Fractale Episode 9: No Way Out

A quiet and introspective episode that is heavy on character development after the nightmarish events of the previous installment. Much is revealed about Phryne and Nessa, while the drums of war beat ominously in the background.The beginning of the end for the series is in sight with one last look at some of the charm that permeated the first two episodes. Fractale: Reiterated continues with new HD screen captures and revised text.

A pause to breath before the final battle is always good to have in any story, despite what some action film producers might think. This episode is all about that breather, but the consequences for the actions taken earlier unfold for the Granites throughout. While it is a slow down in action, there is none in content.

After the explosive ending to episode 8, No Way Out opens with a door opening. This particular door belongs to the emergency shelter seen just before the big bang unleashed by Dias and happens to have Clain pushing it open. He, Phryne, and Nessa are safe but the Temple base is now a gigantic crater in the ground. The little Phryne clone was obviously killed in the explosion, for there is no sign of her. Hopefully, the perverted Barrot was atomized. From the ground, Clain waves in a joyous Enri to come get them.

After the opening credits, we get treated to another explosion as well as our first good look at a Fractale system satellite. It is a short look since it begins to fail and blows up real good. Real good. What can I say, SCTV’s Farm Film Report was an influence while I was growing up.

Watching the satellite fail is the Grand Priestess, who muses about the Tower of Babel without explicitly naming it. Waxing poetic, she wonders if the same punishment awaits them. Score one for literacy shown in an anime! But her words anger another person present.

Oh lovely, Sir Barrot still lives. The man is harder to kill than a cockroach. No offense is meant in the comparison for the insect is morally superior to the molester. At least he’s wounded, but that doesn’t stop him from going on a rant about his brilliance. So he’s revealed to be a narcissist as well as a pervert.

The rant is interrupted by a surveillance camera feed showing the survivors escaping the crater. One in particular captures his attention and we find out that Phryne has a number – 152589! That in turn triggers an unhappy reaction from the Grand Priestess who laments the sacrifice of so many girls for the happiness of the world. Barrot then addresses the woman as number 141923. Just how many thousands of Phryne’s have been cloned? This implies a staggering number.

The idea of thousands upon thousands of young girls sacrificed to keep the world happy once again reminds me of the idol industry in Japan very much – and Disney here in the States to a lesser degree. For those who don’t know about it, in Japan idols are teenager girls with good looks trained to sing, dance, and act in an assembly line fashion.

Here in the states, the closest thing we have is the bimbo parade that emerged out of the Disney Channel with Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, etc. Was this was a direct commentary on that by the creator of Fractale? I have to wonder for the parallels are striking.

In the conversation between the Temple leaders, it becomes clear the Grand Priestess is bitter about the situation. It also becomes clear that Sir Barrot has considerable say over what happens even if she is in charge. Once again, there is that creepy vibe in how he addresses her. Meanwhile, we get a big clue as to what Nessa really is.

But first things first. It is time to declare war on the Lost Millennium terrorist group. Here we are reminded that Fractale covers the entire planet, not just future Ireland. With the populace asked to turn against L.M., no place will be left to hide and no way out for them.

 

Back at the Danan, Nessa is running a fever again and that leads to some wonderful scenes with Clain and Phryne. Phryne has softened considerably after the events at the underground lab and her feelings toward Clain are becoming more visible. That leads to an amusing line that is taken as a euphemism when the girl meant it literally, which in turn leads to a sweet moment that Nessa doesn’t want to be left out of.

While Nessa sleeps, the other two finally have a needed talk about what’s going on. Clain gets an explanation of what a “key to the world” really is from the Temple priestess. It isn’t comforting in the least and raises what is at stake considerably higher. While that important conversation is going on, Nessa has a feverish nightmare of seeing herself dissolving like one of the Phryne clones. Her outcry brings the older pair in running.

While she may not be “alive” in the traditional sense, the feisty doppel is terrified of disappearing. That wrenches at Phryne’s heart since she can empathize strongly with that fear. Clain steps up and shows what a wonderful father he would make in how he comforts Nessa, and unknowingly, Phryne. It is a lovely scene made even better by the reaction of an eavesdropping Enri in the hallway.

But all the sweetness doesn’t last long. Due to the Temple’s declaration of war, local villagers near where the Danan has landed do what frightened villagers traditionally do. They arrive with pitchforks and torches to drive them away. Enri tries to convince the angry townsfolk that they are fighting to help them, but overwhelming fear of their welfare being cutoff means her words fall on deaf ears. Truly believing in the L.M. cause, the little blond is heartbroken and has to be comforted by Sunda. This is where he finally shows why is so loved by her how to be a good older brother.

An emergency call reveals the Temple was not bluffing and a war council is called by all the Lost Millennium factions. After much bickering, Dias reveals that the Granites have the “key” and that leads to a decision to directly attack the Temple.

More fateful decisions follow, while friends and family separate. The die is cast and all out war begins.

Thoughts

There is a warmth to the story that makes the characters come alive in this episode. The good guys all get their moments and it gives the feeling that things really are coming to an end.

No Way Out is clearly a setup for the finale, but there are big reveals about the nature of Fractale and “the key to the world” scattered through it. A sense of desperation on both sides have both the Temple and L.M. backed into corners.  What makes the episode stand out is the writing which makes all the characters seem more than two dimensional. It isn’t done through monologues, but through their interactions which is so much more human.

There may be little action, but this is one of the best episodes of the series.

BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!

 

 

 

 

I thought Clain’s desire to fight the Temple was interesting. It is clear he wants to protect Phryne and Nessa, but he’s not exactly a fighter. Sunda’s pointing out that it goes against his temperament was done in a nice fashion and showed some growth for that character. The fact he considers Clain a friend now was somewhat surprising and I liked that he ordered the boy to guard the girls.

But even more interesting is Clain’s question about what happens after Fractale is destroyed. A surprised Sunda has no real answer to that, except to turn the question around on the younger male. I often wonder how many revolutionaries have even a hint of a clue what to do after they win. The cause itself tends to dominate all with very little introspection. More social commentary that adds considerable depth to the show.

Still, this episode and the last have made Sunda likeable, which I never expected. Even lesser characters get some development. Take the remaining Blues Brother for example.

We find out his name, Takamy, and that he is the father of the youngest of the Granites. She bursts into tears during the goodbye in a moving sequence that also contains an interesting exchange between Sunda and Phryne. The scene also confirms Enri has a crush on Clain, which is intriguing since she clearly approves of him and Phryne being together. She’s turned out to be a good kid, if a violent tsundere.

Oh that family portrait has such a feeling of impending death and doom about it, doesn’t it?

The Day Star song is finally played in full over the L.M. airships going to war juxtaposed with the domestic happiness of our main trio. I wish the soundtrack wasn’t so incredibly expensive to import, it was one of the best things about the series. Also, the English version of the song is just as good as the Japanese original so credit is due there. Both make the montage more emotional than I expected.

Such a sweet and sad moment when Phryne kisses a sleeping Clain goodbye at the end. Her desire to protect him and the others leads her on a foolish quest to broker peace with the Temple. Her belief that her love will be fine with Nessa shows how little she values herself. Referring to the doppel as the “me when I was beautiful” is frustrating for viewers, but not an unusual belief by those who have been molested.

Had to love Nessa verbally kicking Clain in the rear at the end, even if it led to a decision nearly as foolish as Phryne’s.  Off they go to the rescue even as the opening salvo is fired. The animation of the L.M. ships gathering and attacking the Temple is absolutely beautiful in 1080p.

So the big reveal is that Nessa is the mind of the girl who became Fractale’s god a thousand years before and that Phryne is the body. The two must be merged to create the key to reboot the system, so to speak. In the process, both will loose their identities and Phryne might even die. Basically, a human template is needed for the system and boy does this remind me of ritual sacrifice.

This also means Nessa is the “God” of Fractale, which explains her immense power. The why of choosing a ten year old girl’s mind to run things doesn’t get explained until the final episode, but hints are dropped. Her rejection of unhappy things is a big clue.

Nessa’s wish that they could all stay together and Clain’s that he could always be with the ones he loves is powerful foreshadowing of what is to come. For a brief moment, the trio have that and the shots of them looking out over the fields show just how amazing anime can get.