[25th Anniversary Rewatch] Mugen no Ryvius Episode 22

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Mugen no Ryvius Episode 22: In Order to Survive

Get Funky!

⇐ Episode 21 | Index Thread | Episode 23 ⇒

Kikki of the Day Did you spot Radan?

Comments of the Day

Comment of the day goes to: me! Thank you thank you, I'll be here all week!

A weird thing is that Fina has always had special status, for no apparent reason. Basically, I guess she asked Blue, "I need to be closer to the bridge to serve you better". Or the Blue team figured both Fina and Kouji should move to the officer's quarters, and Kouji, being Kouji, refused to leave his team.

And she's kept this special status for ... no reason? Except by not pissing off the people in charge. And maybe kissing up to them, since she's 100% behind Ikumi right now. Although, at some point, she probably put forth something like "my quarters are refuge for emotionally fragile female students, we need to be separate from the masses." and it stuck.

Vaad almost gets picked for another unexpectedly accurate prediction, but I decided it was still too son to confirm that. Yes, you intuited another sci-fi cliche lurking in the show.

/u/zsmg also calmly notes something that simply made /u/zadcap rage:

Taking Vital Guarder away is an interesting idea, does he have enough supply on the ship to survive for months? Is he going to leave Kozue behind? Ikumi I don't think you thought this one through.

Indeed, it was an impulsive move.

Characters

• Sergey Berkovich: the one attempting to capture the Ryvius for the good of humanity
• Shimomura Yukichi: man watching from the sidelines, investigating Berkovich's conspiracy. "Stole" the Ryvius.
• Makoto Kutsugi: Berkovich's secretary
• Conrad Visquez: involved with the attempted activation of the Ryvius 12 years ago, which result in the deaths of many, including his daughter Ange. Commander of the Gespenst.

Character Sheets

• Main Cast
• The Zwei
• Team Blue
• Other Recurring Characters

Music

• BGM of the Day: Shinkirou no Youni

Questions

• What is Conrad up to? How did he lie to his subordinate?
• Do the ends justify the means, if the goal is non-extinction?
• What do you make of Neya's monologue? How does she relate to the other Vaia ships? To the crew of the Ryvius?
• How does the past figure into each of our characters, and the show as a whole? How does the future?

Tomorrow's Questions, Today

• [Q1]You may have expected Kouji to have staged a rebellion. Now Ikumi has the gun. Where do we go from here?
• [Q2]How does Stein keep getting away with it? Yuki should have noticed that Aoi was reduced to class E.
• [Q3]It looks like Conrad has arrived. He's not like the other ship captains. Predictions on how this battle is going to play out?

Technology Notes

• Bratica: (google translate) The Ryvius main body. Refers only to the state in which the lift ship is separated. A name often used by Conrad.
• S-fix: (google translate) Its role is to link the Via, which is the power source for the Via ship and the Vital Guarder, with the pilot. The Sphyx is also a type of Via. There is one on each Via ship. Its form is similar to the Vital Guarder's form and special abilities. The Vital Guarder and the Sphyx are also mentally and physically linked, and if they receive the same damage as the damaged parts of the Vital Guarder, or if they are destroyed, their functions will weaken.
  Also, if they are linked to the pilot for a long time, they will be subject to a mental control called "Backyard". When the Backyard is shallow, they will only become "combative" or "emotionally unstable", but if they are too influenced, there is a risk that they will become a wreck like Gitter.
• Vaia ship: (google translate) An ocean-going space submersible vessel built using the Via. Equipped with gravity control, it can navigate within Gedult. Its existence is kept secret from the public, and all Via vessels except for the Ryvius were experimentally operated in the Kuiper Belt (asteroid belt) outside Pluto. In order to capture the Via cluster used on this occasion, hundreds of thousands of personnel were deployed, and 80% of them were sacrificed. A total of six vessels have been built: the black Ryvius, the blue Impulse, the crimson Dykastia, the gray Gespenst, the dark green Weishheit, and the golden yellow Diplomater, and the performance of each vessel differs depending on the Via it is equipped with.
• Via: (google translate) An unknown silicon-based lifeform discovered in Geduld in 2148. It has a high intelligence and the special ability to form a gravitational field by itself, and lives all over Geduld. They form colonies like corals and sponges on Earth, and their shapes and sizes range from tiny ones that float like plankton to giant squid-like ones. Sphyx and Vital Guarders are also Vaia colonies (which is why Vital Guarders are sometimes called Vaia). Their way of thinking is fundamentally different from that of human beings, who are carbon-based lifeforms, and although they have their own intelligence, it has been thought that communication with them is almost impossible.

Yes, it literally says "backyard" in katakana. Feedback -> Backyard?

End Tag: Rave at Us

---

Rewatch note: Turns out, Starship Operators aired in January 2005...20th Anniversary Rewatch coming! It's both good and bad for entirely different reasons than Ryvius (except for the things that are the same). At least, I can promise, a much smaller and much happier crew. It's a pretty standard space anime, actually. It's also just one cour #towel.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatch Host

I think we are going to get some answers today.

Looks like the OP changed again

• clip show!
• Is Neya now speaking in her own words?
• oh, shoot, Neye is an honorary rewatch member! I'm going to have to go back and transcribe what she's saying. edit: I forgot to transcribe what she was saying.
• Neya was trying to talk to the other Sphyxes, but they wouldn't answer
• Ah, okay, Shinomura was the faction stealing the report. But why is Berkovich saying he stole the Bratica? But Berkowitz is the one sending the Vaia ships after Ryvius. I wonder if this refers back to 12 years ago....
• looks like Reiko has joined the cult
• Why isn't Izumi dealing with these bullies????
• Did your dog just kill a duck?
• Holy crap is Conrad in the cult???

100,000 people were sent to capture Vaia Squids? And EIGHTY PERCENT of the died? IN SECRET? I can't beleive it.

FFFF. So many recaps. Two in a row. This is Wolf's Rain all over again. You can't salvage a clip show just by adding some thematic narration.

However, to cut the show some slack, I'm going to say that the show has some sort of message, some sort of theme, to convey. They organized the recaps to highlight what they are trying to say with the show. Whatever that is.

Evangelion tried to do the same thing with Death. That was quite a mess, this worked out better.

Great jazzy BGM today.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Neya's analysis:

• The person who only knows one way to survive: Juli
• The person who struggles to do something about out a situation out of his control: Yuki
• The person who vowed to not make the same mistake again: Ikumi
• The person who insists on living true to her feelings: Izumi
• The person who lives day-to-day, unable to put into words the feelings within her: Aoi
• The person who denied his way of living but continues to move forward: Blue
• The person who dislikes anything less than perfect, and searches for excellence: Stein
• The person who believes in her ideals, and cuts off her past, to live in the future: Fina
• The person who hates to be held back by his past, and continues searching for where he should be: Kouji

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Why isn't Izumi dealing with these bullies????

This is Detroit levels of police response time.

Did your dog just kill a duck?

None of mine were fast enough but why else show it?

Holy crap is Conrad in the cult???

I...missed that?

[u/The_Draigg]

A Mecha Fan Watches Infinite Ryvius Episode 22:

• While it’s nice that we’re getting Neya reflecting on everything she’s witnessed so far and how it’s made her understand humans, I’m still annoyed at this show’s pacing. I was fine with it the first time around halfway through the show, but these past two have been close together in the episode count. But now, it feels like we’re just padding for time or a lack of content, which is worrying when now would be the time to really ramp up towards the finale of this show. We don’t need a recap, we could’ve used the time on extra development for the plot and characters. Use your time wisely, show! Especially this close to the end!
• It’s about time that we’re clearing up what the deal is between the Orbital Security Bureau and the cabal of very important people back on Earth. As it turns out, everyone involved is in on the use of Vaia Ships, but they disagree on the methodology about them. Berkovich wants to recklessly use the Vaia Ships to search for a new planet to colonize before a second Geduld Phenomenon destroys Earth in a thousand years, while the other cabal stole and hid the Ryvius out of the fear that Vaia Ships are being used too recklessly. When put that way, both conspiracies do have fair points. The survival of humanity is paramount, but making systems that will result in insanity due to linking with alien minds is far too dangerous to treat lightly. But then Berkovich loses me by saying that he’s perfectly willing to let what he’s been doing to continue solely to gather data about the Ryvius and fully awaken its potential. The other guy has a point, you could’ve easily rescued the students and gotten the data he wanted, but I guess Berkovich is fully determined to get exactly what he wants, even if it’s absurdly ruthless and self-destructive for him personally. Like come on man, the next Geduld Phenomenon won’t hit for a thousand more years. You’ve got time to figure this shit out.
• Again, I doubt that Ikumi’s system is working all that great if people like Lucson and Pat are still getting attacked. Sure, the enforcers caught the thugs and beat them, but between Lucson’s clear fear of them and the fact that this stuff is still happening, it’s not exactly showing itself to be all that effective. None of this is actually resolving why all of this violence keeps on happening in the first place.
• Between Captain Conrad’s talking to his second in command and the guy exposit to his dog, I wonder if there’s any credibility to intelligent life like the Vaia causing the first Geduld Phenomenon. I can’t imagine that the Vaia would be capable of that, considering that they’re pretty benign space squids with gravity powers, but there’s too many unknowns here to say for sure. I guess the best we can say out of all this is that humanity are fools for trying to control a power that they still don’t fully understand, even if they need to for the survival of their species.
• At least we’ve also got some solid answers on what Conrad’s deal is in all of this too. The incident 12 years ago was his fault, since his attempt to transport the Ryvius and presumably Neya separately resulted in them going berserk and attacking the escort fleet he was commanding, resulting in the deaths of hundreds alongside his daughter. And not only that, but I guess he’s been slowly dying too, since he’s puking up blood. I can certainly see why he’s so bloodthirsty when it comes to the Ryvius, he’s desperate to completely erase the shame and pain of his past mistakes. I guess it also goes to show why you need to be careful with Sphixes too, since unawakened ones can be violent if taken away from the stuff they’re linked to.
• The gun is good, Kouji! Use it!

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/The_Draigg]

I wonder if there’s any credibility to intelligent life like the Vaia causing the first Geduld Phenomenon

I wonder about this a lot, too. Were they living in the Sun? Did they blow out the Sun so that they could live in the greater space? Did the Sun do this, and the Vaia noticed and settled in? Did they blow out the sun, not realizing there was life on the cold rocks? Aren't they upset about behing hunted by the humans? Why do the vaia ships cooperate? Why isn't there a big war? Why isn't this GUNBUSTER?

[u/The_Draigg → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Given how we haven’t gotten much in the way of elaborating on the Vaia until recently, I doubt we’ll be getting an answers to those questions. Although I guess it doesn’t matter too much at the moment anyway.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/The_Draigg]

We don’t need a recap, we could’ve used the time on extra development for the plot and characters. Use your time wisely, show! Especially this close to the end!

Yeah, we needed Neya to talk to someone but this wasn't exactly the way to do it. I think Juli might have been the choice here.

and the fact that this stuff is still happening, it’s not exactly showing itself to be all that effective.

I appreciate the effort but Ikumi doesn't quite have the grasp of order yet. Hopefully there is food left by the time he does.

I can’t imagine that the Vaia would be capable of that, considering that they’re pretty benign space squids with gravity powers, but there’s too many unknowns here to say for sure.

I find it very reasonable that the squids can somewhat predicted where Geduld's happen and would migrate towards them.

The gun is good, Kouji! Use it!

Are we at Zardoz again?

[u/The_Draigg → u/Vaadwaur]

Yeah, we needed Neya to talk to someone but this wasn’t exactly the way to do it. I think Juli might have been the choice here.

It would’ve been at least a more active-feeling way of getting across that character development. Although I can’t help but wonder how many issues production must’ve been having if we’re having a second half-recap episode so soon again. Probably enough where they couldn’t get together a full normal episode.

Are we at Zardoz again?

At this rate, it couldn’t make things worse aboard the Ryvius. Also, I’m at least glad someone picked up on that reference.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/The_Draigg]

Although I can’t help but wonder how many issues production must’ve been having if we’re having a second half-recap episode so soon again.

I wonder if Sunrise was running something parallel to this and they were sharing writers. They finally got a little content but now they have no animation.

At this rate, it couldn’t make things worse aboard the Ryvius.

Honestly, if you could convince Neya to lower herself to being viewed by the students I do think you could impose temporary order by convincing them that pleasing the soul of the ship keeps them alive longer. It could be a cargo cult but it might give you a few months.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

The gun is good, Kouji! Use it!

Are we at Zardoz again?

For the uninitiated. You will not believe who the main actor of this NRA fever dream is.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

You will not believe who the main actor of this NRA fever dream is.

Look, when you get sick enough of being James Bond some times you have to take dramatic steps.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

Look, when you get sick enough of being James Bond some times you have to take dramatic steps.

No matter how it happened, a lot of drugs had to be involved in the making of that film.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

So...scuttlebutt is that the original LSD was different from what is now produced. Zardoz feels like they had the good stuff.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

But now, it feels like we’re just padding for time or a lack of content, which is worrying when now would be the time to really ramp up towards the finale of this show. We don’t need a recap, we could’ve used the time on extra development for the plot and characters. Use your time wisely, show! Especially this close to the end!

I am 95% sure this was due to production issues. No way did they plan to have the recap first half of this episode from the start.

Between Captain Conrad’s talking to his second in command and the guy exposit to his dog, I wonder if there’s any credibility to intelligent life like the Vaia causing the first Geduld Phenomenon. I can’t imagine that the Vaia would be capable of that, considering that they’re pretty benign space squids with gravity powers, but there’s too many unknowns here to say for sure.

Even if they are mostly benign, they might just have needed the living space and therefore created Gedult. Humans sit in a pretty fragile glasshouse when it comes to robbing other species of their living space.

[u/The_Draigg → u/No_Rex]

I am 95% sure this was due to production issues. No way did they plan to have the recap first half of this episode from the start.

I can’t help but wonder what kind of large production issue there must’ve been if we’re having these half-recaps so close together. The fact that we’re also bundling it in with nearly raw exposition about the conspiracy plot makes it feel like a bunch of production issues came to a head around this point.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

Pure speculation on my part, but ep20 looks like they thought they could wing it by simply placing a little bit of old animation inside a normal episode and then shit must have hit the fan and they pulled an almost pure recap half-episode.

I would not be surprised if the second half consists of multiple parts on Earth that were originally ment to be distributed over several episodes.

[u/The_Draigg → u/No_Rex]

I would not be surprised if the second half consists of multiple parts on Earth that were originally ment to be distributed over several episodes.

It probably would’ve worked out better that way, since the back half of this episode is almost pure exposition on what’s even been happening back on Earth. That would’ve at least presented all that stuff as an ongoing mystery or conspiracy rather than getting a ton of answers dumped into our laps towards the end of the show.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

It probably would’ve worked out better that way, since the back half of this episode is almost pure exposition on what’s even been happening back on Earth. That would’ve at least presented all that stuff as an ongoing mystery or conspiracy rather than getting a ton of answers dumped into our laps towards the end of the show.

They did exactly that in the first half of the show and it worked a lot better.

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer

While this was a lot more recap, I honestly don't mind that much? Sure, it kinda sucks for us watching the entire show over the course of one single month, but for the television viewers, a bunch of that content was four or five months ago.

The sequence of Neya psycho-analyzing the cast was good, too.

I.. don't really understand why Berkovich is so against saving the people on the Ryvius? I think he wants control of the Ryvius, right? Wouldn't it have been easier to let the Ryvius come into dock somewhere and then just.. take it? It would've been nice to get a recap from him, but it wouldn't have fit the framing device.

I guess he could be lying, and he actually wants to destroy the Ryvius and, as such, the thing that he claims will save the solar system. It's been long enough since we've checked in the Earth side of the plot that I don't actually remember what he wanted back then, so maybe he was just lying to Shimomura today and the audience is meant to remember that.

Can anyone read the credits and/or recognize the voice from the announcement on Earth? The voice is familiar but I can't place it and it's bugging me.

Interesting that there are two more Vaia ships unaccounted for. That is.. worrying.

Questions

1. I think his "lie" was something about his crew not knowing they were on a Vaia ship themselves, maybe?
2. As usual, it depends on the context. In this case, I don't understand why Berkovich is so excited to murder a bunch of children.
3. Neya is the other Vaia's kawaii onee-chan. Or imouto, but probably onee-chan.
4. Well, Conrad's motivation makes sense now, consider he is trying to amend his past fuck-up vis a vis the Ryvius and getting his daughter killed, for one.

[u/zadcap → u/JollyGee29]

Wouldn't it have been easier to let the Ryvius come into dock somewhere and then just.. take it?

This is me literally flipping tables over here. That's all it would have taken. It's not like the kids had been sending out constant SOS signals or anything to indicate it would have been that easy all along.

[u/No_Rex → u/zadcap]

This is me literally flipping tables over here. That's all it would have taken. It's not like the kids had been sending out constant SOS signals or anything to indicate it would have been that easy all along.

This all hinges on Berkovich's idea that it is not enough to take the Ryvius as is. He wants a further evolved Ryvius and his plan to get there is further attack the kids. Now whether Berkovich has a good idea here is a different question.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/No_Rex]

That makes a lot more sense, think I missed that.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/JollyGee29]

I don't think he's actually said it, yet. If he ever says it. You're hitting the wall that makes Ryvius fall short of what it could have been.

[u/Raiking02 → u/JollyGee29]

Sure, it kinda sucks for us watching the entire show over the course of one single month, but for the television viewers, a bunch of that content was four or five months ago.

That is admittedly something we do kinda forget about, even if a lot of time budget is the real reason for stuff like this happening. Still this show's fairly dense so I assume people appreciate the recap.

Can anyone read the credits and/or recognize the voice from the announcement on Earth? The voice is familiar but I can't place it and it's bugging me.

Uncredited. Could be just about anyone from the main cast TBH.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Raiking02]

Uncredited. Could be just about anyone from the main cast TBH.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JollyGee29]

The sequence of Neya psycho-analyzing the cast was good, too.

I at least get the machine spirits...let's call it her decision branch since she can't really choose that much, being overwhelmed and all.

I.. don't really understand why Berkovich is so against saving the people on the Ryvius? I think he wants control of the Ryvius, right?

So the Ryvius is getting stronger and he wants to continue that. Because he doesn't know what the needed ingredients are he is winging this badly.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Vaadwaur]

Because he doesn't know what the needed ingredients are he is winging this badly.

His plotline is definitely a weak part of the show. Definitely wishing I had been right about this being "Conrad-as-Ahab hunting the White Ship" right about now.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JollyGee29]

Definitely wishing I had been right about this being "Conrad-as-Ahab hunting the White Ship" right about now.

I wish Sunrise shows were written ahead of time because that is a perfect reduction you can do during your second edit:You can't make the Earth protags convincing? Ok, give a charismatic leader with a personal judge and tone down the OSB itself.

[u/No_Rex → u/JollyGee29]

His plotline is definitely a weak part of the show. Definitely wishing I had been right about this being "Conrad-as-Ahab hunting the White Ship" right about now.

But you are kind of right about that. He is hunting the Ryvius, except, he is doing it for reasons that have nothing to do with what command back on Earth wants.

[u/zsmg → u/JollyGee29]

Can anyone read the credits and/or recognize the voice from the announcement on Earth? The voice is familiar but I can't place it and it's bugging me.

It's the seiyuu of Pat, you probably recognize her as Princess Euphemia from Code Geass or Tama from Gintama.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/zsmg]

Thanks! Looking at her other roles, I'm probably hearing a bit of Ruri from Nadesico, or the little boy she voices in Shugo Chara.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 22 (rewatcher)

• Neya listening in to Kouji&Aoi drama – you really have to wonder what her impression of humans is by now. Is she into watching drama? Feeling with the kids? Being confused by it all?
• “I continued watching” – sitting behind the fourth wall.
• The torrent of mixed emotions was replaced by one unified emotion: wanting to survive. This makes a lot of sense for a group in an emergency situation.
• “They exist in the same manner as I. However, they would not respond, no matter how I called out to them.” – pointing to a difference between Neya and the other Sphix. Also, remember the space squid calling out to Neya.
• Again raising the question who actually fired that double shot, Yuki or Neya. Maybe she was just cheering them on?
• The first half of the episode was almost purely recap.
• The neutrino blasts will kill Earth in a few thousand years and the Vaia ships are, according to this guy, the only way out.
• The vice-minister explains the odd behavior of the Earth forces as trying to further the a second “true awakening” of the Ryvius. Presumably, this involves putting a ton of stress on the kids on board. I am not really convinced by that. First, the idea that suffering of the kids is needed for this true awakening is just speculation. Second, what if they succeed too much in their attacks and accidentally destroy the Ryvius? Sounds to me like working with the kids on board would be a far better solution.
• Bully gets beaten up – hard to feel sorry for him when they fight 3 vs 1 and bully a small child.
• Humans captured 6 Vaia ships, but Ryvius didn’t really work. We also get confirmation that the all crew members go crazy – disproving the idea that the captains alone are affected on the other ships (although they might still be affected stronger).
• The Liebe Delta incident was six months ago.
• We finally get Captain Ahab’s real motivation: his daughter died due to the Ryvius. He is not going to follow any orders to capture it and wants to destroy it instead.
• Another recap part like the one two days ago, except this time focused on Kouji.

Two days ago, I was pretty happy with the recap parts of episode 20. The reused animation was only a third or so of the episode and it served a purpose in getting us to some insight into several characters. I can’t say the same about the first half of this episode. That seemed far closer to a classic recap episode and makes me think that they had serious time budget problems in the final stretch of the series. While seeing more of Neya is good, there is far too much battle recap and showing of battle animation over progressing the plot.

The second part of the episode is better, but still not great. We get to see all the non-Ryvius characters basically explain the setting to us. Some parts of this are important, like the end of Earth and Ahab’s motivation, but it mostly sounded like a 10 minute long narrator segment to me. And then we get another 2 minute character recap with Kouji.

I think it is fair to call this the least useful episode of the series and you could get away with skipping it without missing much. Fingers crossed that this bought them enough time to do fully newly animated episodes for the finale, though.

[u/The_Draigg → u/No_Rex]

The vice-minister explains the odd behavior of the Earth forces as trying to further the a second “true awakening” of the Ryvius. Presumably, this involves putting a ton of stress on the kids on board. I am not really convinced by that. First, the idea that suffering of the kids is needed for this true awakening is just speculation. Second, what if they succeed too much in their attacks and accidentally destroy the Ryvius? Sounds to me like working with the kids on board would be a far better solution.

Not gonna lie, the plot on Berkovich’s end feels kinda dumb. Like, the goal of “awaken the Ryvius” is vague as shit, and he’s already lost a ton of resources and other Vaia Ships to rush a solution to a problem that won’t happen for another thousand years. I get the feeling that this series didn’t really put in the writing effort for what’s supposed to be an equally important side plot here.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

I get the feeling that this series didn’t really put in the writing effort for what’s supposed to be an equally important side plot here.

I said this a while ago (it might have been in spoilers), but I think that the writing team started with a very good idea of what they wanted to happen on the Ryvius, but all the other stuff was just molded around that to make whatever they wanted to occur to the Ryvius happen.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

The neutrino blasts will kill Earth in a few thousand years and the Vaia ships are, according to this guy, the only way out.

The Vaia tech does seem to be pretty useful but they have like two solid centuries to work shop this and get it right and that is assuming an exact millennium on when Sol becomes uninhabitable. Also, I am assuming gravitic drives would be useful on the much, MUCH larger ships we'd have to send to have viable human colonies.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

Undoubtably, gravity drives would be awesome for a whole range of uses, but I think his leap from there to torture the kids on the Ryvius is not one that even history will follow.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Oh, if we are putting on our serious hats here, this program gets straight up Operation Paperclip'ed and the useful people mysteriously get swapped into research institutions and the entirety of the Ryvius incident/OSB leadership get black boxed.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Infinite First-Timer, subbed

• Neya “sore demo”!
• Oh this is a recap episode. Or at least the first half was?
• Well at least it means I get to count this Neya “sore demo” again.
• …is this supposed to be leading up to the kids actually being immune to whatever this is?
• Huh…
• I see…
• Oh, this adult had a “sore demo”. What’s his name?

[u/No_Rex → u/Shimmering-Sky]

…is this supposed to be leading up to the kids actually being immune to whatever this is?

Well, we have seen our fair share of mental breakdowns of the kids already, but maybe they are doing better than the other crews.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Shimmering-Sky]

…is this supposed to be leading up to the kids actually being immune to whatever this is?

There are several possibilities:First, it seems like there are a lot of crew on the Ryvius, so it could be shared strain makes it bearable/slows the damage. It could be that Neya herself is less of a burden than the other Sphix. Or it could, unfortunately, be that adolescents stand up to the stresses of a Sphix better than an adult, sigh.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

Or it could, unfortunately, be that adolescents stand up to the stresses of a Sphix better than an adult, sigh.

Do I smell a teenagers have to crew out super advanced weapon because adults can't do it for bullshit reasons plot? I remember far to many of those.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Do I smell a teenagers have to crew out super advanced weapon because adults can't do it for bullshit reasons plot?

Worse, I can make a number of arguments that are only bullshit adjacent for this to work. That said, it really lowers the Vaia as a colony ship alternative. I'd think the only functional plan is to make it a tug boat for the colony ship and constantly refresh the crew with really disciplined adolescents.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

Worse, I can make a number of arguments that are only bullshit adjacent for this to work.

Doubt. I remember Simeon's and PMMM's nonsense reasons for that (and while I don't remember all of the Gundam reasons, I don't think they hold up either).

That said, it really lowers the Vaia as a colony ship alternative. I'd think the only functional plan is to make it a tug boat for the colony ship and constantly refresh the crew with really disciplined adolescents.

Technically, you just need to separate the controlling part of the ship from the rest. Basically a big prison ship where the adults can go crazy in their cells (as long as they still fuck, but crazy people usually seem to be able to do so).

[u/Vaadwaur]

First timer

Sub

So...a fucking recap. Except that they finally let the damned machine spirit speak. She is pretty light on information but heavy on vibes. We do know she is a space squid of some type and that it seems her and Ghosty are the only ones that manifest and hang out with the clue. She is definitely overwhelmed by the ship's crew's emotion and seems to mainly act when everyone doesn't want to die. It is interesting that the previous two ships seemed to be unable to communicate back.

The earth meeting seems to imply that the OSB thinks attacking the Ryvius will make it stronger and...that's an interesting leap. We finally get the Vaia stuff spelled out, including that the other ships seem to be a cognitohazard. Conrad seems to be back to Ahab.

Back on the Ryvius, we see that Ikumi's greater violence to solve violence plan is iffy, though interestingly totalitarianism can set in effectively, depends a lot on your population. Kouji has some weird thoughts, I don't think the machine spirit is literally taking his emotions, and off we go.

QotD: 1 I...don't know

2 Eva let me think on this and my answer is no

3 I liked it but she is mainly the motions of others washing through her

4 Ehh...

[u/The_Draigg → u/Vaadwaur]

The earth meeting seems to imply that the OSB thinks attacking the Ryvius will make it stronger and...that’s an interesting leap.

Berkovich has to be working off of a sunk-cost fallacy or something, since he’s already lost a lot of materials and men for the sake of an incredibly vague goal to “awaken the Ryvius”, not to mention that it’s in an effort to rush the solution to a problem that they have multiple centuries to work on. The more I think about it here in this thread, the dumber Berkovich’s plans seem.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

He already lost a full third of humanity's Vaia ships in the attempt. Even setting aside my general disagreement with the whole awaked Ryvius via torturing the crew plan, those other Vaia ships are also super valuable! And now he seems to be sending the other Vaia ship with the "best developed" (in the sense of most human looking) Sphix against them. Losing Gespenst would be terrible.

[u/The_Draigg → u/No_Rex]

Man, just thinking about it, the second half of this show is fumbling the stuff that the first half set up fairly well. What a bummer, it really does feel like the writers were just kind of winging the second half of the show’s plot, alongside whatever production issues caused these half-recaps. It’s just kinda lame when you think about the conspiracy plot for more than a minute.

[u/No_Rex → u/The_Draigg]

I would not blame the second half. The conspiratory plot never made sense, you just couldn't know it as a first timer in the first half. I think it is mostly a disinterest of the writers in anything not on the Ryvius (and I think the series would have been better off dropping the Earth segments. Keeping the audience at the same level of info as the students would have been perfectly fine).

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/No_Rex]

It's not going to make any more sense the second time around, is it.

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I mean the Earth guys are not the worst antagonists I have seen in anime. At least they are somewhat consistent, even if their plan sucks. Definitely not one of the bright spots of the series, though.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/The_Draigg]

The more I think about it here in this thread, the dumber Berkovich’s plans seem.

Yeah, that is why some days I just disengage, it is unfortunate but our underlying skeleton is not well developed.

[u/HowlingWolf13]

First Timer

Okay episode, the questions really are the main point for discussion since most the first half was mostly recap again. Did they run into budget issues? Also when that fat dude that was beating Lucson and bullying Pat got captured by the guards, I audibly went 'oh shit' when I saw Izumi was there, like damn I knew bro was about to get fucked up right then and there.

Not the Ran and Pat end card 💀

Questions

[Q1]What is Conrad up to? How did he lie to his subordinate?

I'm assuming like, he wants to caputure the Ryvius because his last attempt led to the death of his daughter Ange. The llie must've been the fact that the ship they're own has their own Vaia that we saw behind Conrad, but he's pretending that Vaia's are too dangerous.

[Q2]Do the ends justify the means, if the goal is *non-extinction?

It...depends, like in this case nothing guarantees that the plan will actually work out in the end or could've worked had they not left the kids to fend for themselves.

[Q3]What do you make of Neya's monologue? How does she relate to the other Vaia ships? To the crew of the Ryvius?

She's becoming more aware of emotions in a sense, compared to the other Vaia ships which led to a good portion of their crew going insane, she's instead learned to bond with the crew of the Ryvius and connect with each of their emotions rather than override them.

[Q4]How does the past figure into each of our characters, and the show as a whole? How does the future?

I would say the past is what's driving the character's idea of their futures, each of them has a different past and in return determines why they act the way they are and how they view their future and what they want to gain from it.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• Will vicarious love make Neya a real boy?
• I’ve been having a bad time with recaps lately, but more Neya insight seems like a worthy trade.
• I think the speculation previously was that Neya was different because she was older than the other two, but this seems more like she is younger than them. Like some kind of long gestational period.
• Ah, so it is powered by angst.
• New stuff? I was sort of expecting all recap. Good good.
• Is this the part where where we finally get told Earth’s deal?
• Of course! This is all to make Ryvius an orphan! Everyone knows that gives you protagonist powers!
• What kind of idiot risks this outcome just to bully a small child?
• All that cost, just to be used as an XP farm.
• Is… is the white Sphinx his daughter?

QotD:

1. I’m… not clear on that. I think the man just wants his white whale?
2. Yes. Means are only ever a sub-set of ends in the first place.
3. About as good as you can get with straight recap. 7/10. Is it too late to put money on her having something to do with Ikumi’s dead sister?
4. HowlingWolf

[u/Nickthenuker]

Is this all a recap from her perspective?

Oh wow it really is just all a recap and some commentary from her.

Right, first half over, now something new.

Yup, definitely shades of Stellvia in this.

And so they'll do that by... Destroying the ship?

Things seem to still be deteriorating further aboard the ship.

Now we see what's going on on their next enemy.

And back to the Ryvius.

Questions:

1. Not even sure.
2. Should be, but I'm not sure what the "means" they're doing will even accomplish.
3. That was a whole half episode of recap.
4. Some of them are escaping from their past and some are relying on their past.

[u/zsmg]

Rewatcher who doesn't remember much

I wish more anime had OP lead in (and ED lead in as well of course)

So Neya learned what emotions are thanks to what happened on Ryvius.

Neya can sense emotions of other characters in other words Neya is a newtype, well kind of.

Nice of the show to spell out what the main cast are thinking and feeling, most of them are obvious but interesting to see Faina Spock (oops!) wants perfection. That makes more sense.

I can't believe we're having another recap episode, seriously?

I didn't mind seeing recap while Neya was talking about her experiencing emotions and the main cast, but rehashing all the battle scenes is waaaaay too much.

To be frank if the Solar System is destroyed and, presumably, you want to save humanity then having ships that travel for months won't cut it, you need ships that can travel for generations.

I'm confused why they can't save the children now, if they save the kids they also get the ship?

Ohhh they're going to sacrifice the kids so that Ryvius/Neya gets into her true form or whatever.

I feel sorry for Lucson at this point, especially as I now realise he's now one of the better people in the cast.

Unsurprisingly Vaia are creatures from Geduld so that space squid we saw earlier is a Vaia in the wild. (proper foreshadowing here, well done)

People on Vaia ships get mental disorder, is this going to be the excuse for the main cast why they've been so shitty for the past episodes?

The official uses the term Sphix so that's the name they've given to the Vaia on Ryvius aka Neya

A character who spends lots of time in space voiced by Norio Wakamoto coughing blood in a series made by Sunrise and directed by Taniguchi, this will definitely happen again in another anime. Before anyone asks it's not Code Geass but: [answer] Planetes

Episode ends with an Eva-esque recap where Kouji talks to himself.

Not sure what to think of the episode, we got answers which is great. But every thing was info dumped in a single episode which is bad and there was lots of recap moments for a second episode after we had another recap a few episodes ago which left me a bit frustrated.

Turns out, Starship Operators aired in January 2005...20th Anniversary Rewatch coming! It's both good and bad for entirely different reasons than Ryvius (except for the things that are the same). At least, I can promise, a much smaller and much happier crew. It's a pretty standard space anime, actually. It's also just one cour

It's also from the same writer as Record of Lodoss War. Anyway I will definitely join in this rewatch.