Knights of Sidonia – 11
In the heat of battle.
Oh. My. Goodness. That was absolutely phenomenal.
Epic Sci-Fi Orgasm
The nervous opening act before all hell breaks loose.
That has to be hands down the best sci-fi action I have ever seen in a very long time. Everything about it was just right. The last stand against a force of unimaginable magnitude. The back-and forth between the in-your-face carnage on the frontlines and the rising tension in the command center. The creeping sense of doom as tactics break down, comrades fall left and right, and the seemingly inevitable end draws ever closer. All of it wrapped in an intense yet understated bgm that’s only just present without having to carry any of the excitement. Almost as if to flaunt the show’s confidence in the adrenaline-rush of the frantic scramble itself, yet concede a recognition to the importance of good incidental music. Really, all of it was executed so perfectly that I can do nothing more than marvel at the beauty of it.
Fearless Leader
Kobayashi asks Nagate to lend her his strength.
I would like to stop here on the thought that this is all that can be, and needs to be said to convey the brilliant success of the episode. But as tempting as it may be, I do at least have to go over some of the plot points that the show managed to slip in during the heart-racing experience. Firstly, there is the scene where Kobayashi speaks privately with Nagate and implores him to become Sidonia’s savior. I might have sounded too harsh on her last time, so let me use this as an example to demonstrate that she values Nagate as an individual just as much as, if not more than, a weapon. If she didn’t care about him and only wanted another tool as a means to reach an end, she would have just sent him out without insisting on speaking face-to-face.
Yuhata starts to crack under pressure, but is restored by Kobayashi’s unwavering presence.
And while her words to him may have sounded like a calculating and unfeeling order for him to sacrifice his life for the ship and her people, I think that’s just part of how she is. Kobayashi doesn’t let her personal feelings get ahead of her primary goal of seeing Sidonia through her mission. But she also doesn’t let the harsh reality of her duties drown out her compassion for the men and women that serve both her and the ship. And even more so for Nagate since he is special to her, but I digress. To do all this, Kobayashi chooses to don a mask to become the image of a fearless leader who can take the backlash for giving seemingly brutal orders while retaining her humanity. So to hammer the point in again, while her words and actions may appear cold, Kobayashi herself is most definitely not.
Outstanding Mysteries
Hawk Moth stands in the way.
The other important development is the continuing attempt to understand the Gauna. More and more, it looks like the Gauna are undeniably drawn to the Kabizashi. Yet, there is also growing evidence to suggest that this is not the only thing that attracts their attention. So I think the answer really is as straight forward as accepting everything at face value. The Gauna first approached mankind on their own and have followed them throughout the galaxy ever since. So clearly they are drawn to intelligent life forms, whether it be as weapons meant to exterminate other life or as curious creatures who just don’t know how to be gentle with their new playmates. And as far as the Kabizashi go, there can be many explanations.
The giant Gauna’s stupendous size.
Perhaps the Kabizashi material is an enduring symbol of some other advanced civilization long since gone, and thus the Gauna are drawn to them by the same attraction they have for other lifeforms. Alternatively, they might have a more direct connection to the Gauna. Say, perhaps, that the Gauna are indeed some sort of weapon created by an ancient civilization to wipe out all other life. The Kabizashi material could then perhaps be act as some sort of beacon to direct the Gauna towards specific targets. The possibilities are endless, but as usual I personally like to believe that the Gauna are a non-malicious life-form that just don’t know how to properly interact with humanity. Because I’m a sucker for that kind of cheesy story.
So anyway, let me wrap up by saying that it definitely looks like Knights of Sidonia is going to finish up strong. I’ve always been very impressed by the show, and this episode has without a doubt nailed its position as one of the best of the season in my book. It might even be one of the best shows of the year, but I will reserve that kind of judgment until I have seen what the rest of the year has to offer.
Sidonia’s last ditch effort.
About Sumairii
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
Hard to believe there is only one episode left. If they really do wrap most of it up in a convincing way it will have been a very well constructed series. I think there are a few loose ends that probably won’t get resolved (possibly holding on to them for a second season?) — in particular, Norio’s story seems to be in a holding pattern.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I don’t know what it is about this show, but this Sidonia has past all expectations and become one of the best shows of the season. I have loved every moment and I won’t be satisfied until there is a second season announced. Kobayashi is amazing, Nagate has really grown in his role as knight of Sidonia, and even Izana and Yuhata show their mettel as they must face their greatest battle yet. Everyone was showing their very best this week and it was glorius.
Well, everyone that is, of course,except Kunato. That bastard can’t get over himself enough to care about his fellow pilots dying. He’s too busy whining about not having Nagete’s garde. Get over it you piece of worthless filth!!
Anyway, did anyone get a sense of the Death Star battle from this last fight? And with Kagetane from Black Bullet (the other best show of the season) doing his best Darth Vader impression, and this one doing it’s best Battle of Yavin, I think somebody over there has been watching their Star Wars.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I dunno, maybe that is Kunato’s best. We saw that he lost in the competition, that he was petty enough to sabotage Nagate and then threaten him if he tried to spill the beans, that he completely froze up when faced with Hoshijiro’s doppelganger, and then isn’t fit to even be a pilot now. Yet he still thinks he should have been the hero / savior.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Wow, Knights of Sidonia’s story has proved far too compelling for me to accept the fact that only one episode remains. It just doesn’t feel that way. Like previous entries, this did incredibly well and oh, did I feel for the platoons that consisted mostly of new recruits. That their lives were cut so short which makes Izana’s despair over becoming a pilot all the more understandable. I’d say what happened here is on par with the ordeals the new recruits had to face on Attack on Titan.
She may just see him as another Hiroki and using her interactions to build his confidence and make amends to any mistakes made on her part with the original. It wasn’t said out loud but she clearly loves him. Last episode, she said she hopes to change her ways before it’s too late.
Things aren’t looking good for Kobayashi. Even if the mission succeeds, I don’t think she’ll be able to remain in command for much longer now that she’s lost favor. The Council is sure to come up with some excuse to determine her no longer fit for duty. The whole lot are a bunch of selfish pricks.
It would have been an excellent episode if we didn’t have to endure scenes of that irredeemable dirtbag Kunato. Come on, even now he mopes about not having the famed Gardes in his possession. Pfft, as if there was a sign saying it was reserved for him and him alone. People with his type of personality, I hate with a passion and he’s sunken as low as to say the whole should end because he can’t have his “dream”. It would be a huge favor if the bastard were to die a horrible, agonizing death. In fact, I’d throw him to the Gauna controlled Shizuka. After all, indirectly or not, he’s responsible for what happened to her.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
There was recent news that Hideo Kojima commented on being quite impressed by Sidonia. I’ll have to agree with him because whatever expectations I had in the beginning, they were all met and exceeded through the run of this. Quite an ambitious project that will give way to more complex sci-fi fantasy stories.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I love how this show went from a first episode WTF is this
shitto something I groove on a weekly basis. They’ve not gotten a thing wrong since about the second episode. The pacing is flawless, and there is just enough characterization to keep you invested in Sidonia’s fate.Oh, I am hoping that that weird creature they’ve got provides the bridge they need to communicate.