“Mankind’s fighting against itself!”
Impression:
They really went all out to show off the ugliest side of Human Beings. If you haven’t found a reason to hate Pinion, this episode should have sealed the deal for you. This guy was fueled by revenge used Ledo to his heart contents, not even taking and sort of consideration or notice about Ledo’s psychological state that was blatantly obvious and the worst part of all- this guy thinks he is King of the World right now! He goes on and on about how because they have Ledo, because they Chamber, because of the ‘jackpot’ treasury that was being guarded by the Evolvers/Hideauze/Whalesquids that- he thinks that they are invincible. Well guess what? Within the next episode I expect him to be fatally knocked off his high horse. Karma is going to be come back and bite him, along with all those people who blindly followed him. With the Galatic Alliance back in the picture along with Ledo’s former comrade Colonel Kugel, I expect it to get ugly (especially when you consider how shady at cult-looking crew looks to be- I mean look at them, they don’t look sane at all!) and I don’t know how Ledo is going to cope with this battle. I am pretty damn sure that Ledo will want to talk with Kugel in hopes to see whether he knew about the truth behind their war and what his thoughts are. Chamber as I mentioned last week, he is programed to calculate and set his pilot up for survival and success. Unfortunately, we have to face it- this is what makes machines distinctively different to Humans- unless they are programmed to, they can’t feel. Chamber showed us that human feelings and remorse is not something he can understand. His response are based on the knowledge he possesses.
However despite that, Chamber makes some very interesting points about what makes the Evolvers/Hideauze different to an average human being. According to his knowledge the reason why Hideauze are a threat to Humans is because they have rejected civilization itself. He mentions that because of civilization the humans were able to make Machine Calibers like himself while on the other hand the Hideauze had abandoned their human forms along with their bodily limitations to pursue and satisfy one’s well-being and desires as a biological creature at a higher level of intelligence that was/is not necessarily needed. As result while they could have embraced it, instead they decided to abandon that knowledge and as result turned into what they are now (which could also be applied as ‘abandoning’ their humanity). He explained to Ledo that the conflict that continued to brew the war between the Galactic Alliance the Hideauze is the conflict between two irreconcilable survival strategies. But is it really irreconcilable? It makes me wonder if Chamber lacks that knowledge of the possibility of Co-Existence. While we know that he definitely heard of it and used the word, I wonder if he actually knows how to apply it to such as the present situation they are in.
The saddest thing part was when Ledo cried out, “Mankind’s fighting against itself.” For his entire life, he always thought he was fighting against something that wasn’t human, an enemy, a lower-being that was a hindrance and creating problems for their race. That concept to him was ‘fine’, it didn’t bother him, but what is psychologically affecting him right now is that he had just massacred the Evolvers/Hideauze/Whalesquids that were Humans to begin with. Ledo is not okay with killing off people, and this gives us a glimpse of perhaps how the soldiers who didn’t know about the truth would possibly react. In fact, perhaps this is why they kept it a secret in the first place, so that the soldiers would not question whether what they were doing what right or wrong, and erased ‘Co-Existence’ from the dictionary. They purposely set up their society and military so that they would have no way to question the way things ran. So basically, they were manipulated because Ledo right now, is showing us what happens when someone like himself who had no idea about the truth and experiences what civilization and learning the meaning of co-existence. If this vital information had leaked, the whole military, no Galactic Alliance society would be thrown into an unrest state. Unfortunately as tragic as it is, mankind fighting against itself is the truth that also applies to our reality. The weaponry and Pinion’s greed was the start of one of the many examples of what fuels the wars in our world. Powerful, deadly weapons can be beneficial for protection but as always, requires great responsibility. Pinion showed us how irresponsible he was, not willing to share, bragging and provoking neighboring ships that they have the weaponry that makes them powerful and invincible. Pinion was one of those people that should have never gotten their hands on the weaponry. And having said that, I also believe the Evolvers/Hideauze/Whalesquids were territorial about that particular location not just because that’s where they had evolved and that’s their home, but it could also be because they were in a way protecting Human Kind from the technology by not letting anyone near it, or out for the matter.
Overall it was quite a gloomy episode, but it had all the right reasons to be. I fully expect things to turn ugly and bloody next week- varying on how things will play out. I do expect to see at least one character die, but won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen, after all this series has continued to surprise us with the lack of deaths.
Due to webpage failure my 3 paragraph response got deleted with 0 backup.
To keep things short…
1. The “I am not afraid of” statement, let’s add some addition to that, like…..Ledo himself?
2. Ledo’s character growth is quite distinct, from ep 2 where he can kill pirates without second thinking to now, feeling agony over killing the whalesquids.
3. Interesting intro flashback that seems to be almost 100% unique from previous episode (as in, not pieced together from last episode).
4. Chamber’s system probably got pre-programmed with “Hideauze must be killed”, since computer systems (in reality) can’t think or handle information by itself without pre-programmed equations or handlers.
Ledo: “Mankind’s fighting against itself.”
Misena: “Oh! Yeah. What’s new?” “Turn on CNN, would ya.”
I didn’t get this episode. People have been killing each other from the beginning of time; even right now as I write this, Someone is probably pointing a gun, or some other weapon, at someone else.This anime has been trying to address issues around morality since episode one. I think, it has only gotten so far as to say: unanimous killing is not a bad thing.
“Chamber showed us that human feelings and remorse is not something he can understand. His response are based on the knowledge he possesses.” I thought emotions were also based on that? Lets bring in animal abuse and consumption into question. Since the anime did slightly touch on that. Ever tried eating dogs? Those of us from North America know not to. Dogs are cute, they are running buddies, you can cuddle them and even play with them. What about cows? Those burger patties come from somewhere. I pretty sure certain cultures have gods, materialized in the form of cows and bulls. I’m also pretty sure they don’t consume them readily en masse. Why? Because of how they are viewed. Knowledge backed and solidified by emotions.They are sacred, to be valued and revered.
I completely agree with Chamber, when it said something along the lines of: Discovery of the Hideauze origin shouldn’t change Ledo’s objective, to annihilate them.
That said. Pinion, is now officially consumed with revenge and power. What happen to not killing everyone? Are the developers regressing his character development? Or do the people in that Earth find it thrilling not meeting their own views. If the developers when to such lengths in time spent on Pinion’s vengeance. I’d be disappointed to have it all undone in two more episodes.
Oh! And for your reading pleasure. Here is the link to a List of wars and anthoropogenic disasters by death toll. Death count in WW I equals population of my country. Doesn’t that say enough?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll
“….after all this series has continued to surprise us with the lack of deaths.” They do die: Just not the ones we care much for. Those pirates, on two separate occasions. The Hideauze?
1. The “I am not afraid of” statement, let’s add some addition to that, like…..Ledo himself?
Poor confused thing. I think Ledo was asked the wrong question. “What are you afraid of?” as opposed to What in heaven am I doing and why am I. Both questions Chamber addressed in his long philosophical analysis. Which can be largely surmarized as; They chose to become different from us. Let us annihilate them, because if will don’t they will us.
2. Ledo’s character growth is quite distinct, from ep 2 where he can kill pirates without second thinking to now, feeling agony over killing the whalesquids.
I see what you are saying. Though he is still stuck in the murk.
3. Interesting intro flashback that seems to be almost 100% unique from previous episode (as in, not pieced together from last episode).
Oh! Yes. I want to see what will happen with that cult. Why did they fish up the dead Hideauze from they water. Do they worship them? Ugh!
4. Chamber’s system probably got pre-programmed with “Hideauze must be killed”, since computer systems (in reality) can’t think or handle information by itself without pre-programmed equations or handlers.
Wouldn’t it be a fail war machine if it wasn’t programed in such a way?
Mind you I mentioned “feeling”. Lets use “Love” as an example. I have never been in love, but I know and heard from my knowledge of what it’s supposed to FEEL like. But that’s not the same thing as actually experiencing it first hand yourself. Chamber as a machine isn’t able to FEEL and he has shown no signs of ‘feelings’ either hence ‘no remorse’ and unable to connect with Ledo’s grief and turmoil. Being knowledgeable about emotions is one thing, feeling/experiencing is another.
“Ledo: “Mankind’s fighting against itself.”
Misena: “Oh! Yeah. What’s new?” “Turn on CNN, would ya.””
Yes, but keep in mind the background of the character. Think about it, Ledo spent all his life fighting ‘aliens’, and then back on earth is told that killing people is bad (ie. pirates), and then suddenly in the middle of alien version earth cleanup he realized that the ‘aliens’ are actually humans, especially when these ‘aliens version earth’ did not really do anything hostile towards him. This isn’t 2013.
“Wouldn’t it be a fail war machine if it wasn’t programed in such a way?”
Yes, but this statement is mainly pointing out that Chamber’s statement that his conclusion of Hideauze being harmful is based on analysis is more or less a lie (in programming terms), because it’s programmed in such a way to come up with the said conclusion, because it is a war machine.