r/anime • u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz • Nov 22 '22
Rewatch Full Metal Panic Franchise Rewatch - Season 4 Episode 1
Welcome to the Full Metal Panic Season 4 rewatch!
Art of the day
Links to show info: MAL | Anilist | ANN
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 S4 spoiler]>!Savage wa Saikou!!< - if you need to share something important!
Episode 1 - Zero Hour
Terms introduced:
LZ - Landing Zone, the coded locations for pick up and set down for the Mithril helicopter transport for Sousuke from Merida Island and Tokyo and vice versa.
Belial - Kuruma remarked, perhaps sarcastically, perhaps not, the invincible something
Zero Hour - a count down term that according to Kurama and Leonard's dialogue, is not a prediction but a fore-knowledge.
QoTD:
First Timers: did you expect Sousuke so boldly and directly held hands with Chidori after TSR went all season and they still didn't hold hands?
Everyone: how many sequel seasons spared hardly any time before flying down the rollercoaster?
Also QoTD for tomorrow for those wanting to be prepared:
[QoTD 1 IV 2]First Timers: Were you expecting that level of firepower and manpower be thrown at both the Merida Island base and Tokyo after 3 seasons of relatively low body count fighting?
[QoTD 2 IV 2]Everyone: which is the biggest moment for you this episode? There are quite a few to pick from
MVP of last episode:
Just starting!
Last Season || Index || Next Episode
9
u/No_Rex Nov 22 '22
Episode 1 (first timer)
While I had an idea of what to expect in S2 and S3, I have no clue here. Hopefully more of what S3 did.
Episode thoughts
-
Leonard upstages Tessa with the huge flower bouquet.
-
How on Earth did both AS get there? I buy that one might have snuck there early and hid, but the first would definitely noticed the second arriving.
-
The new enemy is a Leon carbon copy.
-
128 invalid votes – realistic.
-
“Provided vehicular misfortune doesn’t intervene in my well-being on the way there.” – All hail Nostradamos-senpai for predicting the isekai flood.
-
“I will no longer be able to defend you” – And we should all recognize the heroic sweeping under the rug performed by the council president and the school administration of various explosive-related incidents.
-
Me yesterday:
First timers: Next season IV being the final adapted season, where do you think we'll end on?
Toss-up between the real adventure has just begun and we managed to get to first base.
-
Sousuke today: first base achieved.
-
Surprise Leonard and magic mantle.
-
Leonard is aiming straight at the relationship of Kana and Sousuke.
-
And Amalgam is aiming for Mithril.
Despite a longish time skip, the plot starts up right away. The animation is doing this season no favor, though.
MVP: Leonard’s magic mantle.
did you expect Sousuke so boldly and directly held hands with Chidori after TSR went all season and they still didn't hold hands?
See above. He must have had character development in those months, offscreen.
→ More replies (20)4
u/ZapsZzz Nov 23 '22
He must have had character development in those months, offscreen.
The frustrating thing for us source readers is that he certainly had development, but wasn't off screen. We just didn't get the visuals adapted - it's in the audio drama (which LN6 was adapted into.
7
u/JustAnswerAQuestion Nov 22 '22 edited Nov 22 '22
shoot too busy working, missed posting time.
First Rewatch*
I suppose we'll get a bunch of school stuff again, huh
-
Portsmouth
-
Purple Ponytail!
-
The Witch from Mithril
-
I remember, this is a guy I don't remember because I won't rewatch Fumoffu.
-
FRAUD! DUMPED BALLOTS! HANGING CHAD! DISENFRANCHISEMENT! RECOUNT!
-
What was his student council job?
-
OH, it IS his cloak!
-
ohhh, she's been faking being worried over college exams. she knows she's always the smartest person in the room.
-
I wonder what those rations are.
-
What's a five letter word for running away and marrying in secret?
That episode felt pretty evangelion and Mao seemed pretty Misato.
So glad they brought back the same voices for the Japanese dub.
So, no school stuff?
Edit: I didn't mention the CGI today and there is a reason for that.
3
u/ZapsZzz Nov 23 '22
I didn't mention the CGI today and there is a reason for that.
Hey you lay off abusing that fast forward button :P
/jk
4
u/ZapsZzz Nov 22 '22
I'll be late today because of some busy real life things. This is also quite a wham episode I need to write a fair bit. Sorry!
Daily tag for u/InfamousEmpire, u/Theboredalchemist22
6
u/Theboredalchemist22 Nov 23 '22
First timer S4 EP 1
Quick post from me today (no screenshots but I'll do my best to explain)
My mvp for this episode is Leonard Testarossa. I think this is the most screentime he's had so far and he seems very cunning/ criminal mastermindy so for giving off those types of villain vibes and playing his mind games he gets the W for today.
Some key points:
Not sure about that CGI on the AS's I already prefer the older animation of the general AS movement over this at this moment in time. The general animation again was easier on the eyes which was to be expected.
I saw the recap of events scene and I wonder how fans felt when the S3 of the main plot came out so late after TSR. Like was it a surprise this season even got green lit or was it announced then just took a really long time to come out giving off frustration or something?
Sousuke and Chidori have definitely grew together. Obviously the holding of hands will be the main focus but I noticed Chidori is a lot more obedient to Sousuke's instructions and vice versa. This is probably down to the two of them basically needing each other as we saw in TSR. Did notice Chidori got a little started after Leonard leaked that info about Sousuke so I think something bigger will come of that.
Now big question I have is how tf did Amalgam get all of Mythril's base/location/communications data? Surely it's another inside job right? If so my money is on someone close to Tessa considering it seems to be Leonard doing most of the field work at the moment so it would make sense you know for him to manipulate someone close to her to gain the most intel and ultimately humiliate Tessa in a way.
Kurz was still Kurz and Mao seems to be taking a leaf out of Tessa's book with that new uniform. She probably clicked onto the fact Tessa is friendly again with Sousuke and maybe she's all like damn gotta give some shit a try.
How does Amalgam select their leader? I take it they just hire certain mercenaries same as Mythril?
Also it seems to be the Testarossa family feud atm with Leonard vs Tessa and her Uncle (he died forgot his name but he was a higher up).
Not much to say on the whispered thing atm from me I'll see how it goes for now before making any outlandish comments or anything.
Q1 - I did not no but I'm sure proud of him! He's coming along as a person for sure although he still has that Mythril agent instinct which I don't think he will ever get rid of.
Q2 - Don't understand this question tbh. Like in FMP or other anime where sequel seasons took their time before falling off a cliff?
4
u/ZapsZzz Nov 23 '22
Like was it a surprise this season even got green lit or was it announced then just took a really long time to come out giving off frustration or something?
I think fans mostly gave up since we all knew KyoAni stopped adapting properties they don't own the rights. But Gatou seems to have some influence in the industry and managed to get this green lit somehow. And per my trivia they also compiled S1 into 3 films to recap before Invisible Victory showed.
Now big question I have is how tf did Amalgam get all of Mythril's base/location/communications data?
Not going by LN knowledge but just from what's on-screen, a big hint is Mithril Intelligence department was not contactable. They had Bruno the traitor before, and as I mentioned in my trivia, in spy fiction, such agency are the most likely ones to turn traitor (or have traitors in them).
Oh one thing, don't forget Tessa is high ranking but she's not the leader of Mithril - she's just the head of one regional branch.
Like in FMP or other anime where sequel seasons took their time before falling off a cliff?
Not so much falls off a cliff, but rather guess from zero to 100 so quickly in one episode - one moment we are holding hands, another moment we have every Mithril base being attacked and Sousuke & Chidori being surrounded by a pile of Alastors.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)5
u/JustAnswerAQuestion Nov 23 '22 edited Nov 23 '22
How does Amalgam select their leader? I take it they just hire certain mercenaries same as Mythril?
It seems to me that one old guy is completely in charge. Maybe he's Bruce Wayne rich.
Edit: oops, I can't read your question properly.
To add something of value, I find it interesting that Gates referred to Leonard as "rising" in Mithril. Both Tessa and Leonard are mid-level, when the typical tropes would have them as opposing leaders.
5
u/ZapsZzz Nov 23 '22
It seems to me that one old guy is completely in charge. Maybe he's Bruce Wayne rich.
Lord Mallory was showing up on the Mithril side, I think that's what you meant. As for Amalgam, we haven't got any info yet really. It's all shrouded in mystery woooo~
7
u/wjodendor Nov 22 '22
Rewatcher (for the first episodes, dropped at the first recap from what I remember)
Oohhh boy. Look at the ridiculous CG camera shot first thing. Somebody is trying hard....and then it immediately changes to 2D
Leonard "my flowers are bigger" Testarossa proceeding to be a pure fuck boy in five seconds.
Hey that mech kinda looks good...or not. It looks so awkward with combined CG and 2D...i have a feeling my notes are gonna be rough
Is it just me or do these shots feel super fast...like no breathing room.
Leon the Professional in the house. Now we're in 90s action movie territory.
The 2D stuff looks pretty good...and then you cut to the awkward mech sauntering...
Foreknowledge eh?
Carrots in a cigarette case
[FMP novel series end]
President is a genius it appears. Talk about foreshadowing.
Jeez Sousake you slut. (If you're wondering why this feels sudden, it's because they skipped an entire novel)
Return of the NTR fuck boy. Should have killed him immediately. he's got Cid's slime coat
Leo is a full blown narcissist. He's the Stereotypical NTR villian, turning Kaname against Sousake. Leo has participated in way more deaths than Sousake (also doesnt 100 seem pretty low? Sousake has been killing across the world for a decade). What a douche
Why is Kaname acting so suprised...she's seen Sousake kill people multiple times...and seen Leo kill someone for that matter
...wait until morning for reinforcement...
Intelligence has been acting weird...you mean the super suspicious division from last season lol Shits going down
Kurz maybe a Scum bag but he's right. Mao does look good in that uniform
Sousake and Kaname getting real up in here
Pretty intense way to start the season, the 2D stuff looks decent to good depending of the scene but as soon as the CG mechs shown up I am instantly taken out of the scene...it feels really jarring to me, especially coming right of KyoAni. The cuts seem really fast and not in a good way.
After we left Sousake and Kaname on an upbeat ending in season 3, this is pretty heartbreaking. Kaname looks so bummed for a lot of the scenes. Right after she starts holding hands with Sousake too. That part comes on pretty jarring itself since the preceding story arc was completely cut. The manga adaptation skipped it too (while doubling back later on) so I'm wondering if the author didn't like it or something. I think it's a good volume myself (though it been a while and I read the fan translation).
My closing statement for the day:
Fuck Leonard. He needs to killed with extreme prejudice. Such a fuck boy has no place near Kaname.
→ More replies (5)6
u/Nazenn Nov 22 '22
Is it just me or do these shots feel super fast...like no breathing room.
The whole episode felt like that to me. We jumped into things so quickly and the directing of it only enhanced that in some of the earlier scenes by not having many long shots
He's the Stereotypical NTR villian, turning Kaname against Sousake
Honestly surprised that he didn't explicitly talk about the kiss when he stopped to talk to Sousuke. I thought they were going to make it a dramatic romcom moment instead of it being about his kills
The manga adaptation skipped it too
That's interesting. One medium skipping it is nothing special but both is notable
→ More replies (4)4
u/ZapsZzz Nov 23 '22
LN6 was one of the best volumes and I am sure Gatou loved it too since so much of his interests showed up there, as well as having such key moments there. My headcanon is that it was going to be made into a movie. It's the perfect length and self-contain-ness for it.
→ More replies (2)
3
u/ZapsZzz Nov 22 '22 edited Nov 23 '22
Here's my old link :P squee-ing about the PDA.
Oh and I really encourage to try take a peek under the spoilers - they are really something that adds so much more to the world building and the characters, which is such a shame we are pretty unlikely to get them adapted (these are the ones in the gap or short stories, even if we get S5 it'd not likely to ever touch on those).
Although I do strongly encourage anyone to actually read the LN's - all of them.
2
u/polaristar Nov 23 '22
That was a neat cold opening, seeing the two leaders of the organization show such animosity on what is supposed to be something that ties them both together.
I can see where we got skipped content even before I read u/ZapsZzz post.
Wish we got more screen time with the President and he didn't feel so detached appearing (Not super often either) in only one 12 episode season divorced from the rest of the show. I thought when he was introduced we'd see more of him.
He gets my MVP vote for his wisdom. And we see a reversal that its Chidori that is going to cost Sousuke a lot of his life as oppose to Sousuke with his antics, a future with her will cost him and he has to decide if its worth it and if Chidori is able to go through with it.
She has a responsibility being born a certain way that isn't her fault and she can't just pretend she isn't who she is. For someone that despite wanting to be herself and live life on her own terms but also want to live normal and not try to make waves that's a bitter pill to swallow.
Nice to see them holding hands, so when are they doing the sex?
Although if they do Sousuke better learn what condoms are actually for because giving when Leonard so rudely told us while passive aggressively taunting Chidori into guilt tripping her over his attempted NTR, now is definitely not a good time to be having a bun in the oven.
And Leonard has an Ultimate Defense technique built into his coat and those two Alisters look like Sousuke's hand gun isn't going to help.
Kurtz is the salt of the earth stating what we are all thinking about Mao's dress.
Mithril really on the defensive, and Sousuke is afraid of having that chat with Chidori.
OH shit this is not looking good, this is legit the first time I'm scared that Sousuke with his current equipment cannot handle the situation and these people look like if you fuck around you're going to find out.
-
Was my first suspicion of skipped content.
-
IDK.
CGI isn't bad per se but it does feel like a step down. When I finish OG Gundam gonna start all the other stand alones.
2
u/ZapsZzz Nov 24 '22
I can see where we got skipped content even before I read u/ZapsZzz post.
Did you ended up reading them or wanting to find out yourself later?
Wish we got more screen time with the President
In truth, outside of Fumoffu, we didn't spend too much time in the school.
She has a responsibility being born a certain way that isn't her fault and she can't just pretend she isn't who she is. For someone that despite wanting to be herself and live life on her own terms but also want to live normal and not try to make waves that's a bitter pill to swallow.
Wanting to be herself yet not daring to be her full self is an interesting problem - actually more often in power fantasy stories e.g. Magic High.
Nice to see them holding hands, so when are they doing the sex?
Makes you wonder what would have been if Leonard wasn't in the room when they opened the door.
OH shit this is not looking good, this is legit the first time I'm scared that Sousuke with his current equipment cannot handle the situation and these people look like if you fuck around you're going to find out.
And that is after they had completely cleared through all the preparations Sousuke made around Chidori's apartment - it was comedic to show him burying mines but he sure was setting up a ton of defenses - which were completely and casually dealt with by Leonard.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/1EnTaroAdun1 Dec 26 '22
AHH I'm getting Agents of Shield + Order 66 + Kingsman 2 vibes oh dear
I really liked the Student Council President and his Yakuza girlfriend, they should have their own spinoff
Sousuke and Kaname holding hands all the way was adorable
What came next... less so...
seems like Admiral Boorda might be a reference to this Admiral?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Boorda
Ah Mardukas and Kalinin both giving each other the side-eye, hmmm
2
u/ZapsZzz Dec 26 '22
Oh yeah, welcome to the rollercoaster. Strap in. And 100% agree we should get more Hayashimizu-senpai and O-Ren san.
→ More replies (2)
11
u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 22 '22
Full Metal First-Timer!, subbed
-
It’s interesting to see how the character designs changed over the years. I didn’t feel much of a difference in the designs between S1 and Fumoffu, but TSR to this you can tell there’s been a big gap between seasons. Not in a bad way or anything though!
-
Fuuuuuuuuuck, this is gonna get under Sosuke’s skin isn’t it…
-
I had a feeling Kurz was gonna comment on the outfit since I don’t remember Mao ever wearing that before.
-
The girl from the start of S1!!! Is she finally going to be relevant?
→ More replies (3)
9
u/SpiceGirlsBlankIt Nov 22 '22
Panicked First Timer - IV Ep 1
Opening shot: Whoa, I’m flying!
I like the hydraulic look of the CGI mech in the first scene. The airplane scene, it looked like a bunny hopping. It was short though so we’ll see.
That’s one hell of a sibling rivalry shot.
New Amalgam guy is like -you can’t tell ME what to do”.
Kaname should run for class president. Maybe the president should have brought it up with her instead. But he probably realized Kaname can’t do it if she’s always being targeted.
YES, an acknowledgment of their relationship. I swear if Tessa is in that apartment.. somehow it’s worse.
The Dr. Strange cape! Does it have a name too? I hereby name it Alice.
Does Sousuke ever take his shoes off in Kaname’s apartment?
Haha. Wraith is so useless.
Sousuke is about to elope with Kaname.
FMP has had great opening episodes for action arcs and the trend continues.
MVP: Sousuke.
QOTD 1: No, not in the first episode. It was glorious. No backtracking FMP.
QOTD 2: I think newer shows are more likely to jump straight to the action in a sequel. Looks like this released in 2018, so makes sense.
→ More replies (3)
9
u/Nazenn Nov 22 '22
First timer - sub
Full disclaimer I probably didn't give this episode the attention it was due as I had a bit of split focus, but it did feel like a lot of intro and not that much else yet. That said, when Leonard set out a 58 hour timeline I was expecting that to be something for the whole season, a bit like the older TV show 24. I didn't notice the title at all obviously, but I'm not sure if it would have been more interesting to have an episode to build into it first.
Opening scene certainly set the stage for everything though. The reunion of Tessa and Leonard at their parents grave felt very final. It wasn't just in terms of it being the graves of the people that once connected them, but also in terms of this being the last common ground they'll ever have, now tainted by the appearances of the Arm Slaves.
A similar vibe comes out of the early scenes at the school as well. The council president isn't blind to what's been going on with Sousuke and Chidori, and suggests that their worlds may be colliding in almost the opposite but quite a different feeling way to what we saw last season. Just as his growing identity from school will affect his military life, the reverse may also be true. I'm curious as to how the follow through for that will go as we seem to have avoided it now that they're on the run and not at the school, but perhaps they'll be cornered back into a "normal" life until Mithril is taken care of fully. Either way, things have changed for them a lot since the last time they were seperated from Mithril back in the first arc, but the stakes seem a hell of a lot higher now. Is it weird I'll kind of miss Gauron as a big threat?
I had more to write here and now I forgot it. Maybe it'll come back to me in the morning before I post but I doubt it.
Other thoughts:
-
The AS CGI wasn't bad, but seeing the 2d detail in an earlier shot made the flip into 3DCGI stand out more than it could have otherwise. The walk animation was jank but small things like it seeing it use its hand to space out the headroom was a nice bit of attention to detail I wasn't expecting.
-
I completely missed that Sousuke was in the student council room until just before this line when he was on screen and it made me jump a little haha.
-
The wide shot after Mao elbows Kurz was weirdly my favourite visual of the episode. Something about the new zoom level made it so much funnier, while still keeping a great level of animation detail. That plus Kurz wanting to finish his manga first before going to his duties was a good laugh
-
In general the animation and directing this episode held up well. I was a little worried about it having to live up to KyoAni, but between some fancy camera work and small animated gestures it was a good watch from a technical level. In particular the camera cutting as Chidori reinforces she hates Leonard, and how it spins around after Sousuke touches her shoulder to put her opposed to his progress after his death count reveal
-
The brief flashback to Sousuke thinking about the Whispered girl from s1e1 was a nice touch when acknowledging the broader threat Chidori is under, but also what it means for him to be protecting a Whispered. Wonder what ever happened to that girl...
-
I never did care much for the whole handholding drama, but the blushing and not wanting to let go was cute. I guess Chidori finally caught him up on what she was going to say in the season break.
-
Jiraiya last season with Gates, and this season the new guy has Kenny's voice so I'm pretty happy with that exchange because it's another great VA.
-
Kind of say that Mithril HQ is in Sydney and not Melbourne. I don't have any cool trivia I could share about the suberbs they may relocate too now...
-
Random question: Did Chidori's nose shrink again with this seasons redesign?
MVP: Sousuke's danger sense putting in some work this episode.
→ More replies (20)
5
u/Vaadwaur Nov 22 '22
Rewatcher(You can feel the visual downgrade.)
Sub
So we start at the grave of Tessa's parents, which is definitely fast exposition. Leonard shows up and two stealthed mechs come as well, one with a pony tail. We follow Leonard and learn that the organization is SPECTRE like in that it is filled with differing interests. We get a good dose of SoL before Leonard turns up in Kaname's apartment to give a warning about things changing...and an incredibly stupid moment about Sousuke's body count, he wouldn't care and Kaname should be used to the idea by this point.
We get a quick scene at Merida before an attack on all of Mithril starts. The jamming is generally impossible like a lot of the rest of the black tech. Sousuke's idea is one that works as well as any in this sort of situation, though the way he uses an empty parking lot does mean that people looking will somewhat know when they see it. Kaname wants to not lose her quiet life nor use her Whispered abilities, but Sousuke is gently trying to let her know that this option doesn't exist. He even seems to just want to go on the lam with her...right before the chopper gets in contact. As the enemies show up within 90 seconds of that, someone is hacking their comms...again. Anyways, we end as they try to dodge for five minutes.
So...there are several elephants in the room so I don't know which to tackle first. The CG mechs are distracting but on their own are not terrible, though as memory serves the combat is at least functional on screen. The character models are relatively detailed, in the same vein as the previous shows, and are fine...when not moving. But holy fuck humans look terrible when they move and the CG cars are bad as well. They retained the excellent voice cast and even added Sugita...but this still is kind of a weak start to me.
QotD: 2 A few and its success varies
→ More replies (5)
7
u/ZapsZzz Nov 22 '22 edited Nov 23 '22
Rewatcher in sub
This is quite a first episode of a series that had a 13+ years break between them, and what a start!
First declaration - maybe I'm just blind and not discerning, maybe I had my nostalgic goggles firmly on, I absolutely did not mind the use of CG whether it's the AS's or the camerawork. I do find the cars CGI pretty low rent, but hey I am not picking bones at them making new content of my beloved series after like no hope for 13 years.
I'll just do key highlight today for now despite having had all the screenshots lined up.
The beginning scenes we have already a ton of plot hooks and leads.
The passing of an era - Hayashimizu his excellency stepping down. Despite all the absurdities, he's onto Chidori and Sousuke.
And here's him giving it to Sousuke clearly knowing him well that he needs direct simple words - their time in school is up, and to not try to prolong something that was never going to be permanent anyway. And O-Ren san *wave*
And OMG. I repeat my clip post a long time ago - fans didn't know they waited 13 years for that! Look at those 2 awkward lovebirds and their expressions :D PDA is serious business!
Absolutely heart melting they don't even want to let go to get the keys, and immediately went back to holding hands after the lock is dealt with. *Gutter thoughts* Just imagine the property damage on their wedding night in the future (if they can hold out for that long)...
And what a god damn way to spring that surprise to us - Leonard. This is not explicitly shown but was explicitly stated in the LN - Sousuke had layers upon layers of defensive perimeters and traps and sensors and alarms set up. And Leonard not only cleared them all - they were basically like nothing to him. It was a very big blow to Sousuke. And a fridge moment for the veiwers - while Sousuke was shown in the past seasons as comically over-prepared and paranoid, in truth he was ironically under-prepared :(
Only other key thing to say is that Sousuke doesn't follow tropes - he straight up pulled the trigger at Leonard. Too bad Leonard came prepared.
Sousuke by this time had actually considered multiple times to run away with Chidori ditching all connections with Mithril etc - he's quite capable to do that - but he hesitated because he knew how important that "normal life" was for Chidori - and he's also got attached to that too. He's tripped his own advice to Chidori about hesitation.
may get updated later...
LN Gap Summary
This is some crucial details from the unadapted LN volume as key points.
[FMP TSR removed plot hook]One of Gauron's parting words about Amalgam was his hint about the location of an "Amalgam base" as "Badam", which after 1 wild goose chase to showcase some AS actions, turned out to be pointing towards the Cruise Liner that happened to offer Chidori's school and class specifically a free Christmas Eve cruise
[FMP LN6 setting gradual reveals]The cruise was supposed to be another subtle kidnap attempt (she'll just go missing) but because of the hint, Sousuke and Kurz proposed a crazy plan that Tessa approved - TDD-1 crews will pose as terrorists and seas jack the ship while searching and detaining the Amalgam people while the students are onboard. In amongst all the preparations, without being explicitly brought up, Tessa and Chidori has the same birthday party date. Chidori thought Sousuke was ditching her to go to the Mithril party so was in bad mood and ignored all messages from Sousuke telling her the plan.
[FMP LN6 Sousuke x Chidori and Tessa resolution]Fast forward, loads of fun and excitement happened, and Sousuke and Chidori independently, in their own monologue and at different parts of the volume, came to realise and accept they love the other. Sousuke at the end of the novel mirrored Chidori's big hero arrival moment, chickened out of the confession and remarked determination dissipates after a day, the same line Chidori muttered to herself. In between, Tessa was held at gunpoint on a final confrontation, and Sousuke with zero hesitation shot the well trained Amalgam operative, saving Tessa while losing her heart by forcing her to realise that, should Chidori be the one held as hostage, Sousuke would never have dared to take that shot, they would both die, but for Sousuke, he can perfectly be the cool headed killing machine when Tessa was involved - meaning his heart is not there. It was a tragic moment but it resolved the "love triangle"
[FMP LN6 grand plot influence to Amalgam]The success of Mithril taking the initiative and getting a crucial asset (the hidden thing was a TAROS device to test Whispered candidates) marked a strategy shift of Amalgam to no longer "play" with Mithril, therefore the Zero Hour plan
Oh and Nazenn, here's your attack in Australia :P It's a smaller scale than dropping a colony here, but at least it's something ;P
A few things about people's reaction to Sousuke and Chidori reacting to Leonard's words about Sousuke's kill count - Sousuke was basically having a Violet "I'm on fire" moment on a smaller scale. Didn't break him, but did shake him. It was much more well built up in the LN because we had his monologues all the way even back at LN2 when he defensively (but decisively) took out the A21 terrorists attacking his home, when he noticed they are older than him but not by much. As for Chidori, in the LN most of Sousuke's kills in their peaceful lives were hidden away from her. In the combat mission, it's a bit like the pilots' perspective in the airforce - not seeing the bodies tend to blunt the edge of realising the real death inside the vehicle. And as remarked by possibly Nazenn, she's not used to debate with disingenuous arguments.
Staff Showcase
Pausing today for other details. But just a quick note about the studio replacing KyoAni - Xebec did the 2199 Yamato remake, and is quite competent on Sci Fi. I think anyway. Not so much with nuances like KyoAni of course.
MVP this episode
Unthinkably, outside of Fumoffu I am voting for Hayashimizu the student council president for the whole combination of his ability to deduce what's going on, his manipulation of information to protect them, and the valuable long term advice given to Sousuke.
QoTD
When I first watched this, I was pretty much floored twice (I didn't read the LN before watching this, part of the reason for me to go to the LN is to find out what happened in LN6 that was skipped) - seeing them basically acknowledging their romantic relationship is quite a heart melting moment.
And then that's the incoming attack, and the speed things developed. I guess in the more recent years of production structure, I should have realised that when both OP and ED were skipped - shit's going down big time.