05. Collaboration [Discussion!]

[thoracicpark]

 

This week's episode was definitely not what I was expecting, but it still proved to be fun and really interesting! Did you enjoy it? Were you underwhelmed? Do you have any new thoughts or theories on what's to come?

I personally had mixed feelings about the episode. This series really builds you up and then leaves you high and dry, ha-ha! Honestly I was anticipating something along the lines of Jou vs Berge Katze 2.0 and things developing from there—quite possibly some more info and who the hell Berg Katze even is in this series. However, even more than before I'm really, really interested in Rui and Hajime interacting and how they'll play against each other. I also really want to know more about Umeda and who the heck that little girl was! She looked so much like Hajime, ha-ha.

Speaking of Hajime and her family, I'm still really curious to know why there was a little surprised when Sugane dropped her family name. I wonder if her family has some sort of high standing or something. (I've also just realized no one on the G-Crew has called Hajime by name outside of O.D., LOL!)

Anyway! I thought the beginning of it was slow but still informative. I live for cute little scenes like the one on the bus, so that was definitely fun, and I continue to really enjoy whenever we get to see everyone work together. I've realized that miscommunication is just as big a theme in this series as social media is, because it honestly seems like while GALAX is bringing people together, there's definitely still a disconnect.

BTW, on another forum someone mentioned this and I just thought this was a really interesting way of looking at the core three characters: 

"Sugane and Rui are the deconstructions, the failed heroes. Sugane goes by rote instead of actually understanding the meaning, and never thinks to question why things are the way they are. Rui questions everything and has an idealistic dream, but can't handle practical applications or people who don't understand that dream.

Hajime is the reconstruction, the true hero. She combines the best traits of both the guys; knowing how to act without being paralyzed by doubt, knowing how to question without taking everything at face value. That makes her the best hero who's going to save everyone, including both Sugane and Rui."

I also found this super interesting analysis of Hajime's communication skills, which kind of turned her character around for me (in a good way!). I've loved her to pieces since the beginning but there's moments where I'm a little exasperated with her.

Comments

[rollinghero]

as you said, i thought the beginning started off awfully slow. it was getting to the point where i thought the whole episode would just be rui talking to umeda. i love rui, but i was hoping for some action, too.

and thankfully we got it! it wasn't necessarily action at first, but i loved the scene on the bus! i really enjoy seeing the g-crew interact with one another, and i'm loving joe and sugane's senior-junior relationship! they were adorable together, but i definitely have to say utsutsu was even cuter! she got so embarrassed when hajime caught her; it was too cute. ;v;

my heart almost stopped when they showed hajime covered in blood. she looked so incredible and just... so badass during that scene, and poor sugane broke my heart when he screamed, "wait!" i'm looking forward to see how the g-crew reacts to rui next episode and vice versa!

i don't really have any theories on what's to come, but i think everyone's mostly expecting joe to die sometime soon. it seems like he's tripped a few death flags, what with him saying, "there's a hero right here!" and j.j.'s red bird going up in flames. i'm thinking he's going to die either next episode or episode 7.

i'm expecting hajime to die at the end of the series, too. i love her, but it seems like she's tripping a few death flags, too, unfortunately. ;; i really enjoyed reading that person's input on hajime's communication skills, though! i think it describes her perfectly.

[thoracicpark]

That scene with Hajime gave me chills, although I was so angry when it ended right there! The wait in-between episodes is just getting worse and worse.

I love that about her character though, how she'll do what she genuinely feels is right at the time (or even what needs to be done at the time!) and not what she's been told is right. I hope that they tackle this aspect of her personality with the repercussions and consequences that come with it though—we might actually get that in the next episode.

Ha-ha, yeah, Jo looks to have his days numbered. Although there's a part of me hoping that the burning bird was a phoenix metaphor, symbolizing him finally stepping back up. Although so many death flags were hoisted for that poor guy, and the character from the original he shares a name with apparently has terrible fate, lol. I think it's too soon for him to die though, maybe closer to episode ten or something, we still haven't really seen him interact with Hajime, and apparently she's going to aid in firing him back up.

Unintentional pun right there...

I'm kind of leaning towards Hajime dying at the end too, or rather... I kind of want it? Or I want Hajime to disappear for one reason or another, something to kind of shake the foundation and light she's brought to everyone's life. I love her too, and I love the impact she seems to have on everyone with everything she does even more.

[laceytd12]

I think the beginning of the episode was slow because it was intensely focusing on Rui's character. From when Rui is introduced, you only know that he has this idealistic trait to him, but we never really get anything besides that--so I'm thinking that the beginning was to focus on him and his handicaps. He's trying his best to protect everyone and surge a revolution without and bloodshed, but the reality is that someone, somewhere will get hurt no matter how small and his idealistic way of going about things is almost impossible.

However, the episode moves then into the bus and you see so many of the G-Crew in the bus, which--I might have to rewatch the episode--seems interesting to me because the last time we saw one of these events was with Sugane and Hajime, but this time you see Hajime, Sugane, Joe, and Utsusu. It seems like the perfect set up and I'm really surprised no one took the meaning of what JJ was saying, since it looks like they knew all along and just joined Hajime because of that disaster, but they didn't realize till it was too late. This gives me the idea that, plot wise, something is going to cause all of them to use their Gatchas.

At the very end, you get Hajime doing what Hajime does best: help people. Even though she's bloodied and injured, she goes straight into the disaster zone without a second thought. Also, by Rui's reaction, I'm thinking that maybe Hajime finds a way to work with him. He seemed surprised but also in awe(?) of how quickly Hajime is willing to go and help people with the power of her Gatchas instead of "protecting the planet" in the way that Pai-Pai suggests.

I was actually expecting the episode to be longer because I wanted it to keep going. But it was a good place to end it. I'm leaning towards the red bird being a metaphor of a phoenix, like Asa was saying, and Hajime dying at the end of the series. I love Hajime so much and I don't want her to go, but I think it's necessary that she leaves a mark on the G-Crew and Rui and the world instead of actively doing something to change it with them. I think it'll have a more emotional impact and I think it might be more powerful if she was gone instead of still there.

(Wow. I talked a lot, sorry)