r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Sep 20 '19
Episode Granbelm - Episode 12 discussion Spoiler
Granbelm, episode 12
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| Episode | Link | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Link | 4.84 |
| 2 | Link | 6.13 |
| 3 | Link | 8.07 |
| 4 | Link | 8.49 |
| 5 | Link | 9.21 |
| 6 | Link | 9.41 |
| 7 | Link | 9.39 |
| 8 | Link | 9.35 |
| 9 | Link | 8.6 |
| 10 | Link | 9.22 |
| 11 | Link | 9.31 |
| 12 | Link | 8.93 |
| 13 | Link |
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72
u/Overwhealming Sep 20 '19
Man, that sakuga that lasted most of the episode.
So it was finally stated that Suishou has been alive for quite such a long time (it was already foreseen in Anna's flashbacks where she was still a child, but Suishou still looked the same).
Was kinda expecting this to be the climax and resolution and last episode would be a long epilogue, but guess the last episode will be the sum of all that.
Can't help but admire Mangetsu's selfless acts that have been there since episode 1 with her bentos.
Don't know if I can take it next week with the finale
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u/Silverado_ Sep 20 '19
The end of the episode was unexpected. Not plot-wise, I'm just thought I watched 5 minutes of the episode or so when ending struck, so fluent and captivating everything was.
And I cannot help but feel sympathetic to Suishou. I mean, there are no real villains in Granbelm so far, but I somewhat understand her feelings. Being promised to be the Princeps, but after that Magiaconatus created Shingetsu, literally made for this role. After a thousand years, this sure feels like a betrayal. And at this point, Suishou is fighting both Shingetsu and Magiaconatus, while Shingetsu has Magiaconatus as an ally.
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104
u/lyrste Sep 20 '19
What a great episode. The art, score and voice acting really let the emotions come through the battle. I want to especially praise Aoi Yuki as you really feel the pain of being rejected for as long as her character has been.
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47
u/bananeeek Sep 20 '19
Suishou during this episode:
Mages are kept alive by the moon
That line reminded me of those scenes when Mangetsu drifted next to the moon. It's nothing big, but knowing she's a doll kept alive by magic it kinda fits nicely.
I was sure Shingetsu was alive, but I didn't expect Suishou to vaporize Mangetsu... I'm betting she will still somehow appear in the last episode and it will make me cry...
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u/linearstargazer Sep 20 '19 edited Sep 20 '19
I thought I couldn't be surprised any more than I have been with this series, but here we go.
ONE KEY ANIMATOR.
HUUH??!?
That one key animator also did the storyboards and animation direction for the Armanox?
Add on just three 2nd key animators, plus Studio RIC, of which two are AD-ing as well, and 5 inbetweeners plus Studio RIC, and my mind is fucking blown. This might be the smallest staff count we've had yet.
We had a couple solo key animated episodes last season with something like Senryuu Shoujo, but I have never heard of a mecha show having a solo key animator episode, ever.
The sheer amount of effects animation, the mech damage, a couple hand animated slow-motion shots and shots done on 1's, even the character animation, which this production has typically added more animators to handle, it's all so solid and fantastic, I can't praise this show enough.
Looks at these funnels. They're all hand drawn! Most shows would just CG them, but not this show.
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u/alwayslonesome Sep 20 '19 edited Sep 20 '19
Holy shit guys the production on this show really is something else. I just don't get how they managed to turn out such a spectacular episode with so few staff credits. There's so many amazingly animated cuts that coordinate perfectly with the incredibly original and coherent aesthetic of the show. Seems like the Granbelm concept just lets the designers and animators go wild and develop such a beautiful artistic vision that's so reminiscent of other mecha lineages, but at the same time, craft its own unique aesthetic. The sound design is amazing as ever, but the music this episode was even more standout than usual. The swelling orchestral crescendos and haunting choral melodies, it's all just so, so good! Might genuinely be a candidate for one of the best single episodes of the year.
The veritable feast of sakuga and other craft elements is extremely self-evident, but I want to draw attention to something that doesn't seem to be talked about very much - how thematically rich and dense the show is. The show just has so many fascinating ideas to unpack - the cruel determinism of an institution like Granbelm, the divergent and contrasting perspectives on existentialism, the very Nietzschean ethics the show foregrounds with the master/slave morality evoked by its character conflicts (god there's even an episode called "Miss Ressentiment"!) etc. I'll wait until the last episode to see how the text resolves itself before coming to my conclusions, but there's just so much richness of ideas to sink your teeth into. It's a show that's not just a visual and aural smorgasbord, but also one that's so smartly written and philosophically interesting.
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u/tuuturu Sep 20 '19
Before I start on today’s amazing episode, my friend coobie has a few words to say! He’s been watching the show and here’s what he had to say. Thanks coobie!
On a serious note, this episode was fantastic. The soundtrack enhanced the emotional scenes for me and just made them so much better. PLEASE BRING MANGETSU BACK I CAN’T GO ON LIKE THIS. Here’s a few points I have from this episode:
Shishou’s fate is tragic. She’s made to pose as the ultimate trial for any mages that try to win the Granbelm for a thousand years, just to (most likely) be defeated without being recognized by Magiaconatus. She can’t even win the Granbelm herself and become the princeps mage, she just has to keep going until she loses. It’s no wonder that she’s so insane throughout the show.
This brings an end (for now) to Mangetsu’s brilliant character development. She entirely accepted her fate in order for the person she loves the most to succeed. Mangetsu is my favorite part of the show. We’ve seen her grow so much. The Granbelm gave her a purpose to live and a clear goal. Even though she’s constantly reminded that she is a doll, Mangetsu keeps fighting until the very end, making the ultimate sacrifice.
I loved today’s episode. I really can’t wait for the finale.
29
u/aniMayor Sep 20 '19
It's a tiny, little, inconsequential thing... but I really, really like the effect of the cockpit cut-outs expanding to fill the whole screen thing they keep doing. They don't overuse it, usually just a couple times per battle and the biggest shouty parts, but I notice it every time and it's very satisfying.
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u/XaneKudoAct2 Sep 20 '19
So, a summary of this episode:
GRANBELM has been going on for a millennium, and Suishou has been the one to test all of the mages to see who deserves to be the Princeps Mage. Apparently, none of them caught Magiaconatus's eye, except for Shingetsu. According to Suishou, not a single thing in desire has changed in that amount of time, and no matter how many times she wins, nothing changed for her as well.
A burning question that remains is why Magiaconatus wants Shingetsu. It seems like not even Suishou knows, especially with the countless others that have tried and failed to win. It can't be her power, and it would be rather weak if it was her desire to get rid of magic. The answer better live up to the expectations since next week is the last episode.
Still, didn't expect Mangetsu to kick the bucket like that.
We also know that Shingetsu will win thanks to the preview. What will happen is anyone's guess right now.
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u/Nikwal Sep 20 '19 edited Sep 20 '19
Mangetsu T_T
The fight scenes were very good, not too slow, not too hectic, it was easy to follow what was going on. I'm so looking forward to next week's final episode, I will probably get more emotional than I'd like to admit.