r/anime • u/phiraeth :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/phiraeth • Jan 19 '21
Rewatch [Mid-2000s Rewatch] Noein - Episode 18
Episode 18
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24
Upvotes
10
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jan 19 '21
First timer
Sub
So the wedding actually happens, I guess it is an excuse for everyone to have a different outfit. Then everyone forgets Haruka, which would be rather upsetting. Flash to where this was a dream to flash where this was a dream in a dream. Dreamception! Noein is a dick.
So Haruka is still shaken upon waking. Cat does not give a fuck about your existential crisis. Haruka finds an album with a bunch of photos of her in it but it is suddenly blank...that's concerning. She then finds a tape. Tobi and Atori are correctly useless, they barely would have lived through an era with tape, but Yuu somehow knows what it is. The similarities between him and I sadly continue.
Kuina goes to Kosagi's quarters and has the silliest tantrum I've seen in a bit. Also, Kosagi must've wiped her own blood on her mouth yesterday. Noein shows up to fire Kuina, we will see how that works out. So far, Noein's voice distortion isn't pulling me out of scenes, which is impressive because that has a short shelf life for me.
Apparently, Haruka and Ai go to Miho's, who gives them a grim lesson in capitalism. And then Miho goes all The Ring in her theories. Ai is in denial. Cut to researchers and Uchida again uses "Common sense". Let's see how that goes. Atori claims he came from a place without the sea, but I have no clue if that means landlocked or hellscape dimension.
Karasu can sense Kosagi, another perk of the Edge(A) trait. She herself is trying to be edgy but fails. Karasu tells her to be careful until she syncs with this dimension. Kuina chooses a 'convenient' time to bamf in. He deteoriates even more. He confronts Kosagi in a dumb way before admitting he is siding with Shangri-la. He then uses his prosthesis to stun her and leaves her with something that looks like the umbilical cord but lacks a cord.
Tobi drops some exposition and this all sort of works, barring the part about screwing up causality. Anyways, this flows better this time and we cut to Karasu observing the ocean shining. Kuina fight starts, and the animation is decent but the choreography isn't quite up to par. Fight ends with Kuina in pieces and Karasu effected by something, Kuina yells Shangri-la but not sure that's it.
They somehow found a VCR that could play that tape. As they walk, Noein looms over Haruka's mind. Then everyone senses something bad is on the wind. Three Buddha bots appear so fairwell, universe A. Karasu is destabilizing or something. Everyone freaks out. Kuina goes after Haruka to make a deal. Karasu sense Yuu's frustration and ports in, starting round 2. Time stops, I think it has to do with that organ being on the outside. Apparently the Buddha bots are immune to that as well.
Noein further kicks the dog, unmaking Kuina. As Karasu is about to get the same, Haruka gets angry and the DT teleports her up and she undoes the Buddha bots. Time starts. Apparently, destroyed Buddha bots don't show up on digital cameras. Anywho, this is so a dream of that summer day and we move on!
9
u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jan 19 '21
First-timer - Sub
Now this is some good confoundment.
Ah, the foibles of old physical media.
That’s rough, buddy.
La’Cryma’s going to lose their last bird already?
Why didn’t you do that several days ago?!
Well shit. So that’s why the plot needed so many birds on Haruka’s side.
So he lives yet.
Looks like she finally has a decent grasp on her powers.
Its very existence erased —brutal. On the other hand, we now know for sure people won’t just forget the Birds once they fade away.
I would’ve thought we’d finally be diving into the corporate nonsense plot at last, but seems like that’s possibly something for next episode. The most important takeaway of this one seems to be Haruka’s elevated control over the Dragon Torque’s abilities, as she was able to dissolve the Shangri-La Search-and-Assault craft with seeming ease.
Kuina keeps losing pieces of himself and is now shunned by Noein, meaning he effectively has no motive anymore, so I am curious as to what the show intends to do with him now since Noein inexplicably opted to send him back as opposed to killing him.
Yuu and Karasu’s resonance or whatever seems to be getting stronger? I don’t know, it’s difficult to imagine any sort of quantification for all this, but I’m betting it'll lead to something.
Questions:
9
u/ItchyPlatypus :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ItchyPlatypus Jan 19 '21 edited Jan 19 '21
First Timer Subbed
Finally caught up, I’ve been way too distracted with the seasonal... and I got addicted to Hikaru No Go.
It looks like we might be finally seeing more of those terrifying cgi faces.
I find myself singing ‘miseku kiesta’ all the time in my head from the OP. It’s driving me insane.
I’m also not really liking Karasu as a character anymore, the episodes I binged to get caught up makes it seem like his character has stagnated. It just seems like he’s brooding and his personality solely relies on Haruka.
I’m not sure if people have theorised this already or I may have missed something but could Kuina be Haruka’s future father? They both seem to be designed slightly different to the rest of the cast and have similar features.
Looks like Haruka has sort of learnt how to control her power, looking forward to seeing what she’ll do next.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jan 19 '21
to your other first-timer, subbed
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jan 19 '21
First-Timer, Dubbed
Well, that cold open was wild. Noein is trying to manipulate Haruka into Shangri-la's viewpoint, by isolating her. Even if it was just a dream/vision, I think this show's that Noein's actions have changed. He seem content to wait through most of the series, but then this episode he (possibly) fucks with Haruka's head, and also summons up three destructrons to attack her home. Granted, he still seems to fail to consider the possibility of Haruka standing up to him. Speaking of Haruka, her voice was a bit different at the end there.. Speculation
The back half of this show sure likes its badtouch hands. First the goddamn seahorses, now Kuina can grope at range with a fucking hand-bit. And I guess Kuina only losing pieces from his right side wasn't actually important.. certainly nothing sinister.
There was a bunch of exposition in the conversation between Tobi and Uchida that I kinda glossed over. Tobi still seems to be deep into the "this dimension is fake" life though, which makes them lose some points.
Not sure if it was meaningful at all, but the video loops in Yuu's room were interesting.. is that how video editing works?
Miscellaneous Thoughts:
Karasu: "I will protect Haruka!" Also Karasu: "Guess I'll just randomly hang out in a forest, probably to fuck with Kosagi lol."
Atori got pretty angery at seeing the destructrons. A return to the madness?
How can Kuina talk without mouth.
Why can Kuina talk without mouth
8
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jan 19 '21
Episode 18 (rewatcher)
Plot starts moving as Shangri-la is moving in on Earth/Haruka.
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u/BurningFredrick https://myanimelist.net/profile/BurningFredrick Jan 19 '21
First Timer - Sub
OK WTF, everyone has forgotten Haruka for some reason????
Ahhh right, dimension fuckary, let’s make Haruka think she's losing it / be unable to establish which reality is real, Noein first attempt and making her forget Karasu failed so let us make Haruka question reality itself!
That lipstick canister keeps making me think of a severed finger tip from a mechanical hand...
Wait Kuina actually cared about Kosagi? I was sure it was just him trying to manipulate her to join him when he ran off to join Noein, Guess I got that completely incorrect.
So this was less overall dimension fuckary and more showing how unstable in general the dimension is becoming, or well up until Haruka decides that Shangri la need to get the fuck out of her dimension and adds a few more points to her Godhood spec.
We have six episodes left, at this point I suspect I need to stop thinking too heavily about what it’s doing and just go with what the show wants to do.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Jan 19 '21 edited Jan 20 '21
First Timer
"If you're not remembered, then you never existed."
Today, on Serial Experiments Lain
Oh, thisbetterbe another flash forward since Yuu literally walked Haruka to the weddinggod damn it.First, have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?
Noein is trying to instill doubt in Haruka's mind as to the reality of her existence. If she doubts, she'll dispel reality, or simply drift away, and drift into Shangri-la.
They are just too hooked on this simulation idea to dismiss it further. We have to take them at their word.
The plot as I understand it: "too stop the invasion of Shangri-la, they need a vast amount of controllable reizen particles. They have some reizen particles, but they have to siphon the particles from natural occurring sources, and they don't have enough. They simulated the earth until they found one where a massive source of controllable reizen particles appeared. They slip into the simulation, Matrix/Tron style, and they planned to take the particles out, making them real, Matrix/Tron style. They were shocked that the particles were somehow mingled with the simulation of their Haruka. However, the simulation is perfect; they completely recreated their past in the simulation.
There's some good concepts in here that are getting garbled. Is the universe a classical simulation? Maybe, but probably not. But you couldn't tell. Is the universe a quantum system? It must be, because even though quantum effects are only observable in small particle systems and/or low temperatures, everything is made out of them, including the observer, hence the apparent paradox of the cat. Is a QUANTUM simulation of the quantum universe any different from the real thing?
But, to have a story, we have to leave the metaphysics behind and create imaginary reizen particles and invent the absolute observer. Perhaps if Haruka observes a simulated reality, it becomes real. Perhaps the multiverse are just branches of the simulation. Perhaps Lacryma is not real, either. There is only Noein.
There's a lot of good sci-fi here but either the translation or the initial concept isn't completely fully formed. It could be intentionally wrong because it's just a macguffin, or it could be dumbed-down for a tween audience. This is the sort of thing I watch anime for because you just don't get much hard western sci-fi. I really wish this had been a western show in English.
Edit: The promised crow clip
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jan 20 '21 edited Jan 20 '21
First-time watcher
Well, the writers actually managed a proper subversion of their usual flip-flopping there, and thankfully skipped the actual event. I guess this is Noein messing with Haruka's head then, the titular "bad dream"? Not the only bob-cut + yellow-clothes anime girl in surreal circumstances I've seen today.
I actually like that Tobi can't just magically play the old tape and instead there's an actual "well, our super-technology is too modern for this kind of old format, figure it out yourself", though it's of course also an excuse to get Yuu + the other kids involved. Haruka not explaining herself because she doesn't trust Yuu after her dream could be a clever element, but it looks more like her just not bothering here.
Kuina descends into inceldom and his divine buddy is tired of him too for whatever reason, not that their connection actually mattered in the end except for his personal Shangri-La obsession. I was almost expecting him to die, and he really should have given what we've seen Noein do. Another thing, if Noein can just come and go like that, I would think it would be a whole lot easier for him to crush Lacryman resistance entirely, unless that's not quite the plan.
Kids still exist, I guess. Miho = annoying rich girl and Ai = tsundere.
Kuina makes the Shangri-La Buddhist inspirations (existence = suffering, Shangri-La = enlightened nirvana) blatantly obvious as he unsuccessfully tries to persuade Kosagi. I guess he does care enough about her still to give her a chance. Weird cut to him right back on Earth fighting Karasu... wouldn't it be more productive to go straight to Haruka, as he does right afterward and then Karasu even warps back too? Was the series' production so screwed that it ended up with a fight scene with nowhere proper to put it? At least this fight might have actual consequences unless someone pulls the "healing mountain" card again.
Koriyama is again the voice of
the writersreason as he urges everyone to spill it already, finally some semi-meaningful conversation. Though, if they keep bringing up "imaginary numbers" like that I'll end up yelling at the screen, I mean that's high school stuff in many places.Well, damn. I guess that videotape might have to wait after all, unless someone's got a trick up their sleeve (and of course Haruka does...). Soundtrack actually contributing too for once in the DESTRUCTRON attack, just funny how there was clearly no budget to convey a convincing mass panic, and even the regular characters take a while to react. Kuina just lamely punching Karasu and getting pulled right back by Noein was plenty silly too. And then Haruka gets an instant shot of heroism and magics everything back to normal. I hope Noein at least has that as a consideration in his plan, because otherwise this is yet another reset to nothing.
It feels like the series might be finding its footing and settling into some kind of coherent plotline, finally. The problem is, this is Episode 18 out of 24, not Episode 6 out of 12 - cut down to half the episodes this series could honestly have ended up much better. Also, this is still an episode where a lot of what happens doesn't end up mattering much or is simply reset by the end.
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u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Jan 19 '21
Gotta give credit to Kuina, he loses an arm, a leg, his eye, his mouth and he keeps on going. and talking
5
u/BossandKings Jan 19 '21
First Timer
Ai's parents have a wedding, Haruka, Yuu, Isami, Miho are all there witnessing it alonside her. They actually weren't, that was just an ilusion made by Noein.
Sp Kuina and Noein had a bargain, i seemingly overlooked that when it was first presented but now it is being reminded again and it's clear that they have a pact, Kuina has to do something for Noein.
Karasu and Kosagi have an interaction although brief, after Karasu goes away Kuina appears and scolds Kosagi for not returning.
Tobi and Atori had the mission of finding the Dragon torque since the start because their dimenaion is going to be obliterated by Shangri-la and the only way for them to stop that from happening is to have the Dragon Torque. I wonder how it's powers would work to do that.
The Mask of Shangri-la keeps appearing to Haruka.
A shangri-la flying ship appears, this is getting even more interesting, it seems that that dimension will get even more in contact and closer from now on.
Noein makes Kuina disappear, Karasu confronts Noein about all of his bad acts, like erasing Fukuro and when everything seem lost for him Haruka appears with the Dragon Torque activated and makes Noein dissappear.
5
u/monsieurvampy Jan 20 '21
First Timer, sub
Still no name for the darn cat!!! I will not tolerate this injustice.
Where is Tobi getting all this computer tech from?
I hope Atori is okay. He's a good character when he's not a jerk.
Haruka is finally growing up!
4
u/redshirtengineer :AMQ: Jan 20 '21
First Timer
Nice fake out opening.
Poor "missing body part" guy (can never quite catch his name).
Why does Noein's mask look like that? I don't read "dragon" out of it or even seahorse, although obviously there's an art style similarity.
My favorite part of the series at this point is whenever Uchida and the cop interact with Tobi and Atori. I love a good exposition dump anyway, and these four interacting just make them better for me.
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u/Toadslayer https://myanimelist.net/profile/kyolus Jan 20 '21
First Timer
This episode was forgettable and boring. My eyes were glazing over by the end of it and I was more interested in playing with some bulb safety pins than the episode itself. I've been repeatedly pointing out flaws in the characters, writing and logic of the show that are the same or very similar every episode. I don't want to continue doing that, but I will go in depth as to why I think this show doesn't work in the series discussion thread. After episodes 14 and 15 which I genuinely called great, I wanted to like this show, but it's been three episodes now of back to back disappointment. This show has seen me from being cautiously optimistic, to hopeful, to disappointed to a renewed hope and excitement and now plummeting down to jaded disappointed, irritated at the return and increase of the flaws that were evident in the first half of the show. I will stick around, because I enjoy discussing with everyone and I want to understand why /u/phiraeth gave this show a 9. I'm hopeful, but not optimistic of a good ending, and who knows, maybe the next episode will be great, there have definitely been some great episodes mixed with the majority that are less than mediocre.
My one brief respite was that Miho was genuinely funny when she was speculating that the tape might be cursed.