Real Drive 15-16: Of Green Peppers and A Certain Buxom Android

It's been a while. Metal-Subs' last release was Episode 14 and that was a recap episode. Not worth blogging at all. 15 and 16 came out together earlier this week, this time subbed by Ureshii and Saizen. I'm glad they haven't decided to stop because Real Drive is still actually a pretty good series -- just not the normal sort of good.
Real Drive 15: Eat - Imotare
A certain group of people have been using the Metal in order to enhance their sense of taste. However, their gastronomic foray into the virtual world has spoiled their organic bodies to the taste of real food. As a result, they are currently dying of starvation. Enter Kushima who contracts Haru to dive in and rescue these people.

Minamo ~ is sooo cuute

Meanwhile, Minamo is having a bit of problem with green peppers. She hates them, but as summer vegetables, they are always in season on the always-summertime island she lives in and Souta seems to make it a point to add them on every dish. Of course, Minamo thinks this is sabotage and declares that she is going to figure out a way to wipe out green peppers off the face of the planet.
gourmands
However, once Minamo witnesses for herself the extent some people go through in order to simulate the taste of real food, she has a little change of heart. She still hates green peppers but this time, she wants to try a different approach: she wants to wipe out all the green peppers by forcing herself to eat them. XD


Real Drive 16: Transparent Power - Ism
Be prepared for a shock as Souta goes retro and starts wearing pink, and Holon (or is it her?) dons an Arnold Schwartz costume and goes all dominatrix on everyone. What is the world coming to?
ohmygod, pink!

Souta still can't beat Holon in a fight, no matter how hard he trains. He has even gone to the extent of increasing his calorie-intake in order to "power-up." Minamo begs Holon to let Souta win because she is worried that she is going to get fat from all the calories in her food. Holon, however, just tells her that Souta could beat her any time but that for some reason he hesitates before the final attack.
Holon-chan ~ (?)

Meanwhile, Kushima receives reports of a female android model being illegally used for prostitution. He sends in Souta to investigate the matter and Haru to get the serial numbers of the models. But Souta is shocked to discover that the android is the same type as Holon. More shocking is the fact that the Holon model is apparently patterned after the body of Souta's real-time girlfriend, the Chairwoman.
eek, is it me or is there some kind of subtle interplay of undercurrent something here?

While Souta tries to sort out his feelings, the owner of the club sends out the "Holon" type android, now equipped with a battle AI, to seek him out and dispose of him. The android finds Holon first and beats the crap out of her. When Souta arrives, he also has his ass handed to him, but just as everything seems lost, Holon -- badly beaten, with one arm broken -- shouts his name. And like some kind of energy-boost, Souta suddenly recovers his better senses and finally deals the android the neck-chop that puts her down permanently.

After all this is done, Souta continues to train with Holon, but this time, he figures out that he really can't beat her in a fight.

COMMENTS:

Oh, oh, oh! Episode 15 was interesting in all respects and I know it deserves more than just a passing line, but because I have a secret Souta x Holon fantasy ever since the two beat the crap out of each other in Episode 01, you will understand why I am going to focus on Episode 16.

I didn't realize the two of them were still, uh, training. But apparently, they were and still are and Souta gets his ass handed to him over and over. You gotta admire that boy's persistence. I really, really like Souta now...although I didn't like how his character looked in this episode. Oh, it's more than just the pink shirt. Actually, I thought that looked quite good, but I sensed a subtle downgrade in production values. Oh well, can't be helped.

Ah, I had it in the back of my head that the Chairwoman must be the original model for Holon...because their proportions are amazingly similar. And actually, they look a little alike, except that Holon has black eyes and the Chairwoman has blue. The glasses helped, too.

Holon is cute. But when she gets all android on you, she's really creepy. It's especially disturbing how straightforward her speech is, even when talking about awkward stuff like how her model is being used for prostitution and she seems to accept this since originally her type was programmed for public service. I'm like....eehhh....

The fight scenes are going to kill your brain. If you like demented violence, this is not it but it does come close. That Arnold Schwartz persona is a complete lunatic. Poor Holon.... Souta, too, except that he doesn't get my sympathy for ruining a perfect moment by asking the Holon damsel in distress to fight with him after making me (and Minamo) think that he was going to ask her out. Of course, I knew he wasn't really going to ask her out. Uh, android? But it's a viewer thing, you expect certain things.

I love the last scene, too, with Souta lying down, exhausted after a fight with Holon, and she peers down at him, asking if he is alright. Then, she asks him to stop putting calories on Minamo's food (lol!) and he just says that he's going to stop altogether because he realizes that he's never going to beat Holon. It's...like...kya ~ ♥

I hope the next subbed episode is going to come out soon.