FFFFFFFFF———SHIT. THE DUDE IS AI. I REPEAT, THE NEW DUDE IS AI!
Or at least I think it’s him, it’s his earrings that is our source of confirmation.
While I am quite frustrated the majority of this episode this turned out to be a recap, how can we not talk about the ominous signs of what to come!
Tragically, it doesn’t look like our beloved Ignis who had been absorbed into Bohman will be making any miraculous return (I hope I am wrong though). The gravestones seem to really set it into stone, alongside seeing Ai grieving for their loss. RIP Flame, Aqua and Earth… You will be missed dearly.
Ai being the new character in the OP didn’t quite sink in until Ryoken went on and on how they can’t trust Ai, or anything A.I. for that matter. Geez, and here we thought he finally made an exception with him. Apparently not. It’s unfortunate that now he is about to give them a legitimate reason to go after him. (I am sure I am not the only one who was hoping to see the two actually peacefully interact with each other.)
And truth to be told, I don’t know how I feel yet about Ai potentially becoming the antagonist this season. I don’t know if it’s his grief that made Ai embrace his darkness, perhaps even more secrets he may have uncovered at SOL Technology, or perhaps he finally figured out what Lightning’s words meant about the “truth”. It’s not really what I hoped for, mainly because I really loved both his and Yuusaku’s character growth, and how much they cared for each other. We still see that of course, with Yuusaku making it clear that while he doesn’t know where Ai disappeared to, he wants him to be free. It goes to show how much he trust him, and if Ai is due to return only to be his enemy, well that’s just a slap in the face to Yuusaku who finally decided to believe in him. Either way, we’re in for an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.
It took me a while to figure out who the little one was beside Ai, but it finally clicked to me that it’s probably Robopoppi! Not only the colors matches, but Yuusaku had also mentioned that she hasn’t been functioning since the back-up trigger for Ai either. Considering the two are close-knitted friends, I am glad to see her to be beside him, and even be given a larger role!
Now let’s talk about how they went about following up from the incident with Bohman. Frankly, I wished we actually got to see SOL Technology experience some sort of pushback from the public. Yes, everyone was set free, but the panic and trouble was real. I don’t know what kind of story they weaved since they never told us about it, but whatever it was, the were able to salvage their brand name and continue along with their plans. Entering the final season, we have SOL Technology introduce Human Androids, SOLtis. Right now, I already suspect that Ai and Robopoppi have very likely stolen one to use for themselves. It’s also possible that with the power bestowed to him by his friends played a big part in his growth spike, allowing him to make their avatars as detailed as they are in the real world, but I digress. A.I. in general are looking to be a huge threat this season. I suspect Ai will be the ones who have control over them, putting SOL Technology in the hot seat of their projects being exploited once more, or else perhaps it will be a war waging between the two of who has control over the said technology.
The last point I would like to make is that I find it rather ridiculous that Aoi is still left in the dark about Yuusaku’s and the rest of the gang’s true identities. I don’t buy the reason she doesn’t need to know, the battle is over” sort of bullshit. That’s a flimsy excuse. Nonetheless, I doubt the secret will remain for much longer, as the opening does seem to indicate with Ai’s absence, Aoi may potentially be filling that void more so than Takeru (which would be a pleasant surprise). They did establish something the two of them have in common today, a friend in the hospital, so perhaps that might open things up for them to talk about things. (Side note: I am really happy to see Miyu is awake, but ahaha, poor Jin, we didn’t even get to see his face or Kusanagi’s reunion with him! The kid is always getting the short end of the stick!)
Speaking of the new Opening, I really like the song a lot! It’s a bit slow, but I really like the lyrics and the melody! It focused a lot on the storm brewing in the horizons and I probably watched it like thirty times in attempt to grab all the details, ahaha! I have to say though, it made me really sad though to see none of the Ignis besides Ai, ugh I’m going to miss them so much. Instead there was a lot of focus on SOL Technology, new A.I who are eerily a lot more expressive than one would expect from any aside from the Ignis themselves. Onizuka is also set to make a return, and based on his uniform, he is affiliated with SOL Technology. Blood Shepherd is also back, and appears merrily so with his newfound bond with his half-sister Emma. As for Akira, we know that he’s still working with SOL Technology— why? I guess for the same reason I keep telling myself: Serving as an internal watchdog of a sorts.
Next week, we are going to see Queen up against Ai! Looks like he and Robopoppi gonna crash a luxurious cruise party!
This episode irritated me for 3 Reasons:
1. It was a Recap. First episode of the season and it’s a recap.
2. Not seeing Jin or Miyu. I mean we got a clip but that’s it.
3. Revolvers “Development” . sigh I should’ve expected this. But… Oh well.
I like the new OP. Apparently it was done by the same guy who did the original series OPs. Or something. I’m not sure. Wish they’d change the ED. Too bad we didn’t see some of the other characters but as I said… Oh well.
Yeah I was really surprised they didn’t even cut to Kusanagi and Jin, like, after all this effort to save him, we don’t even get to see them? I’m guessing the recap was probably put in because they needed more production time, as that had been the trend throughout the series. At least they gave us some new content to chew on for this week. I would have also liked to have seen Aoi’s and Miyu’s reunion. That would have been incredibly sweet considering how long they had lost touch with each other.
RIP Revolvers’ development. Would’ve been really nice to see pan out.
Yeah… But hey! Evil Code Talkers! That’ll be a fun Duel to watch! Also… I thought Ai was Jin for a second. Overall to me it was a decent episode.
I feel like this recap episode is just a setup for future events. What will Ai do now that he and Roboppi got human forms? Will he revive his friends using the androids? Will he defeat Queen and take over Sol? I’m hyped, honestly.
I liked how Takeru referred to Jin as “Jin-kun”. I dunno why but it sounds so cute. Hopefully Jin and Miyu will get out of the hospital soon.
Revolver…why? Your character development…
Next week, we’ll finally see Ai’s Cyberse archetype!! It’s crazy that it took over 100 episodes to see what sort of monsters Ai uses.
//Will he revive his friends using the androids?//
Oh crap, I didn’t think of that part. I figured their data was permanently lost after Bohman had disappeared.
I AM NOT READY FOR THAT KIND OF ANGST, AND YET I WOULD TOTALLY BE ON BOARD FOR THAT!
So much to look forward to! I am really excited for what’s in store for us!
Oof what if Ai’s plan involves the origins? If he wants to revive them, he needs their human base. Too much upcoming angst.
OH MY GOD THE POSSIBILITIES!!!!! 😱
…But if that were to pan out, would that mean Jin becomes the victim for the 3rd time? 😅
Probably why Kusanagi looks pissed in the new op
I highly doubt AI is gonna be the final villain, not cause he can´t be one, I actually expect him to be the villain in the first half because he´s going to extremes, but more because I think that whatever/whoever is the final villain is gonna be a result of the actions AI is gonna take now which means we can still get SOL tech as the final villain.
I pray to whatever god is out there that the Ignis aren´t permanetly dead, that would be a HUGE missuse of episodes spend building them up aswell as creating characthers again that they are just gonna remove.
I follow you on your comment on Aoi that was downright a horrible choise of the writers to go that route. Yusaku may claim that there no longer is a need for her to know I call BS cause while we know something is going on they don´t so there really isn´t really a problem with revealing their identyties to her specially since she has more than proven that she deserve that. Finally regarding Aoi, seems that her Idol days are over from the looks of it and she´s gonna play a more serious role in this season and pls don´t revert her deck to Trickstar, keep the Marinecess.
Hopefully he won’t be the final villain, it would certainly make it even more interesting to see who will take that role!
Q ^ Q I just want Ai and Yuusaku to be happy. But it’s too soon for their suffering to end LOL.
Ai’s human design is unexpected. I at least expected him to be just a bit more younger in appearance and boyish. But that evil face he was making in the OP was enough to win my approval! And Roboppy in human form clearly resembles Sora and Miu (Sora’s sister in the manga). No way it’s a coincidence, this must be done on purpose. And she’s super cute!
Yoshida sure knows how to be cruel in writing stories. Yusaku and Ai finally established strong mutual partnership, only for making them into enemies in Season 3. Dunno what Ai is planning to do, but the fact he’s becoming enemy, as you said, would be a slap on the face for Yusaku who has fully trusted him. I won’t be surprised if Yusaku will have emotional breakdown or the sort from this. I actually have a mixed feeling of Ai becoming antagonist. While it’s interesting I found it quite irritating because it’s just proving Ryoken was right about the Ignis. Speaking of which, Ryoken, that was a quick change in attitude even though you called Ai by his name before but quickly referred him as Dark Ignis again!
I noticed the OP shows Aoi being placed closer to Yusaku, even more than Takeru, especially the one that showed them sitting together. Has it finally come for them to enter friend zone? Please yes because it feels like forever! And I wonder if this is a sign of Aoi, like the previous heroines, will eventually fall for Yusaku. Yusaku x Aoi shippers will be pleased if that’s the case!
And I hope we’ll get to see a rematch between Soulburner and Revolver. The last part of the OP seems to show Soulburner facing Revolver (judging from his feet and outfit).
I agree, I was expecting him to be younger too, but boy did they nail carrying over his expressions! And Robopoppi is so adorable, I am ecstatic to see her be promoted to a more significant role!
I really do hope we get to see Aoi and Yuusaku become closer as friends, and the truth finally comes out about their identities.
It is interesting as you say though, how far apart Takeru is. Perhaps he returns to his hometown for a bit since the battle is over and flame is gone? Varies on how quickly he and Yuusaku learn about what Ai has been doing behind the scenes up since he has disappeared.
This episode might have been a recap, but it was still very interesting indeed. I didn’t enjoy Ryoken’s 180 when it comes to still distrusting AI and Ignis. I was disgusted. First Revolver calls Ai by his human nickname and now returns to saying ‘Dark Ignis’. Apparently Yusaku and Ryoken are back to square one in terms of alliance and possible friendship. Too bad. And I was really looking forward to seeing them become friends this season.
I seriously doubt Ai will be the final villain. He must be so grief-stricken by being the sole survivor of the Ignis and feels like he can’t live without his friends sometimes that it drives him to villainy. I’m really interested to find out how did he and Roboppy manage to obtain a human form. Can they appear like this in the real world? I would really like to see Ai infiltrate Den City High School as a mysterious transfer student to spy on Yusaku and his friends without them knowing it’s actually him. I do admit, Ai is kinda attractive as a human. I’ll bet a lot of girls would be swooning over him if he did appear as a transfer student. And I’ll bet with this human form, there will be a deeper voice that sounds sinister yet suave too. Do you think Ai will have a different name he goes by as a human? If so, what do you think it’ll be? If anyone’s gonna be able to detect it’s Ai, it’s Yusaku. Not just by his observation and deduction skills, but also because of the Ai earrings too.
The opening was so catchy! I think it’s become my favorite Yugioh VRAINS opening. I do say it does start out slow, but it gets better throughout the song. Roboppy’s human form is so adorable and I’m sure she’ll help give moral support to Ai and act as the comic relief this season. Plus I like how she becomes a duelist too with her monsters having a cleaning theme to it. It’ll be so weird to hear her speak without her robot voice.
I also do like how Aoi might fill in the void that Ai left. She’s definitely become a lot happier than last season and her conversation with Yusaku was by no means awkward. I guess it’s also because Yusaku decided to let his emotions out more and considers Aoi to be a close friend of his. Aoi needs to find out Yusaku is Playmaker soon. Otherwise, their ability to fight together will become quite limited. I’m glad Aoi and Miyu were reunited. Now I just hope that the whole misunderstanding about the ring was cleared up and Miyu’s mom is no longer mad at them. I really want Miyu to have her own avatar in Link VRAINS as soon as she gets out of the hospital. I’m sure she could sense that Aqua was fighting alongside Aoi this whole time and didn’t need too much filling in on what happened.
I’m really looking forward to the Ai vs. Queen duel. Some of Ai’s looks creeped me out though. What’s he planning to do with Queen? I’m saying that because it seems like he’s not gonna have much of a problem defeating her. I’m gonna guess that Ai will place Queen inside an android like in that opening. Either way, I’m really looking forward to see Ai duel for the first time without Yusaku. Plus we’ll get to see what type of Cyberse archetype he’ll play. This season is gonna be extremely interesting!
Regarding Aoi, I feel like her involvement would be that something happens to Soulburner which is why Yusaku seeks out her help because they need more manpower.
It’s a pity about Ryoken falling back into his old habit. It’s a shame that we won’t get to see him or Ai for that matter bond anytime soon. I was really hoping to see some of Ai’s comedic antics with him. Maybe at the end we will, but I’m not sure if it will feel the same if Ai were to keep this new body he has attained until then. In fact, I find myself missing it already!
Too bad we didn’t get to see Aoi’s and Miyu’s reunion, that would have been special. I’m not sure if Miyu will have an avatar in Link VRAINS just yet since it ultimately depends on how long she will remain in the hospital and need to recuperate from her coma. Actually now that you mention about the tension between Aoi and Miyu’s mom, I wonder if she knows Aoi has been visiting haha!
Oh I’m counting on Ai VS Queen’s duel to be a doozy! The OP is showing some really cool stages for the battle, such as the one on top of what looks to be a private jet? I barely caught the two people standing on top of it until I played it slowly! It’s also exciting to see Ai duel on his own for the very first time! 😀
Being the only Ignis survivor, A.I with free will, I won’t be surprised if Ai would feel alienated and out of place amongst humans, even if he has Roboppy and his friendship with Yusaku and the others. SOL still wants him and Hanoi is still wary of him and other humans doesn’t pay much attention let alone fully aware of the existence of Ignis. It’s seemingly like Ai has no place in it. And then coupled with the grief of losing his Ignis friends, not strange for him to reach his breaking point.
Before, Yusaku has always been helped and saved by Ai, now it’s Yusaku’s turn to help and save Ai. If going by this scenario, it’s quite similar as when Yusaku fight Ryoken at Season 1. He tried his best to stop Ryoken so they can start over again as friends (which Ryoken refused), and now he again facing someone else he considers his friend, but unlike with Ryoken, I’m sure Yusaku will manage to get through Ai eventually.
Looking forwards to some losers losing to Roboppi and her vacuum cleaner deck.
Probably Go Onizuka.
I feel like the opening is a red herring in a way. Not that Ai won’t be an antagonist towards Team Playmaker, because I do think they’ll oppose each other, but that he’s final villain. The opening is trying to mislead us by giving a lot of focus on Ai vs Yusaku, but I think it’s gonna be Queen/SO.
Hahaha good point. Nonetheless, it certainly builds up the hype! Considering Queen/SOL has been working in the shadows all this time, I would certainly like to see them as the final villain.
So…. I just remembered that SOL Has Earth’s Source Code. That could be why he’s after Queen.
If so, then he might really be trying to revive them Q____Q MY EMOTIONS!
That new OP gave me a whole lot of Summertime Records vibes. I’m not ready for the good byes and feels. I just want them to be happy T^T
On a different note, I’d like to see more development from the other origins. Heck, Specture didn’t even get a speaking line this episode. Sometimes I forget he was even part of the incident. Also, I hope Jin gets to duel but I don’t think he would want to after everything that happened. I guess I’ll settle for him not geting kidnapped again.
Also Revolver’s development makes me sad //sighs
100% Agree. This is why it’s actually great that they have such a contained cast at the moment, because it leaves room for Spectre and Jin to finally have some time to be properly fleshed out. Hopefully they won’t neglect that, otherwise it would be a real shame to leave them as they are, and hopefully they will actually break the cycle of Jin because a total helpless damsel in distress someway or another.