Xam’d Episode 24 - Dr. Tenjo, Self-Help Specialist
That’s what I’d like to know.
While episode 24 is all about Midori, it is secretly, actually, about how Nakiami is totally flamboyantly awesome.
She’s so fine, she even apologizes to Haru for stealing the spotlight (and Akiyuki for the finale).
Or is it for, literally, everything? Anyways, I think if there was one episode that pushed me over the edge into liking Nakiami, this one was it.
Before she heads out to a tea party. Good timing.
This is her chauffeur–the best-behaving Xam’d under the age of… 10? He’s even got his own pokemon!
You know, it just came to me Yango and Midori would make a very cute pair.
Ugh, did I just… anyways. This episode advances the main plot by setting up the Hiruken Emperor. First, he bails out of the northern capitol:
Gadget check runner-up! Honestly, while there were radios like the one here in human history, it looked more like a portable DJ kit.
You probably can’t tell from this picture, but a giant beam of death just came out of that thing.
That’s where from the giant PEW PEW comes.
And that’s what the giant PEW PEW makes. A hole in the sky. Literally.
GADGET CHECK…runner up. The cannon was definitely very cool, but it also reminded me of the People’s Liberation Army. They have a lot of those…and it feels a bit low quality.
This is episode 24’s key item. We got a very nice view of those obelisks. It makes me want to play C&C.
What’s that spire for?
This picture made me chuckle. While it’s just two of those crazy kids doing their telepathy thing, it also looks like the logo of some far-east Asian brand of…household product or something.
Anyways, so basically the big laser-spewing monster flies towards where the pilgrims are gathered. That is where we see Midori.
And her lights. And her eyes.
But it’s actually just girl-talk time between Haru and Midori. No boys allowed.
A girl and her best friend.
A spiritual awakening inside a monstrous sack of goo that is bulletproof? Nakiami cannot be left out!
And so she goes.
Ok, so now it is the weird part. We know she is “inside” the humanform Midori. But is that visual manifestation of Midori and Nakiami real? Or just in Midori’s mind? And if so how did Nakiami pull that Hiruko out of Midori’s mom? Is the space inside the humanform special or something?
Anyways, it seemed like a good time to cue a flashback. And because it isn’t a real flashback, no sepia filter.
The idea here is that Midori is not as pretty as her sister, so she thought. Her mom is a fairly sharp looking woman and Haru definitly inherited their mom’s charm. Midori on the other hand looks a lot more like dad. This is definitely upsetting to a young teenage girl as it probably would be in real life. Especially if your dad is a goofy looking man who is also goofy.
I mention this because this Midori, presumably still in elementary school in the flashback, actually looks like her dad! Yet it’s distinctly Midori. I was somewhat impressed.
Anyways, it ends as you’d expect.
The three Sentan Island kids share a brief moment of emotional connection as exhibited physically. Really, this episode is all over the place with the psychological counseling, the physical therapy, pep talk, reconciliation and confronting one’s darkness internal. I hope we’re done with this stuff now?
Now we’re talking. And you all know what “mediator” in an anime subtitle script actually means, right?
That’s right, get yer game face on babeee~
Those wings look way nicer on TV than they do here. It’s a very cool blue. Way better than that green stuff.
To share a little bit about my own impression, I felt like stopping with this episodic thing. Mostly because the narrative is clearly better off taken together as one piece from episodes 22 to (presumably) 26. I mean, it’s a little too fragmented even at this point as different plot threads converge and resolves. But with only 2 more to go, I might as well finish.
This episode delivers Nakiami in a big way. The Yango episodes might still be the best place for her character to develop, along with some of the earlier episodes where we see her childhood, but this Nakiami is actually impressive. She’s so impressive, I’m not sure where this version of Nakiami came from? They didn’t really spend much time with her either; she just pulled a Raigyo.
It’s as if she’s returning to being one of those angel-like white-haired servants of Sannova. Except her agenda is clearly different.
But as you know, we all want to watch episode 25 for the danmaku scene. Need more homing missiles IMO.
What I want to know is, just how good does Haru taste? All the new humanforms always try to eat her first!
Ready for the first phase of the final boss fight…
I don’t know if it’s been said but I think at this point it’s reasonable to assume that hiruko are memories of some kind in tangible form. Perhaps within humanform weapons that are “going out of control” the people inside are overwhelmed or being consumed by bad memories. So the inside would be like going inside a person’s head who is reliving their worst memories. The ability for Nakiami to remove the hiruko from her dead mom seems to indicate that hirukos’ (synonymous with memories) existence can possibly be derived from other memories, or something that exists independent of death or decay or even reality.
I’m glad you didn’t quit blogging this series episodically. You are probably the only one who is actually caught up to the current episodes and in the actual entries, mix humor with actual insights or questions and gadget checks really well. I went back and read your posts from the beginning even though I only stumbled on this blog around episode 16 or whichever episode EYETOY was coined.
Sanpei Yuuko as Nakiami has slowly been climbing the ladder for favorite performance of the year. I find it striking how much the removal of her berets inside Midori’s “stomach” can so drastically change the characters appearance. She looked so much more feminine and attractive by the end of the episode.
Kabitzin: a warm fuzzy feeling I am sure. What’s amusing is it kept on happening to Haru. I hope they make a point about that.
Taka: I don’t know. I think that’s a good theory and it’s unclear what happens physically inside a humanform. It seems that people just pilot it (think of the obelisk control room), and their dark memories fuel the destructive tendencies of the humanforms.
But it doesn’t explain what is Nakiami doing in Midori’s head.
Yeah, thanks for updating your xam’d blog regularly.
And thank you for being interested in it!
One question no one is asking is: how the heck are people still getting their mail???
LOL. Let’s just say who says they are?
Didn’t think Akiyuki would turn to stone just after seeing Haru eaten. He emo’d way too easily.
Considering he saw her eaten the last time… But then again he didn’t do too well that time either.
I’m surprised Bones weren’t more brutal about Midori. They’ve been so… willing to kill off the supporting cast that I thought her end was going to be bleaker. I guess topping the cute little girl is too unconscionable for Japanese television.
If they done Midori in, we’d need an episode just for Haru to recover, or alternatively have her play a role at the final showdown. But if Midori and Haru made up and that’s the end for them, they can get out of the plot without further messing around by anyone.
They’re pushing it pretty hard.