Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the Gekkostate, as it seems Eureka Seven is about to transition into a new phase of its narrative. The show’s last two episodes each offered crucial revelations regarding Renton’s idols, as we learned Holland and his subordinates were once willing dogs of the military, while Talho was some kind of prisoner. Even the ships and robots that define Gekkostate are stolen military hardware; far from standing as ideals of courageous freedom, it seems like Gekkostate are more fleeing the world at large, distracting themselves from the moral obligations of this era by seeking the next big wave.
And personally? I love it. While many anime tend to sort their characters into audience-relatable children and inscrutable adults, Eureka Seven is reveling in the messiness of young, uncertain adulthood, through the ambiguity of characters like Holland and Talho. Their dynamic is something I’ve seen before, but rarely in anime – a young woman being rescued from her oppressive situation by a seemingly perfect prince, only for that prince to reveal himself as far less of a man than she’d hoped. Holland is selfish, cowardly, and seemingly disinterested in the grand struggle of his era, and all of that makes him far more fascinating to me than your traditional hero. He’s clinging to an ideal of freedom that’s swiftly becoming too childish even for Renton to believe in, and with an entire community relying on him, he simply can’t afford to keep entertaining this fantasy. I’m eager to see how his story turns, so let’s dive right back into Eureka Seven!
Episode 11
Even the way Holland avoids Talho’s eye contact in the OP speaks to his nervous immaturity. He seems uncomfortable in his own skin at all times, perpetually trying to convince himself of the validity of his decisions, and becoming paranoid about the approval of others as a result
Some great painted clouds carry us into the episode proper, as the Air Force announces a sector of unusual weather patterns. Until I watched Shirobako, I hadn’t considered that “cloud specialist” might actually be someone’s claim to fame as an anime artist, but a show like Eureka Seven basically demands some cloud specialists
We check in on Anemone, who’s grotesquely eating jam straight out of a jar with her fingers. The initial focus on her pet, as well as the strong emphasis on the jam dripping down her face, frame her as some kind of uncivilized, flesh-hungry animal. This scene also mirrors one from Angel’s Egg (down to the explicit focus on the tactile, uncivilized nature of the movement), though I have no reason yet to assume that’s intentional
“Is The End coming too?”
I love the sharp angles of her face. Kenichi Yoshida is one hell of a character designer
The blood-like jam on Anenome’s face is mirrored by Eureka, as she cuts her fingers on the Nirvash’s sharp edges. A parallel is thus drawn between the two; fitting, given they’re presumably both government-designed prefabricated pilots
“Into The Nature”
These stark white-on-black title cards seem too close to the Evangelion standard for that to be a coincidence
Talho mentions Eureka still seems down, to which her crewmate responds that it’s weird to see her worrying about Eureka. Talho’s insecurity here makes a bit more sense now; Eureka was likely Renton’s ace pilot for some time back in their military days, whereas Talho presumably joined the crew more recently. Also, Talho was a girl that Holland saved, creating a less equal power dynamic than that between him and his former ace pilot
Eureka’s inability to connect with the Nirvash is causing her mental stress
As usual, Eureka Seven spoils us with incidental expression work and character acting as the Gekkostate crew enjoy breakfast
The rest of the crew are sharing their recent dreams, so Renton completely steps in it by asking Eureka about her recent dreams. And of course, she’s never had a dream in her life
Eureka’s an interesting one. A clear take on Rei Ayanami, but with the insecurity you’d expect of a real person in an Ayanami shell
“Everyone! We’ve got a Coralian.” Oh shit, are we finally getting introduced to the alien menace? Or I guess earthian menace, considering this show’s creatures are styled as defenders of the planet
“Did Type Zero’s activation trigger it?” More proper noun nonsense from the government. All right then, keep your secrets
“It would be problematic if they don’t appear. We won’t be able to take the first step towards annihilation.” Everyone’s jazzed about instrumentality
The Gekkostate crew treat the Coralian as some kind of messenger of God, but offer little concrete explanation of its nature
Even through the way Holland and Eureka discuss the Coralian, it’s clear they share a bond that no one else on the ship can match. They can discuss the upcoming event in a shorthand of shared assumptions, and when they’re talking, the words of everyone else are irrelevant. Both in this scene and their last shared one, the script makes a point of ignoring the suggestions of the other characters, as if everyone else’s opinions are trivial compared to their shared discussion. No wonder Talho feels insecure about it
The cinematography emphasizes Renton’s isolation and disconnection here, with Eureka looking away and Holland’s face blocked by the bed hanging over Renton’s head
Holland says she can join them if Renton comes too. Seems he’s already incorporating Renton’s influence on Eureka into his calculations
“Why are you going, in your condition?” “Because… Holland wants me to go.” They’ve never seemed more like Rei and Gendo
Meanwhile, Anemone is making a royal nuisance of herself as the military escorts her to the site
With this episode leaning more heavily into Eureka’s inhuman roots, the importance of her children is that much clearer. They are her contact point with humanity, keeping her rooted in human emotions. Their appearance was the literal catalyst for her transitioning from a military device to an empathetic person, and it seems they still play that role as an anchor
As the Gekkostate approaches, the Coralion appears as a giant orb inside the storm, or an egg
Interesting how Eureka and Anenome’s eyes both differ from the “default human shape,” but in opposite ways. Eureka’s eyes are rounder than most, evoking a sense of curiosity or innocence, whereas Anenome’s eyes are sharp, narrow slits, evoking a sense of anger or suspicion
The Nirvash doesn’t respond to Eureka, and only lights up once Renton reaches his seat
Lots of perspective shots in this episode, drawing us into the nervous energy of the crew. That plus the crew’s steadfast determination not to tell Renton anything useful collectively evoke a strong sense of anticipation
Gorgeous smoke animation as the military’s squad is defeated by the trapars
Both Eureka and Anenome are complaining of headaches. Perhaps they’re resonating with the Coralion in some way, though Holland did imply the crew has done this before
Anemone is in a genuine panic about her pain, until Sorel injects her with some unknown substance. A deep crimson, like the jam, or the bold streak across her eyes. After the injection, she’s like a different person, eagerly ready to fly
Anenome’s mech looks like a squid or a spider in its initial form, before transforming into the usual humanoid shape
Terrific moment of shock as Anemone’s ship severs the arm of Matthieu’s. The trails left by these robots allow for some gorgeous compositions, making even the violence beautiful
Oh my god, Anemone’s cockpit is insane. She’s basically just grafted into the wall by her extremities, surrounded by an array of blinking eyes. She looks like some kind of horrifying butterfly
“Hello, my little lookalike. I really want you to die!”
And Done
Hot damn that was one hell of an episode. Well, I wasn’t wrong – with the Gekkostate’s history at least partially sketched out, this episode wasted no time in propelling the narrative forward. The ambiguous nature of the Coralion seems to hold even more secrets regarding Holland and Eureka’s past, but in the meantime, Anemone strikes! Her introduction as a pilot was one of Eureka Seven’s most generously animated highlights so far, combining savagely over-the-top character acting and beautifully fluid mechanical animation. The action is heating up and the mysteries are unfolding; we’ve entered a thrilling era of Eureka Seven!
This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.