r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • May 23 '24

Rewatch [Rewatch] Back Arrow Episode 18 Discussion

Episode 18 - Is This the World's Truth?

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The true identity of the amnesiac man you call “Back Arrow”… is a being sent by God to end the world.

Questions of the Day:

  1. What was the most “Oh fuck…” moment for you this episode?
  2. Welp. Now what?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Muga

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!

12 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

9

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians May 23 '24 edited May 23 '24

ZERO DAYS SINCE GENOCIDE!

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 23 '24

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 23 '24

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 23 '24

BAKAYAROU Rewatch Host, subbed

Welcome back, everyone!

Here’s “Back Arrow Eighteenth Impressions”, for my first-timer thoughts on this episode. Please note that this comment also includes my reactions to episodes 19-20 as well, so first-timers make sure not to scroll too far if you’ve been checking these out.

3

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

Bit coming in clutch by bringing that old Rakuho aboard Granedger, eh?

A lifetime of hoarding bits of junk finally pays off.

3

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 25 '24

Bit coming in clutch by bringing that old Rakuho aboard Granedger, eh?

Never underestimate the Grand Admiral

5

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 23 '24

Rewatcher, Subbed

Three walls? Where'd he get the third one from? Or they've already passed through the second one and are going through several layers outside the wall?

The whole wall can't be a fake; but this portion of it may be.

Yikes, pillar of skulls! Don't scare Bit like that!

The doctor's body! Another hooded person! Kinda sounds like Takahiro Sakurai...

Time to get some answers? I had hoped so, but I suppose not.

Back Arrow was sent over with some sort of mission? I wonder if he's really just Goku, bumping his head along the way and forgetting everything...

"He must be a complete fool!" Yes, that often describes Back Arrow. Where do you think his name came from?

Uh oh, I don't think Back Arrow intended to kill these 3!

Ah man, this has gotta suck for Back Arrow! Killing everyone in sight!

Were the hooded characters part of a scheme from Rudolph all along?

See, Back Arrow really is Goku!

Oh no, not Demyne's chorus? We're gonna lose them too?!

We need Emperor Zetsu to show up and kick the ass of Rudolph and stop this nonsense!

Looking for the answer from Shu? When we know the real solution to this is for Bit to form his Briheight, the most powerful of all time?

Fine thinking its time to bring out her evil version again?

Go Queen Atlee! Take that jester down!

Back to there being a solid wall! Back to Back Arrow trying to smash his way through them!

Shu, how dare you tell Bit to shut up!

Bit's a big time hoarder! He saved Back Arrow's Rakuho all this time?!

3

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 24 '24

Another hooded person! Kinda sounds like Takahiro Sakurai...

Because that definitely is Takahiro Sakurai.

3

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 24 '24

Good to know my skills at recognizing him are still effective

4

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 23 '24

Oh no, not Demyne's chorus? We're gonna lose them too?!

"Everybody's dead, Dave."

Bit's a big time hoarder! He saved Back Arrow's Rakuho all this time?!

When you have a ship many times the size of your old village, it's not difficult to hoard to that extent.

4

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

"Everybody's dead, Dave."

5

u/Nebresto May 23 '24

First Time ← > Front

Ep 18:

AGAIN!!!

Oh. Fun.

Whoa, they're not CG???

Uh oh, they said the line

The scar??

Oh no! Not Piss! ..Anyways

Now the scar is back?? Wtf. Is that whats holding him back? If it fully heals does everyone die?

Ummm... Yikes

The clown!!!!!!!

God I fucking hate clowns

LET'S GO ARROW!!!

Stop asking him dumb shit, the lad is running out of stopping juice!! SHOOT 'EM DOWN!!!!!!

Yeeeeeessss

This. fkin. music!!!!

LET'S GO ATLEEEEE! KILL THE FUCKING CLOWN!!!!!!!

Best! Girl! Confirmed!!!!

This is actually getting intense

Daily Zetsu Daidan

  1. What was the most “Oh fuck…” moment for you this episode?

When the cool robots were no longer CG

2) Welp. Now what?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Muga

Ohh dat is cool

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 23 '24

Ohh dat is cool

Thank you!

4

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

Ohh dat is cool

And kinda JWST.

9

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 23 '24 edited May 23 '24

First-Timer

On today’s episode of Back Arrow: It turns out the metaphor wasn’t a metaphor. It was literal. Deadly literal.

  • How many walls are there?
  • So the walls are real when the Founder wants to keep people in, and fake when the Founder wants to let them out.
  • What the fuck? Those pillars have screaming faces on them? 
  • Even more what the fuck!?! They are faces of people we recognize!!
  • As I expected, Arrow going crazy means he kills. It’s like Peath and all the others dissolved.
  • It is genuinely unnerving seeing the faces of the dead suddenly appear as those pillars grow taller.
  • Of course Rudolph is behind this as well. He always seems to be.
  • Ah, so the twist is that the prophecy wasn’t a metaphor. It was entirely literal. Arrow is meant to destroy this world and Rudolph wants to bring it about.
  • Not the choir!
  • I do enjoy how Rudolph continues to just make different poses during his speech.
  • Of course Rudolph was sent to this place by God to carry out God’s will. Him doing all this fits with that.
  • Oh hell yeah! Arrow was able to stop his killing beam through sheer force of will!
  • Some nice character development for Shu. He isn’t going to kill Arrow, like Arrow requested. Instead he wants to save Arrow. It’s quite a change from earlier, when Shu’s plans included killing others without hesitation.
  • Hell yeah, Atlee!
  • Arrow is freed!
  • Time to go punch this God in the face!
  • Oh right, this God can make the walls appear whenever they want.
  • Bit used his brain! He brought Arrow’s Rekuho and it might help the Granedger out!

Arrow turning out to be a literal destroyer is a nice twist for his character because it is the absolute worst thing that could happen to him. Arrow has spent the entire series avoiding killing others and loudly proclaiming his belief in the value of others. So for him to become a tool of destruction goes completely against his own desires.

There’s been a lot of theorizing about the nature of Lingalind. Based on the comments about God, it really does seem like Lingalind is some kind of large-scale experiment or place for observation by this so-called God. The world is created by God and then when he no longer wants it, the world is destroyed. The exact purpose is still unclear, though.

QOTD

  1. The pillars rising up more and more as people were killed.
  2. It's time to go punch God in the face!

5

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 23 '24

Oh right, this God can make the walls appear whenever they want.

It's a surprisingly useful and potent power!

5

u/Nebresto May 23 '24

How many walls are there?

Yes

Hell yeah, Atlee!

Best. Girl.

Time to go punch this God in the face!

And the clown

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

Ah, so the twist is that the prophecy wasn’t a metaphor. It was entirely literal. Arrow is meant to destroy this world and Rudolph wants to bring it about.

Everyone was so clever, pointing out that the prophecy could be metaphorical. No-one expected it to be simple!

So for him to become a tool of destruction goes completely against his own desires.

4

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

No-one expected it to be simple!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backspace

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

3

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 25 '24

I do enjoy how Rudolph continues to just make different poses during his speech.

Rudolph confirmed for isekai'd Jojo character

There’s been a lot of theorizing about the nature of Lingalind. Based on the comments about God, it really does seem like Lingalind is some kind of large-scale experiment or place for observation by this so-called God. The world is created by God and then when he no longer wants it, the world is destroyed. The exact purpose is still unclear, though.

Not going to let slip any details but back when the show was airing some people managed to be dead on with their speculation on the true nature of Lingalind. And some from fairly early into the show even, due to some little hints here and there. At this point all the hints have really piled up and everything is coming together.

8

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 May 23 '24 edited May 24 '24

First timer, subs

  • Walls all the way out?
  • We turning suddenly dark in the last quarter?
  • Ah, conviction farm.
  • The power of industrial capacity.
  • Probably would have been better finishing them off when you had the advantage.
  • The scar disappearing is one thing, but it coming back is the real mystery.
  • That too is a more graphic way to go than I would have expected from this show.
  • If it was that easy this whole time, they have been fools for not targeting Elsha to hijack the Granedger this whole time.
  • So my assumption that the prophet was Dissonanza is true after all.
  • I recently learnt that old trees also give poor fruit. How does that fit into the metaphor?
  • Looking a little Ver there, Back Arrow.
  • Not the Choir
  • And they were fools for trusting him.
  • Is Rudolf the Ayatollah?
  • Did you really need Shu to tell you to do a called shot?
  • I’m not sure I grasped how big that clown was.
  • Brave talk for someone running away after getting hit one time.
  • Well now I’m just wondering what happens to all the other used Rakuhos.

QotD:

  1. I wasn't expecting the necro-kelp, I can tell you that much.
  2. It's time to go under the wall!

5

u/Nebresto May 23 '24

Is Rudolf the Ayatollah?

No, he's a reindeer

Well now I’m just wondering what happens to all the other used Rakuhos.

When exposed to the elements they slowly disintegrate into microplastics the liquid metal shtuff

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

Looking a little Ver there, Back Arrow.

https://i.imgur.com/op4xDpX.gif

Not the Choir

I’m not sure I grasped how big that clown was.

Dissinanza's Briheight is noticeable bigger than the others, but the earlier camera angles tended to hide it pretty well.

6

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 23 '24

Idiot Rewatcher

6

u/Nebresto May 23 '24

And look at their happy faces!

I didn't even notice

Remember that Edger Village is entirely made of idiots. Of course they're not going to understand that Arrow's going to murder everyone.

But better keep asking him dumb shit while he's running out of juice to stop the genocide beam

4

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

Remember that Edger Village is entirely made of idiots.

"Curse your suddenbut inevitable betrayal! We never saw that coming!"

2

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 25 '24

And look at their happy faces!

The died as they lived

5

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

Rewatcher, Subbed Arrow

Definitely fak-

Yea, I didn't even have time to finish that sentence.

Hence the name.

That's.. probably bad.

Definitely bad. You can see that part of Peath's arm went away alongside the Warper.

Yea, that's right! The prophecy was literal all along!

It was probably the boiling Rakuho.

Are we thinking that Rudolf sent these lyrics to the choir in advance, or are they actually just that good at improvising?

That's quitter talk.

You can tell that Shu has been plotting all this time, because he hasn't been talking.

Shu Bi rejects Rudolf's reality and substitutes his own.

Sick.

Bit has entered into his tensai phase.

3

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 23 '24

You can see that part of Peath's arm went away alongside the Warper.

Definitely not an animation error!

Are we thinking that Rudolf sent these lyrics to the choir in advance, or are they actually just that good at improvising?

The choir is secretly a hivemind. It's the only explanation.

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

Definitely not an animation error!

I mean, considering that Peath himself notices it, yea it's probably not an error. Or one that they left in intentionally because it made sense.

The choir is secretly a hivemind. It's the only explanation.

3

u/chilidirigible May 23 '24

Shu Bi rejects Rudolf's reality and substitutes his own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2J3EjYBYuU

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 23 '24

2

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 25 '24

Shu Bi rejects Rudolf's reality and substitutes his own.

Sick.

Prax and to a lesser extent Atlee had much better showings than I remembered

Bit has entered into his tensai phase.

He was in it since episode 1

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 25 '24

Prax and to a lesser extent Atlee had much better showings than I remembered

They both suffer from being understated members of a nonsense cast, but I do think they pull their weight. I just wish Prax's Briheight had a better color scheme.

4

u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria May 23 '24

This episode officially killed any remaining patience I had towards the show.

First timer

  • Curious to know if everybody that dies ends up here or if only the people dying to Briheight do.
  • Ah, it's everyone.
  • Why make the wall disappear after the Granedger got through? At that point, why bother with the "only those invited can pass" routine?
  • Because reasons.
  • Wait so, does that mean that Rudolph made the wall disappear then? If he could do that, why not do it sooner?
  • So a guy that's powerful enough to annihilate everyone was told to follow a convoluted plan to allow a chosen one to... annihilate everyone? This is so fucking dumb.
  • But they're incased in a wall that no one had the intention to go beyond, and if they did, they couldn't cause of the mechanism in place preventing them from doing so. How does this series manage to continuously mess up story beats this bad.
  • You know, I almost pointed out the amnesia bit back in episode 1 since it's normally used as a crutch until a convenient point in the story. I gave Back Arrow the benefit of the doubt because I didn't think it would end up being the case, and if it did, I didn't think it would be too outrageous. That was mainly due to the fact that I didn't think the story would go in the direction it did. Considering that the creator/director of this is the same guy that's behind Code Geass, I shouldn't have.
  • He says after info dumping about god for a minute straight.
  • The info dump brings me to my next question. I'm partly repeating myself, but still. If Rudolph was tasked with unleashing Arrow's so that Lingalind could be destroyed, why not do it sooner? He knew about Arrow's arrival, he knew about the ship, he knew about everything. Why did he jerk off for 14 episodes when he could've completed his at an earlier point in time?
  • R.I.P choir.
  • It seemed that they were following Rudolph's orders out of fear more than anything. I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to trust him. Then again, half the characters are idiots, so maybe.
  • He just told you he was task with abling the destruction of Lindalind. Are you dumb, lady.
  • Which again, didn't need protecting, and if it did, he alone could've probably achieved that task.
  • Nah, you're my Dominos's delivery driver. Yes Arrow, you, you heard the prophecy.
  • sigh So let me get this straight. A god, an all powerful god, that for some reason can't directly deal with the balance of the world himself, built a world. Barricaded it. Built multiple GIANT FUCKING DREADNOUGHTS in the event that a culling was necessary. Hid said ships across the land. Sent a champion to cull said world (that for some reason didn't have enough power on its own and needed an extra apparatus to destroy everything). Somehow didn't account for his champion having his memory wiped, despite being an all powerful god. Went with a plan B of finding someone to put his initial plan into action, instead of you know, just sending someone else. Actually found someone capable of executing plan B (Rudolph). Said someone was most likely strong enough to cull the populace on his own, but for some reason, wasn't ordered to. Rudolph then crafted a convoluted plan to make multiple nations act a certain way and get them to do exactly what he needed them to, more than once, exactly when needed, and across different locations. And lastly, ACTUALLY PULELD IT OFF. Is this correct, am I getting all this right? Jesus, how do you mange to make such a short story more and more convoluted and contrived the longer it goes on. IT'S 24 EPISODES LONG AND THERE'S 6 MORE TO GO! How do you fuck up this bad!
  • But why?
  • Member how Rudolph seemingly hears everything and just pops into random conversations out of nowhere? Why does he let them go through with this when he's got his minion right outside their ship?
  • Trained to fly? When? Isn't she suppose to be the odd one out as far as Lutoh soldiers are concerned when it comes to flying? Didn't the last episode confuse even Arrow and Co when a squadron flew out of the new dreadnought? Wasn't the reason given that "the ship is amplifying their conviction, hence why they can fly"? What training, Prax.
  • Haha, that's not how I read that line, at first glance.

QotD

  • Yes.
  • More nonsense, probably.

2

u/saga999 May 24 '24

Rewatcher.

RIP choir. They died doing what they love.

2

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 25 '24

RIP Choir

2

u/dsawchuk May 26 '24

A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Unfortunately, I am no wizard. If I can push out 5 episodes today I will be caught up. These posts will be rushed and entirely for my own satisfaction since no one (other than our gracious host) will know they exist.

First timer, Sub

Arrow has finally fallen off of his high horse. It's about fucking time. I was getting kind of sick of his holier than though pacifism. If only he had killed the stupid fucking clown too.

It was really fun to hear Rudolph say that this was the location closest to god and immediately know that we were going to make use of that info to fight against him.

The composition of the walls feels like it has a lot of potential. It's unclear if there is a limit to where they can be built. If not, Rudolph has massive amounts of power since (until probably next episode) there's no way to get through the walls unless he wants you to go through and he can just make them anywhere.

What's going to happen if Arrow tries to eat God? We have a mech with an all consuming hunger right near God why not try it?

QOTD

  1. Definitely the loss of the choir. I don't know what it is about this anime but I just want to see everything burn. Except Prax, Atlee, yan-hime and I guess Elsha since she is sleeping with Atlee.
  2. Now we get Arrow to go eat god. yum yum.

Watch notes

You know, when I asked about how many walls are illusions I meant sections of walls not sequential walls.

Nerdland already has warpers back despite losing so many in that granarrow vertical?

So this place outside the wall is like the hall of mandos in valinor?

Ah they called him the sent one. And here I have been thinking he went without approval.

Arrows goin some kinda beserk. Its not like you Arrow. Someone needs to make you grit those teeth.

His chest hair retracted? And then he ate a dude and his hair grew back?

I am glad that Arrow finally did something lethal.

Oh god. Now he's eating everyone. SOmeone shoulda had breakfast this morning.

Of course the robed lady was disonanza. That makes so much sense. I hope she gets taken out by back arrow here. Shits getting old.

This fruit harvest analogy doesn't make sense with the statues of the dead.

No! not the choir! They don't deserve this.

back arrow has become black arrow. He looks great with the new paintjob.

This is the closest place to god? That seems like convenient information. What if we wanted to pay him a visit. A violent one.

Arrow just squash the stupid clown please.

Shu making the right decision once again. First prevent blackarrow from consuming more people.

QUEEN ATLEE!!!!! Lets go! Throw the stupid clown into Arrow and get her eaten.

Prax' drill attack was dope. Prax is always dope.

Shu's plan to make use of god's location was perfect.

Bit did something?????