Monday, January 26, 2009

Casshern Sins 16: Looking Through Colored Glass

Casshern, Lyuze and Friender meet up with Ringo and Ohji in a field of flowers while Dio and Leda encounter people from their past.
EPISODE 16: For the Strength to Believe
More Screencaps from Casshern Sins 16

Casshern and Lyuze, with Friender, continue their journey to finding Luna when they come upon a field of flowers. Ohji and Ringo also arrive at the same flower field without being aware of the others' presence. Suddenly, Lyuze comes within the area and is startled by Ringo who has put on some crude make-up. Amused by the robo-girl's antics, Lyuze shows her to Casshern.
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Meanwhile, in Dio's castle, his army is hailing praises to him. Leda tries to get Dio to be more like their leader but Dio is still sulking after his latest defeat at the hands of Casshern. At that moment, his retainers bring in a ruined robot -- one of the many he sent to find Luna. The robot says that his entire group, except him, was annihilated by a pair of very strong robots who claimed to know where Luna was. Leda tells Dio to destroy these robots. In answer, Dio says that he only needs to defeat Casshern. Then as Dio leaves, Leda thinks to herself that it would be far easier to capture Luna than to kill Casshern. Back in the flower fields, Ringo gives Lyuze a trinket: a piece of polished colored glass made into a necklace. She reveals that Ohji told her that if one looked at the world through that glass, it would be a different world, one without ruin. Lyuze obediently looks through the glass and sees only Casshern's figure reflected on the surface.
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Speaking of whom, Casshern is at that moment engaged in conversation with Ohji. He is wondering if Ringo is human, having seen the girl bleeding once. This prompts Ohji to relate his first meeting with Ringo. After his falling out with Braiking Boss, Ohji went AWOL and spent his days regretting his indirect role in the coming about of the ruin. He had lost all hope but for one night when he heard a child's cry from inside an abandoned shack. While attempting to open the enclosure inside of which the child is stuck, Ohji wounded himself, thus explaining the cross-marked scar on his forehead. The child was Ringo and she became his symbol of hope.
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Meanwhile, Dio and Leda finally meet up with the pair of robots they heard about. It turns out they are Vulcan and Mars, known as the two strongest before Dio and Casshern came into being. These two obviously harbor a deep resentment towards Dio and pick this time to gang up on him. Dio fights them, but with his current condition, he gets beaten up badly, forcing Leda to intervene for him. She declares her loyalty to the two on condition that they leave Dio alone. Mars is amenable to this offer so he orders Leda to lead them to the castle, leaving Dio still lying on the ground.
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After they leave, Dio sees a familiar figure approaching from a distance and recognizes him as Braiking Boss. Dio then asks him why he can't defeat Casshern, despite their having the same specs, and Braiking Boss answers that Casshern was a killing machine without emotions. But then, he points out that the present Casshern is a lot more human, with strong emotions, regrets and people he wants to protect. With these words, Dio gains new resolve. Back in the castle, Leda is leading Vulcan and Mars through the walkway when Dio intercepts them. Leda is happy to see Dio but her attempts to get close to him are thwarted as Dio prepares to face the pair.
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In this rematch, Dio takes the lead. He is fighting differently now, exhibiting no emotions or hesitations. As a matter of fact, he fights like Casshern does when the latter is in berserk mode. And when Mars tries a lethal move on him, Dio doesn't hesitate to end the fight right there by ripping through Mars' body. With Mars gone, Vulcan has no partner and is obviously no match to Dio. But instead of finishing him, Dio decides to leave him to rot in ruin. After Dio and Leda leave the scene, Braiking Boss then shows himself to Vulcan, who then demands to know why he (Braiking Boss) had to make Dio and Casshern. In answer, Braiking Boss kills him. Meanwhile, back in the flower fields, Ringo discovers a stone with strange markings on it. The stone marks a stairway that leads down to a beach.
COMMENTS:

OHMYGOD Ringo IS Luna!!!!

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lulz, just had to say that for the shock value. No, that's unconfirmed. Although with Ohji's back story revealed this episode, it kinda made me wonder for about one second. I mean, Luna is dead at that point and here comes Ringo whose origins are largely unknown. Maybe she's a reincarnation...or Casshern and Luna's kid -- fugly kid, that is. She also seems to be part-human. And retarded. lulz. Yeah, the character is cute (in that spacey, blank kind of way that gets on my nerves every five seconds or so), but she is NO PINO.

Ok, well this was a boring episode. Dio and Leda are starting to annoy me. Dio does nothing but angst about Casshern. I mean, ohmygod! And I complain about Casshern angsting about himself. No, it's much worse to angst about somebody else. Especially if you're not being dark and broody about it, and instead just whine the whole time like Dio does. Like, if I were Leda, I'd break up with him from the first episode. Seriously. He is getting on my nerves. And Leda too for her general imbecility.

Braiking Boss is a more awesome villain. They should flesh him out more.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just watched this episode last night. LOL at the prediction that Ringo is Luna. But I think she's more likely Leda's and Dio's kid. Since Ohji mentioned something about Leda and Dio being the first robots to be capable of reproducing, and Ringo has white hair.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, could be. At this point, it's all just speculation. This is such a puzzling series, full of layered dialogues that could be interpreted any other way.

About Leda and Dio being first robots with reproduction abilities...didn't Ohji also say that it included Casshern? Since Dio and Casshern are supposed to be fundamentally the same. Only that Leda chose Dio over Casshern. But Ringo's hair color is a giveaway...so yeah, your theory may be correct.

But I wouldn't totally take out Luna out of the equation. She and Ringo are somehow connected. Otherwise, they wouldn't put so much emphasis on Ringo's character if she weren't important to the plot.