Utawarerumono Episode 11 Discussion / Poll

[Cardiac Glycoside]

Most depressing episode in a while.

That's not to say it was bad. Actually, every tiny little bit of the episode I enjoyed fully.

It's sad that Teoro died. I predicted first that his wife would die, then that he would die. Little did I know EVERYONE would die. I also miss that crazy old dude who insisted on not letting all the youngin's do all the work.

Rak Shine? Somehow, I don't give much credence to this new bombshell. I think it may just be a case of mistaken identity.

[Codex]

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Lost

Second, the part where Oyaji sees his wife and villagers felt like fanservice. I hate sequences where a dying person sees his dead loved ones and walks off into the mist with them. It just feels so much like its been put there for the sake of comforting the viewers. I would rather have Oyaji mourning for his wife while he lay dying. Thats real, that hits you hard, and thats what I want.

I think, in this case, it's not quite that bad. For one thing, the viewers don't know yet (although they may suspect) what happened to the village and the people. In this case, it is more of a device to hint at what happened to them.

As for Rak Shine ...

Spoiler:

I don't think it is a case of mistaken identity. Nor do I think Hakuoro really did anything devilish previously. His character being the way it is, I'm sure he was acting in an upright fashion, possibly in opposition to whoever his brother-in-law was.

[ImClueless]

Originally Posted by Trax

A couple of things didn't make sense to me...

If their sole purpose is to kill Hakuoro aka Rak Shine, in the name of justice and honor according to Touka, why do something like razing a farming village wiping out everyone including women, children and elderly?

I thought destroying the village made a lot of sense if you remember what that dying enemy soldier was ranting about. They didn't just want Hakuoro dead, they also wanted him to suffer as well. Therefore they might have know that he was close to the villagers and bye killing them made Hakuoro feel pain. Which according to that soldier made them happy.

[Cardiac Glycoside]

It looks like Oboro gets another chance to job next episode.

New sig btw.

[ritalman]

Originally Posted by ChainLegacy

Can someone who was once bad lose his memory and become such a good guy?

Mmmh Total Recall?

[zalas]

Originally Posted by ImClueless

I thought destroying the village made a lot of sense if you remember what that dying enemy soldier was ranting about. They didn't just want Hakuoro dead, they also wanted him to suffer as well. Therefore they might have know that he was close to the villagers and bye killing them made Hakuoro feel pain. Which according to that soldier made them happy.

Yup, these invaders were totally driven by an utter hate that they have turned into "dead men," no longer afraid of death. I think it was more that Yamayura happened to be in the middle of their onslaught and in their mad frenzy, they simply rampaged through. Remember, these are men mad enough to not care about death and not care about defensive positions. They are driven to ramming themselves against an impenetrable defensive line.

My guess is that Touka was simply not present at the raid, as she may have been moving on her own.

[Tiberium Wolf]

I find it strange after watching the ep that Teoro die like that. I mean he wasn't bleeding nor did have any woods and then splash!!! Lots of blood all over the place.

[Trax]

Still, making him want to suffer doesn't mean they have to kill off anyone that they come across. Their goal was Hakuoro, why waste time in such a village. Which just happens to be the village he was staying at for a while, which seems a little too convenient yet again.

Although there is also the possibility it was done on purpose, if they found out that that village had been harboring Hakuoro for a while and he would have an attachment to it. This might not be too farfetched, since my impression of Kuccha Keccha is that their soldiers seem like they're fanatics, like some kind of cult. My guess would be that the treachery that Hakuoro committed was simply stand up against them or merely trying to escape from the madness. I doubt he really did anything criminal at this point.

Eventhough you can make up an explanation for their attack on the village, I still feel it came out of nowhere. Something that has been plagueing this series for a while now imo is the fact that things seem to happen out of nowhere, and the pacing is awkward at times.

[Lost]

Originally Posted by Trax

Still, making him want to suffer doesn't mean they have to kill off anyone that they come across. Their goal was Hakuoro, why waste time in such a village. Which just happens to be the village he was staying at for a while, which seems a little too convenient yet again.

Although there is also the possibility it was done on purpose, if they found out that that village had been harboring Hakuoro for a while and he would have an attachment to it. This might not be too farfetched, since my impression of Kuccha Keccha is that their soldiers seem like they're fanatics, like some kind of cult. My guess would be that the treachery that Hakuoro committed was simply stand up against them or merely trying to escape from the madness. I doubt he really did anything criminal at this point.

Eventhough you can make up an explanation for their attack on the village, I still feel it came out of nowhere. Something that has been plagueing this series for a while now imo is the fact that things seem to happen out of nowhere, and the pacing is awkward at times.

When I saw that last part about the brother-in-law, I was wondering if their army (the ones who razed Eruruu's village, Yamayura) were actually the "good guys." For all you know, Rak Shine might have razed plenty of their villages and killed their wives/children/parents too. The sad thing that struck me was that Hakuoro had no idea what he did.

Sigh, Aruruu's crying was sad. Watching it again, I have to give credit to the way they pulled that off, it was brillantly executed, the tremble in her voice, her rebellious "No" giving way to grief... it really touched me. Still. Even sadder that they ended the scene so soon.

[Cardiac Glycoside]

Was anyone else hoping that Dorii and Gura would shoot that last warrior who was laughing maniacally?

[Cyz]

Originally Posted by Cardiac Glycoside

Was anyone else hoping that Dorii and Gura would shoot that last warrior who was laughing maniacally?

I do! If I were them, I should've shot that soldier to shut himself up...and to provide mercy killing because he's in a lot of pain

[Cardiac Glycoside]

Naw, I would have shot him just because he was getting on my nerves.


Something I didn't mention earlier. I actually liked Teoro more than Hakuoro's current hero units (Eruruu and Aruruu are excepted since they're not really in his army). He was like the guy you like to hang out with in the bar and get plastered every night. But something told me, even before the preview for this episode, that someone as cool as him wouldn't be allowed to live on.

But why did they have to kill off the Crazy Old Bastard and the Helpful and Eager Little Urchin? I was cheering in episode 7 when they took turns hacking away at that one soldier.

I presume the Dude Who Looks Like A Goat is dead too.

[Lost]

Originally Posted by Cardiac Glycoside

Was anyone else hoping that Dorii and Gura would shoot that last warrior who was laughing maniacally?

Well, actually, I was afraid they would, coz the only logical site for arrow entry was the face (that was the part the screen was zoomed in), and I didnt particularly want to see brains gushing out or eyeballs dislodging

But something told me, even before the preview for this episode, that someone as cool as him wouldn't be allowed to live on.

Strangely, I felt the same. It was his wife that gave it away for me. Somehow, they were too happy.

[Green²]

Originally Posted by Lost

Well, actually, I was afraid they would, coz the only logical site for arrow entry was the face (that was the part the screen was zoomed in), and I didnt particularly want to see brains gushing out or eyeballs dislodging

Actually, I was kind of hoping one of those twins would've shot the arrow. That in just paper-cutting his face, guy laughs some more, as and while that same arrow finding its way to the backside of the front gate. In that, cutting through an counter weight rope. Thereby, causing the wooden pike barricade to retract into the ground, crushing the guy in the process. Insert witty comment from one of the characters regarding pain, and operation badass would be a go.

[thundrakkon]

If Hakuoro is the "younger brother-in-law," it could be interpreted in two ways in English:

1) He married the younger sister of that guy
2) Hakuoro had a sister, and that guy married her

There is more distinction as to relationships in the Asian language, so I was wondering which one it was? It is hard to tell with this translation.

[zalas]

They use 義弟, which, from the definition, looks like either:
1) A younger brother in law, whether it's your spouse's kid brother or your younger sister's husband, etc.
2) Unrelated by blood, but rather a younger brother with whom you had exchanged a vow of brotherhood.

[Shiroth]

Episode 11 was pretty upsetting.. it start for me when we seen Oyaji cross to the other side, though Aruruu stole the show with her shinning upsetting moment.

& yes, looks like we've finally got a lil' information about Hakuoro.. though this episode needed a lot more Karura. ;_;

Gotta love the amount of emotion Hakuoro shown of in this episode.. even more he found out a lil' bit about his past, there's so much to this guy its un-true.

[Guido]

This was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for this episode. Hakuoro for the first time ever displays his raw emotions, burdened by the hundreds of innocents that perished; people of his country he sworn to protect.

Spoiler:

I'm a little disappointed that the deaths of the village and the old man were predicted too sooner and explicitly.
For example:
1. The cloudy, rainy skies.
2. The eerie wind blowing the sakura petals.
3. Old man standing without uttering words watching Hakuoro leave.

Anyways, the calamity that struck Tusukuru country made Hakuoro to bond closer with Eruruu & Aruruu, after remaining distant from them to fulfill political matters.

Spoiler:

A touching detail of this was the sleepy Eruruu holding on Hakuoro's right-hand, reminding him that before being a leader he's first a man.

If the soundtrack was extraordinaire in previous episodes, here is flawless. It conveys the atmosphere of grief, anger, and frustration for Hakuoro incapable to understand the raw actions of Kuccha Keccha.

As for Kuccha Keccha... ...

Spoiler:

The leader discloses the first hints about Hakuoro's identity, and it could quite mean that Hakuoro originally hailed from that country. Moreover, the man addresses Hakuoro as Rak Shine, his younger brother-in-law.

But why Kuccha Keccha goes to insane measures as to continuously sacrifice platoons over platoons of soldiers that do not care to die and even raze entire villages of Tusukuru for just attempting to murder one man, Hakuoro?

There has to be something dangerous or I may say evil within Hakuoro for Kuccha Keccha to embark on extreme warfare measures just to dispose of one man.

And also, Rak Shine may or may not be Hakuoro's real name. I think it could be a title to refer for heretic, criminal, enemy of the state, cast away, or to label an entity that's dangerous or not from this world.

[Deathkillz]

poor aruruu...i felt really sorry for her when she was trying to wake up Oyaji and hakuoro explain that he has gone to where her grandma is just breaks aruruu's little heart
i think the leader from Kuccha Keccha is right in accusing hakuoro as being a criminal...maybe he did do something terrible before he lost his memory...that would put a twist in the story seen as most ppl expect hakuoro to be the good guy...even before he lost his memory...maybe he got posessed by something and killed a lot of ppl commanding an army? would explain why hes such a good tactician and cold blooded killer...

[Sinestra]

This episode was definetly a sad one. I mean where it all started was destroyed and everyone was killed, and poor Aruruu and Eruruu i think out of the all the charcters i am most attached ti those 2 so seeing them both basically wig out out over Oyaji's death was painful. I did not agree with how Oyaji's death was done maybe it was the camera angels or the fact that the blood only started to show after everyone had left. I guess in the next episode we will find out Haruokos true idenity. The opposing army obviuosly knows him its kind of hard to mistake that mask. But Aruruu and Eruruu are right in the middle of the fighting i hope nothing happens to them.