Shin Sekai Yori - Episode 14 Discussion / Poll

[deadsea]

Tomiko seems very persuasive, Sakis is being like his pawn, but at this point she has nothing to distrust, so lets trust Tomiko

[Kirarakim]

I can't blame Saki for trusting her because I have to admit I did too. Until people questioned her on here I never thought she was saying anything but the truth.

[Triple_R]

Besides, what real choice does Saki have?

As Saki herself recognized, Tomiko likely just saved Saki from being cat food. If nothing else, Saki should trust Tomiko to look out for Saki's best interests. And that alone actually makes Tomiko a rare and invaluable person in Saki's life, at least amongst the adults of this village.

If Saki doesn't go along with what Tomiko wants, then Saki's likelihood of getting targeted for elimination goes way up, imo.

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

They are biological relatives, though. She's his great-great-great-etc. grandma.

Just because she's old doesn't mean she can't have more children. Who knows how many times she's been remarried that being said Saturo is just one of get many grand children she's had over the course if Tomiko's life.

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

I can't blame Saki for trusting her because I have to admit I did too. Until people questioned her on here I never thought she was saying anything but the truth.

I don't see any reason not to trust Tomiko. She has been up front and complete honest about everything so fare so what reason would she have to lie now.

[GenjiChan]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

Just because she's old doesn't mean she can't have more children. Who knows how many times she's been remarried that being said Saturo is just one of get many grand children she's had over the course if Tomiko's life.

So there's a chance that many of the villagers are Tomiko's decendants..

[Makers_F]

Can someone tell me what Maria spelled without a sound to saki?

If i'm not mistaking, the holy barrier is there in order to prevent natural leaks of the cantus (that the subconscious normally "uses") from going outside and tainting the world. As we have seen with Shun, a powerful leaking cantus changes the creatures (see the dog) and 2 cantus users free in the world can generate a creature that is dangerous to the village (actually, in the first episode, i thought that the guy that went gathering herbs created subconsciously the fiend, and then the newly generated monster followed him to the village's bridge). Their leaking cantus for sure is not as powerful as Shun's, but in the long run it may happens. Already many newly creatures generated in just 1000 years, too low of a timespan for the evolution to work (in a resemblance between the effects of the leaking cantus in Shin Sekai Yori and the effect of the radiations for the development of Earth's life in Asimov's books)

Ps: it's shi-fi as long as it gives reasonable answers only based on the premises of the book to events. If Tamiko was so long-living because some god made her like that, it would become fantasy, but the author explained in a rational way this fact. And one of the reasons i like this show so much is because of how every time the author gives an explanation, it is so rational and plausible given the world in which it is settled

[BBOvenGuy]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

Just because she's old doesn't mean she can't have more children. Who knows how many times she's been remarried that being said Saturo is just one of get many grand children she's had over the course if Tomiko's life.

The female human body only has a specific number of ova. It's not like the male body, which makes new sperm continually.

Of course, there's nothing to stop the author from saying that Tomiko used her Cantus to keep herself fertile.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

Just because she's old doesn't mean she can't have more children. Who knows how many times she's been remarried that being said Saturo is just one of get many grand children she's had over the course if Tomiko's life.

Er, after a certain age you can't have any more children, I mean biologically... In any case, he's not her grandson. In the novel she tells Saki that while Satoru is her blood relative he's so far removed from her that she can't really regard him as a relative of hers anymore. She loved her first grandchild more than anything, but then came her great-grandchild, great-grandchild, and so on... it's just a matter of time until the connection is lost. (Btw, remember ep 11, when Satoru, Saki and Maria were to meet Tomiko, and the girls were like "but he's your grandma, how couldn't you tell?" Well.)

Btw I'm not saying that Tomiko is lying to Saki, just that at this point she could've told her anything and Saki would've done it without a second thought. Look at the effect she had on Hiromi. Imagine what she could do to ordinary people.

Originally Posted by Makers_F

Can someone tell me what Maria spelled without a sound to saki?

"Sayonara" - you can hear it at the end of the episode.

Originally Posted by Makers_F

If i'm not mistaking, the holy barrier is there in order to prevent natural leaks of the cantus (that the subconscious normally "uses") from going outside and tainting the world.

It's there so people focus their subconscious "outside" and not "inside." They're conditioned to equate the outside with a great, scary unknown where akki lurk. This way their subconscious projects their fears, uneasiness, etc. outside, along with their excess power. So the leaking power don't contaminate the "human world" but the outside world.

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

Er, after a certain age you can't have any more children, I mean biologically... In any case, he's not her grandson. In the novel she tells Saki that while Satoru is her blood relative he's so far removed from her that she can't really regard him as a relative of hers anymore. She loved her first grandchild more than anything, but then came her great-grandchild, great-grandchild, and so on... it's just a matter of time until the connection is lost.

So Satoru called her grandma because everyone else in the family did. Well that clear things up but it would've been nice if the anime had just taken 10 seconds to run that by us.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

So Satoru called her grandma because everyone else in the family did. Well that clear things up but it would've been nice if the anime had just taken 10 seconds to run that by us.

No - he thinks she's his grandma. As far as everyone knows, she's his grandma. (Do you think Tomiko goes around telling her real age to everyone? Well, I don't remember if it's mentioned if those "in the know" know her real age/position.) She's just a very distant grandma - even in ep 11 Satoru started out saying "grandmother" and then amended it to "Asahina Tomiko-san", and later on in the book he calls her Tomiko-san.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

Btw I'm not saying that Tomiko is lying to Saki, just that at this point she could've told her anything and Saki would've done it without a second thought. Look at the effect she had on Hiromi. Imagine what she could do to ordinary people.

Her clout in that society is considerable true...

Although using Hiromi as an example does not really credit her seeing what a....dysfunctional nut Hiromi is

[pinoscotto]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

So Satoru called her grandma because everyone else in the family did. Well that clear things up but it would've been nice if the anime had just taken 10 seconds to run that by us.

she was "asahina-san" when she was a nurse (implying she was merried to an asahina man) 200 years ago, so of course she is not satorou grandma

[DragoZERO]

That was awesome. Just when you think there won't be any more surprises. God this is a great series. A real gem!

Can't wait to see who becomes to the fiend. It's going to be a good toss up.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Nice info-dump episode. It keeps me thrilled for the next. A build-up at its finest.

Well, if in the 13th episode thread I was disappointed to find Mamoru was okay, right now I’m hyped to see what he’ll become in the next episode: a fiend, a survivor, or cat food .

[Solace]

The return of Squealer is never a good sign. Those preview words are enough to let the audience know the shit has hit the fan. And knowing what happens next....man, this episode dropped some MAJOR foreshadowing. Those who are only watching the anime will look back at episode 14's conversations and wonder how they missed it.

Also, wtb power to regenerate, kthx. Tomiko's influence isn't just knowledge, but experience. I would not be surprised if she was the most powerful Cantus user in the village. If she's had almost 300 years to practice, imagine what else she could do. I'd imagine some of it required the mental strength to endure that she expects/hopes from Saki.

Originally Posted by Kuromitsu

(Also, I wonder why nobody so far commented on how cleverly Tomiko manipulates Saki... for better or for worse. She gained Saki's trust and she just talked her into locating Maria and Mamoru and bringing them back to where they're in danger. =Well, they're in danger everywhere, but anyway.) Oh, she promised to protect them, but how far can we trust her on that? For all Saki knows, she would bring the two back, they would be executed, Saki and Satoru would get mindwiped, and by the time they realized something was amiss, like they did with Shun, it would be too late and they wouldn't fully remember anyway. Either that, or they would be left alive but mindwiped very, very thoroughly...)

I don't think it's manipulation. Saki seems to be resistant to that, somewhat. Built in bullshit detector, which is why she's the candidate for the job. I think it's more of a matter of logic. Saki deduced the dangers of leaving them alone, without Tomoki coming outright and saying it. They can't be allowed to go free, as simple as that. She has no choice but to bring them back, and hope for the best.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Although using Hiromi as an example does not really credit her seeing what a....dysfunctional nut Hiromi is

I seriously feel for her, though. This is not a position that anyone should be allowed to hold for more than a few years...

Originally Posted by Solace

I don't think it's manipulation. Saki seems to be resistant to that, somewhat. Built in bullshit detector, which is why she's the candidate for the job. I think it's more of a matter of logic. Saki deduced the dangers of leaving them alone, without Tomoki coming outright and saying it. They can't be allowed to go free, as simple as that. She has no choice but to bring them back, and hope for the best.

Perhaps manipulation was not the right word, but still there's something about her that's just plain creepy. Saki has just faced some of the darket secrets behind how their society is run, she saw Tomiko completely slaying the Big Bad Education Committee, she even asked "gee grandma, why are you so powerful?" and yet she's totally under her "spell." Even if she's being totally honest with her, there's something creepy about how she could pretty much eat Saki for breakfast.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

I seriously feel for her, though. This is not a position that anyone should be allowed to hold for more than a few years...

At least not someone so fragile, fear turns them irrational and as big a cancer as any Akki or Gouma, should have been Tomiko herself to handle that job

I should be feeling something for Hiromi but I can't bring myself to actually like her....

[Rakshasa]

There's no comment thread on the Special?

[Eragon]

Well, shit hits the fan next ep I guess. For me, this episode conveys the tragedy of the society they live in better than the episode of Shun's death.

I guess I saw Tomiko's revelation coming - I mean she looks way too young to be anybody's mother much less grandmother, even for anime.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Eragon

I guess I saw Tomiko's revelation coming - I mean she looks way too young to be anybody's mother much less grandmother, even for anime.

Hell no.

Even if she looks unbelievably young for her age, she still looks older than your average "mother of teenager" characters in anime. And she definitely looks the part for a younger grandma.