Episode 14 – The Day of Flicker
In this episode we quite obviously make the transition to the second half of the season, with a brand-new opening song! I usually don’t dwell on opening music, but this one… is SO not Tegami Bachi. It sounds nothing like the previous OPs and EDs in the TB franchise, which are usually sparkly and cute and feature female vocals. Here, we’ve got a male who sounds like the Japanese love child of Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys. It was so weird I thought for a bit that my computer was rebelling against me…. not necessarily bad, though, just not what I expect from TB/R. The opening’s animation is pretty much the norm, but with less sparklies (to denote the graver tone the show will assume, I imagine).
We lean that Aria’s journeying to Astor, the site at which a pivotal government airship crashed twelve years ago– and caused all the Lag/Gauche/Sylvette weirdness (and broke the artificial sun. That’s important too.) Aria goes to deliver a letter to the disgruntled (and quite mad) Franklin, who is sporting a nose Tycho Brahe would be proud of (and whose face is so ugly that every time he appears on screen, the subtitles run away and hide. For srs.)
(Also, Aria, you are still very moe <3. Try not to die, though.)
Also, Niche begins learning algebra. (If Lag’s strength is x, Aria = 500x.) And the government knows its 20th-century American literature. The airship is named Holden Caulfield (the protagonist of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye,) but… don’t ask me to explain its significance. (I feel like sometimes, the TBR creators make references to western literature and French philosophers just to prove they can. Show-offs.)
Meanwhile, we learn that the sun seen by everyone on the airship that day was basically like CLAMP, stealing everyone’s eyes, hearts, and other body parts. (And memories, too, but unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a quest for feathers in Lag’s future.)
At the hospital, Lag’s fever finally gets the best of him, and his heart goes crazy. His memories start leaking out, and he begins calling for his mother… (and suddenly, TBR is the Dr. Who “Are you my mummy?” episode XD. I hope you brought your gas masks!) Meanwhile, airship-flashback shows an eclipse…. caused by a fetus on the sun XD. And when the fetus opens its eye, it steals yours! Raaawr. I imagine that’ll be explained later, because right now it’s just bizarre and…fetus-y. Maybe that’s where baby Lags come from! I do love the art style of the fetus. It’s so rough and sketchy and unlike TB/R’s usual clean, sparkly style. Bravo.
But it’s all okay, because Lag’s heartsplosion wakes Gauche up! And there is an adorable reunion and life is all good, as long as you’re not Franklin. It kind of sucks to be Franklin.
ED animation is adorable and quite reminiscent of Kyou Kara Maou’s first season ED animation… or a scrolling-style video game, but everyone loves chibis running around polygons, so it’s okay. The song itself again features male vocals and sounds catchy, but isn’t as weird as the OP.
Overall: 4.5/5.0
Gallery and PV after the cut –>