(L) Simoun

[Starks]

Let's face it wowo... These guys do dozens of raws per week, they probably have zero lives.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Warainagara, I wonder if despite the staff blog, there is a difference...

Spoiler for ep23:

...between sibyllae who succeed at the Emerald and then stay in a place, and those who keep moving from place to place. Perhaps keeping moving is the way they avoid the contradiction between the ethereal body and Earthly time. (I admit that this feeling is probably coming to me from Marion Zimmer Bradley's great little book of stories about relativistic space travellers, Endless Universe.)

I just looked back at ep23, where Dominura said that her state is what happens when you run from reality and do not choose a sex. But she also said she dreamed of the Emerald, and of being a beautiful eternal shoujo who drew patterns in the sky forever. But is she an "eternal shoujo" or just a simulacrum of one? Did she succeed at the Emerald or not?

I don't know what to believe. Are the eternal shoujo really eternal, or not? Will NeviAer keep on forever, everywhere and nowhere in time and space? Or will they fade and die like Onashia and Dominura? (I think the flakes came from Domi-nee rather than Limone, since Limone is probably barely 17 even now.) Certainly there is some difference between what DomiLimo are doing and the ghostly appearances and reappearances of NeviAer.

If they will eventually die, then that last scene of them dancing makes the sadness well up in me, just as it did for you. But it's not a bad sadness. It's the poignancy of all existence, an intuition of Reality.

The ending makes me compare the feeling of Simoun to Haibane Renmei even more than I did already. And that's a good thing.

One more mystery: what will happen to the girls whom DomiRimo trained and are about to try the Emerald?

EDIT:

Spoiler for ep26:

I just noticed that Anibituf said NeviAer "chose" to do the Emerald. That means they did not commit the same sin that Onashia did.

[Key Board]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Spoiler for episode 26:

Wait -- what's this about another war? (Is that where Vyuraf is going?)

And the woman in the blue dress in the pastel sketch turns out to be Paraietta, leaving open the question of just where the heck Amuria went. Not to mention the mysteries of Onashia's origin and Aaeru's grandfather. OTOH, to a certain extent it's nice that they didn't go to the easy and too neatly circumscribed explanation.

And admit it, oneplusme, you had me read YKK on purpose to prepare me for that rather YKK-ish final scene....

Portrait question: who's standing next to Neviril? I'm assuming that Paraietta is in the back row to the upper left of those two... but if P is next to Neviril, then who is that back there? Is one of the two supposed to be Erii?

And sigh... the four other casualties from episode 1 didn't rate a spot in the portrait, either.

Spoiler:

As you probably noticed, another war is starting.

Vyura is drafted it seems. Vyura will join the shoukoku. (Argentum)

Floe hopes they don't have to meet in the battlefield as enemies. But regardless he doesn't want to die until he gets a cute bride.

Needs an OAV or second season.

[oneplusme]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Spoiler for episode 26:

And the woman in the blue dress in the pastel sketch turns out to be Paraietta, leaving open the question of just where the heck Amuria went.

And admit it, oneplusme, you had me read YKK on purpose to prepare me for that rather YKK-ish final scene....

Spoiler for episode 26:

Dominura turning to dust? We've got your mono no aware right here...

I initially thought that was Neviril in the blue dress, which had me very confused. Glad it wasn't.

I guess if we couldn't have an ending that explained everything, it's almost as good to have an ending that explains nothing.

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler for ep23:

I wonder if despite the staff blog, there is a difference between sibyllae who succeed at the Emerald and then stay in a place, and those who keep moving from place to place.

Spoiler for episode 26:

The Emerald Ri Maajon that Aaeru and Neviril did looked very different from the one that Dominura and Limone did. The outer "electron orbitals" were missing, and instead of a black hole with a cyclone of Ri Maajon trails running into it, there was a peaceful ball of white light at the center of their sphere. Clearly, something very different happened, and what happened to them afterwards was very different from what happened to Dominura and Limone. I wonder if D+L managed to produce that "better version" on their second try....

Spoiler:

I just looked back at ep23, where Dominura said that her state is what happens when you run from reality and do not choose a sex.

Onashia, ne?

Spoiler for episode 26:

Although it's ambiguous whether there's a connection between the two or not. Dominura is tall and flaky, like Onashia, and the shape of her face is similar... but that doesn't necessarily mean that she wound up becoming her.

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by oneplusme

Spoiler for episode 26:

Dominura turning to dust? We've got your mono no aware right here...

Spoiler for episode 26:

I meant the sunset over the sunken, decaying Arcus Prima, and the general nostalgia for the long lost past from everyone. And Floef, and G+A, quietly taking in the sunken ship at twilight. Very YKK-rashii.

The record player trailing off into static as the camera panned away from the portrait to just a bare, rusty section of wall (panning past Yun last of all) was a moment of inspired genius.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Spoiler for episode 26:

The Emerald Ri Maajon that Aaeru and Neviril did looked very different from the one that Dominura and Limone did. The outer "electron orbitals" were missing, and instead of a black hole with a cyclone of Ri Maajon trails running into it, there was a peaceful ball of white light at the center of their sphere. Clearly, something very different happened, and what happened to them afterwards was very different from what happened to Dominura and Limone. I wonder if D+L managed to produce that "better version" on their second try....Onashia, ne? Although it's ambiguous whether there's a connection between the two or not. Dominura is tall and flaky, like Onashia, and the shape of her face is similar... but that doesn't necessarily mean that she wound up becoming her.

Spoiler for ep26:

There has been no mention of different grades of Emerald, just succeed and fail, but it makes sense. Good notion.

I just mistyped Dominura. I used to think D might be O, but it seems unlikely now.

I loved the abandoned hallway and the flooded chapel. I think the feeling I got was mono no aware. Not bad to get that from an anime.

[Key Board]

I'm quite sure the golden dust thing happens to everyone who doesn't choose a gender.

As you noticed genderless people do not seem to stop aging after a while. Time has frozen for them, but their bodies don't seem to be able to handle it.

Spoiler:

Now things are different for Nevril and Aer since they lost their bodies alltogether and became one with time and space

[ffdshow]

I don't remember anything after watching ep26, it's like nothing happened. Maybe I need another coffee.....

[JiCi]

Originally Posted by Starks

G1 has disappointed me today... For someone who is the one of the most revered raw cappers/hikikomori in Japan, missing a season finale (especially Simoun's) is quite inexcusable.

Anyway, I have made the shitty raw public... I don't know which raw wowo will use, but I'm sure there will be retimed script sooner or later.

Well, I've got it... and it looks good.

Well, it all came to an end.

Thanks Starks

[warainagara]

Thinking..

Spoiler:

I'm not sure the flake was from Dominura or Limone.
In any case, it seemed the Emerald Ri-Maajon did not automatically give the eternity.
And Onashia's comment reveals only the knowledge that going to the Different World may give different possibility, not jumping to the next world continuously.
While hoping that the show would show where Aaeru and Neviril went,
I also thought it might not be shown because there is no earthly place where human beings can own eternality or immortality in reality.
The grown up Chor Tempest's real life outspokenly was full of inevitable reality, which would condition evey society Aaeru and Neviril might go to.

As god-like, omnipresent Onashia was in fact dying,
Dominura, who decided to do the second Emerald Ri-Maajon or even the subsequent ones, seemingly died.
And the ones who left for the New World to be Eternal Shoujo will suffer death because they are humans.
From the beginning, we have seen Simoun is very realistic show even though it takes a form of fantasy, haven't we?

[oneplusme]

Originally Posted by Key Board

Spoiler:

Now things are different for Nevril and Aer since they lost their bodies alltogether and became one with time and space

"I'd call that a radical interpretation of the text..."

Spoiler for the end:

Not that it's wrong, mind you. The ending is sufficiently vague that it's possible to read just about any interpretation into it.

I suspect a post-series fanon will emerge eventually (or as soon as anyone's proposed a sufficiently good one). It'll be interesting to see what it turns out to be...

My favoured take for the next ten minutes is that Neviril and Aaeru are travelling through time together to find Amuria. (Hence the multiple appearances)

[Simon]

Originally Posted by oneplusme

Spoiler for episode 26:

I guess if we couldn't have an ending that explained everything, it's almost as good to have an ending that explains nothing.

Spoiler for ep26:

Gochisōsama deshita.

It was warm, it was fuzzy, it was absolutely perfect.

As for explanations, that's what OVAs are for

[Yui from Okinawa]

Erif become Simile-Simoun maintanance crew.....

[JiCi]

Huh... is it me, or Paraietta sounds softer and higher, compared to her younger counterpart ?

[Matrim]

Spoiler:

That wasn't a bad ending, but man.... it leaves you hungry... no, STARVING FOR MORE.

Quoted for truth. I guess I am one of those people who are not satisfied if most of the plot details are not clear. As mentioned this ending hardly revealed anything at all. Aaeru and Neviril seemingly ending up in Dominura and Rimone's time led me to believe that the four of them would meet...but no! Man, was I dissapointed by that or what? If I am to rate this episode, I would probably give something like 9/10 for emotional intensity and beauty and 3/10 for plot resolution. And the first rating would probably have been ten if for most of the episode I wasn't too busy worrying whether they would reveal this or that, I guess I need to rewatch it to enjoy it more. But if there is an OVA with Aaeru and Neviril turning to dust like Onashia, I might just cry and forget all about bitching about plot revelations.

Everyone is so freaking hot as an adult. Especially Rodoreamon. I guess it was the creators' way to say to all the lolicon fans - "See? You suck for preferring adolescent characters!"

[Seska]

Spoiler:

Just to get it right.

Aaeru and Neviril, are now in a Time and Space loophole under their free will?

Morinas saw the Simoun of them for a flash until its disapeered. But she was not upset about it. Looks like she saw it some times.

Limone and the Girl saw their Simoun (Aaeru & Neviril) gate out, just to disaperd again...

And they are dancing on the Arcus Prima..... Of course only for short time.

Did they Jump goes wrong? What not Neviril curious about where Amuria went?

Well, the ending is not bad. But not satified enough for me.

Have someone more infos? Are they going do a OAV? or second season?

There are some open ends...

Mfg,
Seska

[Starks]

Better late than never, G1 raw out.

[Nei]

Spoiler for 26:

Most of you will already have noticed everything, but I thought I'd just write some things down. Also, all of these things have been already mentioned by other writers in here also in regards to previous episodes.

I don't believe that Neville and Aaeru necessarily need to be in the same time as Dominura and Limone. Latter two merely saw Neville and Aaerus' Simoun enter through a temporal gate. It could be a "passing through" similar to the one Morinas saw.

However, a key point was Limone mentioning "Aaeru".
- What does Aaeru mean, is that a name?
- The highest form of love.
and Dominura confirms
- The highest form of love.

What also strikes me is that Limone and Dominura live in a world where they have V-Simoun. Limone says she taught the children the Emerald Re-Mergion.
This could support a few theories:

• Limone and Dominura founded the other religion / brought the Plumbum nation to its stand.
• They introduced the word "Aaeru" with its meaning as noted above into the language of Plumbum.
• Maybe they also translated Aaeru that way because of their knowledge about the meaning of the word in the other language.
• This being a potential time paradoxon, it is also possible that they both founded the word into the language, and only did so because they learned about the meaning of the word in their old world
• If there seems a paradoxon because everyone in Dominura and Limones' new time speaks a language we can understand, and not Plumbumish, there are a few possibilities:
  • the time/space jump could have enabled them to learn another language (and it is merely being displayed in Japanese for the viewer's convenience),
  • or (maybe more likely) that we are missing a few "links" which lead from Limone and Dominuras' time to the Plumbum country as it is in the time the series started in

Indeed, I want to remind of when in earlier episodes, Dominura said that she "started everything". She started maybe the religion, and she probably was the one to resurrect and spread the knowledge of Simoun technology.

Even the Onashia = Dominura theorists have been granted new hope, seeing Dominura shed bodily gold dust when she walks off with Limone, and Yunashia saying "Dominura...".

As to why they did it - just wild speculation - maybe they weren't content with the military leadership of Simulacrum?

Don't you think there is a striking parallel between the V-Simoun launching from Dominura and Limones' time to the Plumbumish ones bidding Aaeru and Neville farewell?

It is unfortunate that there will be another war, but the surprisingly large number of yaoi vibes was quite nice even though Floef and Vyuraf probably don't quite think about it like that.

In conclusion, I can see that many of you will be disappointed by the ending not clearly solving every single mystery, however, I think there are quite some hints in this episode again which give us great hints for theories!

[Kaoru Chujo]

Spoiler for ep26 notes and ideas:

I thought I needed to have more threads tied up, but after that great episode, I find myself quite satisfied. This was Art. Like Haibane Renmei. But the continued loose ends make me reclassify Simoun from SF to fantasy, which is the word the staff and cast have been using, anyway.

I like Key Board's "radical interpretation" that NeviAer became one with time and space. In any case, they seem to appear here and there, but we never see them in contact with other people. This is like the earlier thought that they would become TempusSpatium, or the thought expressed in the script that they would come to be with TempusSpatium.

I am not convinced that all those who do the Emerald will eventually flake away. There did seem to be some difference between NeviAer's Emerald and DomiRimo's.

I guess it's true, the flaking could be a hint that Dominura is Onashia. But I think she would have told Yun, or Yun would have realized it, if that were true.

I didn't think Yun became one with Onashia. I thought Onashia disappeared, leaving Yun with her responsibilities. The knowledge of how to perform them, and the ability to sense the souls of the dead, may be part of the sacred ambiance of the Spring.

There's no real proof of where DomiRimo are. It could be ancient Simulacrum, and they are founding the Simoun Sibyllae. And it could be ancient Plumbum, and they are founding that religion and giving them their word for Love of God. We still have no idea where those V-Simoun came from, or if they are the same ones that show up later (all of a sudden, it seemed) at the Ruins.

One hint that DomiRimo's world is Simulacrum is that we see the same flowers at Kaimu and Alti's place as we did in DomiRimo's world, and which the elder appeared to say were flowers that only grew after the Emerald Rimaajons started. The fact that there is no language difference is another indication, although that could just be for our convenience, as Nei suggested. A third indication is the fact that Dominura "started everything," probably meaning the Simoun Sibyllae of Simulacrum. And the fact that the girl did not know the Plumbish word "aaeru" suggests that this is not Plumbum -- although it could just be Plumbum before the word is introduced.

I thought Argentum was across the sea. How could Vyura have been born "over the border" in Argentum? The only way I can think of is that Argentum got some of Kyuukoku's territory in the peace treaty.

One of the many bits I loved was where the Plumbum leader accepted his mikos' decision to help rather than bring back NeviAer, especially: "We were all girls once."

Yes, Paraietta's voice is much higher. That's the way the gender-change works, apparently -- except for Furof, lol. It's also a tribute to the great range of Koshimizu Ami, who was recording both Paraietta and her wonderful performance as the angel Tenko (in Kamisama Kazoku) during the same period.

Kaimu and Alti are living at home with at least their father, and the way Kaimu looked at Alti hints that she "recovered" from her horror at certain kinds of relations between them. Kaimu and Alti are clearly from a somewhat well-to-do background, too, with that mansion to live in -- though they were doing their own laundry.