Cross Ange Episode 25
And so, we begin the finale of Cross Ange.
Engine repairs to the Aurora are complete, but it seems Alektra has been gravely wounded, and even though Maggy wants to get her on a stretcher, she's like, "I'm already dead, just get me a smoke".
Later, as she dies Socrates style (chilling surrounded by friends as life slowly leaves her body), she admits her attempt to screw over Embryo failed, and Salia apologizes for the shit she pulled, and by the time Jill finally dies (well, I guess the show did have the guts to kill her off), she's forgiven Salia for almost becoming her successor in almost every way.
However, they don't have time to mourn as Riza reports the merging is at 98.5%, but as Jasmine tells everyone not to give up, the merger suddenly freezes at 99.02%, and a voice Sala confirms as Aura tells everyone Embryo is basically in the Cross Ange equivalent to the Final Fantasy V N-Zone/Cleft of Dimension.
Cue intro credits.
As we resume, Ange wakes up in the same love hotel like room we found Alektra in in that flashback with Embryo (with clothes on, thankfully, namely her princess getup), and as she runs through a hallway eerily similar to the palace, she exits to a graveyard on a floating island in space, which Embryo (in his Ragnamail) confirms is Arzenal, namely the first Earth's Arzenal, which was the original point of divergence between the two worlds (explains why the DRAGONs kept attacking around there, they naturally assumed Aura was held there), and they he offers she join him in premium box office seats as they watch the remaining merger together. Ange is obviously not down with that, but he lands, tells her running is pointless since this isn't the Arzenal she knows, then segues into a monologue about the original Arzenal.
Basically, it was a particle research lab where, back in his scientist days he discovered how to make space-time his bitch, and we also learned the original purpose of the Ragnamail was to use them as mecha versions of Stargates from the series of the same name, but shit went pearshaped and the original Arzenal was caught in-between space-time.
For him, it was a good thing, because time froze there, so he had all the time in the world to work on things while being functionally immortal, and thus ended the first Earth with the Ragnamails and recreated humanity based on his continued research.
Essentially, he discovered to not age and how he could could alter reality and went on a power trip, essentially making himself a god figure even if he preferred to be called a "Tuner".
As he finishes that part of his monologue, he's sitting across from Ange drinking tea, when he explains the Mana based society went to hell, then pours on the Paptimus Scirroco treatment again and tries to get her to join him yet again. She tries to punch him, but he slaps her and pours on the rapist vibes.
We cut back to the Aurura, where Aura reveals the Vilkiss has one of the few engines with the ability to access Embryo's dimensional hidey hole, and as Aura is barely keeping the Aurora and those inside from being consumed by the dimensional rift, and Aura says anyone can will the Vilkiss to reach that place if their will is strong enough, so Hilda concedes defeat to Tusk and tells him to do it.
Back with Embryo, Ange realizes the Vilkiss is beyond her reach, and when tries to attack Embryo, he makes her clothes disintegrate to induce defeat by modesty, and he goes all domestic abuser and slaps the shit out of her because Tusk took her v-card first, and then the rapist vibes go off the charts as he basically tells her he's going to "purify her", then summons vines to splay her out to make his job easier.
As Tusk tries to get the Vilkiss to give a shit, Ange is calling Embryo out as a rapist, and he responds by showing her how Aura is starting to lose the fight against the world merger, and as Tusk is utterly frantic now, Embryo's about the do the deed against Ange's will.
Ange then sings the Eternity song, and as Embryo's about to begin, this manages to pierce the dimensional divide and activate the ring controlling the Vilkiss, which changes color to fit Tusk's outfit, and that's when everyone else decides to follow Tusk's lead. Chris offers Hilda her Ragnamail, and Ersha and Vivian tell Salia not to die on them as the Vilkiss teleports Sala, Tusk, Hilda, and Salia to Embryo.
As they go through the dimensional tunnel to him, Sala starts singing herself, which prompt Ange to join in, making Embryo disengage himself as he realizes what's going on.
As the two choruses become one, Embryo's location appears right in front of them.
Cue intermission.
Embryo decides to speed up getting himself properly mounted on Ange, but is thankfully interrupted by Tusk, and as Embryo retreats, he cuts her free and snags her into the Vilkiss (getting a face full of her crotch AGAIN), but Ange isn't in the slap happy mood since he just prevented her rape. As they land, he hands her back her panties, ring, and a spare suit in the bucket seat, then jumps out to give Embryo a piece of his mind.
As Embryo and Tusk go sword to combat knife, Sala even the odds by tossing Tusk a katana, and as Ange reactivates the Vilkiss, it gives her her outfit back, and in a nice touch, gives the Vilkiss a combined original/Tusk themed paintjob (symbolizing how the two of them are now acknowledged to be it's twin masters), and as she takes flight, she tells everyone Embryo's Achilles heel is his Ragnamail, and as Tusk puts it, both the Ragnamail and Embryo himself must be stopped to permanently defeat him.
Before I go on, a little explanation:
When Embryo's original research sent him to the dimensional rift, it apparently split Embryo and the Ragnamail into two dimensional halves of the same whole, so both are connected, and as long as one exists, the other cannot die, as they are two halves of the same "fact" of Embryo's existence.
Anyway, he decides to even his odds in the air by summoning doppelganger Ragnamail to aid him, but Ange and crew don't even flinch as Tusk and Embryo continue dueling below and Tusk manages to put a nasty gash in Embryo's shoulder, and since Embryo isn't switching his current body for a healed version, that means he can't do his dimensional revival trick anymore.
Embryo is pissed and starts shifting around, trying to shoot Tusk since he lost the sword part of the fight, and one of his doppelgangers is currently trying to hijack Salia's Ragnamail to shoot down the others. In fact, he's pulling that stunt on all of them.
Meanwhile, Embryo has gone back to using a sword as he gives Tusk an earful about how he's pissed Tusk did it with HIS woman (what a deluded sack of shit......), manages to catch Tusk in the shoulder with his blade, but Tusk gives him a bloody backstab to the gut in response.
Meanwhile, as his Ragnamail tangles with Ange, Sala is calling him out on being a rapist shithead,, and as she tackles him retarded, Hilda chimes in with her own version of how shitty the bastard is, and as Ange asserts she's not being controlled by anyone anymore, Salia realizes the Ragnamail can all choose the master with the strongest will, and succeeds in making hers give her full control, as does, Hilda, so both immediately shift to Salia and Hilda's color schemes to let Embryo know he can't control them anymore, and the two then own the hell out of Embryo's doppelgangers.
Meanwhile, Embryo is having an epic meltdown as he demands to know why Ange won't let him control her, and as Ange pwns the fuck out of his Ragnamail, she basically tells him she's everything ascribed to Norma (anti-authoritarian misfits), only now she asserts this with pride.
Meanwhile, Sala realizes Norma were born on purpose: in short, Embryo's attempt to make a species that would be shaped to his will failed because not everyone could be forced to bend to his will.
At this point, Embryo is bleeding profusely from the gut in human form and is finally realizing Ange just won't fucking break, so he basically decides to kill her with his Ragnamail, but Ange pours on the juice and blows his Ragnamail the fuck up (leaving behind just the head area), leaving his human form in utter shock, and Tusk then vivisects Embryo in twain in human form while Ange finishes destroying what's left of Embryo's Ragnamail.
This causes a massive dimensional rift , and as they exit it, they discover the Aurora is fine, and apparently, the original Arzenal has been returned to what is presumably the original Earth, which Vivian and later Aura (who managed to survive as well) confirm.
Ange is asked by Sala what they are going to do now, and Ange decides to found her nation since Libertus had been accomplished, and Momoka brings up the good point: "uh, what happens to the other Earth?"
We cut to Earth 2, and as Ange cites that's not her problem, we see Sylvia finally grew a fucking spine and decided to follow Ange's example in being a self reliant badass in what is now Fallout style post apocalyptia world. Meanwhile, we end with Ange decided to get to work on making the world she's in work, and everyone else chimes their support.
Cue end credits.
We get to see all the loose end get tied up, Sala and Ange go at it in karaoke, Cafe Ange opens for business, and we get to see Ange and crew basically building a life for themselves in the DRAGON world.
All in all, a good ending, though I'll save my thoughts on the series as a whole for another post.
Engine repairs to the Aurora are complete, but it seems Alektra has been gravely wounded, and even though Maggy wants to get her on a stretcher, she's like, "I'm already dead, just get me a smoke".
Later, as she dies Socrates style (chilling surrounded by friends as life slowly leaves her body), she admits her attempt to screw over Embryo failed, and Salia apologizes for the shit she pulled, and by the time Jill finally dies (well, I guess the show did have the guts to kill her off), she's forgiven Salia for almost becoming her successor in almost every way.
However, they don't have time to mourn as Riza reports the merging is at 98.5%, but as Jasmine tells everyone not to give up, the merger suddenly freezes at 99.02%, and a voice Sala confirms as Aura tells everyone Embryo is basically in the Cross Ange equivalent to the Final Fantasy V N-Zone/Cleft of Dimension.
Cue intro credits.
As we resume, Ange wakes up in the same love hotel like room we found Alektra in in that flashback with Embryo (with clothes on, thankfully, namely her princess getup), and as she runs through a hallway eerily similar to the palace, she exits to a graveyard on a floating island in space, which Embryo (in his Ragnamail) confirms is Arzenal, namely the first Earth's Arzenal, which was the original point of divergence between the two worlds (explains why the DRAGONs kept attacking around there, they naturally assumed Aura was held there), and they he offers she join him in premium box office seats as they watch the remaining merger together. Ange is obviously not down with that, but he lands, tells her running is pointless since this isn't the Arzenal she knows, then segues into a monologue about the original Arzenal.
Basically, it was a particle research lab where, back in his scientist days he discovered how to make space-time his bitch, and we also learned the original purpose of the Ragnamail was to use them as mecha versions of Stargates from the series of the same name, but shit went pearshaped and the original Arzenal was caught in-between space-time.
For him, it was a good thing, because time froze there, so he had all the time in the world to work on things while being functionally immortal, and thus ended the first Earth with the Ragnamails and recreated humanity based on his continued research.
Essentially, he discovered to not age and how he could could alter reality and went on a power trip, essentially making himself a god figure even if he preferred to be called a "Tuner".
As he finishes that part of his monologue, he's sitting across from Ange drinking tea, when he explains the Mana based society went to hell, then pours on the Paptimus Scirroco treatment again and tries to get her to join him yet again. She tries to punch him, but he slaps her and pours on the rapist vibes.
We cut back to the Aurura, where Aura reveals the Vilkiss has one of the few engines with the ability to access Embryo's dimensional hidey hole, and as Aura is barely keeping the Aurora and those inside from being consumed by the dimensional rift, and Aura says anyone can will the Vilkiss to reach that place if their will is strong enough, so Hilda concedes defeat to Tusk and tells him to do it.
Back with Embryo, Ange realizes the Vilkiss is beyond her reach, and when tries to attack Embryo, he makes her clothes disintegrate to induce defeat by modesty, and he goes all domestic abuser and slaps the shit out of her because Tusk took her v-card first, and then the rapist vibes go off the charts as he basically tells her he's going to "purify her", then summons vines to splay her out to make his job easier.
As Tusk tries to get the Vilkiss to give a shit, Ange is calling Embryo out as a rapist, and he responds by showing her how Aura is starting to lose the fight against the world merger, and as Tusk is utterly frantic now, Embryo's about the do the deed against Ange's will.
Ange then sings the Eternity song, and as Embryo's about to begin, this manages to pierce the dimensional divide and activate the ring controlling the Vilkiss, which changes color to fit Tusk's outfit, and that's when everyone else decides to follow Tusk's lead. Chris offers Hilda her Ragnamail, and Ersha and Vivian tell Salia not to die on them as the Vilkiss teleports Sala, Tusk, Hilda, and Salia to Embryo.
As they go through the dimensional tunnel to him, Sala starts singing herself, which prompt Ange to join in, making Embryo disengage himself as he realizes what's going on.
As the two choruses become one, Embryo's location appears right in front of them.
Cue intermission.
Embryo decides to speed up getting himself properly mounted on Ange, but is thankfully interrupted by Tusk, and as Embryo retreats, he cuts her free and snags her into the Vilkiss (getting a face full of her crotch AGAIN), but Ange isn't in the slap happy mood since he just prevented her rape. As they land, he hands her back her panties, ring, and a spare suit in the bucket seat, then jumps out to give Embryo a piece of his mind.
As Embryo and Tusk go sword to combat knife, Sala even the odds by tossing Tusk a katana, and as Ange reactivates the Vilkiss, it gives her her outfit back, and in a nice touch, gives the Vilkiss a combined original/Tusk themed paintjob (symbolizing how the two of them are now acknowledged to be it's twin masters), and as she takes flight, she tells everyone Embryo's Achilles heel is his Ragnamail, and as Tusk puts it, both the Ragnamail and Embryo himself must be stopped to permanently defeat him.
Before I go on, a little explanation:
When Embryo's original research sent him to the dimensional rift, it apparently split Embryo and the Ragnamail into two dimensional halves of the same whole, so both are connected, and as long as one exists, the other cannot die, as they are two halves of the same "fact" of Embryo's existence.
Anyway, he decides to even his odds in the air by summoning doppelganger Ragnamail to aid him, but Ange and crew don't even flinch as Tusk and Embryo continue dueling below and Tusk manages to put a nasty gash in Embryo's shoulder, and since Embryo isn't switching his current body for a healed version, that means he can't do his dimensional revival trick anymore.
Embryo is pissed and starts shifting around, trying to shoot Tusk since he lost the sword part of the fight, and one of his doppelgangers is currently trying to hijack Salia's Ragnamail to shoot down the others. In fact, he's pulling that stunt on all of them.
Meanwhile, Embryo has gone back to using a sword as he gives Tusk an earful about how he's pissed Tusk did it with HIS woman (what a deluded sack of shit......), manages to catch Tusk in the shoulder with his blade, but Tusk gives him a bloody backstab to the gut in response.
Meanwhile, as his Ragnamail tangles with Ange, Sala is calling him out on being a rapist shithead,, and as she tackles him retarded, Hilda chimes in with her own version of how shitty the bastard is, and as Ange asserts she's not being controlled by anyone anymore, Salia realizes the Ragnamail can all choose the master with the strongest will, and succeeds in making hers give her full control, as does, Hilda, so both immediately shift to Salia and Hilda's color schemes to let Embryo know he can't control them anymore, and the two then own the hell out of Embryo's doppelgangers.
Meanwhile, Embryo is having an epic meltdown as he demands to know why Ange won't let him control her, and as Ange pwns the fuck out of his Ragnamail, she basically tells him she's everything ascribed to Norma (anti-authoritarian misfits), only now she asserts this with pride.
Meanwhile, Sala realizes Norma were born on purpose: in short, Embryo's attempt to make a species that would be shaped to his will failed because not everyone could be forced to bend to his will.
At this point, Embryo is bleeding profusely from the gut in human form and is finally realizing Ange just won't fucking break, so he basically decides to kill her with his Ragnamail, but Ange pours on the juice and blows his Ragnamail the fuck up (leaving behind just the head area), leaving his human form in utter shock, and Tusk then vivisects Embryo in twain in human form while Ange finishes destroying what's left of Embryo's Ragnamail.
This causes a massive dimensional rift , and as they exit it, they discover the Aurora is fine, and apparently, the original Arzenal has been returned to what is presumably the original Earth, which Vivian and later Aura (who managed to survive as well) confirm.
Ange is asked by Sala what they are going to do now, and Ange decides to found her nation since Libertus had been accomplished, and Momoka brings up the good point: "uh, what happens to the other Earth?"
We cut to Earth 2, and as Ange cites that's not her problem, we see Sylvia finally grew a fucking spine and decided to follow Ange's example in being a self reliant badass in what is now Fallout style post apocalyptia world. Meanwhile, we end with Ange decided to get to work on making the world she's in work, and everyone else chimes their support.
Cue end credits.
We get to see all the loose end get tied up, Sala and Ange go at it in karaoke, Cafe Ange opens for business, and we get to see Ange and crew basically building a life for themselves in the DRAGON world.
All in all, a good ending, though I'll save my thoughts on the series as a whole for another post.
Oh, so I was way off on my theory about Embryo and the Hysterica then. Also, finally surprised it took him this long to just forget fucking Ange and just attempt to plain murder her.
ReplyDeleteAlso, given that Tusk's the only male amongst the group now, this leads me to ask two very disturbing questions:
1. Does this mean he has to help repopulate the new earth all by himself?
2. If not, then do any of them even want to have successors? That seems rather odd in a world with like only 2-3 dozen humans and a bunch of dragonkin (also, Aura's a female, it was revealed in an earlier episode).
As for the series itself... it wasn't terrible. Sure the first two and a half episodes were poorly paced and filled with horribly executed attempts at lesbian fan service. But once the plot got its balls, it really interested me. Maybe if it had more episodes (there was a lot of character exploration it never delve into), pandered less to the Otaku and Old-school mecha fans as often as it did and maybe killed off Tusk (his character wasn't much beyond a poor-man's Tenchi, especially in his first few appearances). I'd have liked it more. As it is though, if I were to rate it on a 1-10 scale, it's be a 6-6.5 tops. Not the worst anime I've come across recently (there's plenty more out there that's worse, World Break and Kill la Kill to name a couple). But it really could have been better.
I couldn't agree more, though Tusk I liked (he was a very amusing poor man's Tenchi), and thanks for reminding me about Aura being female, kinda forgot that since almost all the full blown dragons we see that are confirmed to be male aside from Vivian (most of the females remain in humanoid form for obvious fanservice reasons apparently). The subtitles also did a poor job emphasizing that fact.
DeleteI'll save my detailed thoughts for a post on the series in general a few days from now.
Eh, different strokes I suppose. His "Faceful of vag" shtick got a bit tiresome after a few episodes I feel. Plus the fact that he got the last blow at Embryo as opposed to the main character herself makes me dislike him a bit more.
Delete