I don’t want to ramble, I want to see this show’s final thoughts! Loved that scene with 26 and Katze last episode – this stuff was alluded to earlier with the childhood pictures of Rui and Hajime, but the internet’s dark heart is aterrifying place, and Katze is stabbing right at the core of of it. But that’s a deflection, of course – as Katze continuously reminds us, he (and the internet itself) are not some malicious outsider, imprinting dark instincts on us – they are merely a reflection of our own maliciousness, of the way anonymity and freedom from consequences allow us to demonize and destroy each other. Hajime wields transparency as a force for good, as the prerequisite to honest communication that allows us to respect each other and accomplish great things as a community. Katze and the Neo-Hundred have chosen anonymity as their weapon, but as 26 demonstrates, when you’re relying on misdirection and anonymity to be your weapon, anonymity also has to be your shield. For him, when the screen is unplugged, he is left naked, defenseless.

Not sure where I’m going with all this. This show is stewing a whole pile of awesome ideas, and I’m basically just having great fun seeing how all the pieces fit. Let’s get a little bit more of the jigsaw.

Episode 11

0:00 – Incidentally, I’ve already heard this is half a recap episode, but I’ve also heard it’s a good recap episode, so let’s see!

1:48 – That IS a nice way to do a recap!  Reuse visual footage, but make it a sort of diary-exploration of each character’s psychology.

2:41 – It’s funny to me as a person normally so focused on character to see a show so good yet so unabashedly led by a flawless super-person . This isn’t a mistake, or a flaw of the show – the show is directly contrasting the power of transparency and honest communication with the danger of anonymity and miscommunication, and the metaphor would be meaningless if Hajime were too much of an individual, flawed person to work as a stand-in for transparency and our better nature. She is intentionally a force of human nature

3:17 – This shit is heartbreaking holy shit they actually ARE making a great recap episode.  Aw man, can’t wait for Sugane’s bit

4:57 – Oh god they’re going to kill her . Hajime is Jesus

5:23 – Man, I am loving this.  We know these things, but it’s somehow still great to see these characters admit who they are to themselves. Can’t hold all these emotions

7:10 – Straight to the point.  Of course they’re saving Sugane for last

11:40 – Critical line here . Contrast this to the moment when 26 called Rui a naive fool (oh man, that cynical jerk!), and then the scene cut immediately to 26 picking up his young daughter, the person he wants to accelerate the world for. Possibly still my favorite moment of the series

12:56 – Goddamnit I love Katze’s silly dance 

14:41 – Jou possibly somewhat overenthusiastic  about this hero business

14:52 – Seriously, Jou teleported into this show from an actual sentai one 

15:22 – Don’t be a title. What do you want to say as a person? 

15:56 – “Crazyeyes” OD is on the job 

16:29 – Laughed way too hard at this 

17:28 – A fair question.  He’s like the internet’s disgruntled grandpa

18:25 – He’s got my vote 

19:09 – SMART PHONES FOR EVERYONE 

19:29 – Everyone’s needed. Even lowly Prime Ministers 

21:10 – Oh man so good.  This show isn’t letting any element of collective action be that simple

21:25 – The only contact you can really trust 

And Done

Holy shit did that episode make the most of the half length. Nice little monologues from everyone, and an extremely surprising star turn from… the Prime Minister of Japan. The only thing we didn’t check in on was poor 26, but I’m sure that’s coming next week. One episode left, and it’s promising to be quite the finale.