NieR: Automata Ver 1.1a – 09 – Into the Lion’s Den

It took four months, but we finally learn where 9S ended up: right in Adam’s clutches, as expected. The trap takes the form of an endless matrix of hallways and doors, and Adam has all the keys. He stalks 9S, then sidles right up to him and mocks 9S’ fondness for 2B. Meanwhile 2B knows something is up, so she follows the Pods to the art room, where she finds specific coordinates.

After a futile call to the Bunker for backup (there’s no backup to spare), she uses her Pod like a Mary Poppins umbrella, arresting her descent into the coordinates. A pure white “Copied City” coalesces around her.

She walks down streets, through a church-like structure filled with reliefs of humans and a grotesque construction made from captured YoRHa soldiers, and in a library similar to the one in Beauty and the Beast, Adam finally reveals himself with panache.

Adam reminds 2B that they met when he and his brother were first born, but that there “wasn’t time” to get to know each other, what with 2B trying to kill them on the spot. Now he’s in complete control, and like a cat with a mouse is content to simply mess with 2B in an attempt to get her to express emotions.

2B takes the bait when Adam shows her a crucified 9S at his mercy, and seems to feed off of her surge of anger and hatred. The two spar, but it becomes clear that physical attacks are pointless; Adam can regenerate his body instantly.

With 2B seemingly out of options, Adam produces a pure white copy of 9S. Though Adam is disconnected from the network and thus mortal, a group of 9S clones spring forth from the ground and restrain and choke 2B. But before she passes out, her Pod tells her “the appointed time has come.”

2B wasn’t really trying to defeat Adam; she was only buying time for 9S’ Pod to hack into Adam’s system. Once it does, the white city turns charcoal grey, the clones disappear, and 2B is free to impale Adam with her sword. And she would have, too, if Eve hadn’t stepped in her path.

Eve protects his big brother, but as I assume he is also disconnected from the Network, when he dies, he seems to die for good. 2B gets off relatively easy; her sword is destroyed, but Eve’s blow merely blasts her out of the library. 9S is secured, and 2B is 100% emoting when she says “let’s go home.”

Any day’s a good day when you and your partner are able to walk away in one piece. But while Adam was once merely very curious and pushy in his desire to learn everything he can about Androids and 9S and 2B in particular, now that they’ve killed his brother I imagine they’ve made a mortal enemy of him. In other words, they might’ve taught him how to be vengeful, and thus even more dangerous.

After a production-related hiatus, the final four episodes of Nier:Automata have surfaced, and a second cour has been confirmed. I’ll be watching and writing about both. And no, I still haven’t played the game!

Synduality: Noir – 03 – The Great Cause

Ellie, bless her heart, is excited Kanata is finally a drifter, and wastes no time setting up a mission they can go on together, as a treat. But when she arrives at Kanata’s hanger, only Noir is there, pondering the meaning of a message from Tokio saying he’s taken Kanata to the hedonistic Desire Nest to pop his cherry. Ellie invites Noir to join her and Ange on what is now a rescue mission.

While Tokio does manage to nudge Kanata into the arms of a couple of comely employees of a swanky club in Desire, his own carnal designs are dashed when his butler magus Mouton starts chasing him, believing his yoiung master wants to have a race. While en route to Desire, Noir learns that Ellie and Kanata grew up together, and they also pick up a mysterious magus named Schnee on the side of the road.

Luckily for both Kanata and Ellie, he’s made to wait in a comfortable sitting room until his number is called. A formally dressed, masked gentleman asks him if it’s his first time, then declares, to Kanata’s shock, that it’s his first time too.

It becomes pretty clear that this fellow is the one Schnee refers to as “My Lord”, and she was willing to walk to Desire to return to his side. When Enders attack Desire, Ellie sorties with Ange, leaving Schnee to drive Noir—and Kanata’s coffin—into the city.

Noir and Schnee arrive just as Kanata’s number is called and the general alert is sounded. Literally saved by the bell. The ladies fill the gentlemen in on the situation. Schnee’s “Lord” tells her he came to Desire alone to try to find the “Goddess who will take him to Paradise” for “the Great Cause”.

Ellie is just hanging on with Ange when an attacking Ender is snared by Kanata. I loved Ellie’s elation upon learning he’s there, only to observe that he has a lot to learn about fighting Enders. That’s fine with Ellie; she doesn’t need a white knight; fighting beside Kanata is enough.

Unfortunately, even the both of them aren’t enough against a particularly tough group of Enders, but they are bailed out by Schnee and her Lord dazzling the stage in a snow white coffin. He elegantly slices through all of the remaining Enders with an energy sword while Schnee covers his back by projecting herself outside the coffin, a trick neither Ange nor Noir (at the moment) can pull off.

When the battle is over, Schnee accidentally lands the coffin in a puddle of mud and apologizes to her Lord, but he’s okay with a little grime in the name of the “Great Cause”. This inscrutable masked gentleman is sure to return again, as there’s something “nostalgic” about the scent around Kanata. That said, if Noir was the one he was looking for, you’d think he’d have noticed her when she arrived at the club with Schnee.

In the end, Ellie still gets to go on a mission with Kanata like she wanted, while Tokio and Mouton spent all night running around Desire Nest, and clearly exhibit the signs of the runner’s high. All’s well that ends well, and while the CGI Enders are pretty much whatever, I still enjoyed the new characters and watching Ellie and Kanata finally team up.

Masamune-kun’s Revenge R – 04 – Tout le monde est un gros idiot

Look, I get it: Gasou Kanetsugu desperately needs money. But I cannot forgive him for going to far to deny both Aki and Masamune their fated pairing! Gaining the trust of her well-meaning fan club and getting their help keeping both Yoshino and Masamune away from their Aki-sama is another black mark in his disfavor.

As for Yoshino, she’s decided the time is now or never to tell Masamune the truth: she was the one at the window who called him Pig’s Foot, not Aki. And she did it because she hated him. But things aren’t so simple now. She’s limited in her movements, but can’t give Kanetsugu free rein over Aki, lest the lie reach the point of no return.

When Yoshino got chickenpox, she was initially happy for a little peace and quiet, away from Aki and her moods. But it doesn’t take long for her to be horribly bored. Then she hears Aki laughing outside, having gained a new plaything in Masamune.

But Masamune doesn’t seem like a plaything to Yoshino, and Aki doesn’t treat him as such. Confined to her room, Yoshino’s FOMO turned to a specific hatred of the new friend. Aki went down with a bug the very night Masamune ran to her house for help, and Yoshino put on an Aki wig from a doll, went to the window, and got rid of Masamune.

The thing is, Yoshino almost immediately came to regret that choice. Not only was Aki ruined by the sudden vanishing of Masamune, but she came to distrust and hate all men. And as close as she and Yoshino were, Masamune could put Aki’s heart at ease vis-a-vis her parents’ marital troubles in a way Yoshino couldn’t.

When Masamune transferred to their school, Yoshino recognized him immediately, and says Aki didn’t because she’s always been a bit dense. But in his return Yoshino saw and opportunity to right the wrong she had done. But here’s the twist that really gets Masamune: while she agreed to be his master in winning Aki’s heart, she never wanted him to dump her once he did.

Yoshino appreciates how at-sea Masamune must feel, having learned that she was the one who told him off, that Aki isn’t to blame, and thus there’s no reason for a revenge plot at all. But he’s also their only hope to save Aki from Kanetsugu’s lies. So she sends him off to do just that.

Masamune runs first while considering what he needs to say to Aki when he finds her. At this point, she’d already been calmed down by Kanetsugu, the two went on a Ferris wheel ride, and were now enjoying ice cream. When the fan club intercept Masamune, he tells them they can call him trash if they like, but he needs to know where Aki is to protect her from Kanetsugu’s lies.

They acquiesce, and just before Kanetsugu gets to reply to Aki’s offer to do anything for him, he appears to punch Kanetsugu right in the face, telling him to stop using his name. Masamune doesn’t help his case at first by getting in a dig about Aki’s “ugly personality”, but manages to get the words he needs to out: if she’s going to date Masamune, she might as well date the real one!

It’s great to watch Yoshino’s web of lies fold, even as I feel bad for her since her hatred for Masamune has gradually turned to more positive feelings. Nevertheless, she puts Aki’s feelings first, not because it’s her job to defer to her, but because her lies caused this whole mess. I really hope Aki believes Masamune about Kanetsugu’s deceptions—deviousness such as his should not be rewarded!

Those Not Chosen – Summer 2023 Edition

Welcome to a new RABUJOI seasonal segment that takes a brief look at the love interests who, for whatever reason, aren’t chosen by the main character. For Summer 2023 we’re highlighting four such characters.

Fujinomiya Neko, Masamune’s Revenge R

Neko is a cute and cheerful rich girl who seems to know Masamune for some reason. But despite her bonafides and obvious interest in him, she doesn’t stand much of a chance against Masamune’s once and future true love, Adagaki Aki, no matter how messed up his relationship with her is at the moment.

Sara, Mushoku Tensei II

O Sara, we hardly knew ye. We didn’t even learn her last name! It’s three episodes and out for a a girl whose trust and affection Rudy earned by saving her life and having her back during her party’s adventures. A perfect date becomes a fiasco in Rudy’s bedroom, as his lingering post-Eris depression keeps him from performing. Their relationship is soured for good when a drunk Rudy shit-talks Sara within earshot.

Sarashina Ruka, Rent-a-Girlfriend

Ruka is a great girl, no question. And she tries her best to keep her hold on her “boyfriend” Kazuya. Kazuya, in turn, hasn’t had the guts to simply dump her yet, but it’s easy to see why: she’s such a good “girlfriend”! Alas, Kazuya’s new neighbor Mimi is trying to get Kazuya and Chizuru to realize they both have feelings for each other, so I’d suspect Ruka’s days as Kazuya’s fake squeeze are numbered.

Ellie, Synduality: Noir

Ellie has long kept a candle burning for her childhood friend, the MC Kanata. It’s only until recently she learned he didn’t join her drifting company not because he never applied, but because he did apply several times and failed. Nevertheless, Ellie continues to support Kanata, but now that he has contracted with a mysterious, elite Magus in the titular Noir, her romantic prospects are suddenly in jeopardy.