Otaku Orbit

Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 24, “Pride” opens with Hange Zoe treating a severely injured Levi Ackermann. She concludes that the only reason he’s survives is due to “being an Ackermann.” Hange wonders if they might end up imprisoned. When Eren sends his message, Levi awakens. Hange explains the situation to Levi, who’s still reeling from his failure to defeat Zeke Jaeger. At the end of the last episode Levi and Hange encountered Theo Magath and Pieck Finger. Their both searching for Zeke. Hange assumes Eren has him to make use of his “royal blood.” Conny Springer continues to manipulate Falco Grice as they camp in the woods. As I predicted, Conny is starting to feel guilty for deceiving Falco, who trusts him.

It all falls apart when Falco remembers Conny from when Gabi Braun murdered Sasha Braus. Conny reveals his mother, still trapped in the house for what’s likely been years now. He tries to trick Falco into getting close to his mother by suggesting they “clean her teeth.” It’s all so awkward. Suddenly, Gabi and Armin Arlelt appear and warn Falco. Desperate, Conny takes him hostage, holding a blade to Falco’s throat. Armin decides to risk his life by climbing on the a beam and preparing to feed himself to the Titan’s mouth. Conny drops Falco and saves Armin. When Conny asks Armin “what his backup plan would have been” he responds “Conny’s mother becoming human.” I wasn’t prepared for such a touching answer. This arc ending with the result I expected but not in the way I expected.

Jean’s great escape

Yelena and Onyankopon are set to be executed for opposing the Eldian Empire. Yelena seems ready to die but Onyankopon is more talkative. Onyankopon is a interesting character in Attack on Titan. He’s thinly drawn but innocent in a way that everyone else isn’t. He genuinely wanted to save his homeland and aid the Eldian people at the same time. Other characters notice this, even Floch. I don’t feel bad for most of the characters in Attack on Titan at this point, especially now that their all been indicted in someway. Personally, I would have been fine if Yelena got killed but not Onyankopon. Regardless, Jean and Mikasa have a plan. They collude with the Cart Titan to rescue Yelena and Onyankopon and escape with supplies. Hange, Armin, Mikasa, Levi, and Annie all join forces with the Marley to save the world.

Anime

Attack on Titan Season 4, Episode 23: Sunset

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 by Jiraiyan

Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 23, “Sunset,” opens with the destruction Eren Jaeger’s rumbling has already caused. A woman is injured after her house collapses after the falling of the walls. Civilians in the Trost District begin to discuss whether Eren’s actions were justified. Attack on Titan reintroduces a minor character, Hitch Dreyse. She was first introduced during the Wall Sina Goodbye OVA. Hitch was the roommate of Annie. When she notices wet footprints coming from the basement and follows them, she’s ambushed by Annie. The female Titan threatens to transform if she doesn’t get what she wants. However, Hitch says Annie’s “too weak” to transform. Hitch folds and help Annie. We learn that Annie was conscious while inside the crystal and could hear her.

As the two rid out of town they marvel at the destruction the Titans have left behind. Hitch takes this opportunity to ask Annie “how she feels seeing all the bodies crushed in pursuit of her mission.” Annie says that the Warriors were praised for “killing outsiders,” regardless of whether they were civilians or soldiers. Annie was abandoned by her birth parents and adopted by a “foreign Eldian who wanted a child to become a Warrior and earn a better life for himself.” To this end he trained her to become a warrior. Their relationship was toxic and when Annie became strong enough she “beat him so badly he would not be able to walk straight anymore.” Her terrible upbringing resulted in a amoral worldview. Despite this Annie hopes to see her father again.

The New Eldian Empire

Armin decides to chase after Conny and try to stop him. He seeks to gain Gabi Braun’s trust by saving Falco and hopes it will lead to Reiner Braun and Pieck Finger trusting them as well. Armin fears that as long as the Nine Titans exists their will be war over gaining control over them. Elsewhere, Floch is mad with power, claiming Eren confided in him. It’s unlikely Eren was that comfortable with Floch considering the fact he didn’t share that information with Armin and Mikasa. Since there’s no way to confirm that however, Floch can use his position to gain more power. He tells everyone that their homelands will be destroyed but they could help build the “new Eldian Empire.” When a man refuses to join Floch kills him suggesting the type of leader he’d be.

Falco has lost his memory and doesn’t know the kind of danger he’s in. The situation with Conny and Falco has me conflicted. While I like Conny he’s not a significant enough of a character for me to instantly side with him. Killing Falco is wrong but the morals in this series is so backwards at this point I don’t really care. I’m still under the impression that Conny loses out on this one. On top of all this Conny now has to lie and manipulate Falco, making his position seem even worst. I curious how this plays out. I don’t think Armin can catch up to them but I can see Conny deciding to sacrifice his mother because he views Falco as an innocent.

Anime

Weekly Shonen – Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 175

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 by Jiraiyan

Sendai Colony, Part 2

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 175 concludes the battle between Yuta Okkotsu and special grade cockroach: Kurourushi with an unusual ending. Yuta cuts the arm off of the special grade, then pins it to a rock with his sword. Yuta overwhelms Kurourushi at first forcing the curse to be on the defensive. Yuta is able to deduce that he’s being watched by Ryu Ishigori and Takako Uro. He realizes that they’re likely players with “high scores,” but he doesn’t want to reveal that he can use the “reverse cursed technique.” Kurourushi asks him why he’s “interfering.” Yuta responds by questioning “why he’s eating people,” to which the curse says it’s because he likes “the taste of iron.” Kurourushi then uses Blinding Earthen Insect Trance which surrounds Yuta with a tornado of insects.

Yuta exterminates the insects, but when he and the curse clash he’s hit by a projectile from the sword. Suddenly, two cockroaches emerge from Yuta’s shoulder. As he kills the insects, the special grade hits Yuta directly in the chest with his sword. Yuta is damage greatly and coughs up blood. Ryu and Takako assume that it’s “over.” With no choice remaining, Yuta uses reverse cursed technique and converts it into “output,” delivered via his mouth. As Ryu notes, it’s a gross way to kill Kurourushi but it was necessary. Takako says to Yuta that it “seems like you can use reverse curse technique” shocking Yuta as the environment distorts.

Yuta Okkotsu is more powerful and skilled now than he was in Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 0. His abilities have improved enough to largely dominate a special grade curse. In the end however, even Yuta had to use reverse cursed technique. Keeping his abilities a secret from future opponents is a sound strategy but it does have it’s dangers. It’s not made clear why Yuta wishes to hide his abilities but I can only assume he wishes to surprise his enemies. It’s too late now. With Rika still hidden, Yuta may only have one wild card left. Takako seems to have reality distorting or altering abilities. Yuta will probably need to use Rika leaving the civilians in danger.

Anime

Attack on Titan Season 4, Episode 22: Thaw

February 22, 2022February 22, 2022 by Jiraiyan

Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 22,” Thaw,” opens with Eren telling the Subjects of Ymir that he “will use the Titans to trample all life in the outside world in order to protect the people of Paradis Island.” Annie’s father back in Liberio realizes this spells doom for the Eldians. In the Shiganshina District, Reiner Braun tells Gabi that Falco was taken by Jean Kirschtein and Conny Springer now that he’s a Titan. Reiner tells Gabi she needs to escape. Reiner has no hope of stopping Eren, whereas, Gabi still thinks she can. Her first step is to find Falco. With Falco in their custody, Jean and Conny meet up with Mikasa and Armin. They discuss Eren’s plan and consider feeding Falco to Dot Pyxis or Conny’s mother.

This suggestion leads to conflict between Conny and Armin. Conny accuses Armin of not only hypocrisy, he’s only alive because he ate Bertholdt Hoover, but not caring about his mother. Armin tries to argue that killing Falco would “invite more conflict,” between them and the Warriors. While Armin has a point, I think it’s makes more sense to feed Falco to Conny’s mother or at least Pyxis. Before they can decided, a Titan interrupts and Conny escapes with Falco. Considering the fact that this is Attack on Titan, Conny is more likely to have to kill his mother, be killed by his mother, or by Gabi than save her. I have no hope for his plan.

Annie returns

Elsewhere, Jean, Misaka, and Armin regroup with others outside the fort. They collect Thunder Spears to slay the remaining Titans, including Pyxis. When the battle ends, all the Pure Titans are exterminated and so are the Marleyan forces. Floch Forster, Onyankopon, and Yelena are dejected after Eren’s betrayal and Zeke’s defeat. Gabi learns of Falco’s kidnapping from Armin and Mikasa, and begs Armin to asks Eren to focus only on the military. When she mentions that Eren stripped Reiner of his Titan armor, Armin realizes something. Suddenly, in a basement, Annie Leonhart is freed from her Titan hardening.

It should have been obvious that Annie was going to be apart of this episode once her father appeared. Despite that I was surprised that she woke up. Earlier in this season, Eren accused Armin of falling in love with Annie due to Bertholdt feelings towards her and Armin eating him. Considering he was lying during this moment I don’t know how much truth there is to it. Regardless, Annie was fond of Armin, famously allowing him to live when she was seeking Eren. She’s not trustworthy, but she could end up on any side of this conflict. I can’t image Armin, Mikasa, and the others allowing Eren to conduct a mass genocide. However, like I said before this is Attack on Titan.

Anime

Made in Abyss Season 1, Episode 2 Review: Resurrection Festival

February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 by Jiraiyan

Problems with cave raiding

In Made in Abyss Season 1, Episode 2, “Resurrection Festival,” we quickly learn that there are problems with going deeper into the abyss. A tremendous psychical toll can be a consequence the deeper you travel. When returning to the surface from the first layer: Edge of the Abyss, you’ll experience “mild dizziness,” from the second layer: Forest of Temptation, “nausea, headaches, and numbness of the extremities,” the third layer: Great Fault causes “Vertigo combined with visual and auditory hallucinations,” and from the fourth: The Goblets of Giants , “intense pain throughout the body and bleeding.” When an explorer travels from the sixth layer or beyond, they will apparently result in their lose of “humanity or even death.” This phenomenon is dubbed “the curse of the abyss.”

Who or What is Reg

Riko and the others believe that it’s possible that Reg came from the bottom of the abyss and is immune to the curse. Reg wonders if that’s the case, but what’s his purpose. Shiggy refers to the “Compilation of Recorded Relics,” a “field guide to the major Relics that have been unearthed.” However, Reg isn’t found in this book. Riko has done some research on Reg, he can function with food or electricity as a fuel source. He possess smooth but hard skin, flame retardant hair, superior sight and hearing, flexible material and apparently he has a “normal human penis.”

If that wasn’t strange enough it seems that Riko experimented on Reg without his consent. Due to all of the special material that made Reg he’s considered to be incredibly valuable, as a Aubade, “supreme treasure of the netherworld.” This unsurprisingly mean that he is in danger of being taken apart, captured and hidden. To proved him with a cover they give clothing to hid his arms and legs and a false story. Obviously, this is going to be an important plot point in the future. I think Reg will be exposed at some point and maybe Riko and her friends become outlaws as a result.

Learning about the whistles

Cave raiders are sorted into groups, these groups are symbolized by the color of the whistles. The apprentices have red whistles, the proficient blue whistles, assistant-instructor Moon whistles, expert black whistles and the heroes the white whistles. This episode focuses on the white whistle, Liza the Annihilator, she is held as an example for the larger society. She’s even depicted as being a dragon and used to sell merchandise. The most important revelation is that Liza is Riko’s mother and much is expected from Riko, her father was a black whistle named Torka.

More animals are introduced, a hammerbeaks

In this episode the world is expanded, as we learn about the problems with exploration of the Abyss. It makes since that robots like Reg would exists in the world with the harsh conditions, however, it seem strange that no one thinks robots exists or that they shouldn’t be created for everyone. Made in Abyss is too comfortable with sexual inuendo towards children and even nudity. Riko is punished while being strung up by rope completely nude. I could do without it. Riko becomes a more complex character as her mother’s fame is presented, she will have a lot to live up to. Like her mother appears to be, Riko is reckless and is definitely going to get herself in trouble.