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May 18, 2010 2:36 AM
#1

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May 2009
932
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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This episode opens in the same year Serafine died, 1901, in Sweden. We get to know that Conrad is Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, discoverer of the X-rays, and in this year he won the Nobel prize. At the conference he talks about a girl with the black coat that he met some year ago. The other black-coated children are spying him and they don't seem happy about all this.

Then, in 2012, Hiisuma makes some researches about Serafine and his group is attacked by some strange being which act like shadows but they can also teleport pepole to a strange cloudy place and see to others their memories. Luckly, the kids have the right weapon to fight them and this results to a nice battle which is eventually won by the children. Then they talk about their memories and the fact that they're running out of time.

Meanwhile, to the islands in the unknown country, Thoma continues his training with his dad and Chitto contiunes to escape with his friend kuudere-orphan-girl from the orphanage, much to the anger of the director. The day after they try to escape with the train (they even show the currency of the country but it says Southern Islands, so it seems they are in a fictitious country) and Thoma try to catch them, but instead he meets the black-coated children and they take the same train took by the orphans. And the episode ends with some filosofical poetry while the train leaves the town.

Now I can say the plot deepens a bit more and it seems to involve a prophecy and the kids seems to have some sort of memories which seems to be dangerous for them. Again, it's a 4/5
Arashi89May 18, 2010 3:08 AM
Feb 25, 2012 12:11 AM
#2

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Jul 2007
6144
This is a very confusing series, so far, but i like how they are slowly unraveling the mysteries, and im glad that you are explaining these episodes in great detail arashi89 because i am pretty lost so far.

I have a feeling when the mysteries start piecing together, its going to start becoming a revelation of sorts.



Jan 10, 2014 8:22 PM
#3

Online
Nov 2011
129008
Last I checked, I put this show on-hold around August 2012. Anyways, I started this show again..

Still kinda the same style that I remembered. Hoping the mysteries will be revealed too.
Jul 23, 2014 7:19 AM
#4

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May 2012
25828
Interesting development, it's a bit slow paced but I like where it is going! Let's see what's next.
Aug 30, 2014 3:44 PM
#5

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Feb 2013
6196
Much better than the previous episode. It stuck more to the mystery-horror stuff.

Those "shadows"... weird.
Sep 26, 2014 12:27 PM
#6
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Apr 2013
1476
too confusing haha
Mar 10, 2015 12:59 AM
#7

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Jul 2008
10984
Yeah this is all over the place, now we added more fantasy and sci-fi to this show with the memory chips and the shadow things.
Jul 28, 2015 2:58 AM
#8

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Jul 2010
318
I loved the scenes with the shadow beings. But it seems to be a fatal flaw that they can be so easily killed in the place they teleport to.
Oct 15, 2017 2:03 PM
#9

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Jul 2016
1690
aghhh, i was wondering why i had such a strong desire to understand this anime while watching the episode... when i realized that it is because it's just *so* mysterious! the eagerness to know more about the white haired children was overwhelming, there's a highly bitter(sweet) feeling i get from them. it's so hard because they don't spoon-fed you any information straight out, but then again that is what makes this anime amazing... i'm confused and intrigued, is what i'm saying. is it only me or did they grow older? (when they went on the train) the ending made my tears water, hope this isn't going to be a recurring tradition every time i watch fantastic children. it's beautiful.
Cazqui-09Oct 15, 2017 2:12 PM
Jan 1, 2021 1:07 PM

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Feb 2012
939
Umm... so they have these memory sticks that contain the memories of the last year of life, presumably as a white-haired child. Such a child upon death is reincarnated after 100 years, but lives normally, and the children must find him/her before a certain time, looks like 11-12 years is some kind of cutoff point after which they are unable to remember their true nature and will live a normal life like Conrad Roentgen and that artist woman did.

The children are attacked by shadows. Psychoanalytic symbolism is strong here. I'm reminded of the Jungian shadow, roughly equivalent to Freud's unconscious. Upon the attack, the children are submerged in water, like going into the unconscious. There the children fight these phallos-shaped shadows, cutting their tips off. Upon being sliced the shadows harden, turning to stone. One of the erect shadows becomes flaccid and shows one boy an image of a mansion, which apparently is what he has in his heart, I assume his original home, the ultimate symbol of childhood safety.

Seems like there could be an allegory of puberty, a fight against the unconscious, the urges that are rising but not yet rising into the consciousness. Once the child hits a certain age, it's too late, and that world of childhood is lost forever.
Jun 30, 2023 9:55 PM

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Jan 2021
5854
Not sure we got a lot of concrete answers or anything this episode. Flashing backward and forward in time is always a fun way to keep things confusing...
So the children lose their memories around 11 or 12 years old, and somehow store the memories in crystals. Are they dying between...lives(?).. or just losing their memory? What is the deal with the shadow beings, and why are they after the children? Was Conrad walking with Mel in that memory? I'm still left with more questions than answers - that seems like it might be a theme for at least a while in this show.
Loving the soundtrack still - the music is creepy and intriguing, and I'm a sucker for the strings. Really adds to the mystery in my opinion. Overall, the animation still seems dated, but I'm seeing a lot of beauty and attention to detail in the really wide shots, like when Thoma was piloting the boat between islands.
Sep 7, 2023 11:19 AM

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Dec 2022
5292
It jumped from the white haired kids fighting seemingly harmless shadow apparitions underground (which they make a big deal out of, despite their passiveness) to them discussing things outside instantly. Would've liked a transitional scene there to at least show the combat finishing.



╔⏤═⏤╝ ╚⏤═⏤╗
Shaded Horizon


Nov 25, 2023 9:49 AM

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Aug 2020
8631
This episode was kinda messy, but I'm enjoying it sob far. Also, the color palette is nicely chosen and the soundtrack is on point. Looking forward to more details.

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