A lot of action in Episode 10 of Re:CREATORS and an ambiguous ending. Counting out poor Mamika, our characters clashed in an all-out battle that almost cost the life to a few characters and a trusted companion to others. We finally got to see a mecha battle (even if it was too brief to properly enjoy it) and we learned that the characters can be upgraded through the support of the fans.
Japanese Title: 動くな, 死ね, 甦れ!
The episode starts with the battle between Meteora and Alicetaria. Yuuya is there to help our little librarian from getting killed, but their little trio is soon joined by almost every character of the show. Except Mamika. She is dead. I am sad, too.
Even Altair joins the battle and even if she doesn’t go full throttle on our heroes, she has a few cool tricks in her sleeve. She makes a perfect replica of Midas, so we could finally see a mecha battle, and turns Selesia’s sword into a flowery wall which Alicetaria’s lance had not trouble piercing through. The problem was that she also went through Selesias stomach and created a hole in her guts that I’m not sure how ANY hospital can cure. Of course, she is a pixelized creation and maybe she has a different physiology from us. Maybe she just needs some recharging.
The episode was a back and forth of different situations. Magane used her verbal skills to force Yuuya into calling her bluff. In return she took Hangaku for herself. Altair on the other hand is almost pixelized to non-existence and we learn that the only way she could destroy the world is by acting on the right circumstances or else she will be destroying herself instead.
Sota, for the first time in his petty life, stands up for what he believes in. Or probably, for what he should have believed in before turning his friend away. The episode plays on the notion that creations are there to inspire and not just entertain, and so Sota is inspired to stand up for Meteora and try to convince Alicetaria that she should change sides. If this is the starting point of a more active Sota in the series, I am wondering if he will be able to change his own creation as well. Being partly his creation, I highly doubt it, but I am convinced that he will play an important role in the future.
His monologue, however, was partly in vain. At this moment it seems that it had no effect on the knight, but in the events that followed I sensed a glimmer of hope that might result in Alicetaria’s redemption.
And, as it seems, Meteora was right about the power that the Creators hold. Damn you Matsuraba and your display of down-to-earth sincere heroism. And damn you Rei Hiroe for delivering one of the most amazing lines in the history of anime:
Telling us to run away… Telling us to save ourselves… Anyone could have written a line like that!
From criticizing clichés to acknowledging that mediocrity is not something creators should strive for, this scene was part of the reason Re:CREATORS was created. To let Hiroke and Aoki criticize the industry in their own unique way. It’s their shoutout to the writers and directors and artists and what you have it out there to stop imitating (in the wrong way) and start inspiring.
Part 1: Ok, this was a bit confusing. At the end of the episode, the unofficial mascot of the series, Magane, our favorite psychopath, took a little dance upon the roof and announced: ‘Part 1, the end.’ That means one of two things: either the scene was completely random, or the series is going for a 10-episode first run and we will have to wait for Summer 2017 to see the next cour. To be honest, this did seem like a good cliffhanger. Selesia mortally wounded, the creators able to change the powers of their creations, a mecha battle, and one of the most philosophical conversations we had in the show so far. All things point to an early cour closure. The second cour starts on July 8.
Part 1: The end. My best pose facing the morning sun!
Mecha Battle: The robot fight against the imitation should remind the production that they need to bring an antagonist to Rui in the second cour. Who votes for big robot battles?
Otakon: Ei Aoki is going to Otakon this August! MANGA.TOKYO is going to be there for the Anisong World Matsuri so expect a few reports coming your way this summer. Don’t forget to bookmark our Events and Reports section!
Consumers: One of the main themes of the episode is delivered by Sota in his profound moment of sharing his thoughts on Alicetaria’s source material. Sota is the classic fan who has his eyes on the industry. He consumes much more stuff that he creates and loves the stories as though as they were real. He argues that fans who love stories are inspired by them. Fans are not just mindless consumers, but instead care about the characters to the point that many times they might respect them. I’m not sold on this idea, but it is a noble notion and one that should have been true no matter the actual state of the anime fandom.
Alicetaria doesn’t make sense. Ok, I understand that she comes from a shitty hellhole where people die like flies and it’s upon her to save the little villages that get slaughtered every day. But for a knight who is firm on honor, her listening ear is too closed for her own sake. In her defense, I don’t think that she expected that flower trick when she clashed her lance with Selesia’s sword, but yet, the tip of her weapon was pointing to our redhead’s stomach. No way could she have missed the spot. I wonder if this bloody incident will be enough for Alicetaria to do some thinking of her own and realize that she is dancing to the tune of Altair’s destructive fiddler melody.
I got all teary in the scene with Matsuraba, I must admit. I’m not a fan of social media and I cringed a little when the counter on Twitter started showing the clicks and retweets, but its purpose was to show that fans genuinely care about the titles they love. Now, the real question is this: Do we really have to wait almost a month for the next episode?
Did you like Episode 10 of Re:CREATORS? Let us know in the comments below by using either the forum or the Facebook tab! Join us in our new forum and let’s talk about our favorite series! Also, don’t forget to check the rest of our episodic anime reviews for Spring 2017.
And two bonus treats: We have our Official Hashtags and Twitter Pages article for Summer 2017 ready and the list of our upcoming episodic reviews! Check them out.
Official Website:http://recreators.tv/
Official Twitter:@recreators_tv
© 2017 広江礼威／小学館・アニプレックス
Can you already smell the sea? Can you feel the sun on your skin? Have you already had your first slice of watermelon? Well, the only certain thing is that the summer anime season is coming this July!
