Fafner Ep. 12: Desperation (Absence)

Mamoru plays in the bath and his mom tells him he shouldn’t be playing with weird things on his head. He says he won’t get powerful unless he wears his special helmet. Chizuru tells Kenji’s mom that Kenji will be the pilot of the Mark Achtzehen while Mamoru will pilot the Mark Funfzehen. Kenji’s mom says Fumihiko is trying to replace his son with theirs but Chizuru disagrees. Kenji’s mom says that Chizuru can say that because it’s not her daughter. Mamoru’s dad asks Fumihiko to protect his son, and he promises he will. Maya prays at Shouko’s grave and tells her about Mamoru and Kenji. She says that she was only able to watch and wonders if that was how Shouko felt. Kenji is excited that he’s become a pilot because he can use it to pick up chicks and his mom throws a can at him. On the Neo UN sub, Cannon gives Kazuki his food and asks him if he’s really a Fafner pilot because he’s so weak. She says it doesn’t matter because they’ll be keeping his Fafner. Kazuki thinks it’s absurd that humans are fighting each other. Cannon gives Yukie her food but she makes a commotion so Cannon punches her. Mamoru’s dad submits his manga when the attack alarm goes off. A new type of Festum appears and Sakura, Kenji and Mamoru prepare to intercept. Mamoru wears a mask and everyone thinks it’s weird. He says his code name is Gobain and the Fafners launch. Fumihiko says to monitor any mental changes in the pilots and Soushi thinks that Kazuki wouldn’t have that problem.

Kenji says he wants to go home and Chizuru notes that their minds have changed drastically. Mamoru says that he has an idea. He says that he’ll let the enemy attack him while the other two finish the Festum off. Soushi thinks it’s crazy but Fumihiko says it’s a good idea. Mamoru takes the Festum’s beam attack with his energy shield and Kenji fires at the Festum. Sakura comes up behind it and finishes the Festum off. Everyone is glad they’re safe, but the pilots are thrown in a detention room for acting on their own. Mamoru is fine with it and kicks Kenji’s feet out from under him when he complains. He scolds Kenji for his bad aim and Sakura for being too slow. Sakura knocks his mask off and Mamoru wonders where he is. Fumihiko says they have to be more mindful of the pilot’s mental state before launching and Soushi asks why Kazuki didn’t have that problem. He asks if it was because Kazuki always put himself down but Fumihiko thinks it was that Soushi calmed him down. Soushi says he was the one that needed calming down and turns to leave. Fumihiko asks if he knows why Kazuki left and he says no. Soushi doesn’t think Kazuki will return to the island and leaves. Fumihiko suspects that Kazuki was captured by the UN already and thinks about his wife. Maya runs into Soushi and asks if there’s been any word from Kazuki. Soushi says he was probably attacked by a Festum or captured by the UN. He says he doesn’t care and Maya asks if he understood Kazuki. He says he did through the Siegfried system and Maya says you can’t understand some one through a machine. Soushi says that he knows more about Kazuki then she does. She says that’s true and that she isn’t very good as a CDC and she can’t pilot a Fafner. Soushi says she doesn’t have to fight and she asks him why he never said that to Kazuki. Soushi said he would have if he could. Michio lets Kazuki out of his cell and they go on a walk. Michio apologizes for having to bind Kazuki’s hands but he says it’s ok. Michio asks about Tatsumiya and learns of his mother’s death and that Yumiko is a school nurse, which he finds hilarious. Cannon shows up and Michio tells her to call him by his name when they’re off duty. Cannon says she can’t call her superior officer by his name. Michio introduces Cannon to Kazuki as the person who cut off his Fafner’s arm. Kazuki said they talked about that before and Michio jokes that Cannon must like Kazuki if she told him that. She says no and they arrive at a Neo UN base.