r/anime • u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ • 4d ago
Rewatch Simoun 20th Anniversary Rewatch Episode 13
Simoun Episode 13: Reason
"Apparently, a lot of things are better if you like your pair."
<- Episode 12 | Index Thread | Episode 14 ->
Today's Eyecatch: Aer and Neviril | Amuria
Discussion Prompts
- Q1: We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
- Q2: Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
- Q3: Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
- Q4: Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
- Q5: What is Dominura up to?
Tomorrow's Questions, Today!
- [ep 14 Q1:] What happened to Sibylla Amuria?
- [ep 14 Q2:] Are simoun machines, or divine?
- [ep 14 Q3:] What do you make of Dominura's reaction to the helix?
Trivia: The unusual character designs are by Asako Nishida, who was also the Chief Animation Director.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 4d ago edited 4d ago
Rewatch Host and First Rewatcher
I'm reminded of Life is Strange: a video game about teenage girls in Oregon written by middle-aged French men in Paris.
- recap
- JUST KISS AND MAKE UP ALREADY IT'S THAT TYPE OF SHOW
- Wait, that's Ro cleaning the kitchen too!
- Oh, geez, Aer DON'T SAY IT
- Somehow I think after yesterday's foreshadowing, Aer and Neviril aren't going to be able to pray to the gem....
- recap
- somebody just had their yuri awakening (it wasn't Aer)
- "this place is just full of old memories" JFC Aer
- Maybe it was Aer
I thought Floe was going to talk/slap some sense into Aer but everything is kissy-kissy with her.
Chor Tempest has definitely been avoiding dealing with Aumuria's death. Her shadow looms large.
Having a machine that can objectively read your innermost feelings would be useful. Or terrifying.
"How can you be so confident?" Amuria was confident, and look at what happened to her?
Rewatch comments:
You thought Aer was terrible, yesterday, and she doubles down today!
Also to quote somebody from yesterday: "why is there a ladder there!"
I think Neviril is as confused about how the Simoun gems work as /u/LittleIslander
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u/The_Draigg 4d ago
I'm reminded of Life is Strange: a video game about teenage girls in Oregon written by middle-aged French men in Paris.
Which one of Chor Tempest would shill Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within?
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee 4d ago
My gut says Morinas, but I don't know why.
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u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander 3d ago
Surely Morinas would be a mechahead. Spends all her money on Gunpla. Plus love all those old 80s OVAs with the elaborate technology designs and animations.
Roatre and Floe would be complete normies. Aer doesn't watch anything or play games. Yun's a book reader and hates all movie adaptations. Kaim is probably big into fanfiction. Dominura is trying to find out what this "Roblox" thing Rimone is addicted to is.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
I'm reminded of Life is Strange: a video game about teenage girls in Oregon written by middle-aged French men in Paris.
[Life is Strange spoilers] I can already tell that Aaeru is going to be the Chloe in this comparison from how badly she's acting.
"this place is just full of old memories" JFC Aer
Aaeru really chose the absolute wrong words to use with Neviril, someone who is still mourning the loss of a loved one.
I thought Floe was going to talk/slap some sense into Aer but everything is kissy-kissy with her.
Floe just enjoys kissing others so much. She's a kissing maniac!
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
Floe does seem like the type to catch feelings easily, but possibly also to move on pretty easily. We know she and Wapourif were lovers in the past, but Floe doesn't exactly seem all that hung up on it either.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 4d ago
Well this episode was again written by noted woman Mari Okada who just can't not have characters act bizarre in general
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 3d ago
I'm reminded of Life is Strange
Did you know that the emotional impact this game had on me made me go to Canada?
I only didn't go to Oregon because the Imperial system scared me and I need the warm embrace of the Kilometer. Only to realise that Canadian groceries are packed in absolutely weird gram sizes because they import from/produce for a lot of the American market that requires their expected packaging sizes. So, they just reprint the Canadion packaging with the appropriately converted gram weight.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 3d ago
I grew up with a lot of milk sold in 3.78 L containers.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago edited 4d ago
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Simoun: Aaeru is the dumbest girlfriend on the planet.
Wait, did Dominura expect the Simoun to fail because of Kaimu and Alti’s bad compatibility? Was she just trying to prove that was possible? She really did set them up like that on purpose!
How funny that Llimone just straight up said she was abandoning Floe to her fate.
Leave it to Aaeru to only begin to investigate what the Emerald Ri Maajon is about 10 episodes after she first heard about it.
I don’t like that look in Aaeru’s eyes. She’s about to say something stupid to Neviril like “I know you couldn’t do the Emerald Ri Maajon with Amuria, but don’t worry because I can do it with you.”
Mamiina really does seem happier getting to work aboard the Messis.
Goddammit, I was right! Aaeru, why the fuck would you say that to Neviril!?!
It makes perfect sense that Floe would be the one to try and explain Neviril and Amuria’s relationship to Aaeru and why Aaeru royally screwed up. Floe is a very flirtatious person who seems obsessed with romance, after all.
Of course Aaeru seemingly doesn’t understand the meaning of a kiss beyond that it starts up a Simoun, so Floe’s attempt to kiss Aaeru to get a point across was doomed to failure.
Congratulations to Aaeru for bringing back all of Neviril’s trauma in one fell swoop.
Aaeru passing on something she just heard like sage wisdom is too real.
Dominura is right about the Holy Land’s leadership being too shortsighted to run the war effectively. The question is what she plans to do about it.
Limone is so adorably precious, kissing Dominura to see if she like-likes her.
Aaeru really loves entering in through the window.
Now Aaeru is trying the kissing strategy to see if she has a like-like reaction with Neviril.
I don’t blame Pariaetta for kicking Aaeru out of Neviril’s room, especially with how upset Neviril was at her.
Amuria’s death is a painful memory for all the old members of Chor Tempest who knew her. It seems like everyone was avoiding talking about her for that reason.
Floe’s sewing skills leave a lot to be desired, but it did lead to a cute moment with all of the Chor Tempest girls laughing about it. And Rodore’s okay with it, so no harm done.
I can’t blame Dominura for being sick of the top brass and deciding to attack the enemy air ship on her own initiative. The Holy Land’s leadership hasn’t exactly been competent.
Dominura really is just trying to cause drama. She knows that Neviril and Aaeru are not on good terms right now, but is determined to send them up anyway.
“She’s obsessed with me! She wants me so bad!” -Aaeru taking the absolute wrong takeaway from the fact that she and Neviril can still fly a Simoun together.
Of course it absolutely did not go how Aaeru thought because now Neviril is scared of her.
Aaeru is quite self-centered in how she approaches Neviril in this episode. Quite frankly, Aaeru seems to be far more brash and stupid than she normally is. Aaeru doesn’t even consider the consequences of bringing up Amuria’s death to Neviril and then directly stating that she thinks she can do better than Amuria with Neviril because she thinks they can actually successfully do the Emerald Ri Maajon. That’s a great thing to say about the Ri Maajon that killed Amuria, an event that’s obviously still traumatizing for Neviril to think about. Aaeru was so tactless in this episode that it downright shocked me she could ever behave this way.
It’s no wonder that Neviril was frightened of Aaeru at the end of this episode. Aaeru completely bulldozed over Neviril, dead set on achieving her own goals without ever really thinking about what effect she was having on Neviril. Neviril doesn’t want to do an Emerald Ri Maajon and currently doesn’t want to fly with Aaeru, but was forced to do both. Additionally, Aaeru seems pretty determined to show she’s better than Amuria, who Neviril is still in love with. It is frightening just how much Aaeru is willing to disregard Neviril’s feelings.
The Messi has definitely allowed for a lot of messy emotions to come to the forefront. The girls are in a new environment that has thrown them out of their usual element. They are now sharing a room, which means that the physical barriers between them when they had separate rooms are gone. Naturally, this also means that emotional barriers are weakened. But it’s more than just the new environment. Dominura seems to be deliberately engineering situations that spark this drama. I think she wants all this drama to happen within Chor Tempest, though I’m not sure why.
QOTD
1) So far I’m enjoying it.
2) Very self-centered. Neviril even said that Aaeru had a reflection of herself that never ages in her eyes, not Neviril. Aaeru is more attracted to the idea of not having to grow up than she is to being Neviril’s partner.
3) She already is.
4) Aaeru is clearly the other prominent character of the series, so her and Neviril will end up together.
5) Dominura wants to win the war, but she’s going about it in such a strange war. It seems like she’s deliberately sowing discord within Chor Tempest with all her orders. Maybe she’s hoping the chaos will get everyone’s baggage out in the open, forcing them all to come to terms with it. Maybe she’s experimenting to find out who works best with who to make optimal pairings. Maybe she’s trying to learn more about how the Simouns work by changing who is piloting them. For right now, all I can do is guess at her motives.
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u/The_Draigg 4d ago
Cute Floe pouting and even sticking out her tongue!
Someone on the staff really had fun animating Floe for this episode, she gets all of the wackiest expressions in it.
I don’t like that look in Aaeru’s eyes. She’s about to say something stupid to Neviril like “I know you couldn’t do the Emerald Ri Maajon with Amuria, but don’t worry because I can do it with you.”
If only she just left it at that...
“She’s obsessed with me! She wants me so bad!” -Aaeru taking the absolute wrong takeaway from the fact that she and Neviril can still fly a Simoun together.
Hey now, at least Gigi understands romance better than Aaeru. All of those Omegaverse and yaoi fanfics have imparted her with that knowledge.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
Someone on the staff really had fun animating Floe for this episode, she gets all of the wackiest expressions in it.
Floe really is delightful this episode with all those fantastic expressions.
Hey now, at least Gigi understands romance better than Aaeru. All of those Omegaverse and yaoi fanfics have imparted her with that knowledge.
Gigi would definitely be better prepared to handle something like a yuri anime and all its tropes than Aaeru currently is.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 4d ago
Dominura seems to be deliberately engineering situations that spark this drama. I think she wants all this drama to happen within Chor Tempest, though I’m not sure why.
I'm thinking the same, but she also has ulterior motives beyond that I think. Her main reason I believe is to solve choir Tempest's disarray and make them into capable and dependable priestesses. In the long term, she's smart to try to solve all the issues kinda naturally by pitting the problematic parts against each other in situations where they have to solve it in order to succeed.
But her style is so forceful and disregards actual acute stressors like Neviril's deep trauma, that I have a hard time calling it useful, much less "right". She does cause a lot of friction this way that has the real chance of irrecoverably blowing up the entire group.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
When Dominura was talking to her shadowy overlords in the capital, they did seem concerned that Chor Tempest wouldn't be as strong as hoped. They also seemed to want to switch to a "Plan B," which Dominura opposed by saying that Chor Tempest still had great potential. The interpersonal problems were a major factor holding back Chor Tempest. Perhaps Dominura's goal is to strengthen the overall strength of Chor Tempest by forcing all these people to be with each other and hopefully work out their problems. Of course, if that is her goal, I don't think this is a particularly effective method of trying to achieve it.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago
Aaeru passing on something she just heard like sage wisdom is too real.
She's just like me frfr /j
Dominura is right about the Holy Land’s leadership being too shortsighted to run the war effectively. The question is what she plans to do about it.
I'm hoping for a coup, personally
Aaeru really loves entering in through the window.
Look, that's how you capture the ladies' hearts. I've done my movie watching research!
she can do better than Amuria with Neviril because she thinks they can actually successfully do the Emerald Ri Maajon. That’s a great thing to say about the Ri Maajon that killed Amuria
Maybe the successful Emerald Ri Maajon will be even better at killing Aaeru than it was at killing Amuria
It’s no wonder that Neviril was frightened of Aaeru at the end of this episode.
I do wonder about that. Not that Neviril is not scared, but there's a lot of different kinds of scared and we can be at least relatively confident that it's not an rejective kind of fear after last episode. Depending on how the Simoun work exactly, potentially not even an outright apprehensive kind of fear.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
Considering how effective the leadership of the Holy Land has been (meaning not very effective at all), I would support a coup.
Look, that's how you capture the ladies' hearts. I've done my movie watching research!
Maybe the successful Emerald Ri Maajon will be even better at killing Aaeru than it was at killing Amuria
Aaeru will prove that she's even better at dying than Amuria ever was! That'll be the definitive proof that she's a better partner for Neviril than Amuria!
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u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander 4d ago edited 4d ago
First Time Sibylla
The past several episodes, I’d been begging the show to dig back into the character stuff instead of delivering generic military plots week after week. Careful what you wish for…
Am I supposed to think Aer is a sociopath? She seems utterly incapable of grasping the concept that Neviril has trauma. She has no respect for her privacy. She is completely unphased by the fact Neviril has a negative reaction to her advances. Her response to Neviril trying to draw a hard line of piloting with her is to go “okay, but I want to pilot with you”. There isn’t one scene here where Aer makes any attempt to self-reflect, or shows the barest hint of remorse for hurting Neviril’s feelings.
The episode is so overt at making her unlikeable that I’m not sure what to make of it. Clearly, the script is not completely unaware, given Neviril and Paraietta’s reactions. We end the episode with the line that Neviril is afraid of Aer, outright. But on the other hand, we learn that Neviril really does want her, not to mention the other girls going “we weren’t willing to confront Amuria’s death” as if Aer has done them some favor in finally breaching the topic. Given the overall framing of the show that I’m meant to want Aer and Neviril to pair, I’m just not confident “I fucking hate Aer and wish Neviril could get out of this toxic relationship” is where it wants my head to at.
Incidentally, I actually don’t hate the idea that Neviril on the surface can’t move forward as a pair because of Amuria, but deep down does want to fly with Aer and do the Emerald Ri-Majon for real? That’s a good conflict for her, the human heart in conflict with itself. It’s just, it doesn’t have room to work when seeing her resolve that would feel like rewarding Aer’s garbage behaviour.
…I guess at least Aer’s bullshit from last episode was in-character? Apparently she genuinely cannot empathise with someone’s trauma, so of course she’d just say to stop blaming each other and work things out. Frankly, it paints Aer’s refusal to take no for an answer back on Arcus Prima in a really different light too.
Unfortunately, I am not much more optimistic about any of the B-plots. We tease the idea of romance surrounding Rimone and Dominura which, barf. You motherfuckers better not go there. Mamina has a brief interaction where she thinks about how she may be happiest cleaning and cooking… this reinforces a sense of class fundamentalism that’s somewhat troubling, but it could make sense on an individual level. But mostly, it just feels like further defanging her character? First she was overflowing with desperation to rise through the system, then it was reframed to mere personal ambition, and now we seem to stripping away her character beyond “the one who does chores” completely.
Then there’s her pair Yun, who seems to have been introduced exclusively to sit around and read that damn book. She’s now been around for more episodes than she wasn’t and has amounted to absolutely nothing at all. If anything, shouldn’t she be relevant to this script given the weight of death is her entire thing? I’m beginning to think she’s literally just here to give us an even twelve people for flying six Simouns.
Finally… what even is Paraietta anymore? She resolved her feelings with Neviril ages ago, which seemed like it was primed to see her transition into the Kaim plotline. But if she gives a single flying fuck about anything going on with Kaim, she has not shown it. Dominura has basically taken over her leadership role, and it’s not like we’ve given her any new conflicts to work with. So she’s basically just Neviril’s lapdog? Out of the gate, she was quickly my favourite and the character I was most interested in. But I’m losing interest fast, not that the rest of the cast is exactly giving her staunch competition.
Many people seem to get either excited or worried when they hear Okada’s name, but I don’t really have a clear read on her honestly? I like Toradora, and Hourou Musuko is a huge point in her favour. But on the other hand you’ve got O Maidens, which starts alright and then goes into a nonstop freefall of quality for the rest of its run. Then there’s Maquia, which contains both greatness and horrible writing choices I hate. So, really her entrance to the show was a complete gamble… and so far it’s mostly succeeded in dealing immense psychic damage.
Q1: We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
Not very high, frankly. It set up a fascinating premise and has thusfar used it mostly for a mixture of utterly generic military plots and maddeningly bad character writing. There's still time but I can see myself scoring this very low.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
There isn’t one scene here where Aer makes any attempt to self-reflect, or shows the barest hint of remorse for hurting Neviril’s feelings.
Neviril did say in a previous episode that she didn't see herself reflected in Aaeru's eyes. Instead, Aaeru's eyes showed a reflection of a young Aaeru that never aged. In other words, Aaeru wasn't really looking at Neviril and was more focused on her own self-centered goal of not becoming an adult. Here we're seeing the absolute worst of that self-centeredness and how Aaeru isn't really properly looking at Neviril to consider her feelings at all.
But on the other hand you’ve got O Maidens, which starts alright and then goes into a nonstop freefall of quality for the rest of its run.
[O Maidens] I really, really, really hate the direction the series went with Niina's character. Her decision to go after Izumi and take him from Kazusa felt like it went against what I loved about her character. Especially when one one Niina's best earlier scenes was her frustration at how other girls always assumed she was trying to steal the boy they liked when she was just talking to a guy.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 4d ago
Maybe I should rewatch that series and see if I might not dislike it too this time
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u/IndependentMacaroon 4d ago
I don’t really have a clear read on her honestly?
Basically she needs something to hold her back like adapting from existing source material
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 3d ago
Am I supposed to think Aer is a sociopath?
I said that before you all got on the train!
But on the other hand, we learn that Neviril really does want her, not to mention the other girls going “we weren’t willing to confront Amuria’s death” as if Aer has done them some favor in finally breaching the topic.
This is what I take most issue with. It's framed as if Aaeru's methods are good and necessary to move forward. And while the reactions to her are as expected and rightfully angry, the show doesn't really care to even hint at another way.
Sure, let drama be drama and people do heinous shit because they're inexperienced or hurt, but someone at leads needs to call out an alternative. Because as it stands the show is telling us that this would be better than leaving the topic be and frankly, I disagree.
Unfortunately, I am not much more optimistic about any of the B-plots.
Hey, Rodore x Mamiina is still here and delivering!
I see your take on her character in the class-system, though. I thought that Aaeru also has potential for that, but, uhm, well. So far I'm still optimistic about Mamiina just valuing her background and not being 'content in a lower standard'. If you step back a little, she is still a sybilla, has made strong connections to others, including aristocracy, and on top of that hasn't lost her connection to true and honest everyday work and the working class.
Finally… what even is Paraietta anymore?
Preach, her character reversal was painful.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa 4d ago
Rewatcher
What an episode, Mari Okada got entrusted with the drama and decided to make dynamite with it. What strange episode but it is interesting that Neviril seems to be into Aeru anyway (or that's what the Simoun says)
I think that I can see more nuance on Dominance on this rewatch. there might be some feeling these but Dominura sees to be maintaining some distance at least which is good. To think that I would be defending her...
[ep 12 Q1:] We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
It is a weird mix or really good concepts and plot with a Rusian roulette of development. Sometinmes they get great stuff sometimes you wonder if they drunk or in 1900 wen they wrote it. Still ove it, I want my series weird
[ep 12 Q2:] Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
She's deep on the spectrum, somewere on the marianas thing deep, She also acts abd thinks as a kid. Selfcentered? yeah that too but it comes more like childish to me, nakes me think of how I would picture limone actually acting
[ep 12 Q3:] Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
Don't give Mari okada ideas
[ep 12 Q4:] Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
You said tha tlike Paraieta would not have a whole baf of issues. This is Simoun, there is not nornal people here.
[ep 12 Q5:] What is Dominura up to?
She's soooooooooooooooo sus. She seems to be worried about the situation but doing everything by herself wont work. Did most of her past ideas even work properly?
By the way somebody did a Mari Okada bingo if you want to play lol
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee 4d ago
Mari Okada bingo
Depending on if we're allowed to mark "Teenage Hormones 100%" or not, we might already have a bingo!
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
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u/IndependentMacaroon 4d ago
somebody did a Mari Okada bingo if you want to play lol
Haha I'm bookmarking this
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 4d ago
First-Timer, subbed
So you shouldn’t have forcibly paired them up to begin with.
Oh, Aaeru is about to be really insensitive about this without meaning to, isn’t she?
Oh. Her insensitivity was intentional then. I can’t say I’m surprised after her comment to Kaimu last episode…
Of course Aaeru proceeded to kiss Neviril in that situation… I’m really not a fan of the direction this is going.
Of course Dominura’s sending Aaeru and Neviril to infiltrate the enemy base now.
Look, I don’t want Neviril to be hung up on the dead Amuria for the rest of her life or anything, I’m just really not a fan of how the show is deciding to go about forcing her like this just like I wasn’t a fan of last episode…
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago
I thought care-less more so than intentional, but she certainly doesn't think of avoiding trigger points...
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u/IndependentMacaroon 4d ago
I’m just really not a fan of how the show is deciding to go about forcing her
Not to mention this is basically Episode 1 drama we're warming up all over again, even with bonus reflection dialogue from the others to justify it
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u/The_Draigg 4d ago
A Science-Fantasy Fan Watches Simoun Episode 13:
Well, I guess the failure of Kaimu and Alti’s pair does offer some new information, as a silver lining. Turns out that the Simoun simply won’t function beyond just flying if the pair itself rejects themselves. That does explain why the crystal in the middle of their Simoun was going haywire last episode.
It’s been a while since we’ve brought up the Emerald Ri Maajon, but at least Aaeru has gotten an idea of what it is from Morinas. Now, we know that she can pull off the maneuver, but I suppose the bigger question is why Aaeru would chase after performing that Ri Maajon at all. Amuria wanted to do it in the first episode as the ultimate expression of power, but I don’t think Aaeru would be the type to do that for that reason.
Aaeru’s brashness once again gets her into trouble. It’s more born out of ignorance, but yeah, just walking up to Neviril in the cafeteria and bluntly talking about how she wants to do an Emerald Ri Maajon is very much in bad taste. She really just never considered how Neviril’s emotions for her previous pair would make that a really sensitive topic. All Aaeru can consider is the piloting aspect of it, after all.
I do feel a bit bad for Dominura, she’s incredibly frustrated by Central Command clearly missing the forest for the trees with their current orders. Despite knowing where the Argentum base ship is, the Messis is just ordered to be on standby since leadership is more distracted by trying to get the Arcus Prima running again. Again, it’s absolutely no wonder why the Holy Land is losing this war, they have absolutely no idea on how to press their advantage.
Thank goodness Dominura had a cool and calm reaction to Limone giving her a kiss on the cheek and asking how she likes her. We’re just coming off of the incest plot line, I’d rather not have to deal with a problematic age gap right off the heels of that.
At least Paraietta seems to understand that Aaeru doesn’t mean anything bad by going into her room and giving Neviril a kiss while trying to get her to come out, but yeah, Aaeru really is too dense to be of any help right now. It seems like she really does believe that the spirit of piloting and freedom would be enough to get Neviril back into the Simoun, but she really does need help processing these emotions and painful memories that she managed to push down earlier. And so do the rest of Chor Tempest too, for that matter. Even they admit that they’ve been dancing around the topic because of how powerless they feel about it.
The fact that Neviril can still manage to fly in a Simoun with Aaeru proves that she is actually developing a genuine bond with her, in spite of it all. But for a good as that sounds, she’s still worried. It seems like Neviril didn’t consider that she could move on from Amuria like that. That probably feels like a betrayal of her memory to her.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
It seems like Neviril didn’t consider that she could move on from Amuria like that. That probably feels like a betrayal of her memory to her.
That is a good point I hadn't considered. Maybe that was part of why Neviril was scared. Even after Aaeru had unintentionally hurt her so much, Neviril still clearly had enough of a connection with her to fly the Simoun. It wasn't like Kaimu and Alti, who are so incompatible they can't fly together. And the idea that she might really be getting over someone she was clearly in love with would also be scary when the wound of Amuria's loss is still so fresh.
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u/The_Draigg 4d ago
That reading of things popped into my head when I remembered how there was talk about betraying the memory of people a few episodes back. If that's an intended reading of at least part of Neviril's fear of Aaeru, then that'd be a pretty good callback.
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u/deus_machinarum 4d ago
First Timer
Today we get a closer look on the faith aspect of the Simoun, it has been some time since that was the main topic for us. It seems to involve a lot of guess work and trial and error which makes sense given they are working with fossils here. This is however extremely dangerous in times of war where they need to be at full strength at all times. It is the same with getting to know yourself IRL during puberty by getting experience in relationships where every misstep can have grave consequences all the while you are still clueless and inexperienced. It's kind of weird and wrong to me that the rejection of the pair is framed as a rejection of Tempus Spatium(and thus life itself), good on the show to push people in the direction of 'having choice is paramount'.
Then the Emerald Ri Majoon, the ultimate one but we don't know yet what it can do, but we do know that Neviril and Amuria(the ultimate pair so far) could not do it, everything points towards Aaeru and Neviril being able to do it later on since Aaeru already had the instinct to. What does it mean that Aaeru is a non-believer essentially but she has an innate knowledge of the Ri Majoon, is she chosen in some kind of way? Maybe there is a genetic component that does not require faith, assuming Tempus Spatium creates all individuals in Simulacrum? We have seen the godly power to change beings on a genetic level so why not already do so in the creation process? Personal not for this scene: I love Aaeru's eternal optimism, it's good for her and her social group. I fear for the moment something happens to her that breaks her spirit, it might be a looooooong way back for someone like her.
Ok my girl Aaeru, you're gonna need to learn at some point that not everyone has the same shining light in themselves like you do, just being blunt about Neviril's failure right to her face is bound to reawaken some heavy feelings. Again, I love and admire Aaeru for how she approaches things but some learning is in order. Let's see what the future brings. Also wondering if Aaeru has never experienced failure(which could go hand-in-hand with being the chosen one) to be the way she is. Kaimu of all people stating just how inconsiderate Aaeru's insistence was drives home the point even stronger.
Such a lovely juxtaposition of the totally in tune with her feelings and blushing Floe and the empty look of Aaeru in the next scene, just nice visual story telling, they even both look at the camera for us. I'm sure Aaeru does love Neviril she just does not have experience in expressing that and she does not seem to be empathetic in general, she has her own admittedly very self-centered way of caring. I hope that makes sense....come to think of it, what do we even know of Aaeru's past? Her growing up and her past relationships? Her behavior to me seems to come from a place of not knowing any better and not from genuinely not caring about the others. In yesterday's discussion quite a few people mentioned how nobody had ever modeled healthy relational behavior for the two sisters so how could they possibly know any better or different; I think the same applies here.
Oh boy, oh boy my two favorites kissing, such a cute display. I know they would never be right in any sense of the word for each other but just imagine for a fleeting moment.....
Aaeru's inexperience(cluelessness really) is on full display here, if fits with her running from having to mature theme but she's a lot more childish than I imagined. Eyes more attentive than mine might have already picked up on this but I always saw her as an individual that cared more for carnal desires than long-standing caring romantic relationships but here it's blatantly stated that she is very child-like in sexual matters.
So Aaeru's insistence sent Neviril in to a full blown downward spiral, honestly no wonder since Neviril had to come back for the group but we never really saw her facing her inner turmoil(I think?). On the other side of the door and equation we have the ever caring Paraietta. She's such a sweetheart for this but it is such a thankless role, not unlike people IRL who do a lot of the heavy emotional lifting for different family members or partners or even exes in some cases. It can be messy draining work without getting a lot back, just having to support the other person to at least keep them from getting worse. Hopefully at least Paraietta gets her deserved reward or maybe even a happy ending. I know she has stated that she would always take care of Neviril no matter their specific relationship but she has emotional needs aswell that are not getting met so far.
Next the child to child talk. It's funny how the two piloting prodigies are also the least matured people in our crew. Maybe prodigies never have the time for emotional connection and the maturation that comes from it in due time and thus believe they don't need that kind of thing but last episode Limone supported Yun when she was scared so she does have awareness of others' needs more than Aaeru has shown so far. Haha yeah, this is such an early puberty kind of talk. "Apparently this and this is important when kissing someone" cute.
Dominura certainly has a lot of facets to her and it is shown this episode by having her in the roles of (A)no non-sense leader of Chor Tempest (B)possible/probable traitor to our choirs that still cares a lot about the so called "holy land" (C)parent figure to Limone. In this last role we have also seen her be demanding and caring both done with conviction when the time is right. I can't get behind the sexual aspect of their pairing at all though, hopefully Limone spends a lot of time growing up before exploring that part of life with someone who fits her. Dominura reacts correctly IMO.
Ever the go-getter type Aaeru can't give up until she finds Neviril and tries to persuade her to finally leave the stuffy past behind and walk towards the future together. They are then separated by the eternal third wheel and Aaeru has to experience something akin to rejection. The blush on Neviril's face tells the story though it was not all bad for her. I wish we would at some point get an internal monologue by Neviril, we are shown how torn she is and how much she suffers but we don't really know the extent of the feelings she had for Amuria. Also Aaeru seems to push Neviril around a lot but Neviril isn't really the type of person to go along if she does not want to so maybe she does agree with the direction Aaeru is setting for the both of them? Show me more emotional details regarding Neviril, please!
Perceived invulnerability is our next theme and the show goes all-in on that: First we are shown just how much Amuria's death changed for every single member of Chor Tempest, it's no surprise the squad lost their elite level. Different members reacted differently to the horrible news but they couldn't or wouldn't share their emotional experience of this loss so they remained stuck in place as a group. Then invulnerability in Aaeru and Neviril have experience with this type of self-concept but Neviril has had it shattered. At first glance the mirroring here seems to try to show something like a before and after experiencing loss but then we the slightest hint that Aaeru does have experience with despair(I'm assuming from loss but we don't really know yet) but she has not been impacted in the same way. She seems capable of still pushing herself forward all the time. I don't see the show treating Aaeru as a naive and bad example of a person so I will take this seriously as well: Aaeru is meant to show that going on after disaster is possible.
Oooooooh boy....why are we sending out our main elite pair when they are currently not in tune with each other? This can only end in disaster...cue the ominous fog. Oh I see, they are aware of their current incapability to pilot but Dominura intends to force them anyway. What is her plan? I'm sure she's not here to sabotage, she cares for our side in the war and she cares deeply for Chor Tempest(at least some members). Maybe she wants to find out more about the inner workings of the Simoun gems by using one more not-quite-in-tune pairing but how exactly?
"People's feelings aren't toys!" Ignore them at your own peril. (one of) The main tenet of mecha spelled out for everyone to see and ponder. :)
Wow that final scene.....Neviril is afraid of Aaeru it seems. But how does that make the Simoun fly? Does any kind of strong feeling towards the other person in the pairing suffice to activate the gem? This would make coercion a useful course of action which I don't think is in line with the show's message. It could be that Neviril does have feelings of desire and love towards Aaerus but can't face them yet, maybe for fear of what that would mean for her love toward Amuria. In any case I don't think it was her desire to fulfill her duty that made the Simoun activate.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago edited 4d ago
I don't have anything to add to this, but I'm loving the stream of consciousness write-up.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 4d ago edited 4d ago
Simoun First Timer
(1/2)
Sleeping over it didn’t help much, the headache is still there. Just what I needed for this to be a longer thing.
Yeah, I didn't draw today and technically lost my challenge. Gonna pop a pill later because I still need to manage to cook something, somehow...
Simoun Ep13. – Reason
That may even be a partial explanation. Limone and Aaeru never rejected their pair per sé.
Limone just (rightfully) checking out of that one. Though I might consider Mamiina scarier if she finds out first.
I’m sure They do. I could make a dirty comment here but wish everyone to know that I choose not to.
I completely expected this, but somehow I’m still flabberghasted she is this tone deaf. „Yoo, your gf died with this, so let’s totally do this! It’s totally work and it’s gonna be fun! Idgaf if it traumatises you, if you can do a challenge, all bad memories disappear!1!“
Aaeru literally has the IQ of mouldy bread. I have no other explanation, I cannot comprehend how a person can be so air headed and immature to not get it and then repeat that same mistake three times in a row!
I appreciate the attempt, but that is not going to work. Aaeru is a power gamer with 0 social awareness and 0 empathy. Floe is actually making it worse…
Nail biting, interesting. Ah, Dominura… just be honest already.
Oh no! Oh no no! AAERU YOU IMBECILE AND UTTER BUFFOON! Everything she touches comes out worse! That also was not a rejection as strongly as I had hoped...
Just fucking punt her out of the window and be done with it.
This is so goddamn terrible. I don’t know if I should throw praise at the writers for making me feel this disgusted or insult them for trying to make me believe that this behaviour is in any way helping.
Look, this sort of symbolism of moving on from a terrible accident is great! Less Aaeru, more malformed nightmare bunny.
Noo, I feel character reversal happening. Please don’t revert Paraietta’s wonderful change!
Watch this: A complete dossier of Aaeru’s character in one sentence.
I just don’t get this. Dominura is dangerously ignorant and pushes things just for whatever her agenda is. But then why are we only sending one single simoun? We know it’s a carrier with stationary defenses and a few wings of new attackers. Like… send all?!
I know it’s different, but I can’t help being reminded that a lot of people honestly believe that bodily reactions during unconsensual acts validate the act as voluntary. It is exactly how Neviril feels right now. She’s experiencing a betrayal of the highest order coming from her body and heart and that is rightfully treated as intense trauma in our time.
I think I don’t need to mention that I’m livid.
I barely made it through the earlier shenanigans with this insufferable child and now they present me an entire episode of proving me right by ample examples. Right, okay, this is gonna be a rant post apparently.
But before I need to criticise the writing today at least a little bit, because for Aaeru and Paraietta it leaned a tad too much on reversing their characters out of the blue. Actually, Neviril, too, but it’s more understandable. We already were beyond the point of banging on Neviril’s door, so I’m not sure why Paraietta would suddenly just revert to the same reactions. Neviril has to also be a wet sack of emotional rice for this to happen and be reverted to a crying victim for the entire episode. Sure, she wasn’t over it at all, but she had gained her agency from outside influences. She actively moved after the impact, chose Aaeru and took at least some charge of her fate. Well, at least until we need her to be bedridden so that Aaeru can trample all over her, I guess.
It’s a bit of a two-sided sword, since it does also underline how she’s not over Amuria and that’s fair. I like the aspect that it shows how attached she still is and that it can even cripple her so much that a mentally 5 year old fart balloon can completely overpower her emotionally by sheer force of ignorance. In the end, I think I love this dynamic for the narrative, but I don’t like how Neviril has been handled as a character for this to be shown.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 4d ago
(2/2)
This entire episode was about how wounds are ripped open again and mended insufficiently. But man, I can’t lie about how much of this episode I hated. Of course it’s because of Aaeru, but I also get the sense that her character is also two things at once that don’t match and this is pissing me off even more.
First, the stuff I can get behind and view as good character writing in a way. Aaeru has often been presented as someone fleeing from the hard choices in her life, meaning going to the spring. Especially in emotionally intense scenes, like the capture of her an Limone. Being a sybilla is a way to not have to face this and her commoner, non-believer background is playing into this attitude rather nicely that you just take the day as it is and make the best out of it without someone telling you what you should do. She also has displayed an aptitude to observe others and spot restraints on them, which she then proceeds to tackle and try to break. I’d even say that’s a foundational character trait of hers, often to my great dismay since she forces an unconsensual situation on others ironically through that.
But this repressed fugitive rebel character completely clashes with The Gamer™ girl who flies to own noobs and top the leaderboard. The most egregious example is, of course, today. Aaeru not once, not twice, but four separate times completely 360° MLG bitchslaps Neviril with her trauma and can’t even understand why that’s not going over well. That is the same Aaeru that spoke one of the most attuned lines earlier where she correctly spotted that everyone was running away from their decisions.
So, how can Aaeru both understand and not understand Neviril in the exact same issue? How can she genuinely think that it was ‘failing the Emerald’ that’s Neviril’s issue and just doing it correctly is the solution when she has all the abilities to see what other people struggle with? Where did her prior empathy go, little that she had? It’s making me furious again.
And I know the following is likely the plot point that marks her character growth, but I feel so mislead for how they went about it. GamerGirl Aaeru is suddenly only motivated by pure power gaming without any regard for anyone else. She did change a little already when genuinely pairing with Neviril, but her egocentrism today is just so utter shit, there’s no other words I can use. She is a predator-by-ignorance and I can even quote the source herself: “I guess you don’t want to, but I...” Even I didn’t take her to be this much of a narcissistic asswipe worthy of getting beaten to a pulp.
It’s making me extra furious, because she did show enough empathy before to make this line a borderline retcon. The cherry on top is that completely throws out any value of what we’ve seen before about her character to do the rapist thing and latch to any faulty logic relieving her of any sort of guilt or responsibility. “See? You wanted it, I was right to ignore everything you said and break your resistance!” She has actively thrown out any traces of empathy and brain facilities still present and chose to swallow the incel pill of purest egoism.
I know I’ll get massive flak for this, but I cannot see Aaeru as anything else than a stalker and rapist. It doesn’t matter that the intentions aren’t bad, many actual criminals also have tragic backstories and believably didn’t think they were bad, but still they were villains. She is the sole source of emotional abuse, manipulation and helplessness that Neviril experiences and does not stop harrassing and overpowering her. Neviril’s last line is perfectly reminiscent about someone being trapped in an abusive relationship with all the contradictory reactions that go with it.
It’s fucking disgusting, Aaeru is fucking disgusting and she should fucking die.
I wish this would’ve been “Sisters II”.
I guess I have to mention the other things, too. Juxtaposed with the trainwreck above is how Floe of all people, managed to mend her mistake by doing the attempt for someone else and not, like Aaeru, for herself. In this case, if it is genuine and honest, people don’t mind and even bond over it. Just like Rodoreamon did when finding her plushie. It even was a whole group event where everyone was easily able to witness the “wound” and how it was mended and just treat it as a thing that happened that’s kinda funny. Floe’s learning from the last episodes really hit home here.
Lastly, I also hate where that Dominura arc is going, please save me from it. It just serves me right that Aaeru was the one kicking that off, too, right… Now she’s not only secretive, mysterious and manipulating, she’s also a groomer! If it were anything else, she would have rejected Limone much more decisively! Paraietta did this right. Neviril did this right. And I’m sure there were more examples. But Dominura… liked it.
Praises of Helical Motors powered by Tempus Spatium’s Grace: 20 (+0)
Nothing was powered by Tempus Spatium’s Grace today… absolutely nothing.
[ep 13 Q1:] We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
I’m am super invested, I love the story overall and, even if I scream, spit and shout everywhere, I have vivid reactions to nearly everything. That’s the highest praise, isn’t it?
[ep 13 Q2:] Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
Didn’t get too many autism hints personally, but it’s not too far off, either. Her incapability to not think of herself is the biggest flag, though. Not for autism, I mean, but as a recurring character trait. It could also come from her fleeing all the time or something else. But it is harmful beyond measure in any case.
[ep 13 Q3:] Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
She’s ruining them, more like. I can’t think of a better way to make sure everyone is hurt and traumatised than doing what she does.
Well, I guess completely failing to understand social interactions and emotions can be an autism trait…
[ep 13 Q4:] Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
Two kinds of answer.
One, not sure if Paraietta is the correct partner. She moved on and I wouldn’t like to see her character revert. It was a good development, please keep that.
Two, yes of fucking course, anyone would be a better partner than this dipshit! It’s nearly impossible to be worse than her! Rodoreamon’s nightmare bunny with a tutu is a more reactive relationship than Aaeru! Throw her off the ship!
[ep 13 Q5:] What is Dominura up to?
Racing to be on a list.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago edited 4d ago
I completely expected this, but somehow I’m still flabberghasted she is this tone deaf. „Yoo, your gf died with this, so let’s totally do this! It’s totally work and it’s gonna be fun! Idgaf if it traumatises you, if you can do a challenge, all bad memories disappear!1!“
I have no other explanation, I cannot comprehend how a person can be so air headed and immature to not get it and then repeat that same mistake three times in a row!
The problem is never stopping to even just try to see and consider others' inner worlds.
Just fucking punt her out of the window and be done with it.
Sibyllae Mamiina is a Hero
I just don’t get this. Dominura is dangerously ignorant and pushes things just for whatever her agenda is. But then why are we only sending one single simoun? We know it’s a carrier with stationary defenses and a few wings of new attackers. Like… send all?!
I'm starting to feel like Chor Tempest is the direct microcosm corresponding to the political macrocosm in this show.
That is the same Aaeru that spoke one of the most attuned lines earlier where she correctly spotted that everyone was running away from their decisions.
This doesn't even seem in conflict, to me. Not facing the trauma of Aminura's death is another kind of running away, after all. Of course, Aaeru has... one of the approaches of all time to this.
How can she genuinely think that it was ‘failing the Emerald’ that’s Neviril’s issue and just doing it correctly is the solution when she has all the abilities to see what other people struggle with?
I don't think that that's even what she thinks, that Neviril's issue was failing the Emerald. She just plain doesn't see her inner world, never has. All she hears is "Emerald is peak Ri Maajon" and "I wanna do Emerald", and she correctly notes that Neviril is apprehensive to the idea because of her previous failure but completely misreads the reason for this, because she has never been one to really consider others' wellbeing and safety.
At the same time, I'm almost feeling like Aaeru is always doing the technically™ correct thing, but always goes about it in the worst way possible. She tries to pull Neviril out of her self-isolation, by just being endlessly obnoxious about it. She goes out flying on her own when they're being grounded out of excessive concern, without considering the risks and consequences of secretly ignoring orders. Last episode, she just says that she can't tell how the night between Kaimu and Alti went enough to be able to evaluate it, specatularly missing Kaimu's actual issue with it. And this episode, she's right that everyone needs to come to terms with Amuria's passing, but... not like this. The point being, of course, that "technically" correct simply isn't enough, even when well-meaning but especially when lacking understanding.
It doesn’t matter that the intentions aren’t bad, many actual criminals also have tragic backstories and believably didn’t think they were bad, but still they were villains.
I get the impression that Aaeru is just plain childish about this, moreso than any other character in the show. Which is to say, she's beeing inconsiderate of others and lacks understanding of romance in much the same way that a child is. And her refusal to go to the spring really underlines this desire of her to remain an eternal child, but this is very much the dark side of such an eternal child.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 3d ago edited 3d ago
That only works when someone like Rodore or Limone (because the cute just heals everything) or Mamiina (because I'm scared) does it.
I'm starting to feel like Chor Tempest is the direct microcosm corresponding to the political macrocosm in this show.
You know what? That absolutely tracks.
Self-absorbed leadership that doesn't take advice. Workers are a bunch of air-headed teens too absorbed in their own emotions. Their elite are literal island prodigies that can't deal with anything outside their specific niche or have crippling depression. No one thought of a robust support structure or even a system to resupply lost things.
And in the end, everything builds in one way or another on exploitation of the next person.
This doesn't even seem in conflict, to me. Not facing the trauma of Aminura's death is another kind of running away, after all.
Unless I misunderstood, I don't understand how that attitude would lead her to believe that doing the Emerald would solve Neviril's issue? If Aaeru can understand the reason for running away, then she also understands that it isn't about making a mistake in the technical execution of the Emerald Ri Maajon.
And with that, she has all the puzzle pieces necessary to know that throwing that against Neviril's head is a terrible idea.
She just plain doesn't see her inner world, never has. All she hears is "Emerald is peak Ri Maajon" and "I wanna do Emerald", and she correctly notes that Neviril is apprehensive to the idea because of her previous failure but completely misreads the reason for this, because she has never been one to really consider others' wellbeing and safety.
Oh wait, you're literally explaining to me that I still give Aaeru too much credit, haha.
Well, yeah, if she is so self-absorbed that even her prior keen observations were actually just "hah, skill issue" then I think I understand.
I get the impression that Aaeru is just plain childish about this, moreso than any other character in the show. Which is to say, she's beeing inconsiderate of others and lacks understanding of romance in much the same way that a child is. And her refusal to go to the spring really underlines this desire of her to remain an eternal child, but this is very much the dark side of such an eternal child.
Yeah, I very much agree. The tragic thing is that with how much responsibility each of them carries, that simply isn't something they can allow themselves to be. It's why I made that comparison. Many genuinely don't see they did anything wrong and simply followed their needs and wants.
Just like Aaeru. Whether that is coming from trauma, childishness, or malice really isn't that important when it causes the sort of harm we're seeing here.
Still, I think your words ring more true in the end.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 3d ago
Yeah, I didn't have the impression that Aaeru tried to solve Neviril's issues at all, she just wanted to do an Emerald. And when Neviril wasn't thrilled about it, Aaeru basically said "don't worry, you failed it with your girlfriend but it's gonna go fine with me".
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u/Malipit 4d ago
I have no other explanation, I cannot comprehend how a person can be so air headed and immature to not get it and then repeat that same mistake three times in a row!
Aaeru once heard of the Third time a charm expression and thought it could work here.
I know it’s different, but I can’t help being reminded that a lot of people honestly believe that bodily reactions during unconsensual acts validate the act as voluntary.
B-b-but it totally worked like that in
the hentaisromance manga I read. What do you mean it doesn't work like that ?
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee 4d ago
First-Timer
The face of someone whose last brain cell has left the building.
I expected Aaeru to cause some chaos in the cast, but this is next level.
I will say that she isn't wrong that everyone needs to move on. Amuria isn't coming back, and that doesn't mean that anyone needs to forget her, but they do need to stop missing her. But walking up to someone eating lunch and jamming on their PTSD trigger with everything you've got is.. not a great look.
This line from Kaim is so utterly in-character after what we saw last episode, I have to praise it.
Okay, so Dominura is attempting science. I'm shifting my opinion of her faction. I'm not sure if they are necessarily working with one of the other nations, but I do think they are trying to figure out how the Helical Motors/Simouns work so that they can make more perfect replicas, or allow them to be used by everyone, or something like that. That's why she's been trying to see how far apart a Pairs' feelings can be and still make the Simoun function.
Questions
I'm having a good time. There are a few parts of the show that mechanically aren't great (why did all those soldiers just sit and wait to ambush the girls last episode?) but the vibes are good.
Aaeru is an asexual jock thrown into a group of queer theatre kids, most of whom have baggage involving the others.
Unintentionally, at most.
Neviril definitely wouldn't be better off with Paraietta. The best thing for Neviril's mental state would probably be to retire, if I'm being honest, but I don't think she wants to leave the sky yet.
Discussed above.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 4d ago
I do think they are trying to figure out how the Helical Motors/Simouns work so that they can make more perfect replicas, or allow them to be used by everyone, or something like that. That's why she's been trying to see how far apart a Pairs' feelings can be and still make the Simoun function.
That's a really neat idea! I can see that.
why did all those soldiers just sit and wait to ambush the girls last episode?)
It was movie night.
Aaeru is an asexual jock thrown into a group of queer theatre kids, most of whom have baggage involving the others.
This is perfect.
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u/Great_Mr_L https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L 4d ago
The face of someone whose last brain cell has left the building.
No thoughts whatsoever and yet she continues to open her mouth.
This line from Kaim is so utterly in-character after what we saw last episode, I have to praise it.
Trying to bury an issue as a way of dealing with it does sound like Kaimu.
Okay, so Dominura is attempting science. I'm shifting my opinion of her faction. I'm not sure if they are necessarily working with one of the other nations, but I do think they are trying to figure out how the Helical Motors/Simouns work so that they can make more perfect replicas, or allow them to be used by everyone, or something like that. That's why she's been trying to see how far apart a Pairs' feelings can be and still make the Simoun function.
That would make sense. Dominura does seem to want to understand how the helical motors actually function. She said that it was a worthwhile result to learn that Kaimu and Alti were so incompatible that the Simoun couldn't fly, something nobody there had ever seen before. It would make a lot of sense if she's trying to push things to see what exact kind of connection is needed.
Aaeru is an asexual jock thrown into a group of queer theatre kids, most of whom have baggage involving the others.
This is such a good description. Aaeru didn't even seem to understand the concept of kissing someone or "like-liking" someone either.
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u/rickamore 4d ago
Rewatcher
"To reject the pair is to reject the Simoun"
What kind of education do you need to fly one of these things? Is this not literal common knowledge upon which this entire thing is based?
That dumb vacant look on Aeru's face before she goes to say something insensitive.
Floe: What are you here for if not to kiss girls?
Aeru: I thought we were just here to fly in the sky, what do you mean there's a bunch of sexual tension between everyone?
Another uncomfortable episode that basically requires characters to be lobotomized to work.
Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
Probably somewhere around 570 nm wavelength. Oh sorry, which spectrum?
Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
As oblivious as walking into a door with the grace to match it.
Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
Both have obvious issues and begs the question "Are we still doing this?" but as a rewatcher: no comment
What is Dominura up to?
Not sure she even knows.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick 4d ago
Is this not literal common knowledge upon which this entire thing is based?
I suppose the point is that nobody ever dared to try and actually test it out.
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u/GondolaMedia zj: 4d ago
First Timer
Ufff Aer. There is a time and place and you failed spectacularly at both.
Age gap yuri is on the menu. We getting spicy now. Mari Okada just throwing everything out there.
QotD
1) It fluctuates between "This is kinda neat" to "Oh that was so ass". At least it's interesting. I hope we get to learn more about the other nations and their goals. My biggest fear is that we spend rest of the episodes dealing with the internal conflicts of Choir Tempest and then they do a one big emerald ri majoon and wipe out everyone. I wouldn't say it's bad necessarily but my favorite episodes have been those when the crew interacted with other nation's people.
2) Aer is fly-centered. I'm not sure how to feel about Aer but currently I'm feeling that her character is regressing. At the beginning she was headstrong, scatterbrained but could still read the room but now she feels just stupid.
3) Only Neville at this point. Whatever Neville feels the rest of the Choir follows suit.
4) Not sticking with Aer would be interesting choice as I feel that the relationship is rather one-sided.
5) I think she is trying to break traditions the war is perfect opportunity for it. You can excuse a lot of rule breaking when national defense is on the line.
6
u/Malipit 4d ago edited 4d ago
First timer, french fansubs, 480P quality found on a totally legal streaming site. Perfect conditions for that rewatch
On today's episode :Unamused Dominura is unamused, some theorcrafting with the Simouns and a rare occurrence of Floe with a cat face
First of all :
First Kamiu victim blaming, and now reopening Neviril sentimental wound about Amuria ? Did Okada wanted the audience to hate on Aaeru ?
Still, I agree with Pariaetta about Aaeru not being ill intentioned. If anything, I had the impression Aaeru is like a child playing with a gun. Thinking about all the cool stuff she could do with Neviril, but having no idea how much her act can hurt other and why everyone around her act like she's the villain of the story. Once again, her free spirited attitude come to clash with the rules she is supposed to observe as a Sibylla. This time against the unwritten one that you don't drag in the mud the memory of a fallen comrade -especially when she was the Sibylla Aurea pair- by insinuating she didn't have what it takes to perform the ultimate Ri-Majoon. And you don't stir up the trauma inside your best pilot that just got out of her retirement. Especially when said trauma comes to break Neviril both figuratively and emotionnaly
But Aareu don't care about all that and can think outside the box to get to Neviril. Pariaetta close the door to her face ? She just pass through the window.
''Why do you sleep here ? There is just dust and useless memories.''
That line from Aaeru to Neviril may be the answer to why the former can fly with the later. Neviril may be dragged down by her regrets toward Amuria's death and other past mistakes. She have her gaze turned into the past. While Aaeru is the opposite : she look into the future and what is still to be achieved. And as painful as it can be, she want Neviril to let go of her regrets, to these memories that burden her, to look toward the future with Aaeru.
That final scene of them leaving the clouds to a clear night sky implies that Aaeru is able to fly with Neviril because the later acknowledge deep down that the right call is to let go of Amuria's grief. But at the same time it's a scary thing to do because she may have the impression to betray Amuria's memory and her own Chor that are still mourning Amuria. A fear she may project to Aaeru.
In that regard, the eyecatches are well made. Showing in two images Neviril's fear of Aaeru affection as she still think about Amuria she doesn't want to cheat on. Even through death.
Meanwhile, the events of the last episode have consequences that are shown in the form of a visible gap between the two incestuous sisters. That could be put in parallel of Floe accidentaly riping apart Rotore's plushy. Those living conditions is perfect to get the Chor Tempest closer together. But at the same time it facilitate the growth of their dissenssion and resentment towar each other.
Still, the plushy getting stichted up in a peculiar manner may indicate that Chor Tempest may not have a perfect harmony, that sometimes it can get ugly. But at the end of the day, they're still holding together.
As for Dominura, she may appears as a cold hearted commander who doesn't even try to hide her ambitions, her cute interaction with Limone seems guenine. Let's hope it's pure maternal/big sister love rather than creepy pedophilic feelings.
Questions of the day
We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
Some questionables decisions (I'm looking at you, Kamiu and Alti). But otherwise it's still enjoyable.
Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
Already discussed
Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
Paraietta would toss her overboard before it happens.
Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
I believe sticking with Aaeru is the right call. Even if Aaeru pick all the bad decisions to convince Neviril.
What is Dominura up to?
I already said it and said it again : Make a Coup d'Etat to change the Holy Land from a complacent theocracy to an efficient military state that assert its dominance over other nations.
4
u/Malipit 4d ago
Theories corner
Theories in progress
From episode 1
Ri-Majoon does comes from the Sibyllae soul/heart/lesbian power and not the Simoun itself. But the Sibyllae manifest a Ri-Majoon unconsciouly and need her Simoun to unleash its effect. And the Simoun core can be corrupted if the Sibyllae pilots are in conflict between each other. That would mean said core used to unleash the Ri-Majoons are indeed dependent of the Sibyllae mutual feelings. New development with this episode : Neviril able to fly with Aaeru despite her resentment and fear toward her copilot strongly hint at the Simoun core reacting to the Sibyllae unconscious feelings.
Given the huge religious aspect of Simulacrum culture. I smell some shenanigans about higher ups knowing much more than they let appears and will be the actual villains of the story. And I'm sorry, but the character design of Onasia doesn't convey a ''good girl'' energy. But Onasia seemed the only reasonable people among the Holy Land Parliament. Making her either a Palpatine level manipulator or an actual good person.
Following the previous theory and how the Archipelago pilots were portrayed. I suspect there will be a team-up between Sibyllae and Archipelago pilots against a greater threat.
From episode 2
People on Daikuuriku may not be born the same way we are on Earth. I don't recall seeing someone pregnant in the two episode nor talking about pregnancy. Erif mentionned his body will progressively develop a male chest and voice, but said nothing about his genitals growing a penis. And the Chor Tempest captain said they needed an equivalent number of male and female citizens for the creation of a nation, not for reproductive needs. So maybe there is a place similar to a source where baby girls comes from ? One that will dispatch those new souls, randomly or equally, to every nation on the planet ? And Simulacrum retains a classic family structure with parents and children. Meaning that if they born other than sexual intercourse, it's likely each children is either assigned to a family like they are assigned a gender. Or that there is a reproduction through lewd hand-holding act.
The Archipelago pilots here to take pictures of Simulacrum battleship might be a foreshadowing for a future reveal about them developing similar looking battleships of their own. New development with this episode :Somehow, Dominura is aware of a new Archipelian aircraft stationned in their flying fortress. Could that be it ?
From episode 3
- The Simoun tech used by Simulacrum may not be used for act of violence. Another watcher mused about Amuria dying because she used the emerald Ri-Majoon to kill other living beings. And this episode have some Sibyllae lamenting that their battleship used to be a place for artistic performance with their ballroom. Could it be that Simulacrum theocracy misused the Simoun technology to assert their dominance over other nations ? And the way the Simoun core activated through Kaimu and Paraietta feelings enforce the fact those aircraft are powered by love rather than hatred. But given the outrage inside the Parliament when Neviril speak about becoming fighters as well as priestess, there is at least a part of the theocraty that believes the Simoun tech is still used for ceremonial purposes.
From episode 4
- Magnafeana had some interesting thoughts on the very origins of the Spring :
I wonder who the first one to go to the spring was and what life was like back then. What came first: was everyone born AFAB because God is a woman and my Eve x Lilith ship is finally validated, or people were born a spectrum of sexes, but a disease caused all future generations to be AFAB? And if so—how long ago did that happen?
From episode 7
- deus_machinarum speculated on how Tempus Spatium and Animus divine figures complete each other. Implying they derivate from an old religion or a old god who got fractured in two :
I need to talk about names of the god for a bit, I apologize if this has been mentioned already, I might've missed it: One the one hand we have Tempus Spatium(space time in modern parlance) and on the other hand we have Animus(simplistically: the soul, I'm also told by anime fandom that Japan has a very old animistic tradition i.e. ascribing life to inanimate objects which in modern times manifests as e.g. easier acceptance of robotic caretakers for eldery people); when we combine the two we get a whole so to speak, the inner world and outer world. It's easy to see how this could mean different but still related parts of the same wholeness. Definitely an angle I will keep an eye out for
From episode 8
- Given Aaeru's name signifcation, she could be of Plumbum descent.
Confirmed theories
- There is no other Spring outside Simulacrum and only its inhabitants get to chose their gender : confirmed by that Archipelago solider in episode 4 who was forucefully made a man through artificial means.
Jossed theories
- Ri-Majoon are automatically generated by the Simoun aircraft and the Sibyllae jobs is to interpret them correctly to perform the corresponding figures : Aaeru lines in episode 4 confirm it's the Sibyllae who initiate the desired Ri-Majoon
5
u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 4d ago
AQI is back to moderate, so I can finally do my Hot Girl Summer shit!!
Can I chuckle that the 13th episode is named Reason? I know that 13 Reasons Why came out later on, but.
Come on.
Come on.
(Honestly, hated both the book and TV series.)
Sibylla First Timer, Chor Subbed
- If Simouns have been within this holy land for god-knows-how-long, I wonder how many times a pair has had a freakout in their Simoun and caused their Simoun to become an angry bull. Once more, surprised pairs don’t have some sort of ceremony for compatibility to limit rejections. But I see why Domi paired the sisters.
So Neviril and Amuria did it.
You could say that.
I can’t say I’ve ever gone through tile with that because shouldn’t tile have grout? Like, you aren’t supposed to be getting between the tile like that. There’s some sort of filament or what have you that should’ve sealed the tile to specifically prevent buildup of gunk between the tiles. Maybe I’m tweaking. All my knowledge comes from home renovation shows and r/centuryhomes.
I like learning about the little household/neighborhood folklore stuff surrounding gods.
We need more housewives in sapphic relationships.
What a pity that we are halfway through and we don’t have meaningful Aer growth.
TOBE FLY HIGH
Oho? So “tongues battling for dominance” may have relevance after all.
It's better in all kinds of ways when you're in love!
Speak for yourself 😭
I like that romanticism/eroticism is attached to the whole Simoun sibyllae pairing, but I have so many questions about how retired sibyllae view love once they’re in greater society and how this may impact their relationships going forward.
I asked for a big impact kiss between Nev and Aer. I got it.
Awww. Everyone needs a good laugh.
Yeah. I can see why Aer scares Nev.
Post Episode Ri Mājon Thoughts
| Episode | Girlkiss Count | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | 2 | 11 |
| 5 | 1 | 12 |
| 6 | 4.5 | 16.5 |
| 7 | 4 | 20.5 |
| 8 | 0 | 20.5 |
| 9 | 5 | 25.5 |
| 10 | 5 | 30.5 |
| 11 | 5 | 35.5 |
| 12 | 1.5 | 37 |
| 13 | 3.5 | 40.5 |
| 14 | ||
| 15 | ||
| 16 | ||
| 17 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 21 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 23 | ||
| 24 | ||
| 25 | ||
| 26 |
(Cheek kiss is .5)
I’m really bummed about Aer’s characterization. That episode with her, Limone, and the soldier might as well not have happened since the series has yet to dig a little deeper into Aer. Sort of weaponizing her brash and rude personality to avoid being softer and more emotional about her lot in life.
I’d like to know other little householder folklore surrounding Tempest Sanctius and their origins. That really tickled my fancy with doing theological research. Of course we know about broader and popularized rituals, attributes, and personality traits of certain gods, but I’ve always loved hearing about “Well, in this region or village, they thought this because of XYZ”. I’d like to know how T.S. fluctuates between different communities in what they believe about his capabilities.
I still find that the Simoun is like a transformer and has more than meets the eye. I don’t think Nev was secretly seeking Aer all the time. I think there is some other force within the girls that predetermines their compatibility with each other, but I don’t know what that could be. But this is very much giving paranormal romance fated mates. Nev is the widowed entity who realizes she has a second mate, Aer. I’ve seen this before.
I’ve seen it before in MM and MF, but not FF, and I should change that.
With how…not necessarily smooth the series has been in reintroducing problematic or sensitive topics, I wonder when it’ll reintroduce the deal with the gender spring. The conflict some girls are in when it comes to their decision on their gender. Or running away from that decision.
But yeah, just very curious about how love is taught amongst the sibyllae and amongst the commonfolk. I find it interesting that the “love” we’ve seen so far has been between people where that love is aggressive, uncomfortable, forced, one-sided, or manipulated into assault. Limone seems to have an innocent love for Domi. I'm just endlessly interested in how the Holy Land's religion educates about romance and romanticism.
I wanna know know know know what is love is to the Holy Land.
QOTD
- I think it’s still finding its footing, but it’s taking baby steps. Before, it was crawling and staggering. And it’s still stumbling a little bit with the execution of characterization and still falls over, but I’m hoping for an improvement as the show continues.
- She’s self-centered and should take accountability for it, but considering she’s still “just a girl” (without the social media mockery of that), this is a learned behavior that no adult in her life thought to curb.
- I doubt this is the last time she’s insensitive about Amuria around the girls.
- Plot says Aer. The heart says we should have at least one pairing with Nev and Para, just to see.
- I have to imagine she's moving chess pieces so everything can go “according to plan”. But I’m excited for something to go beyond what Domi took into account or prepared for and see her panic.
2
u/Malipit 4d ago
I have so many questions about how retired sibyllae view love once they’re in greater society and how this may impact their relationships going forward.
They either stay in the military as mechanics or officers. or they becomes bitter housewives spending their day drinking wine and feeling nostalgic about the good old days I guess.
2
u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 3d ago
I imagine the club of housewives is full of gossip and drama. And charcuterie boards.
But that would be interesting if sibyllae graduates are sort of left without much choices in future prospects and are stuck on the cruise airships.
We still haven’t seen the young man who went to the gender spring with Nev and had an emotional reaction to his transition. At least, I don’t think we’ve seen his most recent ventures. I wonder how he’s doing now.
1
u/Malipit 3d ago
We still haven’t seen the young man who went to the gender spring with Nev and had an emotional reaction to his transition. At least, I don’t think we’ve seen his most recent ventures. I wonder how he’s doing now.
Probably attending a support group with other people who were forced a gender.
2
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 3d ago
What a pity that we are halfway through and we don’t have meaningful Aer growth.
She was my favorite character at the start of the show and now she's very much my least favorite character.
3
u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 3d ago
Oh I don’t think she’s a bad character. I’m just bummed that we had that glimpse of her inner psyche with the soldier episode and she’s more so been back on the beat being a Menace™ (lovingly) chasing after Nev and being comically insensitive and socially inept. I was looking forward to her dimensionality and internality by now.
I’m sure we’ll get that since we have 13 episodes left, but I’m slightly bummed we haven’t circled back to it.
But we also got a Nev and Aer impactful kiss, so you win some and lose some.
5
u/Burnouts3s3 4d ago
It was 2006; sexual assault and nonconsensual kissing were the norm. See also: Kannazuki no Miko, Mai Hime and Strawberry Panic.
4
u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer 4d ago
first timer
mamiina is just full maid
"i get it you two failed at it" i mean she died Aaeru cmon
Kaimu stfu youre the last person
Paraietta just go sit in the chair
3
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 3d ago
First Timer, subs
- As if to prove my point, we open with the recap covering the same scene as last episode opened with.
- Congratulations. Y’all are such incestuous girlfails that you’ve advanced science.
- Dick move, Floe. Punching another girl’s plush.
- The way you’re talking about almost makes it seem like it’s never been completed. But that just raises the question of how y’all are finding them in the first place.
- Mamiina would have made power washing videos in another life.
- Aaeru, No! You could see it coming from a mile away, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch.
- It’s almost like you should have told Aaeru the details instead of dancing around the subject.
- Aaeru, You Ace
- “This dank storage closest will help with your recovery.” Do you just not have an infirmary?
- Limore is too adorbs for her own good.
- Your mistake was leaving the window open with a known clamberer like Aaeru.
- Everyone knows that ignoring feels of grief is the best way to deal with them.
- Is it better to be feared than loved?
QotD:
1) Good, but not exceptionally so. The fan service is at a level where it’s just weird.
2) You know, I was just thinking that. What with the complete disregard for social protocol, and obsessive fixation.
3) She’s already started.
4) No, not Paraietta. She’s much too much of a suck up.
5) Science
3
u/AgentOfACROSS 3d ago
First Timer
As of this episode we’re officially halfway into the show. Curious to see where it goes from here.
Dominura is definitely being manipulative here.
We’re talking about the Emerald Ri Majon again. That seems important since it was in the first episode.
Aer is being a bit insensitive towards Neviril here to say the least.
Yeah the other girls are right, Aer really messed things up with what she said.
Aer is coming off as pretty oblivious here when she’s talking to Floe.
Neviril’s having a bit of a breakdown. Not that I blame her.
Oh wow she’s in the infirmary. I wasn’t expecting that.
It seems like Rimone might be crushing on Dominura which is an interesting development.
I get Aer has good intentions but breaking into Neviril’s room to kiss her is probably a bad idea.
Paraietta seems very protective of Neviril.
Pairing Aer and Neviril after all this feels like a bad idea.
Very interesting note that the episode ends on.
We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
I'm honestly not sure. I've been having trouble paying attention sometimes but I feel like that might just be a me problem. I'm definitely still curious about what's next.
1
u/cheyrnn https://myanimelist.net/profile/cheyrn 2d ago
Having personal issues so I'm late.
The first of 2 weird episodes.
Dominura restates how sibyllae relate to a simoun, and that is taken to have a different meaning. A pair that isn't feeling it is insulting Tempus Spatium? So, every pair is required to like being a pair? Alty and Kaimu decide that means they can never be a pair. What? I thought they were on the way to working out their problem.
Next confusion is about the Emerald Ri Majon. It failed when attempted by Neviril and Amuria, so now Aeru wants to attempt it with Neviril. What?
So Floe takes her aside to test if she is capable of emotion. How does a kiss feel? Nothing.
If you love someone you'll want to kiss them even when you aren't in a Simoun...
The theocracy decides to do nothing about the aerial base. Dominura seems to be involved with some group outside of the theocracy
Rimone trys out kisses without Simoun. Then Aeru tries out kisses. It's the what are kisses for episode. Kisses with Amuria were certainly more.
Q1: We're at the halfway mark. What is your assessment of the show so far?
I still love it. It's probably partly because I first saw it at a time when my life was changing dramatically. So, it feels like a milestone. I am unable to be objective about stories, I think. I feel them like they are a part of my life.
Q2: Okay, I have to ask it: where is Aer on the spectrum? Or is she just entirely self-centered?
That is what I thought. But, I think the general idea about feelings and ASD is largely misunderstood. Monotropism is a useful way to think about autism and ADHD I think. Whose Normal is it Anyway? - Monotropism
Q3: Is Aer going to pull all of Chor Tempest kicking and screaming into dealing with the loss of Amuria?
Sort of.
Q4: Should Neviril stick with Aer? Would she be better off with Paraietta?
They did seem to be pretty uniquely paired. Why she doesn't want to pair with Paraietta, I don't know. You can't ever get what you want, I guess.
Q5: What is Dominura up to?
Something mysterious
10
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen 4d ago
First-Timer
Episode 13:
Too high, can't come down
Losing my head, spinnin' 'round and 'round
Do you feel me now?
With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride
You're toxic, I'm slippin' under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic?
And I love what you do
Don't you know that you're toxic?
I asked for messy emotions and interactions in earlier episodes and Simoun is finally delivering on that bill. So much so that Simoun is riding a fine line between messy character drama and straight up soap opera. And I'm digging it.
Don't get me wrong, Aaeru is a huge, inconsiderate asshole and far too pushy with Neviril. (Someone really needs to smack the meaning of sexual assault into her.) And the whole arrogant "see, you really like me" business is, uh, how to put this mildly? Toxic and problematic as fuck. But you see, I can appreciate this side to her, appreciate the vision to have her be the type of person to bulldoze through every boundary of tact and good sense.
I said yesterday I am a bad person, and allow me to reiterate that here: I cackled with glee every time Aaeru repeated "hey, I'm better than your dead girlfriend" to Neviril's face. It's fucking audacious, and goddammit it pulled raw emotions out of Neviril I'd given up on seeing. I've had enough stoic, solemn Neviril. I relish the chance to see her heart exposed like a raw nerve. If we're going to do high stakes emotional drama in the middle of war, this has to be it. I am entertained. I am here for it.
As for what's actually going on in Aaeru’s head? Fuck if I can tell you—we've still not unpacked the fact that "Aaeru" is a prayer to the Plumbum god that they shout before blowing themselves up—but man is it wild to bounce her off Floe first. It makes sense, Floe is probably the most open and in touch with her emotions of anyone is the Chor, so her being the one to drag Aaeru off and let her know she's being a massively inconsiderate, heartless dirtbag checks out. But it's also like, the absolute worst thing. Aaeru is a virus. She takes Floe's highly romantic concept of love and twists it into a pretty fucked up tool. That she immediately uses on Neviril. She's going to singlehandedly fuck up the whole Chor by mere suggestion. She's already poisoned the Kaimu/Alti situation. She's doing the same to Neviril, and I doubt she'll stop there, and I find that hella fascinating. Even Limone is not off limits, god help us. (Seriously, wtf are you doing spreading that to Limone, you friggin chaos agent!?)
I have no idea where we're going or if it will be any good, but I feel quite certain now that wherever we end up, I won't be able to take my eyes off of it.
Other stuff:
Mamiina is openly longing to be serve again as Freckles' maid. It's cute af, but girl just go for it already. That tsundere pride is the only thing keeping you from being the run down, raggedy ass stuffed toy Freckles snuggles every night.
What does HQ mean "don't take down that secret base that could launch an attack on us at any time"? Is this that whole sabotaging Chor Tempest for Neviril embarrassing them thing? This decision to not act is so monumentally stupid.
Good on Dominura for sidestepping Aaeru’s Limone trap. Doesn't really offset the back to back spectacularly bad personnel calls in the past couple episodes and the attempt to write off the disastrous Kaimu/Alti decision at the beginning of this one, but way to not make at least one terrible decision.
Nice stuffed animal(?) bonding moment for Chor Tempest, and yet another fun metaphor for the group: they're ripping each other apart in intense emotional outbursts, and when they eventually shoddily repair each other they're going to be unrecognizable from what they started as, yet loved and treasured nonetheless. D'aww.
QotD:
Too slow and meandering at the start, but we're going places now.
If I had to guess, this is the result of her having effectively no functional adult role models. She occasionally mentions her grandpa, but I don't get the sense anyone ever taught her how to interact with other humans, only how to handle a cockpit.
Even better, she's going to drag them kicking and screaming into dealing with each other('s trauma).
Should she stick with Aaeru? Probably not. Do I want her to stick with Aaeru. OH MY GOD YES.
Trying to cosplay as the adult in the room.