Cardfight!! Vanguard: Episode 180 + 181 [hope in the face of forgetting]

We start with a new opening which is AMAZING. Great visuals and the song matches it so perfectly, probably one of my favorite vanguard openings. They see the butler who is with the Quatre Knights and realize it might be a clue to find Aichi, they’re worried but they don’t have any clue as to what might happen or if it’s a trap. They decide that’s not relevant in comparison to finding Aichi, and decide they’ll go there together.

Miwa leads them to the place and they are teleported away. But it seems like it’s. . . on the moon?! O_o They run into Serra who reveals that Aichi is actually trapped, and the only way to free him is to defeat all of the Quatre Knights. But there is a catch. . . losing here has a worse judgement, they will lose their memories if they lose their battles! Naoki declares he wants to fight Serra first and Serra agrees, summoning his completely nonsensical ice prison.

The fuck, Serra just up and changed his deck? He’s now using GranBlue even though he was using Neo Nectar. I’m so confused. Did they realize it made shit sense? Serra goes on to explain his family is rich and now solves all their squabbles with. . .Vanguard. . .Serra says Naoki can’t understand his pain because of it, and I say that he’s retarded because Naoki has been set on fire so he can suck his dick. I really don’t like Serra after all his BS, especially learning he just destroyed all his family members …cause. With a card game.

We know Naoki means business because this time the fight does not just take up the better part of one episode – the fight takes up two episodes. Because of this I’m not sure who will win. Curse you card game anime and your weird rules for how duels are set up. But the title of the second episode is. . . .manly. . . big. . . bang. . okay.

Serra explains Aichi offered him the choice to be a Quatre Knight. Doing so meant he no longer had to be part of the war in his family, so he gladly accepted the offer. We’re left in the dark about what he says, but before we can reflect too long he Legions and manages to make a complete comeback. I’m still completely thrown off by his switch to Granblue. Naoki looks as if he’ll lose at five damage and laments, he doesn’t want to forget again. He can’t forget until he talks to him directly. The screen pans to a sleeping Aichi nearby. CAN I MENTION THAT THEY’RE ON THE MOON AGAIN????

Ren and Leon lament and wonder how they’ll do silently (Ren’s form of lament is kitten petting- I approve). Naoki is thinking hard on his time with Leon. Can. . .can we point out how bad the idea of saying someone loses and that’s their strength is? Not so strong in this situation yo. . .Naoki manage to survive with guarding and a quintlet wall, and then calls his Legion Mate out! Big bang Slash Buster legion gives +5000 power, and Serra only manages to block one of his attacks. Thanks to this and his legion…Serra actually loses!

Serra is given judgement and his seal is broken, alerting all the Quatre Knights as well as Kourin. The friends all realize the fights will be just as tough. . .but they have to push forward! The Quatre Knights push forward to meet them. . .and the true test begins!