By A younger Renton is at his father’s grave site with his sister Diane and grandfather, who complains about how five years later, they’re the only ones bothering to come here. Axel claims those who follow their dreams get tossed aside by society when they’re bored of them. Diane tells him of their father’s last words as he left, to not beg for things but to earn it. She still believes in their father’s words and believes Renton will understand them someday. Back in the present, Renton thinks of those words and is able to successfully get on his surfboard before hitting the ground, skyfish flying around him. Renton flies upwards, where Matthieu’s typeR606 LFO is being fired at by the military’s Mon-Soono KLFs. Holland asks Matthieu to help him break through. Holland wants to use the CFS (Compac Feedback System) despite Matthieu’s pleas of its danger. Holland is surprised to see Renton fly right past him on his surfboard. Renton soon performs a cutback drop turn to avoid an oncoming Mon-Soono, surprising Holland. Meanwhile, the blue haired girl struggles in the Nirvash, hoping to shake off her enemies and catch up to Holland. Renton flies right before her and in shock, Renton falls off his surfboard. The girl pilots the Nirvash below so as to be able to catch him in the cockpit. Renton is excited about being able to do a cutback drop turn and tells the girl it is because of her and that he loves her. Renton tells the girl he’ll protect her and the Nirvash with the Amita Drive and that they can access Satori by using it. Renton puts the Amita drive on top of the Nirvash’s compac drive, causing glittering lights to appear around them. The compac drive again forms the word Eureka. The girl passes out and the Nirvash loses power. Holland heads towards them in his TypeR909 LFO while the enemy pursues him. The military Mon-Soonos fire missiles at the Nirvash and Renton fears for his life. We cut to later where we see the wreckage of the Mon-Soonos on the ground and Matthieu claims all that is left is pillars of salt. Stoner tells him Holland is nearby, where their “princess” is. The girl wakes up, seeing Holland there waiting for her, and tells her they are all fine. He is surprised at the level of power the Amita Drive unleashed in the Nirvash and cutting back we see the entire landscape for miles around has changed. The girl claims the Nirvash is saying it was neither the Amita Drive or the Satori program but rather Renton’s powers that caused this to happen. A supplier, Digger, shows up at Renton’s home, finding the collapsed warehouse. Axel asks him for a light. The Nirvash lands atop the wreckage. Axel rushes up, asking the girl if Renton is alright. Meanwhile on the nearby Izumo, Dominic thinks they should return to base, but Jurgens doesn’t want to after having lost two KLF squadrons. Dominic thinks that with the Seventh Swell effect here they can’t fight with what they currently have. Jurgens thinks Dominic should behave like the information officer/observer he is. Dominic says under such authority he is going to use the Izumo‘s high speed pod. Digger tells Axel to hurry up with preparations and he’ll try to keep the military off of them so they can depart. Axel sees Renton sleeping with a happy face. The girl is surprised at Axel’s happy reaction to him, saying Renton was reckless. Axel says who else could compliment him but himself as family and that she’ll understand when she has kids someday. Holland shows up, saying it’s been a while. Axel is not happy seeing him.
Axel asks Holland how long he’s been here as he stares at Dominic’s high speed pod taking off in the sky above. Axel complains about Holland bringing him nothing but trouble. Axel says he knows why he came here, despite saying he’d never show his face to him again. Axel says Holland has to take responsibility and he wants Renton to have a chance to find ordinary happiness here. Holland asks if Renton is really looking for something ordinary. While they talk, the girl pokes at Renton’s sleeping face. Holland asks Axel why he had Renton deliver the Amita Drive and that he doesn’t believe in what he’s saying. The two continue to argue, Axel saying that Holland is the only one he can entrust the Amita Drive to. Renton wakes up. Renton says he doesn’t get why his dad created such a thing and his grandfather kept it hidden. He asks the girl what should do and Holland says that’s for him to decide. Renton is amazed at seeing Holland. Meanwhile, Jurgens talks to his subordinate Maria about Dominic, claiming he no longer wanted to meddle with Gekkostate. One of the other crewmembers say they have detected a ship in the Bell Forest Airport that is not on the corporation’s list. Jurgens tells them to spread around the word and that they will head there now. Holland looks at a photo of Axel, Thurston and Diane in the wreckage, with her part of the photo burned off. Holland tells Renton he believed in the wave and this world as he was able to do a cutback drop turn. He talks about his former master’s saying, repeating the same quote Diane told him years before about earning it. Holland asks Renton what he believed in while in the Nirvash. Earlier, when the Mon-Soonos fired missiles at the Nirvash, Renton freaked out, but the girl said it was alright and to trust her. Renton thinks to how when he was a kid and Diane was hugging him goodbye, the word “Eureka” appeared in his compac drive. The compac drive lights up as the Nirvash hits the ground, the missiles striking it. Jurgens and the other military members wonder if they have got it. Holland realizes that Renton has delivered the Amita Drive to the Nirvash and that they should back off as a Seventh Swell will occur. A large explosion hits the area and light appears throughout the sky. A large rainbow appears as well which can be seen afar from Renton’s school. Axel talks to himself about how his son is causing problems for both his parents and his son, although it is quite beautiful. The Nirvash gets up. Dominic says they should have the Mon-Soonos retreat. The Nirvash quickly tears through one of them and avoids the missile attacks of another. Holland, looking at a photo of Renton, Diane and Axel asks if this is how it should be. The Nirvash cuts through another Mon-Soono. Renton passes out. Back in the present, he tells Holland that he thought of how he wanted to save the girl and the Nirvash told him to believe in that. Holland tells Renton that if he wants to prove it, to come with them, which is what she wants too. Suddenly an alarm goes off and Holland looks to the sky, worrying that the Izumo fleet has arrived already. Holland goes to use the Nirvash’s radio and the girl tells Renton to come with them, saying without him it’s no good. Renton thinks to himself of how he has to protect the Amita Drive and believe in her.
Having got some of the initial exposition and introduction out of the way in the first episode, this second one provides more action and excitement as we get our first major battle sequence of the series. Mechs riding on surfboards is quite the interesting sight, and works pretty well here. Renton is reckless in riding out on his surfboard into the middle of the battle, but it works out exactly as hoped and he is able to unleash the Nirvash’s powers using the Amita Drive. The battle sequence animation also seems inspired by the “Itano circus” style of exciting aerial combat with numerous missiles being fired off. Not only is it love at first sight for Renton with this still unnamed girl, but he literally tells her to her face he loves her, which has got to be quite awkward! Although I suppose it’s better for him to be so forward than to keep his feelings hidden and have us wait dozens of episodes to get to it. While Renton’s grandfather had hoped he’d live an ordinary life, it seems clear that Renton is destined for an exciting adventure with Holland and this girl. The narrative method of cutting away from things mid-battle and showing what really happened later on via flashback is similar to what was done in the second episode of Evangelion, making me wonder if this was an intentional reference. One complaint I have with the episode is that I feel they’re already throwing a ton of technobabble at us such as “Seven Swell,” “CFS mode,” “Satori” and other things. For some reason they are also trying really hard to avoid showing the face of Renton’s sister, even conveniently burning up only the part of the photo she is in. I’m not sure why keeping her hidden is so important.
Comments