This happens way too little in real life
After last week’s break, episode 9 is finally here! I find this episode’s plot logically defective but the character interactions melodramatically delightful, so on the whole the episode is sufficiently entertaining. Hey, it’s like I just described 90% of Sunrise’s works.
Summary
The Chinese Federation leases Horai, an artificial power generation island, to Zero to house the one million Japanese who have escaped Area 11.
Judging by the rudimentary map shown, the fictional man-made Horai is located off the eastern cost of Jiangsu, about 300km from Nanjing, which happens to be my hometown. Yes, I did check Google Earth.
Oh yeah, isn’t it interesting how Japan’s geographical outline appears so detailed in the map above, but China’s looks like a rough outline drawn in Illustrator? Artificial coastline due to geo-engineering, or lazy animators? You decide.
More hair = more powerful
The Black Knights get a timely resupply, including brand new Knightmares from India thanks to Rakshata. Apparently India is actually part of the Chinese Federation, which I find quite interesting. I always assumed it was part of Britannia, what with Rakshata being Llyod’s former colleague in Britannia mainland and the whole real-world British colonial era thing.
A romance that transcends generations…
Unfortunately, before the Black Knights have time to bask on their new concrete island, a terrible news rudely interrupts their high spirits. The Empress of the Chinese Federation is to be married to the crown prince of Britannia, in a political arrangement by Schneizel and the Head Eunuchs. Britannia gets some land concessions and the Empress as their hostage, while the Head Eunuchs get Britannian titles and presumably the benefits that come with them.
Kaguya is too loli for my taste, but she sure is awesome
A party is held to celebrate this sham, and Zero takes the liberty to invite himself in as usual. Much drama and awkwardness ensue as familiar faces meet. Kaguya kicks Suzaku’s metaphorical butt and Nina predictably goes Eva-Berserk on Zero.
She carries a cutter around with her all the time?
Meanwhile, Xingke and his group of loyalists are shocked by the eunuchs’ action and a plan is drawn to save the Empress from that sad paedophilic excuse for a crown prince. Unfortunately, a surprising betrayal gets the better of everyone…
“Your assault rifles are no match for my antique sword!”
Thoughts
The whole episode pivots on the fact that the Head Eunuchs basically decided to trade the symbol of their nationhood, the Empress, in exchange for useless Britannian titles.
He’s like twice her height and thrice her age
This is the part that makes no sense to me. Why would the eunuchs want titles? They are corrupted, I get that. But isn’t there enough wealth and power to be had in the Chinese Federation already? Giving away the Empress, essentially the sovereignty of the Federation, just for some stupid titles makes no sense.
Unless perhaps the Chinese Federation is actually so weak that the Head Eunuchs intend to appease Britannia and accept its dominance before their impotence become apparent. (I kid.)
And another thing…
DUN DUN DUN
Zero’s double-crossing in this episode is yet another logical loophole that bugs me. Xingke is anti-Britannia and has proven himself to be an honourable ally thus far. There isn’t any real need for Zero to intervene with the coup d’état as far as I can see. Maybe he has some larger goals in mind, but as it is, it seems to me that he has now managed to piss off both Britannia and the Chinese Federation…
Screencaps
Jeez, does he ever wear normal clothes?
“I’ll just stand on this unstable bit while Lelouch is below me and…”
“Oh wow. This is totally unexpected.”
“I want Tabasco…”
Just what race/nationality is Cecile anyway?
Nice… uh… hair style.
Anyone get the feeling that he is grooming her to be a ruthless killing machine?
Can’t a would-be assassin conceal a knife in his right hand behind his back?
Don’t ask, don’t tell
They stand no chance against Kaguya’s teasing power
Awkward…
Yup, still insane
What era is this again?
Oh yeah, Simplified Chinese was a communist invention
He’s not helping his own case with that orange accessory
By the way, some guy went on a stabbing spree in Akihabara today. 7 people are confirmed dead. Apparently it was a random act of violence and he only chose Akiba due to the high pedestrian traffic.
“He’s like twice her height and thrice her age
How old’s she?”
Probably around the same age as Kaguya, if a little younger. I reckon Kaguya’s a few years younger than Lelouch, ’bout 14/15? I’d put Tian Zi at about 12, though with Anime you can never be sure. Putting Odysseus at 35+, which going by his appearance wouldn’t be far off imho.
this was interesting, lots of loli themes but watever, i want to see the big fight already.
Just watched the ep. WTF’s with the 朱ç¦åŸŽ?! It’s ç´«ç¦åŸŽ!
And yes the chess move was good. Back off Zero and lets see a bad ending for the show!
Well V.V. said it’s gonna be crazy from now on so i’ll keep him to his word.. It seems the fighting is finally gonna begin again. The introductions are over..
Someone outta just kill Nina already. She’s annoying and hysterical, perhaps someone should slap her (though I doubt it would have any effect because that’s how far this girl is)
i know it is sort of late to mentioned here, but nina is so far the only anime character that truely piss me off with her personality. i just hope she will just disappear in my favourite anime series (although i know she didnt die at the end of r2)
Nina is a sick, racist freak.
“EEWWW ELEVEN COOTIEESS! GROSSSS EWWWW”
-___-
“WHAT?!! BLACK-HOLE BOMBS KILL PEOPLE?! IMPOSSIBLE!” Fail. =_=
Why did zer0 take the empress hostage?I dont get it.