Kakumeiki Valvrave 2 Ep 4: Ultimate Sacrifice

Impression:
*GROSS SOBBING* MARRRRIIIEEEEEEE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Oh my god, where do I start?!
Marie was extremely courageous (and fucking majestic- look at her maneuver Unit 1!), especially when the truth bomb was just dropped on her and the information was overwhelming and terrifying. Pino even tried to stop her, warning her that her ‘Limitator’ is broken, which is why they couldn’t continue using her as the test pilot when they were first creating the Valvraves. She is their failed test subject, and it’s incredibly sad because her memories were the runes Pino was consuming (and even now in the present, Pino is incredibly guilty about it). It was Shouko who was her flame of hope when she felt out of place when she first attended school and was alone because she knew nothing about herself by telling her  and so Shouko told her “lets make new memories”. Both Akira and Shouko is going to be absolutely devastated when she learns about Marie’s death. I do hope that L-Elf will tell Shouko (along with everyone else) the truth when the time comes that Marie had saved them all by piloting the Valvrave. I will be so upset if he doesn’t because Marie lost all her memories in the end, and the least they could do is remember her by keeping her in their hearts as a Heroic Holy Spirit.
I am quite pleased by how consistently we are getting vital tidbits of information regarding the Runes (information particles) that were up till now very much a mystery. I can’t help but wonder whether ‘consuming memories’ is THE price when the pilots have to feed on others. Right now until it’s confirmed (perhaps which what the ‘Abyss of the Runes’ may discuss further next week), I am going to stick with the explanation that the ‘Consuming Memories’ aspect of the runes was a prototype error that the scientists/engineers had come to terms with when Marie had failed as their test subject. Of course the difference here is that it was Marie’s memories being consumed and not someone else’s, so it’s hard to determine whether the effect is still in place. If the rule of ‘consuming memories’ is still in effect but for the pilot’s meals, then L-Elf can no longer be used as a meal ticket because his memories and knowledge are vital information that can’t afford to be lost. Haruto will have no choice but to feed on several different people.
While everyone else is able to get away, Saki still undercover and not on board the ship (JFC I hope hers and Akira’s bodies are okay! That was a massive final blow Marie had delivered to them when she went all Harakiri. Akira had received a call from the Dorssian Royalist which we learned about when A-Drei was telling Saki about their sixth member of the group being one of them which in the end had to kill to preserve their lives. it was a harsh childhood, and it appears that it was always L-Elf who served as the leader, the one who did the worst when it needed to be done (or at least thats’ what we have been seeing thus far). It was definitely interesting to see a more… I couldn’t go as far as caring, but considerate I suppose side of A-Drei, since he was making effort to ensure the boy who Saki is presently possessing survives L-Elf’s attack. He also spared him/Saki when she started freaking out seeing that the plan had completely crashed and burned by telling her to calm down and tell his story of his past with L-Elf and the others while they were raised there after having seen L-Elf’s engraved message.
Can we also give some props to Saki as well, if it weren’t for her smart thinking of clicking the radio to let L-Elf over hear that A-Drei had caught onto his plans their underground bombs would have been useless. As long as she remains successfully undercover by A-Drei’s side, her information she can send to them can be a major game changers. The real question is though, how will she regroup with the others now that she’s separated from the gang.
With the Dorssian Royalists now in the picture, it’s hard to say whether they are truly potential alliance for our team, but as of right now it’s all the help they can get. Their Valvraves are in wrecked condition after lethal blows delivered by the Dorssian Army’s new Kirschbaums, and the scariest part about these units is that they were only testing their abilities. What can we say, they passed flying colours because they are absolutely penetrating the Valvraves’s defences along with disabling it offensively.