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EP. REVIEW: 86

I loved this episode. It animated one of my favorite parts of the first novel spoiler[where Lena uses the cannons to help them get away - partly because it's the first time in the story that they acknowledge her as an equal, in my opinion.]

For the person who wondered what type of consequences Lena is going to face, spoiler[she gets demoted, which she does not care at all about. She also continues to use the cannon to support the next squadron.]

Gingi7890 wrote:

I kind of wished they'd spoiler[included the scene where Lena visits the spearhead squadron's base - I don't know if it was cut for time, but I hope they include it next week.]

Don't think you have to worry here. Given the next episode's announced title, the scene you're talking about will almost certainly be a featured part of that episode - probably even the opening scene.

On another note, fun fact about that shot of the flowers at the end: spoiler[those are higanbana (aka red spider lilies), and legend has it that they bloom whenever two people part ways forever.] Not that that scene needed any extra weight, but it carries even more impact if you know that.

However, the second reason is also my last remaining worry with 86. I prefer original series because they generally arrive at a definitive ending within their run. The 86 light novels are still ongoing and most light novels don't get the privileged Sword Art Online full adaptation treatment. Is this going to be another show where we all sit around hoping for a second season while light novel fans desperately try to get me to read the book? I realize there's still a second cour to come, but I'm hoping that every narrative arc gets a conclusion as satisfying as this one.

Gingi7890 wrote:

I kind of wished they'd spoiler[included the scene where Lena visits the spearhead squadron's base - I don't know if it was cut for time, but I hope they include it next week.]

Don't think you have to worry here. Given the next episode's announced title, the scene you're talking about will almost certainly be a featured part of that episode - probably even the opening scene.

On another note, fun fact about that shot of the flowers at the end: spoiler[those are higanbana (aka red spider lilies), and legend has it that they bloom whenever two people part ways forever.] Not that that scene needed any extra weight, but it carries even more impact if you know that.

Also, I loved that whole final scene. Seeing Lena desperately running east as fast as she can to try and stay connected to Spearhead for as long as possible, to stay with them for just a moment longer before losing them, got me right in the feels.

BTW, good catch on Lena ignoring the traffic laws in her desperate run also being symbolic of her not playing by the rules anymore; I had missed that one. In retrospect, the series has been rather specific prior to this episode about showing Lena dutifully waiting for traffic signals, so the production team was setting up that add-on scene from the very beginning.

I really like this series a lot, but I just can. not. get. past Lena's idiotic uniform. Every time the series floors it to wring the last drop of pathos and emotion from any situation, there's that bloody magical knight academy uniform to rip me right out of the story. It's like reading a page-turning mystery novel and having some moron poke you in the ribs every two pages. Yes, it's trivial, but that makes it all the more irritating because it was so unnecessary an irritant. Why couldn't they have just given her a nice, sober uniform befitting the tone of the series?

I really like this series a lot, but I just can. not. get. past Lena's idiotic uniform. Every time the series floors it to wring the last drop of pathos and emotion from any situation, there's that bloody magical knight academy uniform to rip me right out of the story. It's like reading a page-turning mystery novel and having some moron poke you in the ribs every two pages. Yes, it's trivial, but that makes it all the more irritating because it was so unnecessary an irritant. Why couldn't they have just given her a nice, sober uniform befitting the tone of the series?

I can give the author some leeway to indulge in something she likes that's not really affecting the story.

pikrodafni wrote:

I can give the author some leeway to indulge in something she likes that's not really affecting the story.

But it does affect the story for me. Making Lena "sexy and cute" isn't what her character is about, and is a distraction (for both those who like it and those who don't), as well as being incongruent with the tone of the whole story.

It's not like it ever really focuses on that particular aspect of her

pikrodafni wrote:

It's not like it ever really focuses on that particular aspect of her

No, of course they would never sabotage an emotional scene by focusing on that.

pikrodafni wrote:

It's not like it ever really focuses on that particular aspect of her

No, of course they would never sabotage an emotional scene by focusing on that.

Well as you can see from the afterword, the author really likes her garterbelts.I don't really think that's suuch a bad thing though, not like the Alba uniforms are meant for practicality/for use in an actual battle.If the 86 wore these kind of uniforms, it would admittedly be distracting but thankfully that's not the case so I can give the author some leeway to indulge in something she likes that's not really affecting the story.