(L) Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

[Master Assassin]

Screw me if I didn't notice anything,

Spoiler for might be slowpoke for me:

but we're really seeing the plot sequence going backwards aren't we?

[Midonin]

Originally Posted by Iby

So here goes the episode that should have been the 1st one...

Under normal circumstances, yes. But there is a certain value to starting in media res. And as the very first lines of dialogue in this episode show, we're kind of in media res already. The actual cause of the decline isn't important, but more the atmosphere surrounding it.

[Silvance]

Originally Posted by Master Assassin

Screw me if I didn't notice anything,

Spoiler for might be slowpoke for me:

but we're really seeing the plot sequence going backwards aren't we?

Yep. Someone even made a list of the proper order of the episode a few pages back.

Haha. To think that she abducted those fairies, and the joke that followed was just pure gold.

[Haak]

Not as good as previous episodes but it was certainly fun to learn how it all started.

[Blaat]

They missed the opportunity of having a fairy shout PILDER ON! That would have been comedy gold. ;P

Originally Posted by Haak

Not as good as previous episodes but it was certainly fun to learn how it all started.

Yup, I'm glad they opted for a different order.

[Kaihan]

Originally Posted by Silvance

Haha. To think that she abducted those fairies, and the joke that followed was just pure gold.

It's only pure water.

Great episode and seems like we get to learn a lot more stuff about fairies.

[00Coyote]

I feel like a considerable bit of the story was cut out of this episode. I can't say it was lacking in the narrative, but the story seemed to be stripped down to the minimum, with a lot of the finer details left on the editing room floor.

[Qilin]

Once again, we have an episode that tackles the life cycle of civilization, albeit from a more religious angle. It depicts that kind of tale that you'd often find in various religious creeds:

Here we have god (Watashi) descending upon new humanity (Fairies) and providing them with the gift of knowledge, which the humans henceforth came to crave and eventually came to collapse under their own ambitions. But if you ask me, it was probably the capacity for self awareness and individualization that our dear little narrator gave to those fairies (by giving them names) that led to the sudden burst in technological progress.

Come to think of it, the entire thing might have been a satirization of religion after all, given by how the entire fiasco ended.

[rickadams]

I absolutely detested the first couple of episodes, then somehow wandered in later and found that it was growing on me, and now it's on my short "must watch as soon as possible" list.

A friend pointed out that part of my problem was expecting the fairies to act like... well, fairies. With those fixed, creepy, soulless smiles, there was just something disturbingly off about them.

"Better to think of them as aliens," was his advice, and I'd have to agree. Especially if I think of them as these aliens.

[Kaylia]

Originally Posted by Qilin

Once again, we have an episode that tackles the life cycle of civilization, albeit from a more religious angle. It depicts that kind of tale that you'd often find in various religious creeds:

Here we have god (Watashi) descending upon new humanity (Fairies) and providing them with the gift of knowledge, which the humans henceforth came to crave and eventually came to collapse under their own ambitions. But if you ask me, it was probably the capacity for self awareness and individualization that our dear little narrator gave to those fairies (by giving them names) that led to the sudden burst in technological progress.

Come to think of it, the entire thing might have been a satirization of religion after all, given by how the entire fiasco ended.

This episode was a clear take on religion, starting with the The creation of Adam scene (I think it was at least) where Watashi named the fairies and gave them a purpose, to their downfall where she gave up the idea of being their god.


What I found interesting to note is that humanity didn't decline because of the fake God or Watashi's actions, they declined when their concept of god was destroyed. Without religion, they lost their identity, and the fragile organization they had crumbled.

Originally Posted by 00Coyote

I feel like a considerable bit of the story was cut out of this episode. I can't say it was lacking in the narrative, but the story seemed to be stripped down to the minimum, with a lot of the finer details left on the editing room floor.

I've no idea how they did it in the novel, but I tend to agree with this. This fairies civilization rose and fell way too fast. It's not so bad that we can't fill the gaps, but it still feel like we missed half of the argument. That being said, I still loved the episode.

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

The Easter Island thing is a myth. The civilization there didn't collapse until South American slave traders showed up and kidnapped a large portion of the population. See Dr. Peiser's From Genocide to Ecocide (pdf) for a thorough debunking of the enviro-disaster theory.

Thanks for the link. Can't say I'm surprised, despite that theory being very popular, it didn't feel quite right.

[ThereminVox]

Now that the pattern has become apparent, I find myself looking forward to each week more and more. The fairies are taking aspects of human history and culture and experiencing it from inception to eventual decline and ultimate collapse in the course of a few hours or at best days. First (or last given the airing order) the fairies try their hand at industrialization, then serialized entertainment, then civilization, organized religion... and if Grandfather's words are to be believed, this sort of thing is happening a lot.

In a weird way, in-universe, humanity is seeing its own life flashing before its eyes. More specifically, it is watching a low-budget, heavily-condensed, blisteringly satirical clip show of its life flashing before its eyes. And the entire cast of this clip show is made up of hedonistic perma-grinning borderline sociopaths.

[Silvance]

Originally Posted by Kaihan

It's only pure water.

Great episode and seems like we get to learn a lot more stuff about fairies.

lol. Indeed. We learned some interesting facts about the race. Those fairies would make an excellent source of drinking water in very tight situations... as disgusting as it maybe, but people would do anything for the sake of survival, no?

[whitecloud]

fairy dont have good sense of naming...chikuwa, and what with the sir mc farlaner anyone know?

P.S : anyone notice..SPAM will exist even when humanity has declined...it will be our monument...

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by Kaylia

What I found interesting to note is that humanity didn't decline because of the fake God or Watashi's actions, they declined when their concept of god was destroyed. Without religion, they lost their identity, and the fragile organization they had crumbled.

This here is interesting. Could you explain further?

The way I interpreted it, it was Watashi passing on her "godhood" status to the fairies that led to the mini-civilization's ultimate destruction.

[whitecloud]

What he mean maybe that usually people need a guidepost..something to believe in even in something vaque as faith...when it is taken, there is chaos since there is no guidepost at all...no direction...thus the crumble of civilization

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by whitecloud

What he mean maybe that usually people need a guidepost..something to believe in even in something vaque as faith...when it is taken, there is chaos since there is no guidepost at all...no direction...thus the crumble of civilization

In what instance did this "guidepost" disappear exactly?

The way I saw it, things were doing just fine until she decided to hand down her "godhood" to the fairies, which subsequently caused a chain reaction that triggered the fall of the civilization.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Qilin

In what instance did this "guidepost" disappear exactly?

The way I saw it, things were doing just fine until she decided to hand down her "godhood" to the fairies, which subsequently caused a chain reaction that triggered the fall of the civilization.

When people imagine a god or the god, they imagine a being that's undoubtedly different and superior to them. That's what Watashi was to the fairies: a different a larger being who was capable of doing many things that the fairies could not, like make sweets, give names, etc. They idolized what they thought to be a superior being as a god.

When people acknowledge another as their superior, that carries implications. For example, a superior can also be called a "leader", and a leader assumes near unconditional responsibility.

When Watashi passes her "godhood", she is also passing the burden of responsibility. None of the fairies want that burden.
Then again, even if one of the fairies did, they don't particularly acknowledge that a particular fairy is different and superior over another, so a fairy becoming God means that God would no longer be a being they believe to be superior, but someone only equal or maybe even inferior to them. Would anyone want a God that is not much better than them at all?

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

When Watashi passes her "godhood", she is also passing the burden of responsibility. None of the fairies want that burden.
Then again, even if one of the fairies did, they don't particularly acknowledge that a particular fairy is different and superior over another, so a fairy becoming God means that God would no longer be a being they believe to be superior, but someone only equal or maybe even inferior to them. Would anyone want a God that is not much better than them at all?

And that, I believe, is what led to the decline of the civilization in the first place. The moment the concept of godhood descends to the level of humanity or (as is more common) when humanity attempts to elevate itself to the status of godhood. Needless to say, it was Watashi "entrusting" her power to the fairy representative that started the entire mess.

[Kaylia]

Originally Posted by Qilin

This here is interesting. Could you explain further?

The way I interpreted it, it was Watashi passing on her "godhood" status to the fairies that led to the mini-civilization's ultimate destruction.

Whitecloud and Shadow5YA covered it better than I could have, but I will try anyway.

It's my interpretation, but it seem like their civilization bloomed right after they accepted Watashi has their god. Given the religious thematic, and taking into account the emphasis they put on the finger touch, it looked like it was the turning point.

My reasoning behind this is that fairies finally had some sort of structures that allowed them to focus their efforts on a common goal, something they are clearly lacking when they are left on their own due to their chaotic nature.

Watashi passing her "godhood" is the main cause of the downfall, but I believe it's because it cheapened the "god" effect. God wasn't something worthy of respect anymore, it was just a game of tag, and a tiresome burden that forced you to think on your own (something fairies hate). Without this, it was back to normal fairies chaos, and everything fell apart in 8 seconds.


All of this is debatable since this episode was short, and didn't leave us with much content, but it was the impression I got.

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by Kaylia

It's my interpretation, but it seem like their civilization bloomed right after they accepted Watashi has their god. Given the religious thematic, and taking into account the emphasis they put on the finger touch, it looked like it was the turning point.

I believe that it was after the fairies gained a sense of identity and self-awareness (receiving names) that they initially became conscious of religion. A slight divergence in our views, I'm sure, but it then portrays religion as a product of humanity's quest for self-discovery.

Originally Posted by Kaylia

Watashi passing her "godhood" is the main cause of the downfall, but I believe it's because it cheapened the "god" effect. God wasn't something worthy of respect anymore, it was just a game of tag, and a tiresome burden that forced you to think on your own (something fairies hate). Without this, it was back to normal fairies chaos, and everything fell apart in 8 seconds.

I think I see what you're getting at. That part basically described that point along the end of the life cycle of a religion where the things once perceived to be divine take a backseat in favor of the mundane, which I'd call the commodification of religion in society today. Afterwards, everything just ends up collapsing in itself.

Still, we might all be reading too much into this, but I guess that just shows how much fun this show is to discuss.