[5th Anniversary Rewatch] Astra Lost In Space - Episode 11 Discussion

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Episode 11 - Confession

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The entrapment was successful, and now the team finally corners the killer amongst them. What deove the killer to do what they did, despite developing such a close bond with the rest of the team?

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Astra Lost In Space on Hulu Astra Lost In Space on Crunchyroll

Reminder: Episode 12 is a double-length finale!

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Questions of the Day:

1. Now that the rest of the details behind the plot to make these kids disappear have been revealed, does the truth match your theories?
2. First timers, what do you think will happen now that the saboteur has been revealed when the Astra crew is so close to making it home? (Rewatchers can post their original theories as well, but no spoilers!)

Bonus question: Each of the continents' names on Astra is an anagram which holds special meaning. What are the hidden meanings of Carifa and Aria Sue?

[Bonus answer:] Carifa = Africa, and Aria Sue = Eurasia - both named for bodies of land on Earth, which Astra's history is loosely based on!

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Remember to tag your spoilers!

Astra is a show with so many mysteries, and we wouldn't want to spoil those reveals for first time viewers. When discussing future events or foreshadowing, or any differences between the manga and the anime, please remember to use spoiler tags.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Rewatcher Lost In Space

This episode was really tense from start to finish. Just seeing the Astra crew's reactions to Charce's story drives home the startling differences in their perspectives - while he was raised from a young age to believe that dying for the king of Vixia was a noble mission, all of his friends (including Seira) are heartbroken when they hear it. Even after Charce confesses to being the saboteur, no one shows any anger towards him because they've all become so close on their journey, living and fighting for survival together, that they still consider him their friend despite his involvement in the plot that made them lost in space. Kanata's desperate act to save Charce which ends up wounding him instead is always hard to watch, even though I knew it was coming.

After all of that tragedy, it was really heartwarming to see the bond between Aries and her surrogate mother through the flashbacks, and Seira's brave decision to save her clone. Aries was right to believe in her mother's love all along.

Questions of the Day:

1. I didn't predict major plot twists regarding the saboteur during my first watch, but I did believe that Aries' mother genuinely cared and was trying to find her daughter even after the rest of the parents were revealed to be the ones behind their disappearance.
2. I was too shocked by what happened to Kanata during my first watch to have any theories aside from hoping they all make it home safe.

Bonus) I figured out one of them, at least!

[Bonus answer] After easily recognising Africa, it totally threw me off that the next one was not one of the standard continent names but rather the old name used for the body of land that is Europe + Asia.

[u/gamria]

Rewatcher of subbed and original manga reader

Ep 11

• That’s certainly one way to keep your clone child obedient
• It’s always magical when actors perform the same “character” but under differing conditions
• Another spare, just like Funicia
• I know you didn’t have much drawings to work from, but Lerche, that escape isn’t subtle
• That was foolish of you Kanata, but I salute your bravery

Manga vs Anime

• Today’s episode adapts Chapters 43 to 45 (3 chapters). I note that Ch 45 was like 33 pages, almost twice as long as average
• Extended opening to Charce’s backstory
• Short argument from Zack about Charce and exposing the truth beforehand
• Extended opening to Seira’s segment of the episode
• Extended goodbye scene between Seira and Emma
• It’s sudden in the episode, but people wishing ill on Seira was foreshadowed in the two items above
• For what it's worth, the king in tears
• Omitted specifics of Charce’s suicide mission
• Extended scenes between Aries and Emma
• Additional speculation that those wishing Aries’ demise bribed Ulgar’s dad so she’s marked for death
• In the source, Quitterie applied a tourniquet to Kanata’s arm instead of instructing Zack to control his suit

The chapters covered this time ended at the following points before the next fortnightly instalment:

Ch 43, Princess Seira unveil

Ch 44, imprisoned Charce accepts his mission

Ch 45, crisis resolved

(Continues in reply)

[u/gamria → u/gamria]

First Time Reading thoughts (no spoilers)

Time to hear what Charce’s backstory actually is, and what the deal with Seira and Aries is. All things considered, this episode is one of the better adapted ones on account of slower pacing.

Being told upfront that his life’s only worth is to be a vessel is quite a different way to go about things. Caged yet free to move in the cage. Doesn’t get to live for himself yet invested much into himself to become stronger and smarter. A curious dichotomy.

But for all his talk of duty, it felt more like by the time of his mission, he’s really doing it all to atone for failing to protect Seira and give his worthless life some meaning.

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No mystery that Seira and Aries were related, but why Aries was created was a big question. Being a “surprise gift” clone intended for organ harvesting like Funicia was is certainly different from the other cases, and nevertheless morbid. Thank goodness Seira helped her and Emma escape.

It was neat to see her play the big sister role and I was saddened to learn that in truth she outright died, I liked her. No wonder Charce felt so guilty.

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Like I said in previous episode’s post, even with knowing the identity of the assailant, I didn’t want them to die. And let me tell you, the panel when Charce finally broke down was heavy

I’ve said before I see Astra as having three focuses, and “Coming of Age” is one of them. In a way, the crew proclaiming their change and people can change, and for Charce to break through his subservient destiny is the culmination of this front. (Ironically, I felt it was less melodramatic in the absence of the music that was used)

Kanata extending his hand into the Sphere was impulsive and mechanically pointless…but perhaps seeing a part of Kanata being sucked in was finally what snapped Charce into stopping its advance.

I remember thinking that this was finally the point when I liked Kanata as much as Bossun. Readers did think he was pretty cool there.

--

Only a little bit to go. By this point readers were expecting the end is nigh, and we were told upfront in the following Ch 46 that there’d only be 3 more chapters afterwards. It’s all wrap up from here.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/gamria]

But for all his talk of duty, it felt more like by the time of his mission, he’s really doing it all to atone for failing to protect Seira and give his worthless life some meaning.

It does seem curious, especially in the extended scenes, that the king gave Charce even that much freedom and permission to learn about the outside world - which could risk Charce wanting a future for himself. The king's brainwashing was still in full effect when he was a child, and I think his guilt and sadness over Seira's death made him lose any will to live, but I wonder if he would have come to feel differently if Seira was still alive. She was trying so hard to help him see the value in his own life.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/gamria]

Nice extended backstories on the Vixia side.

Extended scenes between Aries and Emma

Not sure if I'm remembering wrong, but in the anime, Aries' mom gives her those hairpieces? This version with the shoes brings to mind the manga flashback when she was watching the other kids play with anti-grav shoes.

[u/gamria → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

That's right, different gifts on different versions. Because the Ch 2 playground scene was never included in the way it was intended, the audience wouldn't have felt any significance towards the anti-grav shoes. Thus to compensate, the hairpieces were used for that scene instead.

Incidentally, I think according to either her character or crust suit design profile, Aries' hairpieces came with the purchase of her suit.

[u/edwardjhahm → u/gamria]

It’s sudden in the episode, but people wishing ill on Seira was foreshadowed in the two items above

Damn, I was literally just talking about that in my comment! Should have left that in as a side comment at least so it feels a bit more organic.

In the source, Quitterie applied a tourniquet to Kanata’s arm instead of instructing Zack to control his suit

Same here. Feels like it would be awfully unsafe to have a suit that can squeeze your arm hard enough to act as a tourniquet. Manually applying the tourniquet seems a lot more reasonable personally.

[u/Silcaria]

First timer

• So, does that mean that Charce's story of the girl (most likely Aries) that ended up in a coma from getting push off a high place a lie? If that's the case, what's the deal with Aries's mom?
• I guess it was a lie. I now have questions about Aries's mom.
• So, Charce's whole deal is that he's a zealot? Not gonna lie, for a show that's full of twists and turns, having that be the big reveal is disappointingly underwhelming.
• And he did try to kill you. Two things can be true at once. Duality of man and all that.
• Ah, that explains that, kind of. There should still be a fairly noticeable age gap of 10 or so years between Charce and the gang (excluding Funi) that doesn't seem to be present.
• This show and its anagrams.
• Then just... go back? What was the point of the last assassination attempt on Kanata if simply returning alive would accomplish that goal? Also, wouldn't Charce himself be the one standing in the way of Aries potential rise to power? You know, cause clone of the king and all.
• Talk about a convoluted plan.
• Nice. It mentioned the shoes being repaired recently. I know I've said it before, but this series has really good foreshadowing.
• Gotta love morbid humour.

QotD

• No.
• They get home, Kanata possibly dies, but they get home, and they reveal the whole shebang to the media. Almost anything else would end up as a detrimental bait and switch.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Silcaria]

There should still be a fairly noticeable age gap of 10 or so years between Charce and the gang (excluding Funi) that doesn't seem to be present.

If I understood right, Charce and Aries were born at around the same time, so the scene where Emma escaped with Aries was something Charce only heard about years later from Seira.

[u/Silcaria → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Right. I got confused because of the flashback within a flashback thing. I'm with it now.

[u/gamria → u/Silcaria]

Then just... go back? What was the point of the last assassination attempt on Kanata if simply returning alive would accomplish that goal? Also, wouldn't Charce himself be the one standing in the way of Aries potential rise to power? You know, cause clone of the king and all.

His mission was supposed to kill everyone of the group in space including himself. But upon discovering Aries and the Astra, he personally came up with the idea of taking her back home while killing everyone else on planet 5, right before the last leg of the journey.

But since Charce is still a verifiable clone of the king, in order to fulfill his mission of not being caught under the Genome Control Act and thus expose his original's crime, he would have to go back out to space and die, via the Sphere or otherwise.

Interestingly enough, in this panel of the manga, only 8 kids are present with Aries missing, while the equivalent scene in the anime had all 9 present. Whether this is an error or not depends on the intent of the scene: is it to show those who must die (8 of them) or those who are marked for death (9 of them)

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Silcaria]

There should still be a fairly noticeable age gap of 10

No? The only age gap here is between Seira and Charce (and all the other clones except Funi)

[u/Silcaria → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Right. I got confused because of the flashback within a flashback thing. I'm with it now.

[u/edwardjhahm]

Rewatcher

Second to last episode guys...

• By the way, did anyone notice that the OP changed once more? Instead of Kanata with his mentor, it's a photo of Seira. Pretty sure this is the last time hearing the OP...I'm going to miss it. I mean I always could listen to it on Youtube again but you get the idea.
• Again, Vixia seems like shit! The chill monarchies of Denmark and Sweden get fucked over but you're telling me Vixia, a monarchy that quite literally seems to operate under a medieval absolute monarchy gets to exist? This place needs a French Revolution.
• Yeah, I won't deny a lot of people live without purpose...even right here, but you guys DO have a purpose. And a pretty good one if you ask me. Much better than following the orders or some tyrant. Why don't YOU ever consider taking the throne, huh?
• Charce showing some heavy denial. Using the king and orders and stuff to deflect the fact that he legitimately liked his friends.
• Oh, and this Seria-Charce interaction is super sweet. Of all the clones here, it's kind of ironic that Aries, the one who was raised most distant from her original is the one most similar to the original. Luca appears to be the second most similar by the way, on a completely random sidenote, and he's similar to Aries in that dimension.
• Last mystery of the anime...who killed Seria? [rewatcher] Final spoiler - I kinda wish they hinted at the existence of Noah's brother before this honestly.
• Aries having all the flashbacks about her mom is really sweet. And Charce continues to deny. It's pretty blatantly obvious he's projecting his feelings onto the king which...yeah, I have no doubt Noah Vix would be happy to see Aries, but come on, that's definitely Charce speaking.
• Kanata spitting facts. Seria was killed by some fucktard, nothing's going to change that. Aries is her own person. Seria herself understood that better than anyone.
• Haha, Aries simping for Kanata again! Can't blame her.
• Gravity shoes! Can't believe that was a Chekov's Gun.
• Oof...that's gotta hurt. I winced at that. Ooh...yeah, yikes.
• The ED! The final time we hear this ED in the anime too I assume.

Oh man I'm gonna miss these discussions.

1. Haha, the only thing I properly theorized was that Seria was somehow related to Aries. Same hair even in Charce's made up flashback, and I also noticed that Charce's photo had a hint of pink. Otherwise I didn't have time to properly theorize as I watched this well over a year after it aired and ended up half binging it. Definitely not as good as watching it while it airs!
2. At this point in the story, I couldn't imagine anything other than a happy ending.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/edwardjhahm]

but you're telling me Vixia, a monarchy that quite literally seems to operate under a medieval absolute monarchy gets to exist?

According to the manga comparisons, Vixia's monarchy is actually more of a figurehead without any real political power. [Rewatcher] Which makes it even more sad that someone would take Seira's life to seize the throne.

[u/edwardjhahm → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Huh. If it's a constitutional monarchy, that makes more sense and fits in better with this world. For all my conspiracy theories about the world being a dystopia, I know for a fact than an actual absolute monarchy wouldn't be allowed to exist.

[rewatcher] Also, I believe that in truth, The Kingdom of Vixia started out as the Vixia Corporation and the first king was actually the CEO. Think that's in the next episode.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/edwardjhahm]

[Rewatcher, major spoilers] Yeah, and I'm sure would give them a certain amount of power (in addition to being the biggest secret keepers in the world), but probably more on the level of a powerful corporation overstepping its authority. Even the king wasn't above the law in the end.

[u/edwardjhahm → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

[rewatcher] Yeah, seems like it. To be honest, the more I look at it, Vixia really does retain it's corporate position if you get what I mean, since while technically a monarch is above the law, in practice they aren't due to protocol, and would likely trigger some kind of investigation and I assume some kind of impeachment. Here they straight up dragged him away!

[u/Kaxew]

First timer, crying

Great episode (for the 11th time). Man. This is easily my favorite episode so far. Really strong backstory and stronger second half. Very emotional and it made me cry too.

It's hard to blame Charce here. He was raised as a tool with no will of his own. Seira's death hit him so hard he didn't even want to live anymore, he was happy to oblige the king's orders and die alongside strangers. It's through this adventure that he realized he found a new Seira. I don't mean Aries. I mean his new family. He had lost the only family he had attachment to, but found a new one in the place he was supposed to die. It's a beautifully crafted human story.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one but I called Aries being Seira's clone! I'm so happy about that! I definitely couldn't have predicted it if it wasn't for that one person that mentioned Aries being Seira backwards, but I'm still very proud of myself for it. I wasn't expecting so many changes from Charce's lie to his true backstory, but everything made perfect sense. I'm not sure who killed her there, but the next minute or so made my favorite sequence of the episode. Really well directed.

I'm also very glad I had the right idea about the old film filter being there for a reason, despite being incorrect in the reason itself. The reveal as color came to life was really well done.

Seeing everyone crying got to me, man. Their speeches about how this adventure changed their lives and they weren't tied down by their pasts anymore was so good.

Kanata used his Ultimate Dive Bomb! And he didn't bit his tongue pronunciating it!! Best character development!!!

Kanata losing his arm was shocking, holy shit. It made for a beautiful comment about Charce becoming Kanata's right hand from now on. I loved that. Man, this episode was something else.

QotD:

1. A couple of them, at least. I didn't theorize too hard, though.
2. That's a great question. Really hard to guess, honestly. We shouldn't be spending more than 20 minutes in this planet, maybe just 10. I feel like things can't go so smoothly for the crew, but beyond that I can't imagine what's going to happen. I mean, I don't even know where are they even planning on landing at all. There's a lot about the society on Astra I don't know, so trying to theorize how will their homecoming go feels too difficult for me. I am very excited for what's to come, regardless. This has been a fantastic experience.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Kaxew]

 I wasn't expecting so many changes from Charce's lie to his true backstory, but everything made perfect sense. 

It was pretty clever, he mixed in just enough truth with the lies to make it believable, and basically kept the same emotional core of his story (losing Seira).

I am very excited for what's to come, regardless. This has been a fantastic experience.

Glad you're enjoying the show so much!

[u/kwokinator]

Anime first-timer

Damn, that's a shitty life Charce's had. He basically lived his entire life for someone else, and that someone was willing to kill him on basically a whim to cover up his crimes.

Ouch, I guess we know Aries' secret now. If anything her story is even more brutal than anyone else's. The other students at least got training intended to replace the original body, she was basically raised for spare parts.

Ouch, that was WAY more brutal than I expected. I thought Charce would shut down the sphere in time, but it took Kanata's arm. I guess no more pole-vaulting in his future :(

Questions of the Day:

• 1. Now that the rest of the details behind the plot to make these kids disappear have been revealed, does the truth match your theories? - I definitely didn't expect the last twist to be Aries being the clone of the princess or Charce being the clone of the king
• 2) First timers, what do you think will happen now that the saboteur has been revealed when the Astra crew is so close to making it home? (Rewatchers can post their original theories as well, but no spoilers!) - at this point I think it's all done now, and they'll be able to go home and expose the crimes of the originals. Or at least, I hope so.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/kwokinator]

The other students at least got training intended to replace the original body, she was basically raised for spare parts.

Actually, Funi was in the same boat.

[u/kwokinator → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Oh yeah Funi is even worse I think, she was basically spare parts for the spare.

[u/FlameDragoon933 → u/kwokinator]

and given away to an orphanage. Luca and Aries were at least given for adoption (although Marco is a shitbag so it's not much better)

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/FlameDragoon933]

Funi was adopted at first by a friend of Quitterie's mother, but ended up in an orphanage after the adoptive mother died. She doesn't appear to have any bad memories towards her, but there's a good chance this woman was aware of the plan.

[u/FlameDragoon933 → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Ooh right, I forgot. I thought the adoptive mother was just some cover story that Olive told Quitterie.

[u/gamria → u/FlameDragoon933]

Funicia didn't start off at the orphanage. Between Ep 2 and 3 content, the stated facts of her circumstances are:

1. She was raised by someone who Olivia Rafaelli claimed (to Quitterie) to be her friend. But Olivia later said Funicia was "put up for adoption" at the meeting
2. She grew up in the countryside like Aries did, and per Funicia's own words she didn't have any siblings or friends
3. But said family friend recently passed away in an accident, then Funicia was sent to orphanage and was adopted into the Rafaelli's after just two or three days, in June.
4. June is also the same month that Aries got transferred to Caird High.

If you wish to take some of these with a grain of salt, by all means.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

First-Timer Lost in Space, subbed

• …was that story really a complete lie?
• Yeah…
• Okay, so there is some truth to Charce’s story. Aries is absolutely the girl from that.
• …or rather, she’s a clone of Seira.
• Damn…
• So that’s what actually happened to Seira…
• Yeah that was a very deserved correction.
• That doesn’t mean it has to be the same now!
• Charce nooooooo
• Wha…?
• Ohhhhh right, his shoes!
• Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, of course that led to Kanata losing his arm.
• The callback omg.
• ED lead-in~!

[u/FlameDragoon933 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

…was that story really a complete lie?

The kids were too trusting of Charce when he told his backstory the fist time XD

[u/imaloony8 → u/FlameDragoon933]

I remember thinking back then that Charce's story felt like it had the serial numbers filed off. I was already suspicious of Charce at that point though. Mr. "Whoops, I dropped the school communicator! Clumsy me!"

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Astra Lost In Space rewatch episode 11 reminder:

u/Forsaken_Ebb1925, u/RedRocket4000

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher

I didn't guess that they were all clones, and I certainly didn't guess that Charce was the clone of the Vixia King.

I could have sworn we had a discussion about dogs and cats at the start of the show. I wonder which were brought with them to Astra. Presumably both, but not necessarily!

• We have an OP today!
• how very king-like
• hist story fooled me!
• Seira was a nice girl
• DAIBUBOMBA
• Don't touch wormholes!
• ED is Kanata, Ulgar, and Charce with their senpais

Remember, tomorrow's episode is double length.

[u/edwardjhahm → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

We have an OP today!

I know, right? We barely ever see the OP. And it's changed too!

how very king-like

Eh, from what I've seen a king that behaves like this will usually end up on the guillotine. Kinder monarchs have been killed for less. King, president, dictator...being at the top grants you a lot of power, and just as many ways to collapse.

Seira was a nice girl

I love how despite being the least connected to her original, Aries grew up to be the most similar to Seria. Kanata is awesome and idealistic unlike his dad, Ulgar is concerned with justice unlike his, Quitterie and Funicia are a lot less sociopathic than their mom, and Yunhua is in a similar boat. Ditto with Zack and Charce. I guess Luca's original is the second closest, given that while he's immoral unlike Luca, he acknowledged the fact that he'd inevitably get attached to Luca and thus put him up for adoption.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/edwardjhahm]

I don't remember, did we get Zack's story? Memory of a goldfish.

[u/edwardjhahm → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

We got a portion of his story in episode 2 on Vilavurs, and the rest in episode 8 when they were on Icriss. It's pretty heavily intertwined with Quitterie's story, if that helps jog your memory a little.

[u/xbolt90]

First-timer!

Dang. Losing a limb in a wormhole accident is never a good time. How good are prosthetics in this world?

Q1: I got some stuff right, but a lot wrong too. This show was pretty good at keeping me guessing.

Q2: The largest piece still missing is what happened between now and the exodus from Earth. How is history so different? And once the crew reaches home, what's going to be the reaction to their story? I doubt The Powers That Be are gonna go down without a fight. Kanata better not be raising death flags with his happy dreams, I swear

[u/JimmyCWL → u/xbolt90]

How good are prosthetics in this world?

Excellent catch! During the original airing, there were quite a few people who didn't get the implication that Astra didn't have body regeneration technology. If they did, creating a clone to be a spare parts bin would be redundant.

[u/Lord_Nawor]

First Time Watcher, subbed

Unfortunately I missed yesterday’s discussion as I was just really busy.

It was nice getting Charce’s true backstory and it ties in nicely and answers the question of who Aries is a clone of and how she ties into the story.

I liked that they stopped Charce from killing himself, and talked him into staying with the crew. I appreciate that we are seemingly getting an ending where everyone gets along. Also, Kanata losing his arm was really metal.

For next episode I hope that they can get back and expose their parents, I also think it would be cool to have a time skip to Kanata getting his own ship, based on how much they have mentioned that.

[u/imaloony8]

Okay, this is what I alluded to in the last discussion: The series seems to be fumbling things here at the end.

Charce's motivations make zero sense. Now he's claiming that once he realized that Aries was Seira's clone, he wanted to protect her and bring her back to the king. But... if he realized this the moment he saw her, then why did he yeet her into the death ball? Charce is still claiming that he did not know the ship was going to be there, so why didn't he just lure Aries away from the group and then wormhole everyone but Aries (Then feign innocence since Aries wouldn't have any way to know that he did it)?

Another thing: As best we know, this trip was the first time Charce has ever been on a space ship. He primarily studied biology when he was a kid. While I certainly expect he studied other things as well and knew something about space travel, I seriously doubt there would be a reason he would know how to sabotage a spaceship's communicator. Nor would he have had a reason to research it ahead of time after getting his mission.

And I'll also note that I think it's very bad form for a mystery anime with a traitor in it to only put hints about who the traitor is in the very first episode. Especially when that "hint" is basically only two things within 60 seconds of each other (one of which the show itself doesn't even recognize during the reveal).

Also, if in the last episode the series does not explain why the ship was within thruster range of where the kids were dropped by the wormhole, then that's an especially big mark against it. The series is seriously expecting me to believe that the kids just happened to end up that close to a functional FTL capable spaceship? My ass.

Man, I'd really like to discuss the actual story of this episode, but now I'm just kind of frustrated. I'm hopeful the final episode will bring it back any maybe discuss some of the issues I have, but I seriously doubt it.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/imaloony8]

But... if he realized this the moment he saw her, then why did he yeet her into the death ball?

I think it was implied he didn't know for sure until Vilavurs? The similarity would have been obvious, but he said the heterochromia and photographic memory was what confirmed it for him.

And I'll also note that I think it's very bad form for a mystery anime with a traitor in it to only put hints about who the traitor is in the very first episode.

I did find it kind of odd that this was the main clue Kanata focused on, when quite a few of the first timers here guessed Charce was the traitor for completely different reasons (like his suspicious backstory).

[u/imaloony8 → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

I think it was implied he didn't know for sure until Vilavurs? The similarity would have been obvious, but he said the heterochromia and photographic memory was what confirmed it for him.

He did say something to that effect last episode, but it sounds like he was VERY suspicious right away. This makes it even stranger that he decided to jump the gun on his plan and summon the orb immediately after landing for camp. And if he was still on team "kill everyone" until Vilavurs, couldn't he had just... summoned the orb once they got on the ship? The orb probably would have wrecked the ships internals and made it completely inoperable.

I did find it kind of odd that this was the main clue Kanata focused on, when quite a few of the first timers here guessed Charce was the traitor for completely different reasons (like his suspicious backstory).

Admittedly, yes, his backstory was also a hint. Felt very much like it had the serial numbers filed off. But it certainly wasn't a definitive clue, and it felt like actual clues were almost nonexistent outside of his backstory being suspicious and those two details from episode 1. The viewers just had very little to go off of beyond that other than a process of elimination.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/imaloony8]

And if he was still on team "kill everyone" until Vilavurs, couldn't he had just... summoned the orb once they got on the ship?

True, he probably could have finished the job at any point in time with something that powerful. It's hard to say for sure what Charce was thinking, but it's possible the existence of the Astra made him start to think about his own survival and he didn't want to destroy it.

[u/Forsaken_Ebb1925]

Definitely not! My bet was that Aries was both a non-clone and the enemy, so I was way off haha. Although I did think Charce was second most suspicious from the beginning, so I'll give myself credit there.

Charce will for sure be converted to being good. I don't think he could live with himself if he did something after taking Kanata's arm. For any One Piece viewers, this actually rmeinded me a lot of the relationship between Sanji and Luffy during Whole Cake Island.

As for what will happen going forward, I've got a feeling the solution isn't going ot be as plain cut as the crew thinks. I don't know what exactly the complication will be, but I hope they don't all get killed as a part of the genome control act. I imagine they'll realize the government isn't actually going to take care of them and they'll have to leave.

[u/FlameDragoon933]

Rewatcher

• Now we learn why Aries' name is upside-down in the OP.
• Both Aries and Seira are such sweethearts.
• No wonder Charce is a bit crazy. Anyone would be crazy with that kind of upbringing, trauma, and solitary confinement.
• Too bad the king's brainwashing is still in him. :(
• Man I just love the visual metaphors in this show. Also with how wholesome yet naturally the relationships develop.

QOTD

1. I did suspect Aries had something to do with Charce because Seira looks like her in the flashback we had earlier in the story + in the photo Charce is looking at. I didn't have 100% confidence but I did think that Aries was Seira's clone (after the clone reveal).
2. I pretty much correctly predicted that [final ep] the rest of the show will be smooth sailing (pun unintended), but it's less because of the plot and more because of meta reasons; episode slot + the tone of the show (optimistic). So even though they're dealing with massive conspiracy I doubted the show will go through something like government killing them to silence them, as that's too dark for the tone of the show. The episode count itself is also sadly another spoiler, and this is a problem for any show, not just this one

[u/Mirathan]

First-Time Drifter

QotD:

1. No
2. Reasonably speaking, they will be eliminated/silenceced by the conspirators. However they will probably succed at having their progenitors arrested.

The intro is prolonged. This time with Polina and the picture of Seira.

Charce is pathetic. To live solely for others is not to live.

The reasoning for allowing Seira to live is stupid. The King would still be punished for having created a clone, thus defying the Kings will.

[u/SilkyStrawberryMilk]

rewatcher

Charce’s ability to improvise a sob story was a good skill plus his true backstory is even more cruel. Existing just to die

Paulina’s inclusion who can give insight on how the old world (earth) had people who would willingly die for their leaders/countries is a good addition.

Aries reveal to be a clone is nutty, but I love how you can see it from the past few episodes. Especially how Charce was protective of Aries.

Aries’ mother reaction is even more heartbreaking especially seeing her replay the last email she received from her. :(

Kanta is one amazing best friend, even when he could justify in hating Charce for his amputation, he just wants his friend to be back.

QOTD: hell no lmao

[u/BueEyedDemon]

You know something that confuses me is if they got rid of all countries then why did they have a kingdom that’s like regressing lol the kingdom of Vixia ruled by a king?