Hello my friends, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we arrive at a day of great and terrible import, as we watch through the very last episode of Bodacious Space Pirates. This production has been a gleefully irreverent, often illuminating, and perpetually charming smash of seemingly incompatible genres, fostering an unexpectedly vivid compromise between grounded science fiction and club-based slice of life shows. Between the depths of space and the bustle of the classroom, Bodacious Space Pirates found its own points of commonality: an emphasis on relatable yet larger-than-life characters, a reverence for the small details of craft and execution attendant in any task, and a general sense of wonder regarding the world around you.
It’s been delightful watching Marika take command of this strange universe, rising from a carefree high schooler to a confident pirate captain at a meteoric pace. And though I’m sad to be parting, I’m happy that the show is ending on a high note, expanding its conception of space piracy to include an entire galaxy’s worth of enticing foreign shores. With Marika’s crew at her back, let’s face off with that stuck-up interloper Quartz, and show these invaders what Sea of the Morningstar pirates are made of!
Episode 26
We open on a lovingly rendered backdrop of the cosmos, stars and nebulas winking in the violet glow. And then we pan down, and see a swarm of portals opening as ships arrive for the battle to come. The stakes of our conflict are thus instantly reaffirmed: these beautiful stars are what we’re fighting for, but we’ll need to survive this gauntlet to protect our right to explore them
We learn that the stage of battle will be the same place they found the Golden Ghost Ship, as it’s essentially an entirely empty stretch of space
“I believe in you, and in our future.” Oh damn, bold words from Chiaki. From someone who never admits to any personal feelings until they’ve been triple-checked and vetted by external committee, that means a lot
In the expanse before them, three enemy portals open up, but Marika only smiles wider. She has fully embraced the madness of space piracy!
I’ve gotten so used to this OP that I sorta forgot it’s so aggressively framed as a love song between Marika and Chiaki. The progression of how Chiaki is framed across these images seem to echo her in-show relationship with Marika: distant yet concerned, uncertain Marika will be able to reach her, but in the end reassured by Marika stepping up to admire the cosmos alongside her
Coorie’s having the time of her life, managing electronic warfare across an entire fleet of pirate ships through the use of three separate consoles. Sorta reminds me of MMO raiding, to be honest
Oh my god, she’s even typing on a fourth one with her toes. These aggressive close shots of fingers hammering on keys are doing their absolute best to draw some visual drama out of the emphatically visual drama-unfriendly concept of electronic warfare
Even Quartz has to admit that as a linked unit, their electronic warfare abilities are equal
Her hair lights up with a digital glow when she fits her hand into her seat’s control module. So does her ship interface directly with her mind, and this glow is the indicator that she’s currently piloting the ship? If they’ve developed a piloting interface that skips the need for physical instruments, and instead sends your mind’s impulses directly to the ship, I can see why our standard pirates have so much trouble keeping up with her
Ooh, I love her cockpit’s evocative HUD; rather than an array of textual and numerical layouts, her ship’s barrage is represented as a series of rapidly firing geometric shapes. This seems to further indicate that the ship is basically resonating with her intentions, expressing what she wants it to do without need for more direct input
“I have faith in the experience a pirate has. I’m betting on all the experience this ship has collected.” Marika simultaneously expressing faith in both her crew specifically, and the validity of this pirate lifestyle as a route to mastering space
“Because I’m a pirate!” And there it is, her direct statement of intent. The final answer to the question Kane asked her on the way to this confrontation, prompting a smile from him in return
Chiaki’s father praises Marika’s linked information network, saying that “this way, there’s no chance of anyone accidentally firing on an ally.” One of those uniquely Bodacious Space Pirates comments, revealing how space combat can sometimes be less glamorous duels, and more “oh shit, did I hit the wrong guy? Coms are down and everything looks the same out here”
“It isn’t perfect, but pay attention, students!” Coorie’s really making herself comfortable as the captain of the electronic warfare team
Marika makes a key deduction: Quartz is controlling all three ships herself. This gives her side’s attacks an unimpeachable unity of intent, but also leaves her vulnerable, as she cannot delegate duties or respond to simultaneous evolving circumstances with ease. It also feels perfectly representative of the contrast between Quartz and Marika: Quartz just wants to prove her own worth, while Marika’s strength is the unity she has promoted across the pirate fleet
The flaws in Quartz’ philosophy are immediately made apparent, as she fails to recognize a sacrifice play from her opponents, and is blindsided by their drones self-destructing. Quartz is too self-centered to imagine an opponent conceding their position for the sake of a greater cause
Taking out this ship also required another important deduction: that the enemy’s high quality shields are only useful against beam weaponry, not physical missiles
And so the first ship falls, prompting a glare from Quartz. Another weakness of this full control method: when she gets angry and goes on tilt, the entire fleet strategy suffers
Kane reflects on the oddity of pirate ships acting like a fleet. Though Marika represents the future of space piracy, she managed to enrapture all these other pirates by also venerating its past, and inviting them to relive the glory days of fighting in the war of independence
“Now it’s time for us to board her. If we allow her to get any more of the glory, we’re not pirates.” Oh my god Marika. Not content just to defeat Quartz with superior strategies, she plans to actively style on her by boarding her ship in repayment. Marika is truly a ruthless opponent
Angry and overconfident, Quartz pushes ahead with her second ship, only to see a planet cracker filling the viewscreen the moment it moves out of its dash routine. They’ve already seen that trick, Quartz!
And that’s two ships down
I like the incidental gag of Sandaime just gaping in horror as the enemy ship targets the Bentenmaru. The other crewmates are pretty good at maintaining pirate poker faces, but Sandaime clearly does not want to die
Some nicely expressive character animation for Quartz in full rage mode, as she shouts Marika’s name like a curse
Ahaha, I love Marika’s fancy new boarding outfit, which is space-worthy while still finding room for a fine coat-style trim and big epaulets. As she now well understands, appearances are a big part of piracy!
“It’s time for some piracy!” Also feels like a graceful dovetail for the show’s ending, that we conclude with an earnest version of these piracy theater performances the Bentenmaru is accustomed to staging
Seeing the absurd wreck that Marika’s gambit has made of the final enemy ship, Chiaki’s father takes a moment to reflect, and truly consider how the results of this battle will change the future of piracy
“Will you go with Captain Marika?” It seems her father is content with the concept of piracy as defined in Sea of the Morningstar, but imagines his daughter will be following Marika into the larger world of Galactic Empire piracy
They confront Quartz at last. “You really are flashy.” “I’m a pirate, so of course.”
Marika frames Quartz’ dismissal of these local pirates as inherently ridiculous. There need be no greater proof of their worthiness as pirates than their continued existence – simply by standing in this space, Marika asserts that pirates are and will be, whether Quartz approves it or not
And Quartz responds like a sore loser, of course, but she also requests that Marika come to “a greater sea.” We’re winning her over!
“I got the combat data I needed, and destroyed the evidence. But my pride was ruined. Let’s meet again, Marika.” Marika continues her marauding networking quest, now having secured either the trust or at least intrigue of foreign princesses, future business tycoons, and representatives of the galactic empire
Meanwhile, Jenny Doolittle has the Odette II all prepped for support, facilitating one last lovey-dovey moment between her and Lynn. They are indeed an extremely cute couple
It seems that Gruier and Ironbeard are also old friends. Between their conversation and Ririka’s following statements, it seems clear that the reports of Marika’s father’s death were somewhat overstated, and that he actually faked his death in order to resurface as a pirate of the empire
And we end right where we began, with Marika freaking out about being late for school exams
And Done
So ends the tale of Marika, and the brave crewmates of the Bentenmaru! Or really, so begins the next leg of their journey, as they lift off into the much wider world of the Galactic Empire (at least once Marika is finished with high school). It seems perfectly appropriate that a show so enraptured by the romance of space faring would conclude with its eyes to the horizon, scanning the stars for its next adventure. Marika has proven herself a pirate of the highest caliber, and the journey there was littered with delightful characters, unlikely twists, and plenty of Ironbeard’s rapturous musings on the majesty of the cosmos. Watch yourself, Galactic Empire – there’s a new pirate captain in town, and there’s no way you’re ready for her.
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