Re:CREATORS – Episode 11 [We Can’t Decide Where We Go But You Can]

Well, it’s clear that Selesia will live. Apparently creations have a very speedy recovery time, which in this case allows them to survive injuries which would likely be fatal to regular humans. Both Selesia and Meteora have been hospitalized, but are stable and doing well.

When Selesia wakes up in her hospital room, Takashi is by her side. Selesia thanks him for the changes he made to her story, because they essentially saved her life even if they were only temporary. In typical modest Japanese fashion, Takashi deflects the gratitude and says it’s because of the fans’ appreciation for the new picture that she was saved.

Takashi asks Selesia, somewhat reluctantly if she wants to go back to her world and Selesia says that she does. It sounds like Takashi really doesn’t want her to go home. He apologizes, saying it must be hard for Selesia to live in her world, but admits that he wrote her story because it will be proof that he lived. He wanted to create something of his own before he died one day.

Elsewhere, presumably at the hospital, Souta is moping alone. Rui approaches and offers him some snacks, but he can’t seem to break Souta out of his depressed mood. So what does he do? Takes Souta for a ride in the Gigas Machina, that’s what! Souta gets totally freaked out from the view in the transparent cockpit, and I don’t blame him at all. x_x

Once they’re high above the clouds, Rui tries to talk to Souta again. Rui says that because he used to be sulky and depressed he doesn’t like to see others in that same mood. He tells Souta that after he came to the human world, he’s had time to think and he’s realized that only he can save his world. So now instead of being forced to fight to save his world, when he returns he will fight on his own terms. Rui goes on to tell Souta that instead of mourning the past it’s better to create something in the present.

Furthermore creations like himself can’t fight their fate. However their story has been written is what they are destined to do. But Souta, as a “god”, can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants to do. He’s living his own story, not existing as a creation in someone else’s. As Rui puts it simply, creations like him have the power to save the world but they can’t do anything else; “gods” like Souta can actually create those worlds that need saving.

Just then Kikuchihara calls Rui, and Souta answers. She asks that both of them to return to the hospital because Meteora has woken up, and she has something to share with everyone.

So all of the creations and their creators gather, and Meteora begins the meeting. She starts to say that previously it had been necessary to find out who Altair’s creator was, and that now that plan needed to be adjusted, but Souta cuts her off and finally, FINALLY shares what he’s been holding inside for so long.

Souta confesses that Altair’s creator, Setsuna, is dead. Not just dead in some random accident or whatnot, but by his hands. As he explains we see that he doesn’t mean this literally, but that he likely contributed to the circumstances surrounding her decision to take her own life.

Setsuna and Souta met on an online art website (one which looks similar to DeviantArt) when Setsuna commented on one of his drawings. They started to talk and got quite close. Setsuna would like and comment on his art even though it was apparent to Souta from the beginning that she was more talented than he was. One day she messaged him to say that there was going to be some kind of convention for local networking sites, and she invited him to go with her because she didn’t want to go alone. Souta agrees.

They meet up in person and it’s clear that despite the awkwardness of their first meeting, they get along really well and have great chemistry. Her real name is Yuna; Setsuna is just her online username. It’s not mentioned how old she is, but Souta would be about 14 or 15 depending on when his birthday is.

The pair get to the convention and find a panel they want to watch, but can’t get a good view. So Souta sneaks them up to an overhanging walkway. Setsuna leans so far over the railing that she starts to fall, and Souta has to drag her back up and over to safety using only her purse’s shoulderstrap. They end up lying close to each other on the walkway for a few moments before Souta gets too shy and moves away from her. However Setsuna lost her glasses when she slipped, so Souta offers her his instead.

Souta goes on to say that afterwards Setsuna started becoming more popular on the art website, and he grew jealous of her. She was making beautiful art but he wasn’t making a lot of progress with his. As a result of his envy, he stopped contacting her. At the same time, due to her increased fame and popularity, rumors started circulating online that Setsuna was plagiarizing her art from other people. There was no basis to these rumors, but Souta admits that he worried that his defending Setsuna would make the situation worse, so he never stood up for her. Eventually as we know, Setsuna killed herself.

What Souta feels the most guilty about, it seems, is that not only did he not defend his former friend but he got a kind of guilty pleasure over seeing her attacked online. It made him feel a little less lonely and a little less jealous about being “left behind” when he saw people online attacking her.

My thoughts: The episode ends before we can get a full reaction from Souta’s friends and allies, and I’m curious to see how the situation will play out. Will they be angry and upset that he kept this major secret from them for so long, or will they be more sympathetic and understanding like Meteora was a couple of episodes ago?

I’d like to hope that they won’t be too hard on him. Dealing with suicide at such a young age must be incredibly overwhelming beyond words, and this has obviously been eating at Souta since he discovered the news of her death. He’s been beating himself up over what he didn’t do to help her, and I imagine if he could turn back time he would do things differently.

But I’m glad this is out in the open now, so the plot can move forward, and so Souta’s character has room to grow and develop further. He can’t always be the guilty kid.

Also, it seems like Yuuya has potentially lost his powers as a creation now that Magane has stolen his curse, Hangaku, from him. Then again, all Yuuya said was that he was “beaten” by Magane, so unless it’s explained elsewhere it’s hard to be sure if it’s true that Yuuya’s no longer cursed at this point in time. Hopefully there’s a way he can get Hangaku back… if he wants it back.

I’ve been informed that there is one more episode to go before there’s a short hiatus between the cours. I’m about to move so I’ll be grateful for the break, but I’ll be eagerly anticipating the second half of the series.

 

Author’s Note: I’d like to take a moment to thank those who take the time to read my posts, and especially those who leave comments and feedback. I love to write but after almost two years with AAB, I’m still trying to figure out a writing style. I tend to go for more of a recap style because it’s a) what I prefer as a reader when I miss an episode, and b) I can’t think of enough original things to say about an episode (unless it really strikes a chord with me and I end up on a soapbox). So if my writing style is not your favourite but you read my reviews anyways, thank you very much. <3

I am also not up to date with the anime world and major release news and the like, so I’m always super grateful for those who comment and let me know what I am missing. Thank you for the info, the links, everything you share to help keep me in the loop, and for your patience with me when I miss some little detail that explains something. I think I’m the oldest person on the AAB team right now and I still feel like a n00b when it comes to anime, compared to what everyone else seems to know. ^^;;

I’m looking forward to a new season and more Re:CREATORS. I hope you will continue to read my reviews and interact with me. Thank you for your support. ^_^v