WARNING: There are main spoilers on this recap/evaluation. Watch the episode earlier than studying!
Metallic Rouge Episode 4 Recap/Review: “Freedom and Phantoms City”
(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Director: Masamitsu Abe
Writer: Toshizo Nemoto
Storyboard Artists: Satoshi Takafuji, Yasushi Muraki
Four episodes into Metallic Rouge, the present’s artistic crew lastly discovered the proper stability. The three earlier episodes had been talky science fiction or action-packed mecha battle series. However, “Freedom and Phantoms” does one thing totally different, because it’s the first episode to go laborious on each fronts. The philosophical discussions gasoline the action-oriented facets of the episode, and the outcome hopefully indicators what’s to return for the remainder of the series.
Conflict between Neans and Humans heats up
The episode opens the place we left off in the third episode. The Council of Free Neans suspects Rouge murdered their chief, Juval. Of course, she didn’t. Rouge does suppose the actual killer is perhaps the informant for the Alters talked about in the final episode. Meanwhile, somebody knowledgeable the cops about Juval’s demise. So naturally, they present as much as quash the burgeoning motion for Nean rights.
Seeing a strong army pressure present as much as suppress a bunch of individuals with much less energy into compliance hits laborious (editor’s be aware: particularly proper now in the United States, as anti-trans laws is on the rise). We’ve all seen over the final decade information stories and pictures of police forces suppressing individuals throughout the world protesting police or authorities brutality. Good science fiction ought to replicate our world, and Metallic Rouge is at its finest when it displays on that brutality, giving the series some chew.
While the politics of getting robots/androids as soon as once more be stand-ins for any disenfranchised group (individuals of colour, queer, immigrants, and so forth.) stays questionable at finest and problematic at worst, it stays to be seen if Metallic Rouge will do one thing actually wince-inducing. In this vein, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto does one thing fascinating in the design of the Neans. While their pores and skin is gray-tinged, the Neans don’t all seem like they’re of white European descent, they usually’re coded to seem like totally different ethnicities. It’s a sensible design alternative, giving some hope that Metallic Rouge won’t do one thing cringeworthy.
As this all occurs, Naomi retains observe of Rouge’s quest for the informant. There’s a variety of enjoyable Naomi moments on this episode. So far, Naomi is the most fascinating character in the present. The animators appear to have the most enjoyable animating her, giving her actions and posing a variety of persona. She is perhaps an agent of Alethia, and there’s a chance she’s a Nean much like Rouge, however Naomi might have her personal agenda. In each the sub and dub, her American and Japanese voice actresses, Cassie Ewulu and Tomoyo Kurosawa, respectively, have enjoyable displaying the many sides of her persona all through this episode.
Metallic Rouge episode 4, the place the philosophical and the bodily meet
The reveal of Juval’s killer is just a little underwhelming. It was Rion, the Nean assistant to Dr. Afdal. Rion was a little bit of a moist blanket when he was on display screen. Still, his with the ability to homicide Juval is an enormous deal. Earlier in the episode, a Nean says Neans can’t kill one another. Up thus far, we’ve solely seen both Immortal Nine or Rouge members kill different Neans or people. This motion hints that the Neans may be capable of override the Asimov code.
However, Afdal exhibits as much as kill Rion and divulges himself as Phantom Verde, the Immortal Nine member Rouge and Naomi had been after. This offers extra context to his feedback in the earlier episode. It seems that Afdal/Phantom Verde is a nihilist. He believes neither people nor Neans have free will. Hell Gallion, who exhibits as much as body Rouge, appears content material to stoke the fires of discontent on all sides, Phantom Verde believes neither sides wants that. They’ll destroy themselves of their very own accord.
The combat with Rouge digs into considered one of the series’ massive conflicts: what company does Rouge have? Is Rouge merely a device for Alethia to eradicate troublesome Neans? Does Rouge combat the Immortal of her personal free will and her personal causes? Rouge, all through the combat, insists she does this on her personal, and Naomi makes a degree early on that neither of them are instruments. Still, there’s a doubt she’s not totally in management.
This brings up perhaps the greatest revelation in the present to date: Rouge’s previous. We be taught that Rouge is unsure of her activation date. During the combat with Phantom Verde, Rogue hallucinates varied different Neans that she’s killed. She’s clearly haunted by the deaths of these she defeated. For a lead character, Rouge has been a no one to date. This episode begins turning her into an individual, due to some strong voice appearing from each her American and Japanese voice actors, Monica Flatley and Yume Miyamoto.
The combat with Phantom Verde as soon as once more exhibits Bones’ skill to create dynamic combat animation. The animators in all the combat sequences to date have put actual physicality into the battle sequences. There’s gravity and weight when a personality makes bodily contact. There are additionally some visuals employed. Verde consistently deploys a nerve gasoline, so there’s fog in every single place as he and Rouge duke it out. Seeing Rouge actually confront the ghosts of her guilt as hallucinations add layers to her battle. That it ends with each combatants mendacity on the ground, one useless and the different exhausted, couldn’t be a greater visible.
By the means, as the whole lot is happening, we see extra of that circus solely actually confirmed up at the finish of the final episode. The Circus of the Robot seems to be fairly ominous all through the episode. It is much more ominous after they march on the Nean settlement at the finish of the episode.
VERDICT: “Freedom and Phantoms” showcases the type of present Metallic Rouge has been constructing in the direction of. While it nonetheless doesn’t unravel any of the mysteries laid in earlier episodes, each the philosophical and bodily conflicts feed into one another. The battle without cost will and autonomy performs out on a macro degree (the battle between the police and the Neans) and a micro degree (Phantom Verde and Rouge’s combat). Rouge lastly begins changing into her personal character.
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