I think I have to join everyone else in their dissapointment with this episode now.

Points:

- Alses and Zarlish were cute when they were little. ;_;

 - Yay for badass female commanders! Sonia seems pretty awesome so far.  

- This should have probably happened oh… 6 episodes ago for it to be worth anything.

 - Risking the entire resistance basically to go after one chick of NO STRATEGIC VALUE is fucking stupid. I don’t care if Fan developed a weird crush on her or if Lira is an interesting character or whatever, it’s a stupid idea and they should have just left it as is.

 - On a related note, risking your most valuable asset at the moment (Fan) to save some random chick of, again, NO STRATEGIC VALUE, is even more retarded than the mission idea in the first place. It’d be understandable if Fan was more… er… interested? in being the one to go save her but for the most part he’s so ineffectual and wishy-washy (I mean it’s not like he doesn’t care but he’s not all I’M GONNA GO SAVE HER! It’s more Miranda: Hey Fan, don’t you wanna go save Lira? Fan: Oh right!) that doing stupid things like this is just even more stupid—like if this was Reinhard storming in to save Annerose or Hilda he’d only be doing the grunt work because he WANTED to, same thing for Yang too, but Fan’s just so bleh about it–no not even bleh “I’m only here becaue the princess forced me” (I know he’s supposed to be joking but honestly the way he’s been acting I believe it).

And the whining continues

 - And Lira’s development has been so hamfisted so far, I don’t really care about her. 90% o her development at this point has been Fan reminiscing about her even though he didn’t really give a shit about her at the time and I’m not saying that’s unheard of but for such a key event to be hinged on shitty flashbacks to stuff we saw happen what… 9 episodes ago? It’d be hugely more effective if it either occured a lot earlier (this episode that is) or if Lira actually did something/we heard some of Fan’s innermonologue on her or something to develop this LIRA = IMPORTANT TO FAN thing more than just telling us basically.

 - Lira’s death was fucking stupid. Especially the bit where Fan jumps in at the end. The fuck. The way it played out in the novels made a lot more sense. And Fan’s BAWW scene with her body was really stupid too. I dunno, the impression I got from the scene in the novels, where Fan finds out about it after the fact, seemed more effective since it was Fan’s lack of action and motivation that ultimately led to her death (sorta) but here, he did everything he could have and she still died. Sure that amps up the tragedy aspect but I don’t really see how it will work adequately as a motivating force. Rather than: My lack of action led to someone I care about dying senselessly –> I should take action to prevent it; we have: I did everything I could and I still failed to protect someone I cared about –> a) REVENGE b) I’m a failure, I shouldn’t try taking action because I just get people killed. And vengeance is a stupid motive for this kind of story (especially over such an underdeveloped and underwhelming character like Lira).

 - Also the whole no blood thing makes a lot of the more violent scenes seem really neutered and not terribly serious. This isn’t a kids show, why no blood? 

 - I do however have to give them some points for Alses’ crazy scene where he discovers that his face is fucked up. Aside from the stupid placement the scene itself was well executed and his VA did a really good job with his lines. 

 

I’m sorry Tytania, I tried, I really did. I forgave you for so many things, but I just don’t know anymore.This episode was BAD and you should FEEL BAD. I’ll probably keep watching just because I have nothing better to do and Idoris still needs to do something though… ;_;