More Screencaps from SoRaNoWoTo 12
The soldiers of the 9th Division shoot Aisha right in front of a frightened Noel. Meanwhile, Felicia does the unthinkable and captures Commander Hopkins as a hostage in order to force his men to give up the fight. Hopkins, however, tells her that he already has men secretly following the Roman Army in No Man's Land with orders to attack. It is revealed that Hopkins intends to execute the captured Roman soldier right in public in order to cut off the peace talks and provoke the war. Also, Noel's past connection to Hopkins is revealed to everyone's shock. Later, Hopkins manages to escape from the distillery where Felicia ordered him put and returns to his men waiting outside the fortress. Upon learning of his escape, Felicia is forced to change strategies. At about the same time, Kanata hears the signal to stop fighting even though no one else hears it. Naomi later walks out of the fortress, carrying a white flag. However, Hopkins is in no forgiving mood and orders Naomi as well as other villager-onlookers arrested. Meanwhile, back in the fortress, Aisha, with Yumina translating, consoles a still devastated Noel. Kureha, who has kept her act together since this whole thing started, likewise gets emotional. Left with no other choice and surrounded by enemies from all sides, the girls decide to use the Takemikazuchi to make their escape to No Man's Land, stop Hopkins' 9th Division and prevent an all-out war. While the one-sided battle rages, Yumina translates the Roman version of the Flame Maidens' Tale. Felicia's girls make it to the battlefield in the nick of time and Kanata then sounds the signal for the cease-fire. At first, the Helvetian Army refuse to back down but when Kanata plays 'Amazing Grace' on her trumpet, a song common to both armies of Rome and Helvetia, the men drop their arms. The royal army of Helvetia soon arrive with Rio, Royal Princess of Helvetia and fiancee of the Holy Roman Emperor, at the front. Rio orders both sides to stop and declares that the war is officially over. Everybody erupts in jubilation. Several peaceful days later, Rio rejoins the 1121st Platoon as a grant to her request from the Holy Roman Emperor for ending the war.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Well, this was kind of annoying. First of all, I forgot that this anime had only 12 episodes. Second, uh, that was rather abrupt and ridiculous. And finally, I feel like I wasn't emotionally invested in the story enough to actually feel the joy of that ending.
I don't know. I kind of...hate the series now. Then again, maybe "hate" is a strong word. "Disappointing" is more like it.
I guess I probably shouldn't have expected too much from a series that never pretended to be anything other than candy-laced slice-of-life. Maybe I got blinded by the war theme. After all, as So.Ra.No.Wo.To. proved, "war" does not necessarily equal "dark." I do admit that some episodes have their moments but the rest require too much suspension of disbelief that in the end, you kind of wonder: "What is the point?" Apparently, PEACE is. And FRIENDSHIP. And MUSIC. And shit like that. And usually, I don't mind those parting lessons but honestly, the anime could have delivered it better.
So, final thoughts for So.Ra.No.Wo.To.? It's...meh.
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