Xam’d Episode 19 - The Dawn before the War
A dropkick is a girl’s best friend. Sometimes.
Let’s do things in a different order today. GADGET CHECK:
Check that pen! And clipboard! So sexy. They even match!
“Trust me, the cake is not a lie!” (But the contract might be.)
Yea, Senkan Island wheels are not so hot.
Note the three-by-tree controls on the hover-wheelchair’s right armrest. It might look like something else in a bit.
The first co-star of this episode, gadget-wise anyways, is Haru’s new ride. It is the Gadget Check item for this episode. The flatbed the kayak is on is not so hot though, an exception to the rule for this series.
And that’s how Haru’s new ride…rides. It’s a Northern kayak, used, of course. It can use a drivetrain warranty.
Look at it haul.
There’s this very nice shot of Yunbo looking happy and angry at the same time, thanks to her ganking Ishu’s shades. Oh, that’s because Ishu and Raigyo took off without a word, leaving Yunbo the de-facto leader of the operation and notably pissed.
Yunbo looking happy with the Zanbani in the background, anyways.
Right. The primary order of business in this episode is that Haru went and picked up Akiyuki.
That scene is so… Laputa. But we’re 6 episodes early! Not yet!
I think that is the same hoverbike Raigyo rode on when he crashed way back in ep 7. Speaking of which, have you ever seen this tower?
Inside this tower are some interesting “computer” panels.
Looks familiar?
How about this?
So finally all the OP pictures are explained, more or less. I think Lady Sannova is up next?
… Yeah. Anyways, back at the Tessik village, Kujireika and Nakiami naturally had a stare-down.
Don’t drink the Cool-Aid! Ututu seeds is suppose to helped Xam’d people calm down or something, which is why we saw Kujireika eat a huge one last episode. Little Yango gets served one with alcohol here.
Does that old man on the right…have odango hair?! And the old guy on the left…is that where Willie Nelson is hiding?
Before Haru arrived at Akiyuki’s place by the end of the episode, the EYETOY was trying to get Akiyuki to remember stuff, forcing him to walk to the edge of the huge water tower for every attempt to remember his name that he failed. He got to the edge all right.
It’s got teeth :o
We also learned a few things about the EYETOY this episode. It is appearently the Soul of the Northern Emperor. Yea, really. Delightfully Ghibli-ish yet oh-so-weird at the same time.
It also has an appetite for mementos. Which is why it ate things like letters from far away relatives, and Akiyuki’s armband.
But that doesn’t explain why it ate cake. Whatever.
The heartful reunion of Haru and Akiyuki doesn’t end with a nice ride in the skies. It ends like the start of Gundam 00. Yes, Akiyuki’s XD-particle wings are this episode’s other co-star.
Yea, what the hell.
I thought this was a great perspective shot.
And this is the heartful part of the reunion. If Akiyuki takes after his dad (which he sort of does in personality), and his dad is the fairy where as his mom is the down-to-earth realist that gets stuff done, this picture suddenly makes sense!
The biggest revelation in episode 19 is not finding out about the EYETOY and the Emperor. It is finding out Sumako’s role in all of this.
I was totally OH SNAP. Which, as you may recall, matches the comment Kakisu made about Prois way back in episode 6. Makes you wonder why he thought she was dead.
Anyways. Episode 20 seems like the first step towards the plot climax and resolution as episode 19 wraps up the whole arc starting with the parting of Akiyuki with the Zanbani. It would make sense things are coming back together from this point to the eventual resolution of the story. Can’t wait!
I-is Akiyuki wearing Eureka Seven wings? This has sent me into spirals of fannish glee. I’m not even sure you can call it a homage, it’s… whatever you call something that’s more than a homage but doesn’t quite classify as a rip off by virtue of being a Bones show too.
I don’t think it’s quite exactly the same but yes, it’s quite like Eureka’s.
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This is a nice way to end the hell that was the Finals week. Haru is awesome as I’ve predicted. Didn’t expect the “Eureka Wings” though. I’m glad he didn’t go emo about it like Eureka did, he actually showed it off! But then again, having green hybrid theory wings is less freaky than transforming into a weired top-heavy Digimon.
The Hiruken Emperor must have been so frustrated that whole time trying to remember Akiyuki only to find Akiyuki during a fit of amnesia!
Drop kicks… 60% of the time they fix kayaks every time.
Sometimes you have to wonder what the hell the Emperor is doing. He’s just weird.
And also, I think Eureka’s freaking out has a lot to do with a girl’s self image…or something along those lines. Akiyuki just spent the last…however long being a masked dude and can’t even eat. I think the wings are sort of not all that big of a deal.