#to to vent and it's just soo much to handle emotionally

[almondmllkhotel]

sigh.

[aella-a]

my thoughts on episode 11

I’ve had time to process.  And I know there is a very good chance I could change my mind in the last episode but basically these sum up my thoughts  I’m going to mostly stick to the canon and try to work out what the writers were going for.

Do I think ZaShunina is evil?

No, I don’t.   I think he’s a lost child whose not dealing very well with human emotions.  I don’t blame him, emotions are fucking volatile and it takes humans many years to make sense of them, and to not let it overcome your actions, and few people ever perfect absolute control over their feelings.  I don’t even expect a billion year alien whose never had to deal with emotions, or emotions like humanity to master it in three months.  Zashunina is suffering, it’s terrible to watch, and it’s terrible to see him inflict his pain on others.  Brutal man.  But...I just can’t blame him.  But clearly he must be stopped.

Should Shindou have reasoned with him?

Yeah eventually , but zashunina gave Shindou no time. Up until the moment that zashunina introduced Nanomis-hein he didn’t even get a clue as to zashunina’s motives, or the reveal.  And zashunina was really crap at trying to convince Shindou, and then after 70 hours of no food or water I don’t think Shindou was at his best to do anything before Nina was like ‘okay time to eliminate you.’

Zashunina just wants  Shindou, he wants him to come with him to the anisotropic because he’s lonely, he’s got these feelings for Shindou and as soon as he feels Shindou hesitates he just kills him.  zashunina does not cope with rejection, or wanting someone, or jealousy, or anything really.   The first time I don’t even think zashunina even had a concept that this was bad, he was only rebooting Shindou.  But after the God know, 55th time, or even more, I think za Shunina is just starting to emotionally unravel, and somehow finds the first Shindou to be the most significant, the one he really wants, the one he can’t have. 

It’s rather awful to watch.  I just get a feeling that zashunina was venting his rage, frustration and fear on the other copies, and it’s hard to imagine what that was like.  I’m kind of glad the show didn’t elaborate too much, but the bits we saw were horrific enough. 

I think every Shindou copy has been blindsided by zashunina and been eliminated each time.  Each has a terrible story to tell.  Each was a story of betrayal.

All those Shindous man, Ugh. Someone go write that so I can wallow in angst.

So no, the way it’s been written now, zashunina can’t be reasoned with.  The only way that Shindou can reason with zahunina, at least from what I can see is to come up  with a way to not being killed to buy him that time.  Which is where we are at now.

What about that Kiss?

I don’t know.  I think I need the last episode to give it some more context.  But as it stands, I’m 50 per cent sure that this was an apologetic goodbye kiss.  A ‘maybe this could have happened, but we never had the chance’ kiss a ‘I’m sorry I can’t be the person you want me to be’ kiss.  A ‘I’m going to go away, I’ll either die or leave and I’m sorry this is going to hurt you’, kiss.  

In other words, I think that was a ‘consolation’ kiss.  The way that Saraka reacted, it just had that sense.

Of course that’s only a 50 per cent certainty for me.  Let’s see what the last episode will show.  Either way, I do feel bad for Saraka.  Because if Shindou doesn’t die, it’s her that’s going to get the ‘consolation’ copy, not Zashunina. 

What about Hanamori?

You know that was rather more dramatic than I would have preferred. I’d go more for subtlety then the running away screaming which was way over the top and just soo anime* in a series that that I liked because it wasn’t too anime (and I like anime, but this was a bit different and I’m digging the difference).  I get the feeling that Shindou sees Hanamori as a brother.  And as the protagonist everyone loves Shindou.  It’s got that vague harem feeling.  I’m not a fan really of that harem setup.  I wish the series had gotten more episodes so we could have gotten a better feel for all the other characters other than they love Shindou.  I would have liked to have seen more substance in Hanamori.  The only characters we really get to know is zaShunina, Shindou and Saraka.  And Saraka could have gotten more time too.

*The female scientists and her brand of moe is much too anime for me to handle as well.

What is the theme of this series?

What it means to be human. 

Which is why I’d argue that zashunina is on equal standing as Shindou in importance to this story.  zashunina is learning what it means to be human.  It’s not an incredibly original tale as far as science-fiction goes, aliens are often used as tools to explore the concept of humanity.  But it’s a tale I like and not one that really is used well in anime, at least not in such a laid back way as this anime is presenting (Hanamori and scientist women’s differing types of moe aside).

How will the story end?

I don’t know.  I have no clue.  It could go in so many directions.  I’m not even going to speculate too much.  It could be a fucking disaster and crash badly and I’ll take back all the good things I said about the series and sulk in a corner.

How zashunina is dealt with.  That’s going to make or break it for me.

Bit scary huh?  NGL, it does make me nervous.  Anime hasn’t had a track record of good endings.  At least not the ones I’ve seen.  I can’t even count how many endings disappointed me.  Too numerous.

I hope I don’t ending up sulking.