(L) Simoun

[Kaoru Chujo]

http://sakuratan.ddo.jp/uploader/source/date13155.png

Link posted on 2channel. May not last long.

[Yui from Okinawa]

The possibility of defector in the Argentum nation:.either of the ancestor of Aael or her all or other-parent?
Why ? We imagine Aael has been pure native Simulacrans just now, but the possibility of her ancester or other parent is origin
from Argentum nation.

<The First reason>
Aael said at Episode 4, "Anyway, our speaking contents won't be understood to Enemy because the Language is different"
But When Aael was chopped off Tesa of the enemy aged soldier, Even in her pitiless character, anything doesn't seem to throw tears for the enemy who doesn't understand circumstances.
"Aael seem to throw tears for "an aged enemy soldier", but anyone who knows that true reason...."
Aael ,It might have been ..enemy's language.. ..understanding.. made in reality...

Deux ("Guragief") is said at Episode 4, "Reason that is here ..her existance at this place reason.."
Seeing of true reason is actually made to be expected.



<The Second reason : weak and weary reason>

Her eyes look like "Odds eye".
If so, it is sure to look red that both eyes reflect though the blood of the dying enemy might have reflected possibly.
Her village is in a frontier near the southern part ,in a word, to the front.
There can be a mixed blood possibility with other races.


...
<BBS argue to Episode4>
The related reason does in ..Aael.. combat there, and it grows up and the nature like the male of ..wanting sex decision.
That Argentum nation try is compulsorily lucky to a man, and it is village coming from in a near southern part, and if father or mother is a defector, and it is a so-called half where Imperial princess nation of her, Arel will be ..reason.. lucky to the front from the Argentum-nation the done country it including the crying meaning. the child of the coming defector
Isn't if which of parents the enemy alien, the soldier of the enemy nation....what.. ..whether say.. ..solving..?

If the future is not seen about there, fixation might be impossible.

[Archuka]

I'm really starting to like this series. At first I thought this would be a generic fan service to the max (yuri style) anime, but it is actually very interesting in many ways.

I can't even begin to describe how interesting the whole setting is. I mean we have the religious fanatics who believe they are the chosen people of God and thus invincible and on the other hand we have the craftsmen's nation who relentlessly launch invasions against the religious people so they can obtain the techonology behind the Simoun. Then one day the craftsmen attack with such advanced war machines that the Simoun start suffering casualties and the imperial nation's image of being completely protected by their god, Tempus Spatium (?), shatters.

I too get freaked out every time the men speak with such feminine voices, though. AND WHY, OH WHY, DID THEY HAVE TO KILL OFF AMURIE IN THE FIRST EPISODE!? Se was the hottest of them all.

[Kaoru Chujo]

front (l-r): Aizawa Michiru (Furoe), Hosogoshi Michiko (Kaimu), Takahashi Rieko (Neviriru), Niino Michi (Aaeru), Koshimizu Ami (Paraietta), Toyoguchi Megumi (Aruti). rear (l-r): Kiuchi Reiko (Anubitoufu), Mizusawa Fumie (Wapourifu), Kuwashima Houko (Gurajefu), Mizuki Nana (Morinasu), Takahashi Mikako (Roudoreamon).



EDIT: I just had a chance to see a Chinese fansub of episode 4, and being able to understand more made the episode even more enthalling. What a great series this is. (Simplified-character .rmvb file available at
ttp://bt.greedland.net/cache_html/0/default/DESC/4.htm
it's the torrent posted 04/26 08:51.)

[Futaba-chan]

Simoun - シムーン
Episode 3: "Distant War" (遠い戦争)

There was a lot of expository dialogue in this episode, especially in the first half, and it's really stretched my Japanese vocabulary to try to decipher it all. I'm sure that I've gotten some of it wrong, and missed other important details; any comments and/or corrections from anyone with a better understanding would be welcome....

Spoiler:

As the Arcus Prima conducts training missions over the Simulacran wilderness far from the capital, a white-haired girl in a Sibylla flight uniform examines a Simoun in one of the hangars. Wapourif doesn't recognize her, and demands to know who she is and what she's doing there. The girl comments that a real Simoun seems, as expected, to be very different from the training model.

Parietta appears, and apologizes to Wapourif for not having introduced Chor Tempest's new member: the Sibylla Morinas. Wapourif begins to explain to her about the twin helical motors on a combat Simoun: the bottom one controls the Simoun's spatial position, and the top one probably controls time... probably. Paraietta adds that no one actually fully understands all of the principles behind the Simoun, although they'd dearly like to. Wapourif says that he and his crews can do their best to service and repair the Simoun, but that they don't really understand what's going on.

Morinas doesn't understand why the Simoun are such a mystery, if Simulacrum is able to produce aircraft such as the Simile, which is used for training flights. Wapourif explains that the Simile is a much simpler craft, based on their available data about the Simoun, and Paraietta adds that it has just one helical motor, as opposed to the more complex interactions between the two on the real thing.

Morinas comments that it's strange that something so poorly understood has become such an important part of Simulacrum's culture. Wapourif replies that it isn't strange at all: the Simoun is their tool to search for the Tempus Patium in the skies. Paraietta agrees, adding that the Sibylla's primary reason for flying has been to search for better knowledge about lost Ri Maajon patterns.

Morinas responds that she isn't a priestess -- she's just a pilot. But that doesn't make her [なに？].

Floe flounces in, and is introduced to Morinas. She had heard the name before, and pounds it into her head so she won't forget it again. She tells Wapourif that at first she had thought that Morinas must have been Wapourif's new lover, instead of the chor's new recruit, but that she wasn't sad about that. She shouts to someone off screen about something that she wants. [なに？]

Paraied asks Wapourif to familiarize Morinas with a Simoun that afternoon. Morinas is pleased with this, and walks away. Floe runs after Morinas, and asks her whether she wasn't already quite familiar with the Simoun. Morinas replies that she's looking forward to learning something new that afternoon, leaving unstated whether Wapourif or Simoun is her intended subject of study.

Spoiler:

In her quarters, Aaeru is awakened by the morning sun streaming through her large porthole-shaped bubble window. In her dressing gown with her hair down and her face relaxed, she looks much less like a tomboy than usual. She takes a moment to stare out the porthole at the morning sky, and produces a pocketwatch-sized music box powered by a miniature helical motor and listens to its tune. Afterwards, she eats a late breakfast by herself in the ship's cafeteria, and is jarred out of her reverie by the return of a training flight and the launch of another Simoun chor on patrol.

Guragief visits Neville in her quarters to welcome her back from the Spring, and to ask whether she plans to continue as a Simoun Sibylla and fight in the coming war. Neville replies that she isn't sure, but that she doesn't have a pair at the moment. Guragief replies that he's glad that she's back.

Spoiler:

Aaeru finds the rest of Chor Tempest gathered in the mezzanine of the ship's core just aft of the Mage Pool area. Parietta reprimands Aaeru
for being late. Aaeru apologizes, adding that she's only become a member of Chor Tempest this week. [Is this the bit about not being on alert at midnight any more?]

Parietta announces that the chor is to spend the afternoon in the Mage Pool. The other Sibylla express enthusasm at the idea. Rodoraemon
begins to accidentally make a reference to the recent losses, but cuts herself off in embarrassment. Paraietta picks up the thread: three
Chor Tempest members are dead, Parietta continues, and three have gone to the Spring and left. The crisis brought on by the Argentine attacks makes it critical that the Sibylla be ready, both as priestesses and as Sibylla, and it's time for them to fly together as a Chor.

Morinas wants to do it. She has heard that Maaju practice is fun, and that the effect is very beautiful. Kaimu slyly asks whether Parietta
has scheduled the practice session for 3:00. Aaeru wonders why 3:00 is a special time. Alti and Rodoraemon explain: that's the time when
Neville always makes a habit of practicing in the pool.

As if summoned, Neville walks by at that moment, flanked by her aides. Morinas is excited to meet Neville, and runs over to greet her. She introduces herself as a new Chor Tempest member, and Neville hopes that everyone will treat her well. She asks Aaeru to take care of Morinas. Aaeru is unpleasantly surprised -- she thought that she and Neville were supposed to be a pair, after their flight and bonding session during Neville's trip to the Spring. Paraietta points out to Neville that even if she's still mourning Amuria, Neville can't go without a pair forever.

Morinas lets the cat out of the bag by inviting Neville to be her partner during the afternoon training session, adding that they've carefully scheduled it at a time when Neville was planning to be in the pool anyway, much to the consternation of the rest of Chor Tempest. Neville asks why her choice of partners in the afternoon practice is so important to her, and Morinas replies that she wants to be Neville's pair. Neville leaves.

Just then, an Argentine missile streaks past the Arcus Prima (missing badly if the ship were the target), and explodes in the fields below. Neville notices three cadets staring out the window at the crater in shock, and gives them a pep talk: the missiles will never bring down Arcus Prima, and they're safe on board. More to the point, they're training to be Simoun Sibylla, and they should behave accordingly. The three snap to attention, and leave with stiffer resolve.

As the cadets leave, Neville stares thoughtfully at the missiles, a little unnerved herself. The other Chor Tempest Sibylla wonder if it's okay to continue with their practice plans. Aaeru wants to, and Parietta agrees that they'll continue as planned.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

つずく。。。

[Sinestra]

IM starting to get into the show more now after the second episode i can feel the emtional turmoil that some of the Chor Tempest are going through that emotinal attactment is making me like it. Having to choose between growing up or fighting in a war to save your country where in the war you may die and never be able to enter the pool or in turn enter and live the rest of your life thinking you could have done more. The mech designs and airships are very unique combat is more like a ritual than fighting.

The enemy that their fighting against do they have the same unique traits like choosing a sex at 19 or is it only this country??

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Archuka

AND WHY, OH WHY, DID THEY HAVE TO KILL OFF AMURIE IN THE FIRST EPISODE!? Se was the hottest of them all.

Im sure you watched enough anime to know that once you like em the japanese are gonna kill em. I feel your pain she was pretty hot

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

...The enemy that their fighting against do they have the same unique traits like choosing a sex at 19 or is it only this country??

People in the Simoun country of Simulacrum normally choose their sex at 17, but Simoun Sibylla get to delay their choice if they want to.

Spoiler for episode 4:

In episode 4, a fighter from the other side says that he was born female but was changed by drugs and surgery more or less right away, and that he didn't get to choose.

There's lots of info (not including that, yet) on the Wikipedia page.

[Catgirls]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

Im sure you watched enough anime to know that once you like em the japanese are gonna kill em. I feel your pain she was pretty hot

Hmmm...I kind of doubt she's gone for good. I'm sure she'll come back.

[Matrim]

Hmmm...I kind of doubt she's gone for good. I'm sure she'll come back.

Now that's a dilema. I really liked Amulia but I usually don't like characters miracuoulsy coming back to life. Well, let's just hope that if she returns the explanation won't be in a GSD/Mai Otome style (i.e. either ridiculously implausible/dumb or non-existent). But I think it would be silly to have so much angst from Neville only to see the reason for these strong emotions come back into the series, rendering Neville's (expected) change in personality a bit pointless.
On the other hand, it might kind of fun watching Amuria going mad with jealousy since Neville will be flying with Aeru judging by the opening.

Futaba-chan, great effort in summarising which is really appreciated by people who don't have the patience to wait for the sub like me.

I really did not feel anything out of the norm with Neville's flashback of Amuria greeting her as her pair with the kiss. On the contrary, I felt it something natural like a formality from Amuria to greet her pair and welcome her, though I won't deny that Neville could have felt a connection to Amuria.

Formality? I don't think so, just compare Amuria's kisses with those of the others which are a lot more subdued, so to speak.. She either loves her job or her new partner...or both.

[Iskandar Taib]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Simoun
Episode 02: "The Blue Spring"

I've revised the episode 2 synopsis. I'm reposting it rather than editing the old one in case anyone wants to compare to see how embarrassingly far off I was in a couple of places....

Just watched episode 2 last night..

Spoiler:

Meanwhile, at the Mage Pool, a group of cadets watches Neville
practice. One comments on how beautiful Neville looks, which prompts
Eri to walk over to them and tell them to take a good look: the Simoun
is controlled by the mind and soul as well as the body, and so Maaju
practice isn't just about learning how to draw the right line. The
cadets recognize her dress: she's dressed in civilian clothes, as if
leaving the ship, and Eri wonders aloud if this will be her last time
watching Neville's beautiful patterns. As Eri peers into the pool at
Neville, she recognizes the Maaju that Neville is practicing: it's
the Emerald Ri Maajon from the recent battle.

You know, at the end of the first episode, when Neville dived into the pool, I thought she was jumping off the ship to kill herself.. And I was expecting Aeru to swoop down and save her before the big splat...

[Futaba-chan]

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Spoiler:

On the bridge, Guragief and Anubituf confer. The missile attack is very inaccurate, and doesn't represent a serious threat to the ship. Anubituf asks if Chor Tempest is still hors de combat. They are. Neville is in no shape to look after them, and the chor is in terrible shape.

Alti shows up early for Maaju practice, and finds Aaeru and Kaimu already there. Alti is surprised to find Kaimu at the pool -- she had looked for her in their room earlier. Aaeru asks the two why they didn't volunteer to fly together on the same Simoun, and is surprised to learn that they tried it, but weren't able to make their Simoun fly because they weren't able to muster the required loving feelings between auriga and sagitta. That's why they broke up and paired with other Sibylla.

Aaeru points out that while Arcus Prima once concerned itself primarily with studying the Ri Maajon, the Simoun Chor now have to fly into battle instead. She adds [あたしはこのシインがぜんぜんわかりません。それは困るですね。].

"I'm not going to leave the ship," she concludes.

Spoiler:

In the hangar, Wapourif and Morinas are looking over one of the Simoun (it's time for Morinas' familiarization lesson), as a flight of Simile buzzes around Arcus Prima on a training flight. Morinas gushes over how much fun flying looks, and wishes she could take up the Simoun that the two are examining. Wapourif answers that Morinas couldn't take the Simoun up by herself anyway -- it takes two paired Sibylla to fly one. As Wapourif explains this, Morinas takes a closer look at the Simoun, wiggling her derriere in his face as she does so. Wapourif blushes, aroused by Morinas' body.

Morinas interrupts to ask when Wapourif went to the Spring. It was two years ago, he replies. Morinas gets to her point: it felt weird when Wapourif and Floe interacted that morning, and she wants to know why. Wapourif explains that he and Floe had been lovers when he was still a Sibylla. It's a natural outcome when functioning as a pair depends on strong emotions... but it makes it rather awkward to be around her now.

Spoiler:

On the forward observation platform, Neville and Paraietta stare out at the passing scenery. [Neither face is visible, and the voice actors sound alike, so it's a little hard to attribute lines to characters at first here.] "Shall we go to the pool?" Neville is hestitant -- she doesn't have a pair, and doesn't want to choose a new one yet.

Parietta gets to the point: Amuria was always a strong member of the team, loved by all, and Parietta understands just how important she was to Neville and how much Neville is hurting. She understands why Neville went to the Spring, and why she came back. But Amuria is gone.

Neville flashes back to the battle: their desperate kiss in the middle of the Argentine air fleet, the attempt at the Emerald Ri Maajon, Amuria's warning not to look in the Argentine pilot's eyes, and the explosion and its horrible aftermath. Neville closes her eyes, lost in thought.

Spoiler:

More missiles explode harmlessly in the wilderness around the ship as the Chor Tempest Sibylla take some time to relax. Limone reads a book in the library and snacks on some potato chips (or their Daikuurikan equivalent), Rodoraemon braids her hair, and Floe takes a shower.

Eventually, it's time for the 3:00 training session in the Mage Pool. Floe asks Morinas to pair with her, adding that pairing in the Mage Pool is a quick way to bond with someone, and they even sometimes become lovers... she abruptly cuts herself off, realizing that she has said too much.

Rodoraemon points out that Neville hasn't showed up yet. Limone speculates that Neville probably doesn't need the practice anyway, but Parietta is certain that she'll show up. Floe sticks her foot in her mouth again, blurting out that it's too bad for Parietta if not.

Time passes, and Neville still doesn't show up. The Sibylla mutter about what to do in her absence, until Limone points out that Neville returned from the spring and chose to continue as a Sibylla of her own free will. Parietta and Rodoraemon agree: she'll come.

One by one, the Sibylla plunge into the Mage Pool. The practice is a disaster: despite the individual flying ability of its members, Chor Tempest isn't functioning at all as a coordinated unit. The Sibylla get in each others' way, and Morinas loses her confidence entirely after a particularly harrowing near miss. Limone wonders aloud if they're really the elite Chor Tempest, given the overall bad feeling permeating the pool. Aaeru is philosophical: what can they do? Bad feelings or no, they still have to fly.

At that moment, the Sibylla look up to see Neville standing at the rim of the pool, dressed in her Mage Pool flight suit. She looks down at the pattern in the pool: in its chaos, it resembles the Emerald Ri Maajon. "You're here with me after all," Neville says aloud, and dives for the bottom of the pool. The Sibylla all follow her, and the Chor promptly sorts out its coordination problems and creates a beautiful set of Maaju patterns.

Spoiler:

Missile after missile continues to bombard the countryside around the Arcus Prima as Chor Tempest practices. In the late afternoon, a lone Simoun limps back to the carrier, trailing a plume of smoke. It crash lands on the starboard flight deck, and Wapourif's maintenance crew runs to pull its pilots from the burning wreckage. "How can we protect these youngsters like this?" Anubituf wonders aloud.

As the bombardment continues, Arcus Prima flies away, trailing smoke from the burning Simoun.

END OF EPISODE

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by Iskandar Taib

Spoiler for episode 1:

You know, at the end of the first episode, when Neville dived into the pool, I thought she was jumping off the ship to kill herself.

Spoiler for episode 1:

I wasn't sure whether they naturally had the power to fly, if that was the normal method for leaving the ship, or if she was leaping to her death, although the spiral and smoke trail seemed to imply that it wasn't just an uncontrolled plummet. I also wondered if it was some highly unorthodox way of boarding a moving Simoun in mid-air....

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by Matrim

Now that's a dilema. I really liked Amulia but I usually don't like characters miracuoulsy coming back to life.

Spoiler for episode 1:

My pet hypothesis: the black hole in the sky in the Emerald Ri Maajon looked like it led somewhere -- either it's a mechanism for space travel, or it's opening a gate to another dimension, depending on whether the underlying explanation is science or magic. And the legend specified that the Sibylla who performed it went elsewhere, to where the Tempus Spatium is. And Amuria's body wasn't found -- her cockpit was wrenched off the Simoun as it spun out of control in the vicinity of the collapsing hole. So if she's still alive, Neville and Aeru will find her when they succeed at the Emerald Ri Maajon and travel through the gate that it creates.

(And did you mean Mai-HiME, rather than Mai-Otome? The latter didn't have any cringe-worthy resurrections, but the former certainly did.)

[Iskandar Taib]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Spoiler:

My pet hypothesis: the black hole in the sky in the Emerald Ri Maajon looked like it led somewhere -- either it's a mechanism for space travel, or it's opening a gate to another dimension, depending on whether the underlying explanation is science or magic. And the legend specified that the Sibylla who performed it went elsewhere, to where the Tempus Spatium is. And Amuria's body wasn't found -- her cockpit was wrenched off the Simoun as it spun out of control in the vicinity of the collapsing hole. So if she's still alive, Neville and Aeru will find her when they succeed at the Emerald Ri Maajon and travel through the gate that it creates.

Spoiler:

If so, then our narrator from the first episode might be there, too..

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by Iskandar Taib

Spoiler for episode 1:

If so, then our narrator from the first episode might be there, too..

Spoiler for episode 1:

No, we saw him die... his plane disintegrated, his goggles cracked, and his body was shredded by the force of the explosion. R.I.P.

OTOH, perhaps the Tempus Spatium also regulates the afterlife....

[Yui from Okinawa]

<Choir Capt>
Shimun Choir in Shimurarclm Imperial princess country.

It shot by 01 episodes on the invasion of Argentum Nation Corps, and it annihilated.
Afterwards, it was formed again by the replenishment soldier.

<Call Lbol>
Shimoun Choir that belongs to Arcs Prima.
The corps is divided into two and it takes charge of the patrol duty at daytime and
night between call The Tempest's being not able to act.
The member is Vura another 11. (Total is 12)

[wrex_japan]

Originally Posted by Yui from Okinawa

<Choir Capt>
Shimun Choir in Shimurarclm Imperial princes country.

It shot by 01 episodes on the invasion of Argentum Nation Corps, and it annihilated.
Afterwards, it was formed again by the replenishment soldier.

Is the enemy nation called Argentum? I thought I heard something like, "Shou-koku."

[fignae]

Great work on this thread, people. Should have checked back sooner.

Spoiler for one scene in episode 4:

I would love to know what Aeru and Rimone think of the enemy soldier's speech, if they're moved, or how much of his tone they get. The very fact that they appear unconcerned creates a gulf between the viewer's knowledge and theirs -- the pain that they cannot feel haunts us instead, because we sympathize with them. The same goes for the Argentum. We understand them; they do not understand each other. Hence the audience gets a double helping of pain, which I personally feel results in a tremendous, heartbreaking force. (Sorry about analyzing something most people haven't seen, but I truly thought it a masterstroke.)

Since much of the pathos in episode 4 is created by the difference in language, is the key to peace the learning of each other's tongue, or is that too easy an answer for the world of Simoun? Yeah, speculating, but I really like how we don't know what is coming next.

Does anyone know what the viewer ratings have been for Simoun?

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by wrex_japan

Is the enemy nation called Argentum? I thought I heard something like, "Shou-koku."

"Shoukoku" (礁国) is a kind of country, not the name of a specific one. The full name of Argentum is "Argentum Shoukoku" (アルゲントゥム礁国). The characters use "Shoukoku" and "Kyuukoku" to refer to Argentum and Simulacrum the way we might refer to "the Empire" or "the Republic" or "the Kingdom."