What a great flashback episode! It was in the past, yet it added so much to our understanding of the present. Lilliana’s actions now make perfect sense.
Not only was Lilliana originally enthralled by the Ades Empress and her ideology, but she fell in love as a child with the current leader of Ades. (Perhaps my assumption from two weeks ago that they were getting married wasn’t that far off?) Then the Empress sealed the deal with her own death, and won Lilliana over to her side.
I’m impressed how they managed to smoothly tie everyone’s stories together. Millia and Fam are even childhood friends!
World Peace
This episode was interesting philosophically in that it portrayed the Empress’ grand vision of attaining world peace through one world government fairly positively. Of course, this vision is in total opposition to Millia’s goal of restoring Turan.
Personally, I’m on Millia’s side. I’d rather have diversity over unity. I mean, look at all the different groups we saw at the grand race. They all have their own fashion, customs and traditions. Belonging to different countries shouldn’t preclude peace at all. I think a single country would probably end up having just as much violence, only it wouldn’t technically be a “war” since only one side would have an army. Consider the non-wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Xinjiang, Tibet, and pretty much every other attempt at the Empress’ vision of world peace.
Of the two sisters, Millia is the smarter one. Lilliana is caught up in all the talk of world peace, while Millia just wants to watch the vanships. The wisdom of children.
It’s All in the Details
The attention to detail in this show’s animation never ceases to amaze me.
Random Thoughts
- Little Millia is too damn cute!
- Too damn cute! By the way, did anyone spot Teddy in this episode? (I didn’t, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t there…)
- Millia was smarter when she paid less attention to her sister. She was right both to ignore the talk of world peace and to be scared of people who don’t smile.
- Giselle has always been a nerd.
- I liked the scene with the fight between the sky pirates and the Ades children a lot. It goes to show that the Empress’ ideas of unity aren’t necessary at all. They may be from different countries, but share some food together and everyone becomes friends.
I Think Teddy is to young to have existed in this timeline. If he did, he might had been a baby, same age as the current ruler of ades, maybe?
Awww. Baby Teddy would have been cute.
I’m under the impression that Teddy was the same age as Sara, if not slightly older, so he would have been a baby, if not a toddler, during the Grand Race.
Also Glacies is obviously more progressive than anyone else (who’re still stuck in the 19th-century mode of Fashion). Roy Mustang would have been proud. TINY MINISKIRTS!
Baby Teddy would have been cute. I’m disappointed they didn’t throw him in somehow. 🙁
I love how they have such varied fashions among the different countries. But I can’t imagine those miniskirts go well with the climate…