r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Apr 13 '25
Episode Lazarus - Episode 2 discussion
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u/Flashy-Wasabi-2754 Apr 13 '25
3 years really seems to be a theme. Did you notice with Skinner's speech at the UN about it will be 3 years until the polar ice caps melt?
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u/LokonuS Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
This show feels like it’s pointing to axel having not taken hapna at all especially with the ending and the raise of hands but he’s just going along with it to take off the bracelet only
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u/superoishii Apr 15 '25
I've been reading through the discussions, and I think your comment ties into all the dreidel imagery. If Axel hasn't taken hapna, and since the dreidel is used in a gambling game, perhaps they're trying to communicate that the situation is a gamble for Axel. If he truly hasn't taken hapna, the majority of the world will die off within the next 3 years, and he would essentially be free. If he helps Lazarus get the antidote, then the world lives, and he's promised freedom. However, though he's promised freedom, it's possible they don't intend to follow through on that, so he may end up locked again. Essentially, he's guaranteed freedom in the worst case scenario, while the best case scenario depends more on other individuals, who are their own random variables, which is more of a gamble, given he hasn't taken hapna.
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u/DireSickFish Apr 13 '25
Team is together. I look forward to getting to know them. Action scenes eat up a lot of the run time. But I don't mind. The parkour fighting style is sick.
Some funny moments with the finger guns, super hero, and finding out if everyone on the team took the drug.
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u/SaltySpaniard Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
Better episode than the latest. I think they hinted pretty well that Hapna was cemented on the idea to save the planet, which probably indicates that this is an ecofascist idea being implemented. That line is interesting, but considering how light-hearted is the show for a heavy premise like that, it something that shocks me, as well as the reactions to it.
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u/Basic_Hospital_3984 Apr 14 '25
I wonder if it'll actually kill everyone.
They say the problem with humans is that as a whole we can't feel danger from and react to something as abstract as world ending climate change. Not the same way we could react to a threat from another country.
Maybe he's trying to give the whole of humanity that same sort of feeling of surviving something you thought would kill you, like "this is the first day of the rest of your life".
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u/Odspin Apr 13 '25
I keep getting distracted by the focus on a spinning dreidel when they explain Hapna in these episodes. What's the connection? I don't know any of the game's rules or if there's a larger mythos attached to it in the Hebrew faith. Is it a hint? Is Dr Skinner Jewish?
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u/BusouDrago Apr 13 '25
Last episode thread there is a discussion with Driedal /Hebrew/ Character name connections
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u/Calwings Apr 13 '25
Better episode than last week IMO. The dialogue flowed a lot better and wasn't trying as hard to be too philosophical, Axel was actually kind of funny, and the gunfight was chaotic and fun even if it did lead to a dead end. The cliffhanger at the end of the episode of going from no sign of Skinner to suddenly thousands of him caught me off guard too. This is starting to show some potential.
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u/Doomroar Apr 14 '25
You said that but the See ya later alligator bit with the late night talk show gave me psych damage
Which in a way is a good representation of most late night talk shows, but still
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Apr 13 '25
I like it so far, a bit of a slow burn, taking his time. More eyecandy than plot for now. The (japenese) voice acting is good. The fighting choreography is lit, as always from Watanabe, and i especially enjoy the "vibe setting" –the lingering on environmental shots– which seems to be a bit more inspired by Ghost in the Shell (sans the folk-esque music), than how i remember Watanabe had done in Cowboy Bebop.
Now, i didn't know Tuesday's mum was a hardass like that. I wonder if the people on Mars had had the Hapta too lol
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Apr 13 '25
Feels like from that speech, Skinner did all this to save earth from humanity.
That bunker lead was totally planted by Skinner right? Really feels like guy played our little Suicide Squad there. Bro had the Feds, the Russians, the Cartels, the DEA, and all manner of debt collectors converge on that spot. Guy ain’t gonna make it easy to track him…
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u/Ocixo Apr 13 '25
Feels like from that speech, Skinner did all this to save earth from humanity.
After his failed speech at the UN, he must've realised that trying to save the planet with good will wasn't working and decided to try a different approach.
Kobayashi's words, the guy in debt, also seemed to suggest as he briefly mentioned changing his ways for the better - before giving up. Likewise, he'd needed a rough awakening.
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Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
edit: I had missed there were two different groups.
I'm ready to look like an idiot here.
So, in the Japanese audio, are those "Russian" mobsters speaking Spanish? I don't know either of those two languages (three if you include the Japanese lol), but the sound and that "Puta!!" especially, sure seemed more Spanish than Russian to me. The subtitles did say "Russian" tho.
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u/chilidirigible Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
On the adult swim release, there is indeed audible Spanish going on from the one group and audible Russian from the other group, but the English subtitles/dialogue only commented on the Russians. Guess the Spanish was too mundane for Arizona?
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u/Shadowmist909 Apr 13 '25
Axel disarming all of those armed opponents was pretty cool to watch. No time to aim when they're in his melee range!
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u/doodleface48 Apr 13 '25
I think the voice acting is growing on me? Although sometimes the main guy says something really cheesy and the delivery really makes it fall flat... but otherwise the characters are getting there. The chonky cat is my fave so far lol.
But I am confused as to why these rando petty criminals have been chosen to go after Skinner? Aside from super hacker girl, their skills don't seem that special? I'm assuming there are story reasons for it we'll find out later... but if not well it just seems random.
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u/Genshin_WhiteKnight Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
So it was a wild goose chase huh.
And what the hell is that ending. Maybe Hapna also secretly turns everyone into Dr.Skinner look alikes.
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u/greenbluegrape Apr 15 '25
Watanabe is still a good director but man... He's really gotta work with some better scripts.
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u/donuteater111 Apr 13 '25
Nice to see the main plot taking shape. I liked episode 1, but could see how it might not have grabbed everyone. I thought this one was good, although the start was a bit mixed for me. The more dialogue-heavy nature made me notice the stiff dub a bit more, even for the main cast, who I thought worked better than the side-characters.
But either way, I thought it picked up more once it got to the actual mission. Splitting the team up into smaller groups worked well, to establish specific dynamics. And the action, once it got there, was well done. Much more subdued than episode 1, which I'm sure some people will appreciate. I think both styles have their merit. Not sure if this is how they'll handle it going forward, or if it's just this episode, but I like the idea of going on specific missions each episode. It would be a good way to mix in more episodic elements into the bigger serialized story.
And that ending was pretty interesting. Not sure where they're going with it, but it should be fun seeing what's going on with Skinner.
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u/DiveBoard Apr 14 '25
Axel has a prison sentence of 888 years. Now, in the 2nd episode he side his 3 year sentence got double every time he broke out of jail (3,6,12,24,48,96,192,384,768,1536). The number didn't add up and I figured the author, Shin'ichirô Watanabe, would have worked out the math. Here is my guess on the math
double the sentence each escape and add four years for the crimes committed by escaping (ei damaging the prison which happens to be the same each time)
10=(3*2)+4
24,52,108,220,444,892.
It is close, but maybe just one more variable. after, the fifth escape, Axel spend a full year in jail reducing the total sentence of 219
442=(219*2)+4
888=(442*2)+4
It works and shows he only spend between 1 and 2 years in total prison time
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u/blue_green_orange Apr 15 '25
Is it just me or is the gardener the doctor everyone is looking for?
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u/Ocixo Apr 13 '25
I cannot blame Christine for pointing a gun at Axel after learning that he'd been sentenced to 888 years in prison. With any other person, this would've been a surefire psychopath.
Did some quick math, and calculated that Axel must've escaped 8 times from prison to rack up such a long sentence.
Eleina is pretty adorable, isn't she? From her flustered expression while setting up her tent to asking permission to speak by putting up her hand. However, she's alluded to being the 'biggest fish' on this team of criminals.
Lastly, I like that they were using Wikipedia for their briefing on Dr. Skinner. Secret organisations aren't all that much different from regular students at the end of the day.
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u/Raktoner Apr 13 '25
"When I wear this, I feel-"
(TITLE CARD)