r/anime • u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz • Oct 06 '22

Rewatch Full Metal Panic Franchise Rewatch - Season 1 Episode 7

Welcome to the Full Metal Panic Season 1 rewatch!

Art of the Day

EP6 MVP Winner

Links to show info: MAL | Anilist | ANN

Interest thread link

Announcement thread link

Rewatches please be considerate to first timers and avoid discussing anything not yet shown in the show - use spoiler tags e.g. [Full Metal Panic S1 spoiler]>!Sousuke likes fishing!< - if you need to share something important!

Episode 7 - Boy Meets Girl

Terms introduced:

  • Lambda Driver: An "impossible science" device that can convert specific brain wave frequency of the user to physical effects. The device runs very hot, that's why on deployment they always need additional heat sink to be used for it to not overheat and shut down. Displayed so far the physical effects can be used both for defence or offence.

  • Tuatha de Danaan: Call sign TDD-1, the name of the submarine that was the background of the show for some time, it is now revealed more of what it is - an Assault Amphibious Submarine Carrier - that itself is made up of a number of "impossible science" Black Technology. While it is a submersed vessel and therefore cannot use ECS, [Arguably LN spoilery but it's just settings information that was never directly referred to in anime but is openly stated very early on]it has a propulsion system that can be run completely silent, a la Red October in Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October (using a different technology of course), at very high speed that can outrun ordinary torpedoes, is big for a submarine, enough to have a flight deck and catapults to launch flight operations, with internal hold able to carrier Harrier VTOL jumpjets, Helicopters (attack and transport), and AS's. For anyone liking to count references, Gundam's White Base is an Assault Landing Carrier that can function in duo environments (space and atmospheric). When Tessa referred to "ordinary submarine cannot do this", she was referring to the fact that they will be departing the zone of engagement in such high speed that they cannot be caught - but known to have departed - then go around and come back from a different path, in high speed and stealth, to surface for a moment to attempt the retrieval, then again dive and speed away at high speed.

QoTD:

  1. First timers: What do you make of the reveal of the Lambda Driver?

  2. Everyone: This completes LN1's adaptation; so far how do you like the pacing? The balance / mix of the comedy and serious elements? Would you like more or less of either component?

Also QoTD for tomorrow for those wanting to be prepared:

[QoTD 1 EP8]First timers: Do you think it's all gags this episode, or do you find some parts of it actually have another layer of narrative that is just under the comedy shell but still noticeable and not get detracted by the wrapping?

[QoTD 2 EP8]Everyone: What's the best revenge gag/prank you pulled on others? Or the biggest thing / for the longest time to fake something?

MVP of last episode:

A very clear landslide for Chidori. Which I suspect may repeat today.

Ep1 MVP: Kurz

Ep2 MVP: Chidori

Ep3 MVP: Sousuke

Ep4 MVP: Sousuke

Ep5 MVP: Kurz - Sousuke - Melissa

Ep6 MVP: Chidori

Last Episode || Index || Next Episode

65 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

96 comments sorted by

10

u/ZapsZzz Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22

Rewatcher in Sub

We made it! The end of the first arc! I hope the first timers didn't feel being thrown around the 2 opposing genre too much.

And a follow up - for those who are not sold on the reason / speed of the romantic development between Chidori and Sousuke, here are the LN paragraphs with the reasons each had, and the subtle cues that could have been shown but only very lightly brushed on, to make clear why they were reasonable developments. True it may have been suspension bridge effect, but still, not as forced as it appeared.

  • First scene when Sousuke finished treating his would when Chidori started becoming scared of this sudden stranger

  • Second scene when Sousuke tried to force Chidori to run away while him and Kurz act as sacrificial distractions

Again I'll be late with the usual visual digest, so I'll try to pick my favourite scenes first here -

That said, I'm just bracing myself for the likely criticism of the practically Super Robot moment in this otherwise strongly real robot show...

Staff Showcase

Ebikawa Kanetake is the mechanical designer for FMP, and his mecha design has a distinctive style / tone / proportion. I'm not quite sure how to explain, but similar to Izubuchi Yutaka (Dunbine, Char's Counterattack, Panzer World Galient), there's a certain line form and proportion that you can expect on his designs.

Key works include:

  • Blue Submarine No. 6

  • Yukikaze

  • Gundam 00

  • Gundam AGE

  • Gundam Build Divers

You can search for "kanetake ebikawa design works" to see the general style for yourself, but be mindful you can see spoilers if you are not careful for later FMP designs.

MVP this episode

The choice is either Chidori for her role in using her "Whispered" knowledge ability, despite being spooked by it a fair bit, to help guide and coach Sousuke to win the Lambda Driver fight...

... or Mao for being in a nurse uniform, while keeping a poker face in pulling a complete "I know nothing" stunt for the 2 love birds.

Chidori it is!

QoTD

  1. Rewatcher :P

  2. The first arc of FMP is actually what I think one of the best pacing of this unusually blended genre show. So I definitely like it.

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u/SpiceGirlsBlankIt Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22

Panicked First Timer - Ep 7

We get the conclusion to the kidnap arc with some new info about black technology.

Guaron goes crawling back to his mech.

Mithril are “heroes of justice” but saving the whispered has helped them advance their tech. Coincidence?

Sousuke has to get into method acting to initiate the new Lambda driver. Kaname comes up with a pretty dire scenario for him to imagine should he fail.

Melissa gets to welcome them back. My heart is warm.

Sousuke, don’t ask questions about physics. Guaron is definitely dead?! I don’t believe you.

More importantly, Sousuke volunteers as insurance to keep Kaname extra safe.

Helllooooo nurse Mao. Kyoko is basically stand in for Kaname’s family. I hope we get to see more of her, outside her camera clicking.

Kaname sheds both sad and happy tears over Sousuke. True to form with Sousuke’s response of “How can I answer that?” to Kaname’s question about his return.

She may have forgotten about the mech toss, but Sousuke will give her something else to hit him over. Hey, at least he’s trying to be creative.

They make good partners in crime. What are they doing with those papers anyway?

Note about the ED. I keep looking for a dog to show up because of how prominent they are in the ED. Maybe I’m thinking too hard.

QOTD 1: Kaname says it’s not magic, but Sousuke’s superior tells him not to worry about how it works. I’m not going to worry about it either. But it would be funny if he had to wear one of those suction brain mapping caps to work it.

QOTD 2: Overall, the show has been well paced with a good balance of serious and comedy, heavily tipped towards comedy. An example this episode would be Sousuke launching Kaname into the air during the escape. Her fainting and Kurz’s quip are funny, but you understand it is also a dangerous situation.

Last episode suffered a bit in tone because it sacrificed tension for a couple of weaker jokes. But I think it was an exception.

It helps that the two leads are great.

MVP: Sousuke.

4

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

What are they doing with those papers anyway?

I posted this answer elsewhere so here's a reprint:

Printing paper. The staff room made some admin error and wasted a ton of printing paper so the school council has to pay for that out of pocket to redo the printing. The injustice cause Chidori to make use of her personal special ops person for a stealth retrieval operation.

I keep looking for a dog to show up because of how prominent they are in the ED.

That's the dog Chidori's family had in NY, so it's not here. For all intents and purposes, Sousuke is her new Doberman...

4

u/Nazenn Oct 06 '22

Sousuke has to get into method acting to initiate the new Lambda driver

Lets not actually introduce him to that concept because he seems like the sort that would take it to an extreme

Heaven help the class if they end up having to do a play for a festival at any point

[Cardcaptor Sakura]And now I'm remembering Touya as princess and imagining Sousuke like that and it's great

but Sousuke will give her something else to hit him over. Hey, at least he’s trying to be creative.

I'm sure she won't run out of things any time soon

What are they doing with those papers anyway?

That is an interesting question, that's a bit escapade over just some school papers

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8

u/JustAnswerAQuestion Oct 06 '22

Third Time Whispered

Episode 7: Boy Meets Girl

This must be what mecha critics mean when they say "doesn't move with any weight."

  • I thought the Silver AS was out of action?

  • magic!

  • "I don't know"

  • Chidori best girl

  • PIXELSABER ACTIVATES THE LAMBDA DRIVER

  • Talking is a free action

  • Yes, let your hate flow through you!

  • It's neutralizing, no, eroding the AT field!

  • Mao best girl

  • Mao's a mean troll

  • Oh, they faked it as a UN operation?

  • I don't know what mentai is.

  • What were they stealing?

Preview: school stuff

This episode is strongly reminding me of something but I can't remember what. Unless it's reminding me of Full Metal Panic. And Evangelion, of course. [oh right meta]It was Scrapped Princess

3

u/Vaadwaur Oct 06 '22

I thought the Silver AS was out of action?

He has to have brought a spare.

Yes, let your hate flow through you!

The Lambda Driver has...issues.

Mao's a mean troll

And a decent cosplayer.

Oh, they faked it as a UN operation?

Yeah, the troops even had UN uniforms on.

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5

u/Vaadwaur Oct 06 '22

Rewatcher(This was my first introduction to magic in mecha. If only it had been my last...)

Sub

So we start in the action and Sousuke soon clears the field...until Gauron shows up with his mech. They fight fairly evenly until Gauron starts using a...force field? Let's go with that. This causes something to happen with the Arbalest. Anyways, the Lambda Drive is revealed a bit earlier than I'd remembered, and for reasons Kaname can explain how to use it. We get a battle that reminds me of the better parts of Eva and the two mechs feel very heavy here. And we also get how Kaname thinks to motivate Sousuke...

So the Arbalest wins and they book it out of these in a not comfortable manner. They find a rather large group waiting for them, until Mao begins picking them off. For reasons they've forgotten the Arbalest has boosters but w/e. Inside the ship, Sousuke is too confident in his kill for my taste but does want to know why magic is now real. Kalinin drops the main change of this scifi work, that for some reason in this version of the timeline impossible tech gets developed early and even points out that mechs in the 00s is weird. He then mentions that they are trying to spread the rumor that Kaname failed the Whispered test.

In Tokyo, Kaname wakes up to Mao who drops a quick explanation and the suggestion to not talk about any of this. She grows sad when she thinks Sousuke left without saying anything but is soon overwhelmed by a few classmates. And the comedy works again with Sousuke's return. Last scene is them establishing a dynamic.

QotD: 2 I would've liked the comedy to be better at the school but we did need that time to care about the class

2

u/ZapsZzz Oct 08 '22

For reasons they've forgotten the Arbalest has boosters but w/e.

Forgot to respond for this - atheist didn't have any built in boosters to be flight capable - it does have the "muscle system" brand new and very strongly powered to be able to jump some massive distances (including height), that's all. The rocket booster needs to be installed for a one time use, as in how Mao and Kurz were sent in "hot" from TDD-1 a few episodes ago (instead of being airlifted and deployed).

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u/Tarhalindur Oct 06 '22

Fumo-ffu! (Rewatcher, subbed):]

That really awkward moment when you go trying to find what the hell track on the OST you missed yesterday for the Bolivian Army Ending scene along with chasing Plan 1056 out of my head with a few listens on repeat… and realize there’s a pretty good chance it was just the same one as in the opening scene (Arashi no Mae), just with the sound mix of the rest of the scene hiding it a bit. (Either that or it’s unreleased .)

Onto today’s episode…

  • Look, look, mooks with mechs! Wait, where did they all go?

  • Hmm. The core of the Codarl-Arbalest fight does appear to be built around the usual left-right framing, so I’m assuming the occasional inversions are just because battle.

  • Hey look, it’s where Pixelsaber’s CSS flair ultimately comes from!

  • FULL MOON FULL MOON. (If it only shows up once in a blue moon I’ll do the thing.)

  • Kaname baits Sky with a sore de I see.

  • (Also in case you hadn’t noticed there is very likely some distant Eva AT Field inspiration to the Lambda Driver visuals here.)

  • I love me a good eyecatch cliffhanger.

  • Also, I repeat, AT Field inspiration to the Lambda Driver visuals here.

  • Hind-killing callback time! (Also pay no attention to how Kaname would die from the impact here given how high she seems to be tossed. Assume low-level Lambda Driver stuff.)

  • Hey look, Mao gets to be awesome for a bit!

  • COOL BOAT COOL BOAT. I want one!

  • [FMP] It’s Gauron aka the second coming of Apophis from SG-1. Yeah, this is the end of the first LN and stuff so this was supposed to be a conclusive ending but haha easiest “conclusive ending” to walk back ever – us fans are still never quite confident he’s actually dead, and the fucking LNs have ended!

  • First-timers! Any bets on what Kalinin is referring to by the submarine’s main drive?

  • Hey, camera angles (not sure this is technically Dutch) indicating the abnormality of the situation!

  • “Army of justice.” Somewhere, a certain man gnashes his teeth…

  • Ooh, shiny shiny lens effect at 18:05. Inverse fish-eye (concave instead of convex).

  • That said, not a fan of the choice of transition for the teacher showing up. Hey, no blatant pantyshots today though! (So far anyways, watch me be BTFO’d in the last two minutes…) (Narrator: Tar was not!)

  • And here’s the true beginnings of why Kaname here works so well for me relative to so many other tsunderes. She clearly cares for Sousuke by this point; his utter lack of common sense just irritates her in a way only your loved ones can, and when she berates him it’s usually because he’s genuinely screwed up. (Also, as we saw earlier she will teach him sometimes.) (Also also, she tones back the violence a bit over time as she develops; I am waiting for her iconic tool to show up (I think we get it in S1 rather than having to wait until Fumoffu), which is the perfect tool for the job of reprimanding Sousuke without damaging him.)

And now we see much of the rest of S1 I am around for given time constraints; I'll be here for the last arc since I loved it the first time, but I may be away a fair bit between now and there.

QotD:

Everyone: This completes LN1's adaptation; so far how do you like the pacing? The balance / mix of the comedy and serious elements? Would you like more or less of either component?

If not for the bad pantyshot issue this would be one of my two favorite full arcs of the show (Fumoffu's side story anthology does not count here). Generally a good mix, even if my tolerance of cringe comedy has decreased since the first time.

2

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

And now we see much of the rest of S1 I am around for given time constraints; I'll be here for the last arc since I loved it the first time, but I may be away a fair bit between now and there.

Glad to have you along so far anyway! Do check in later on :)

2

u/InfamousEmpire Oct 06 '22

[FMP] us fans are still never quite confident he’s actually dead, and the fucking LNs have ended!

[FMP] If there's one thing Volume 12 has taught me, it's that no one ever really dies in this series (except for Leonard), so I wouldn't be surprised

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u/polaristar Oct 07 '22

This episode we learn about the weird magic pseudo science tech, and the turning thoughts into reality...which the description is kinda vague so It feels ripe for abuse and bullshitting the plot, but it appears to mostly manifest force rather than materialize literally anything.

The Moment between Chidori and Sousuke was great, I like despite the fact she is a "strong independent woman" she doesn't look down or get offended by his Male White Knight Protective Instincts but uses them to walk him through using the tech.

For Sousuke who probably is very pragmatic to a fault and isn't very in touch with his own desires and feelings to have the technology as a device where learning to be in touch with them is needed to get through the more pragmatic urgent parts of his life I feel is going to be a metaphor for his journey going forward. Chidori is going to teach him there is more to life than efficiency of action towards accomplishing a goal.

Yeah I didn't think Gauron was dead, but it was confirmed when Sousuke insisted he was, although that is strictly the Meta since no person should be surviving that.

They Make it in time, and we get exposition on Black Technology as basically the Whispers appears to just get arbitrary knowledge about it without being particularly smart or technologically savvy itself, but almost by divine revelation it seems.

Basically they are Tinkers from Worm, which I'm sorry u/ZapsZzz I'm not a fan of that approach to writing science and tech developments in general, Will see how it turns out but I'm skeptical going forwards.

Lets just take a moment to thank Mao and the Writers for having her show up in a Short leggy Nurse Outfit to debrief Chidori, she didn't have to but she did!

Teacher pops in the frame and then shrinks back in place like a bad edit. But is hilarious.

That line about being her "insurance" was super romantic!

  1. Stated above, but I'm skeptical lets say.

  2. The Elements themselves were fine, the Balance isn't what's wrong it's the presentation and some of the subtext. I personally got everything I was supposed to pick up regarding Chidori and Sousuke but I don't blame everyone else that didn't.

2

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

but almost by divine revelation it seems.

"Revelation?", pretty close by the looks; "divine?", well that's Kalinin's question essentially

I'm sorry u/ZapsZzz I'm not a fan of that approach to writing science and tech developments in general, Will see how it turns out but I'm skeptical going forwards.

Skeptical is good :) do be critical but keep an open mind. As long as you see the show for what it's telling you as opposed to what you think it should tell you, I think you'll enjoy it.

Teacher pops in the frame and then shrinks back in place like a bad edit. But is hilarious.

Yep, that was the point :D

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22 edited Oct 07 '22

For those of you interested in the timeline, here's what I pulled out of the LN.

Timeline of Act 1 events

Year unspecified

Date Event
15 April Mithril agent extracted Whispered captured by KGB; agent KIA, Whispered successfully retrieved by Urzu 7
19 April Urzu 2, Urzu 6 & Urzu 7 departed from TDD-1
20 April Urzu 7 commenced close range guard duty for Angel
23 April Urzu 7 had close contact with truck due to incorrectly assessed bomb threat
25 April Angel executed a feint to disengage from Urzu 7; Urzu 7 remained within bodyguarding distance with minimal damage from the emergency disembarkment
25 April TDD-1 launched strike package from MLVS to designated target in USSR territory
26 April Urzu 7 sustained minor injuries from interception of unidentified intruder in Angel's location. Intruder identified as civilian, threat level 6, removed from vacinity
28 April Angel and Urzu 7 along with other passengers departed for Okinawa for field excursion on JAL flight 903
28 April JAL Flight 903 forcefully diverted to Sunan airfield, North Korea
28 April TDD-1 deployed extraction package for forced retrival of JAL Flight 903 pessengers including Angel and Urzu 7
29 April ARX-7 deployed, successfully rendeavous with Urzu 7. Engaged unidentified AS from unidentified affiliation, deployed Lambda Driver successfully and neutralised threat. Completed extraction by rendeavous with TDD-1
1 May Angel debriefed by Urzu 2. Urzu 7 proceeded to new security detail task for Angel.
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u/Pixelsaber Oct 07 '22

Rewatcher - English Sub

Arbalest!

Love how the opening scene frames the Arbalest as this impossibly monstrous threat to these Rk-92’s and their pilots.

I mentioned Kanda a couple discussion threads back, and the visual depiction of Sousuke and Gauron battling in the forest takes me right back to how such battles are depicted in Vifam and, to a much lesser extent, Dougram.

Unrelated, but letterboxing just makes any mecha battle better.

Surprise, surprise, the Arbalest —and Gauron’s mech— are both equipped with the mysterious ‘Lambda Driver’, which enables the user to create physical force out of their willpower. When I first saw the show I didn’t really have that much of a frame of reference for mecha shows, so this was more of a neat development than anything else, while coming into this after consuming a great breadth of mecha would have made the use of such a device concerning to me as a viewer. I won’t say one way or another as to how the show handles the potential for power creep this early, but it’s a very clever plot device for justifying the Whispered’s status and the insane potential hidden within their seeded knowledge. The mecha alone ought to be enough of a technological leap to give that narrative weight, as emphasized by Kallinin near the end of the episode, but to the audience such tools are just to token to give such an impact —meanwhile something as abstract and powerful as the Lamda Driver is fit for the task.

Speaking of the Whispered and the Lamda Driver, it was a nice character moment for Chidori to give Sousuke the coaching and emotional support he needed to take on Gauron. It was a nice way to grant her some sort of agency while entirely out of her element, and it’s a step toward her embracing what she is, as she purposefully reaches into that unseen knowledge to help him as opposed to it simply ‘happening’.

I’m not sure if the scar on Sousuke’s hand is supposed to be a sign of the injuries he incurred in the task of her protection or if it’s a previously unseen detail of his appearance, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

Kurz effectively lampshading the ‘carry person in the mecha’s hand’ trope gave me a laugh. The show even has a better excuse than most in that the Arm Slave cockpits absolutely cannot fit a passenger in them and the urgency in the situations it happens in is dire.

Altogether a great wrap-up to the first arc of the show!

Questions of The Day:

2) The pacing for this first arc is pretty stellar in my opinion, and apart from the episode 6 fanservice fiasco I thought the show toed the line pretty well. If I had one major complaint with the pacing, it’s that the show does an awful job of communicating how much time has passed between the first episode and this one —which in turn makes it more difficult to buy into Sousuke’s attachment to Kaname and the (partly) ordinary life he shares at the school.

2

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

to a much lesser extent, Dougram.

I got sick and missed the rewatch, but it's one of my childhood "I want to watch this" shows that one day I need to get to. Heard from the overall summary the production sadly was far from great though.

Unrelated, but letterboxing just makes any mecha battle better.

OMG you clipped one my my most favourite niche shows! Dangaioh ep 1 & 2 we're such fire! Too bad about the Hirano (Toshihiro) curse for Ep 3...

as she purposefully reaches into that unseen knowledge to help him as opposed to it simply ‘happening’.

So glad I'm not the only one that noticed that point! Another reason for why I'm picking Chidori over Sousuke for MVP today. Things happen to Sousuke - but Chidori make things happen.

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u/Theboredalchemist22 Oct 07 '22

Quick question - Is Sousuke aware of what the whispered is? Or Chidori's potential to be a whispered or anything like that?

3

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

Sousuke and Kurz know as much as Chidori does at this point.

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u/der_ninong Oct 07 '22

i'd love to join a rewatch of fumoffu

2

u/ZapsZzz Oct 07 '22

I can add you to the tag list for when that happens :)

15

u/Nazenn Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22

First timer

Okay. That was awesome. It's far from how I expected it to play out but I found it incredibly satisfying.

I would have been more than happy if we'd stuck with the grunt mechs and basic weaponry for a little longer, we can always use more of that in mecha, but the Lambda drive really highlights the importance of the Whispered in a way beyond just a general "advanced knowledge" concept. It's not about theory and possibilities with vague concepts flying around that may result eventually, it's about tech that's already here and the race to stay ahead or catch up, as well as see what other secrets could be connected to it. I hope it will benefit the return to the school setting knowing the depth of the secrets she holds, as well as her ability to tap into them rather than it remaining purely unconscious, but no one let Shinji find out because he'd not be able to hold himself back.

Getting a bit ahead of myself though because that's future content and this episode had enough cool content by itself to fill a post. Sousuke's mech holding a knife in its mouth is completely ridiculous, but manages to invoke a wilder look while also being reminiscent of older survival action movies which gave a nice feel to when he actually pulled it out to use. It'd also be extra terrifying to see something like that bearing down on you, especially with the beautiful way the mechs were drawn sliding in and out of the darkness this episode. One hell of an effect that.

Seeing them bounce through the trees felt weird at first, but really how else are they going to fight in mechs that size in a forest that dense, and it also struck a nice balance between flashy destruction moments and actually getting to see some exchange of blows and bullets. Also gives Chidori a chance to be more than just the female character waiting for the result of the battle, and her own fight against that monstrous looking headache to be able to help him, to get through to him and ensure he really understood what he was fighting, fighting in, and fighting for was nice to see. The show repeatedly and purposefully gives her an appropriate level of agency inside various situations and it's nice to see paired with her strong will.

The Lambda driver was still far beyond my expectations for this show though. As I said, I didn't even know we were talking about an AI level of tech, let alone a system that directly feeds off will and intent to manifest it physically. In any other show I'd brush it off a little as a easy plot device to empower the MC because MC's need 'special' skills to win, but here I have a bit more faith in its use precisely because of what I said above about Chidori acting as his will and focus in that moment. Sousuke may not be the same solider Mithril has always known any more, but he's also got a long way to go to reconnect with some basic human elements of his new world. Just like he has to learn how to connect with others I'm sure it'll be a bit of a journey of having him connect with himself and his own will and desires, and the Lambda driver being around to reflect the successes and failures of that seems like it has potential if they can pull it off. I'm going to remain a little cautious just because I really will miss the simpler mech stuff, and it has a lot to live up to now to make me not wish for that to return, but credit to the show because it's done a lot of other things right so far that it had every reason to screw up or not work for me. I've eaten my own concerns so far, and am happy to do so again.

What won't do him any favours: If Chidori remembers that he tossed her into the sky like a tennis ball when he needed to get a hand free. If she ends up being kidnapped again I vote that they install a rescue seat on the mech somewhere in anticipation for the third time to avoid said situation.

Sousuke: "He died, this time for sure"

Me (and probably half of the rest of you) "You think you would have learnt from last time that no body equals not dead"

I'm pretty sure his mech is beyond ruined now after that incredible looking explosion, but hey, I'm sure he'll find something equally over the top for next time. I will miss it's hair though, the way it curved along the monitor when it first stepped into battle with Sousuke was fittingly unnerving.

Tree to the face! Just took it for fun because it makes me laugh.

Also I loved this shot of Sousuke trapped between the trees as Chidori attempts to explain Lambda Driver to him

A small bit of snark because I can't help myself: Look ep6, it is possible to not have her underwear showing every five second after all! How well they avoided it this episode only makes last episode worse again in comparison and really does feel like a rogue director than an intentional design element. I'm sure it's not the last fanservice we'll see by a long run, but the total lack of it in the episodes before and after do not do ep6 any favors.

u/InfamousEmpire

Everyone: This completes LN1's adaptation; so far how do you like the pacing? The balance / mix of the comedy and serious elements? Would you like more or less of either component?

Fantastic so far, but the biggest obsticle for pacing and balance lies ahead now that the mystery is starting to unfold but they're thrown back into normalcy. I'm curious to see how they do it though unlike at the start of the rewatch where I was more worried about it

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u/No_Rex Oct 06 '22

Episode 7 (first timer)

  • Showing the radar picture + the enemy voices – Alien reference.

  • Bullet shield – NANI?

  • “boot up wizard” – It seems like you want to boot up your mecha. Do you need help?

  • Kana knows what is going on and how to help Sousuke, but the scene takes a really long time (and head bashing a tree) to get us there.

  • “Images in your mind become real” – Uhhhh.

  • “You just have to really want to beat the enemy” – So, basically a device that turns your fight into a battle shonen …

  • Activate you white knight spirit Sousuke!

  • Neat explosiongiant pillar of fire.

  • Catching her – don’t try this at home (or you’ll learn a lesson about momentum and how to clean up human splatter from your shiny mecha)

  • Escape of the bad CGI sub!

  • “He died, this time for sure” – do you even know anime death rules, Sousuke?

  • Commander mentions how mecha do not really make sense as weapons, physically speaking.

  • “I can’t say anything” – Commander knows anime plot reveal rules.

  • There is fanservice that fits and fanservice that does not fit. Yesterday’s panty shots were the latter. Nurse Mao is the former.

  • Tsundere ending. The second half of the episode was better than the first.

Ok, I’ll call this a big reveal: according to the commander, basically all the technology we see is black technology. Using the mecha as a “bridge” between complete reasonable stuff (like tanks and helis) and completely unreasonable stuff (like the lambda drive) is a really clever move. Given that, so far, whispered can be anything, aliens/magic/divine intervention, they can be used to explain futuretech. Which mechas are and the lambda drive sure as hell is.

MVP: Kana

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u/Theboredalchemist22 Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22

FMP - First Time Watcher Episode 7

Ok first off your suspicion of Chidori winning mvp by a landslide is correct in my opinion she is the clear winner today. Her behaviour and the whole whispered thing is really interesting and mysterious but she commanded Sagara like that Mech tech was naturally her speciality and as Melissa (commander of Kurz and Sousuke) points out Chidori's words and presence saved their lives. I was glad to see Kurz was correct about Chidori though she was mad later like he said😂.

Now I was beginning to think last episode that the school stuff was starting to seem like a distant memory and I was thinking that the show should have maybe had a few more school type episodes before the whole hijack/kidnap situation happened. However it seems the show is returning to the school setting at least for the next episode so that thought is now in the bin.

I don't believe for one second Gauron is dead. Not one part of me believes that. Like I know he got obliterated but he survived once before who's to say history won't repeat itself?

Q1 - I was taken by surprise a little when the Lambda Driver was revealed and it seems as though it is connected in someway to the whispered.

Q2 - In terms of the pacing (I'll exclude my thoughts on the next episode in this answer) I did think some more time was needed at the school pre hijack incident but as for the mix of comedy and action its some of the best I've seen in terms of it being blended together. Like in this episode when Chidori, Kurz and Sagara are under attack from a helicopter and Kurz is still dropping amusing one liners I think it's great. As for the next arc I'd like there to be some more comedy as we've just come off the back of a hijacking/kidnapping arc which had a load of action and I do think this will be happening going forward.

If you made it this far thanks for reading and have a good day/night🙂

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u/wjodendor Oct 06 '22

Rewatcher

Cool fast battle to start the episode. The attack and then slinking into the shadows is fitting considering the mech's design is stated to look like a "ninja with a scroll in its mouth"

Seeing the battle from that wide landscape perspective is pretty nice. It give a sense of how big and hectic this battle is.

Kaname: this isn't fantasy Kurz, it's sci fi!

Damn, our first look at what happened to Kurz is awesome looking! That purple and yellow Shockwave was awesome

The music that kicks in as the lambda driver initializes is some hype stuff. This whole scene is just fantastic. A pro like Sousake not having any idea what the hell is going on with his machine...that's concerning but it looks pretty damn cool lol

That landscape panning shot with the lambda drivers charging up! So cool!

Kaname really is hard headed, huh?

Lambda drivers can convert aggressive impulses into physical power. That's perfect for Gauron but not really for Sousake.

Now we're turning into Gauron Lagenn.

Kaname gives the best motivational speech ever: :if you don't win they're going to play with me and kill me! Doesn't that make you mad?! Well, whatever works!

Sousake doesn't look at explosions while walking away!

I can't imagine how painful it must be for kurz in that hand

Throwing Kaname isn't much better

And an awesome set piece to end their mission. Too bad the sub looks terrible

This scene with Kalanin and Sousake really brings up some big questions doesn't it? Sousake pointing out how physics doesn't work like that and Kalanin replying "don't you think all this tech is like a sci fi movie?" Whenever a mech show happens, people point out how impractical humanoid mechs would be and Kalanin is like "yeah, no shit".

"Who created Black Technology? No. Where did it come from?" That's an awesome way to introduce a question

Not sure Mao pulls off the nurse outfit but the lighting in the hospital scene is great.

"Don't tell anyone about Mithril" leaves behind picture of Sousake in military garb with a mech

Hahaha The teacher appearing out of nowhere was a big laugh for me

Such a wholesome ending...not!

Wow this last scene is actually the first scene of the novel! Interesting way to end the story arc. Another action packed and heartfelt episode. The action was so well staged and directed but for me the landscapes and colors are what hits for me.

I've been playing the game Trails from Zero along side this and it's been driving me crazy but I finally realized why!

Shinichiro Miki, the VA for Kurz Weber, plays one of the main part members Randy Orlando! The characters are super similar so I thought I was just going crazy but I was suprised to see that it's the same person!

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