This… has got to be the strangest piece of fanservice I’ve seen in a long while. What the heck, goat?
Overall, this episode took a step back, slowed down and took a closer look at the characters over dinner and a planning session.
Yuri Goggles ON
This whole episode was screaming yuri. First we have Fam and Millia sharing a bed.
Then we had this onboard the ship:
Ah, so many possibilities!
We’re also back to more fanservice, like the first episode: we have Fam and Millia in their undergarments, Millia failing to put on Giselle’s shirt, and that goat. It wasn’t nearly as jarring as the first episode, however.
The Action
The slower parts were enjoyable. This show has this cutesy feel to it that’s hard to explain: it manages to look childish and cute, but also seem somewhat mature at the same time.
The real highlight for me is the action though. That vanship chase and attempted capture were pretty exhilarating. The creators know how to do this right. Many shows (*cough cough* Shana) think an exciting action sequence involves people staring at each other and shouting out their motivations and the names of their next move.
But no, the exciting thing about action shows is that anything could happen next: a moment’s difference in timing can mean the difference between life and death. In this episode, see the vanship’s entry into the ship as it submerged, for example, and Fam and Giselle nearly drown. Also the midair fight between the two vanships: that was pretty exciting.
I will say though, I found the portrayal of the Silvana a bit off-putting. They’re supposed to be a world renowned ghost ship. And their captain has to fly out personally to deal with a single unarmed vanship after they’re blinded? A bit of a disappointment: I’d have expected them to be at least mildly competent. But whatever, it is more exciting this way.
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Wait…I thought the ship Tatiana captains is the Sylvius, not the Silvana. Even looking at a visual comparison, the two look very different.
Silvana
http://lastexile.wikia.com/wiki/File:Last_exile_08_silvana.jpg
Sylvius
http://www.lastexile-fam.com/img/mecha_silvius01.jpg
Ah, thanks for pointing that out, you’re right. I watched the original Last Exile several years ago, and seem to remember just enough to confuse me. 🙁
It’s an easy mistake to make. When I first saw the name, I thought maybe Tatiana had just changed the name to suit the new planet. It wasn’t until we got a closer look at the ship that I was sure that they were different ships.
And was it just me, or was Millia way cuter in this episode. Forget the shirt gap and goat tug, I just really liked her determination to dress herself, eat like everyone else, and save Fam and Gisey from the Sylvius. She seems to have matured much more than our protagonists.
Yeah, she was way cuter. Instead of crying, trying to go off on her own and complaining like before, she actually tried to fit in with Fam and Giselle. Poor lacing techniques aside, wearing Giselle’s clothes showed this pretty well: she’s cast aside the trappings of a princess in order to do what she has to do.
I’m hoping Fam will mature a bit as well. I think her excessive cheerfulness might start to get on my nerves soon.
fyi: the voice actress for the little servant boy is the same as Lavi from the first series. We might be seeing a guest appearance eventually..
As far as the competency of the ship, Giselle herself is astounded at the ability of the ship to navigate even when blinded, leading to the decision to deafen the acoustic ranging officer (the ears of the ship/SONAR). While it is odd that she would leave the bridge, it shows her trust in her XO, as well as her complete control of the situation – there is nothing the vespa could do to her ship, allowing her to have some fun with the sky-people and her very first pirate attack.
I mean, besides a convenient plot contrivance to have Tatiana pilot her red vanship against Fam complete with the music from the first season. Okay, its mostly a plot contrivance to show that she hasn’t lost her edge, and to introduce her as a fighter-pilot captain extraordinaire to the newer audience.
Whatever! It was totally awesome!
Haha talk about a different personality between seasons!
And agreed, it was pretty awesome! That was a pretty exciting fight, regardless of the logic of its setup.