Total Eclipse - Episode 20 Discussion / Poll

[LeoXiao]

Yes! No more harem BS! Yui doing what she does best! Let's hope she and Cryska team up to kick ass. Also interesting that we see a bunch of Laser-class sitting around in vats in the lab. Those must've been a bitch to capture (well I guess they're already dead probably so it may have been a bit easier, but still...). Above all, we are getting back to what Muv-Luv should be all about: Death and Despair!

EDIT: Don't like the new OP or ED, sadly...

[DezoPenguin]

Well, back to some genuine action! Really, there was lots to like in this episode, including Yui getting some genuinely badass moments with her slide under the door while under fire and throwing the corpse out of the moving jeep and grabbing the wheel while being chased as well as dodging the rocket-launcher fire.

Chobi gets the best line with her "I'm an Eishi. I don't fight other humans." Seriously, who expected Tarisa to be the voice of sound reason?

If there's been an underlying theme of MLA:TE thus far, I'd have to say that it boils down to: "When exposed to stress situations, human beings act in petty, stupid, and self-centered ways." When Natalie talked about how the RLF terrorists were going to blow up the prototypes, I couldn't help but shake my head: their entire raison d'etre is to stick up for the people who have been cast aside and abused in the wake of the alien invasion that's chewing up Earth, and their master plan is to destroy the advanced research in fighting those aliens? It sounds like the "equality" they talk about is that every human will be equal when we've all been NOMmed.

Of course, watching Natalie get shot, random civilians get gunned down, and the one terrorist in the lab raid get obsessed with the symbolism of his gun as a phallic instrument makes the point firmly that these so-called "freedom fighters" are as much the scum of the earth as anyone else.

...So, anybody know why the U.N. apparently had a bunch of BETA in tanks under the base?

[Tempester]

I really haven't been giving a proper eye to the plot of this anime, no thanks to the idiotic hijinks of the recent episodes, because the whole terrorist rebellion caught me off-guard.

If the creators of this show intended to disturb me with this episode, they have succeeded. Ugh. Seriously, any scene where innocent people are suddenly mass-murdered makes my stomach queasy. I've mostly been able to deal with BETA eating humans alive, but this is a different ballpark. These kinds of scenes seem to present the idea that any peaceful workplace or school that I go to can suddenly erupt in violence, and they almost traumatize me. Yes, I know it's fiction, but things like this hit me harder than the usual stuff.

[creb]

It took 18+ episodes, but Muv-Luv looks to finally be back on the right track (sort of). It was so refreshing to see something that wasn't a bunch of privileged people living the high life while the world burns around them.

Of course, these rebels will be put down, but one can only hope that our protagonists take their words to heart, as the rebels are absolutely right. It's like they were a voice for the viewer demanding to know why in the world with the world being overrun by alien, man-eating monsters, is so much time/episodes being spent on prototype mecha, sending pilots to the caribbean to party, and fake fighting tournaments.

For the first time in weeks, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the next episode. I certainly am not expecting great things, and I fully expect to have to stomach women screaming to rip Yuya's clothes off while people are being killed around them, but I still envision the next episode or two to be far better than the last 18.

[Methuselah]

Originally Posted by creb

It took 18+ episodes, but Muv-Luv looks to finally be back on the right track (sort of). It was so refreshing to see something that wasn't a bunch of privileged people living the high life while the world burns around them.

Of course, these rebels will be put down, but one can only hope that our protagonists take their words to heart, as the rebels are absolutely right. It's like they were a voice for the viewer demanding to know why in the world with the world being overrun by alien, man-eating monsters, is so much time/episodes being spent on prototype mecha, sending pilots to the caribbean to party, and fake fighting tournaments.

For the first time in weeks, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the next episode. I certainly am not expecting great things, and I fully expect to have to stomach women screaming to rip Yuya's clothes off while people are being killed around them, but I still envision the next episode or two to be far better than the last 18.

WOW... This anime desperately needs the Celestial Beings to unite humanity for the coming threat (aliens).

[shinigami99]

The shit has hit the fan. I'm expecting many many more deaths. Still hoping for a good ending for our MCs but I honestly don't know what to expect. Only people who have experience with the Muv Luv franchise can give any reasonable prediction as to what they will do next.

[Tempester]

Originally Posted by LeoXiao

Above all, we are getting back to what Muv-Luv should be all about: Death and Despair!

Muv-Luv is a hell lot more than just death and despair, and it annoys to see it stereotyped in such a way.

Originally Posted by creb

Of course, these rebels will be put down, but one can only hope that our protagonists take their words to heart, as the rebels are absolutely right. It's like they were a voice for the viewer demanding to know why in the world with the world being overrun by alien, man-eating monsters, is so much time/episodes being spent on prototype mecha, sending pilots to the caribbean to party, and fake fighting tournaments.

I can't believe what I'm reading. The story has focused on test pilots because test pilots are what the story is about. Yes, Total Eclipse is a mere side-story to the real frontlines of the BETA war.

The fact that you were disinterested in the previous shenanigans (don't worry because I was, too) doesn't make the terrorists' reasoning right in the least. In fact, they're just a bunch of naive idiots who happen to be destroying precious resources and workforces. Test pilots are an asset in the war, as they perfect the technology and strategies used on the frontlines. In this war, knowing one's priorities are important; lesser human issues such as "equality" should wait until the BETA are gone.

[Klashikari]

That's what happens when a series waste so many episodes on high school comedy/romance/harem kind of stuff instead of having more exposure regarding the world and what's going on.
BETA taking hardly the center stage of the conflict in the series so far, we have the usual plot device of "the most dangerous enemy might be closer than you think"-type, which basically fare pretty badly: sure, we had countless cold war vibes between the soviets and the US-JP project staff, yet you hardly had any exposition of the Asian, except Yui's past and what happened to Japan.
As result, having bunch of gungho terrorists out of nowhere (who, somehow managed to have enough intel and weaponry to get through of the base) is anything but credible to the slightest.

Really, the series seems to go even further in term of identity crisis, seeing that kind of critical arc was put so late in the series, with little to no exposure, and with random harem hijicks again. It seems the scripters had no idea how to go on.

[shinigami99]

I agree they overdid it with the harem stuff. It's fine if they had a few episodes of lightheartedness but the main story should have started back at episode 18 to allow for a good build up. So much potential, and they kind of screwed it up.

However, that is all in the past. I feel I'm still going to enjoy (or hope to enjoy) whatever finale they bring at us so I'm not going to read too much into it.

[creb]

Originally Posted by Tempester

I can't believe what I'm reading. The story has focused on test pilots because test pilots are what the story is about. Yes, Total Eclipse is a mere side-story to the real frontlines of the BETA war.

The fact that you were disinterested in the previous shenanigans (don't worry because I was, too) doesn't make the terrorists' reasoning right in the least. In fact, they're just a bunch of naive idiots who happen to be destroying precious resources and workforces. Test pilots are an asset in the war, as they perfect the technology and strategies used on the frontlines. In this war, knowing one's priorities are important; lesser human issues such as "equality" should wait until the BETA are gone.

It's been fairly obvious that the Yukon testbed has very little to do with anti-BETA testing, and more to do with groups of nations looking to get the upper hand and take each other out in a zero-sum game with the expectation that humanity will overcome the BETA, so which nation will be the one to be in a position of power to assume global hegemony. Sure, all the highschool hijinks and ham-handed direction/script don't portray it all very well, but this utopian fantasy that this is all about testing things for the frontline battle agains the BETA seems...misguided.

I never said what the rebels are doing is right, but the spirit behind what they are doing-like in most cases of terrorism-is hitting many succinct points. Though, I'm not sure it's really terrorism when you're hitting a military facility.

It's also obvious that Yuya is going to take some of those things to heart. He's seen the corruption and idiocy going on as the world burns (flashbacks to the soviet eishies, etc). He's certainly not going to go rebel on us, but if you look at all this dispassionately, this rebel attack is almost certainly a plot device to continue Yuya's evolution/transformation into the hero he's likely going to eventually become.

That all said, it sounds like you're familiar with the material already (I'm not), so it's probably anything but constructive to further this discussion. I have my opinion. Life goes on.

[LeoXiao]

Originally Posted by Tempester

Muv-Luv is a hell lot more than just death and despair, and it annoys to see it stereotyped in such a way.

Oh, and there are mechs and copious numbers of girls with balloon-boobs. That too. I guess Muv-luv is pretty unique when you consider that it used to be a ero-harem game and now it's somewhat badass, but some things never change...

It's also obvious that Yuya is going to take some of those things to heart. He's seen the corruption and idiocy going on as the world burns (flashbacks to the soviet eishies, etc). He's certainly not going to go rebel on us, but if you look at all this dispassionately, this rebel attack is almost certainly a plot device to continue Yuya's evolution/transformation into the hero he's likely going to eventually become.

Right on, humans not being able to get their act together is a major theme here, and to the protagonists, it's their struggle to keep doing their best despite it.

[ZGMF-X10A]

finally it's getting interesting

[Hakumen]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

...So, anybody know why the U.N. apparently had a bunch of BETA in tanks under the base?

Research purposes. It's not the first time mankind captured several strains for the sake of science.

We're finally back on track. Finally some people became fed up with all the facade in Yukon base. Less fortunate individiuals are always prone to snap when they see how the more fortunate people are having a great time of their lives. Not everyone gets to eat three meals a day and enjoy the safety of being in the rear lines. Countries and corporations throwing money to no end just to show off when that money can be used for something else. Its Alternative/TDA/Schwarzesmarken all over again with these human conflicts.

I do understand why the newcomers in the thread are dumbfounded and less impressed since they were not exposed to the details regarding the living conditions of the other countries or the political stances of different parties. Poor execution and scriptwriting too in some parts. An anime that just assumes the viewers to have read the main series which IS important is a failure. Dropping it should be considered, but I applaud those who stay and keep watching despite of how they dislike it. As a long time fan however, this episode was just satisfying.

Yui is finally taking the stage next episode with her unparalleled skills in the application of violence, or maybe the week after next week? The studio better deliver or else her skills as a Royal Guard and as a squadron leader will be downplayed again.

[grylsyjaeger]

So much shit was ruined.


Can't wait for Blu-Ray release.

[John117xCortana]

Was Natalie trying to tell Chobi their real goals ?

[Hakumen]

Originally Posted by John117xCortana

Was Natalie trying to tell Chobi their real goals ?

I'm certain that she was. That was a lot of info that she disclosed. Isn't that the reason why she was shot to death?

[LeoXiao]

I wonder if she was a sleeper within the terrorist group, or if she had joined them legitimately at first but then became disillusioned, or was earnestly trying to get Chobi to side with them. In any case nothing is changed.

[grylsyjaeger]

I believe Natalie joined the RLF after the pain and suffering she experienced after the fall of France.

But after being assigned to Lilifort began to side with the Eishi in her bar who shared stories of how they suffered just as much as her by the hands of the BETA.

The reason she kept blabbing was to give Tarisa and co an idea of what was going on so they could stop it before it was too late.

My 2 cents.

[grevierr]

Originally Posted by Methuselah

WOW... This anime desperately needs the Celestial Beings to unite humanity for the coming threat (aliens).

Yes there is an Celestial Being. Unfortunately, its Yuuko Kouzuki...

I'm really pleased to see the Refugee Liberation Front finally get screen time and more exposure outside of the side stories. Some background is that they seem to be sponsored by those who are opposed to the current strategy for fighting BETAs, thus blowing up current key objectives which are promoting the current plan would be positive to those who back them (I cannot say too much here due to spoilers). So lets just say that there is a reason they are allowed to blow shit up. (We can have more discussions on the General Thread)

Also, they seemed to have cut out what happened to the Americans. Infinities was called out of the base for an undisclosed mission. And in the department heads meeting btw the UN, Soviets and US the only absent ppl were the US... CIA at work again, I assume...Well Infinities should be back soon I hope, I miss the Big American Titties. Where's FREEDOM?

Another foreshadowing would be the captured BETAs... this is the first time we are seeing the Magnus Lux, which is the Fort class version of the Luxs... And it looks like they have at least ten of them... One is enough to melt down a TSF in milliseconds...
And yes, everyone does BETA research. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?


And its really unfortunate that Bartender Chan goes away... I guess they just had to get the BAM! HEADSHOOT out somewhere... she was the favorite character for quite a few people. May she rest in piece... She was probably a CIA triple agent... working for the CIA while working for the UN while working for the RLF... The motto for spies, "The fate of He who betrays their country is to be betrayed by them" is every so true...

[Master_Yoma]

Well I didnt see that coming

Well any ways GO ALIENS