIDRED
    YEY FOR GOOD ANIME!
    *cheerz*

    Akarin
    Reply

  11. Also gotta love the whole “tomato-juice-as-blood-replacement” with Rei remembering her wish and the flashes. =P

    Seems all the other girls are all unanimous with Akane in having Rei join the harem as well, what, with their combined efforts to get Rei to join their orgy-er, I mean study session! Of course, Wakaba wanted a little more with Momo, but didn’t have the guts to, lol.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  13. so vivid rangers give save the city is one thing but school another story so they go make study group time give try to invite rei but she said no.

    then after meet with “crow” rei dig some research on akane’s grandpa so decide join in study to find akane’s grandpa but found his body on fridge with a melon?!

    ko rei pull a “jedi mind trick” back to usual then rei see combine tomato & mention wish she left then alone attack appear cause it’s power of emp type.

    vivid rangers battle alone emp give go full blast yellow combine & almost got it til rei’s arrow cue power alone upgrade cause akane’s suit to short circuit.

    munr
    Reply

  14. Dr. Freud is going to have a field day this episode.

    I thought it was only Akane who was fascinated with Rei but now it seems the entire Vivid team is taking an unusual amount of effort to befriend Rei for some reason. Maybe the needed a silent, stoic but kindhearted archetype in their ensemble cast? Poor Rei is trying (and failing) to resist the befriending.

    Also are they really just keeping Granpa’s body in the fridge instead of giving it to military custody? They even put it into the scariest pose possible and not even lock the fridge so they’re just asking to be stumbled upon by someone. Unless they did intend to do that because the Isshiki’s have a morbid sense of humor.

    fragb85
    Reply

    2. You don’t need Freud to turn up. I mean you have the girls taking ‘cucumbers’ gleefully into their mouths (some with a tad of mayo on the end), finally followed by mayo all over their cheeks! The only way you could make it worse would be adding some ahegao faces and more suggestive sound effects!

      Scruffy
      Reply

  15. “No touchy ma’ Melooon!” https://randomc.net/image/Vividred%20Operation/Vividred%20Operation%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    Heh, poor Rei, not even she deserved that ^^;

    Hmmm, but now I wonder – after Rei left, did Team Vivid remember to stuff Grandpa Corpsecicle back in the fridge, or with all that happened did they forget about the body in the basement?

    Right now though I don’t think any cares about that right now, not with Akane getting shot out of the sky. And not just did the Alone take out Red Leader, but now it looks like it’s assimilated a large section of the city as well.

    Five more episodes to go – I really don’t see how they can make a satisfying conclusion without going into another season.

    Digid
    Reply

  16. If Akane’s grades are affected by her having too much part time work to pay the bills, surely the military can do better than offer to manipulate her school grades? (Hint hint: Pay her better for her services in defending mankind, dammit. )

    Anyway, this doesn’t change the fact I’m totally enjoying this show and am willing to turn a blind eye to such minor errors.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  17. Main issue with Rei: She’s so blinded for her (let’s be honest, idiotic) dream to realize that she’s been used. Andohbytheway, she’s not Solid Snake, but Raiden. Akane is her only hope for survival. As for the “go to school or else…” of the friggin Crow, maybe the bird is Gen Urobuchi in disguise, trying to bring some SUFFERING to VO.
    As for the Angel… I mean, the Alone of the week, way too plot armorish for a single pice of it surviving what clearly is the equivalent of a DIRECT SHOT FROM THE R-90II RAGNAROK II’S GIGA WAVE CANNON FROM R-TYPE just to take Akane out of the equation.

    SeedStriker
    Reply

  19. please, script, get more and more darker, because i can’t take all those fan-services scenes anymore(no without a good plot)
    and i was thinking even now(3rd post sucessively!) that this is a powerpuff girls Z mod

    danpmss
    Reply

  21. The only issue here is how Rei got to the scene where the alone was before the girls, who went by plane and flying? They went out of the house at the same time more or less and I think they tried to stop it some cities away from the reactor.
    What happened with the things (and local fauna) that were where the alone fell when it transformed?
    Why did it attack in Evangelion-style (I loved that)? (Well the origin from the alones is still mistery)

    Well, the scene with the doctor’s body was hilarious.
    Mayo for everything! I have to taste the mayo+cucumber I guess.

    Ebisu
    Reply

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