After yet another long break from Kaiba thanks to Cosfest coverage, we return to the series with a look at episode 7, which looks to be the turning point in the entire series. It is good in a way, since it means the story will now advance, but it might turn out yet that the issues they were doing a good job at looking at so far may now start falling behind. Only future episodes will tell.At the time I am writing this, episode 10 had just aired, so we are kind of catching up. Let me take my time, since I need to watch it a second time to make sure I do not miss anything out, if I am not doing that already. Quality stuff requires more time to go through.Enough with the words, let us move on.Warp peers into the memories of Neiro's past, as well as his own, perhaps.Kaiba 07 - The Man Who Doesn't Stay in MemoriesEpisode SummaryWhen I first saw this episode, I was kind of baffled as to the title, until the very end. It is obvious at the end that the start of the episode wanted to show you Vanilla, and at the end, you get the idea why it started without the usual introduction to each episode, why they showed Vanilla instead, and that the man who does not stay in memories is actually Vanilla himself.This was of course, a sad episode. Despite his corrupted side, a reason is revealed as to why he does what he wants. Vanilla is nothing short of a hopeless lovelorn character, but he became a sheriff in the first place, so it seems from the episode, to be able to earn enough money (even if it meant corrupted means while being an enforcer of the law) to buy a new body for his mother, whose memory chip he holds. Though nothing further is mentioned of his mother, aside from a very emotional and painful "Gomene, kaa-chan" (I hope that is what the Kanji said) during the last moments of his life, my guess is currently that Vanilla's mother probably sold her body in order to give her son a better life, or at least a chance at one.The whole episode is pretty weird right out from the start, but it is clear that Vanilla has been identified as being in cahoots with Chroniko and Gel, the latter of whom has been confirmed to have destroyed the factories on Abipa and the memory tanks on Lolo. His license is revoked and he is wanted for arrest. He wanted a chance to be alone with Chroniko, hence his move to the ghost planet Libera, and its supposed romantic hotspot, Nene, the planet's moon.No reason was initially given as to why the seas of the planet were now in bubbles around the planet and having to be sucked back to the planet through special pumps, but the law enforcer chasing Vanilla provides a vital inference. Issoudan must have been through this planet, rousing the people to action and forcing Warp's wrath down upon them. As the law enforcer mentions, the planet's people are now trapped in memories upon the moon, which become terrifyingly clear when Hyo-Hyo disrupts the robotic image projector and forces things into the light, allowing the memories to become free. There is a terrible explosion, but I am unsure if it could be attributed to something within the system, or Kaiba (the plant) itself having come to this planet.Warp himself peers into the copied forms of Neiro's memories, confirming that Neiro was the one behind the explosions, and incidentally, that her memories were altered, and that he was in love with Neiro. It is unclear at this point, but he seems to have fully regained his memories by looking at Neiro's.Anyway, Vanilla is dead, dying in one of the most emotional scenes so far within the series. His efforts were indeed commendable, and his regret towards his mother, though she will never hear it from him, are true. Before his death, he saves Warp's memories. At the end of the episode, we are shown Kaiba itself, eating up the moon or the planet, and perhaps, continuing to evolve and grow.The ship in which Vanilla and Warp try to make their escape in vain, going through some water lanes. IssuesDo the pumps at the start suggest something? Like perhaps, reclamation of land, or reparation too late for a deed done by humans? Maybe. I hardly think so though, but the next issue is clear.The law enforcer talking about the town wanting to keep up appearances can be attributed to many many places in the world. A dead town pretending to be happy, or an unhappy town pretending to be a peaceful one. It is all about keeping up appearances in order to survive in this world, it seems.Kaiba eating up what appears to be the moon Nene itself, or perhaps, Libera.My ImpressionsNothing much needs be further said about the lovelorn side of Vanilla; despite his initial impression, Vanilla turns out to be every bit as romantic as they wanted to portray him. Indeed, he is one of those characters that grow on you despite his behavior, or personality. There is a soft side to him as well, one that ultimately ends up taking his life.Warp himself manages to look into Neiro's memories, and Popo is shown as well, so Warp may have deduced something about Popo at this point in time, and of Neiro, but this is all speculative. Only future episodes can tell whether or not Warp realized the truth about himself and Neiro.The part where the law enforcer looks at the bubbles of water and goes "The planet is crying" is indeed good. Despite her "just kidding" comment right after, you can indeed place such a tag on it, for the world had just lost a romantic.Finally, Kaiba (the plant) appears to represent something, but for now, we do not have enough information to exactly pinpoint what it is.All in all, this episode is indeed a turning point, as Warp has lost his body, so we can only wait for future episodes to find out what happens to him next.
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta