Blue Reflection Ray – Episode 8

Good day people, and welcome again to Incorrect Each Time. As we speak we’re returning to Blue Reflection Ray, within the wake of a confrontation that proved devastating for our would-be heroes. Hiori’s optimistic angle has all the time appeared brittle at finest, an aspirational facade draped over a core of damage and eager for her sister’s return. Having been deserted by each her mom and sister, she was nonetheless starting to embrace the brand new household of her fellow reflectors – till her sister Mio finally reappeared, now devoted to stealing the ache from the hearts of others, and with a substitute sister standing at her aspect.

Hiori’s scenario echoes the ethical ambiguity of our reflectors’ normal ambitions. Although they search to deal with the ache of others by providing companionship and nurturing their hopes, Hiori clearly demonstrates that such an method doesn’t essentially handle or restore their core emotional wounds. If even a blue reflector like Hiori is barely pretending to have overcome her trauma, what proper do any of our heroes have to assert their mission is simply, notably when the alleged victims of the purple reflectors are outright telling them to thoughts their very own enterprise. Is it actually any more healthy to stay with trauma than to excise it? We cling to the post-hoc rationalization that struggling makes us who we’re, however is it essentially noble to really feel damaged, or are we merely trying to attract that means from the mindless violence of life? With such troublesome questions now clouding the air, we return to the battlefield of Blue Reflection Ray!

Episode 8

“Panic.” Yep, sounds about proper

We open with Ruka relaying the occasions of the final episode to Miyako. A scene that naturally illustrates this manufacturing’s limitations, because it’s largely composed of pans that keep away from any motion past the occasional lip flaps

Miyako demonstrates her essentially variety nature, saying “that’s too cruel” and instantly inquiring about Hiori’s situation. Although she acts snarky and aloof, she really appears to be probably the most delicate and pushed member of our group, as demonstrated throughout the Princess Yuki mission

“I wonder what’s for breakfast today. I’m starving!” Hiori arrives, and has unsurprisingly chosen to suppress her emotions relating to her sister’s reappearance, clinging to her regular cheerful persona. It’s the tactic she’s all the time used for dealing with her grief, and once more calls into query how our blue reflectors are in truth any completely different from the purple reflectors. If the one two decisions are to bury your trauma deep beneath a pretend persona or neglect it fully, who wouldn’t select to neglect?

The opposite two fret over Hiori’s true emotions as she throws herself into class actions, discovering no matter work she will to presumably distract herself. As her sharp asides in earlier episodes demonstrated, she’s used to suppressing her sorrow and bitterness

Miyako displays on her personal causes for wanting to maintain her darkish emotions – how she felt they have been a significant a part of her, and that she wouldn’t really be herself with these emotions extracted. It’s possible the most effective argument for the blue reflectors’ mission, nevertheless it’s unsurprisingly not a compelling pitch to people who find themselves merely struggling, who can’t see their traumatized selves as something however damaged variations of their previous selves

Miyako herself can’t deny the attraction of the purple reflectors’ supply. I admire the acuity of her perspective; we’re not losing any time on belligerently difficult the philosophy of their opponents, as Miyako can acknowledge from the beginning that what they’re providing is understandably invaluable

Miyako’s understanding of the opposing perspective makes it laborious for her to know what to say to Ruka or Hiori, as a result of she’s not even sure that what they’re doing is true

Momo takes step one to clear the air, apologizing to Hiori and revealing her historical past with Mio

Momo reveals their mother or father group might know one thing, however is refusing to elaborate. Even extra ambiguity relating to the morality of their quest

Hiori as soon as extra makes an attempt to placed on a courageous face, merely restating their most pressing targets, however Ruka received’t have it. She’s not solely come to know Hiori too properly for this, she’s additionally gained the braveness to talk out – the standard she beforehand praised in Hiori, her means to truly attain out and assist to those that are hurting. Embodying the energy she has gained from spending all this time with Hiori, she drags her away from the opposite two, and calls for she acknowledge the ache that she’s certainly feeling

“You just keep doing things for others. It’s so annoying… and frustrating.” I admire that despite this clear character development, she’s nonetheless not really good at articulating herself. She’s gained braveness, however remains to be the identical awkward, too-blunt speaker, the sort of one that has discovered by sad expertise to maintain her ideas to herself

Their palms half at this outburst, a break in connection underlined by Hiori’s “we didn’t resonate today. I wonder why”

In the meantime, over on the purple reflector church, Mio remains to be eager about her confrontation with Hiori, which has Niina in flip fearful about her personal bond with Mio

And Momo decides to seek for Mio on her personal, sure that Mio nonetheless loves her sister. Momo’s recklessness and Miyako’s considerate pragmatism make for a enjoyable distinction – I assume they’ll finally turn out to be a pair as properly, and am wanting ahead to seeing them bicker their approach there

Hiori takes Ruka to a rooftop backyard to speak privately. Attention-grabbing how this greenery echoes the floral patterned backgrounds of the reflector world, which can also be a spot of unvarnished emotional honesty. A minor visible motif there, one which contrasts towards how expertise on this world is commonly exploited as a false promise of connection that in the end simply leaves folks feeling extra remoted

“At times… no, you were always annoying.” Ruka can’t actually flip off her brutal honesty. She’s the alternative of Hiori, who all the time masks what she actually feels behind a chipper facade

“Just like you care so much about everyone else’s feelings, I want you to realize how important your feelings are, too.” Ruka and Miyako are in reality the one profitable situations of the blue reflector philosophy, whereas Hiori has discovered to suppress her emotions, and Momo’s emotions appear to have been tampered with in a fashion just like the purple reflectors

Hiori basically talks her approach into confidence confessing her emotions, first starting with impartial reflections on how the fireworks should have appeared from this rooftop, and from there winding her approach in direction of admitting the whole lot that occurred on the bridge, and the way she frankly isn’t positive tips on how to really feel anymore. This present’s character-rich dialogue stays its biggest energy; everybody has a voice and a perspective, however all of them really feel naturalistic, conveying nice variations in perspective with out counting on exaggerated affectations (aside from when the characters are consciously placing on such affectations)

“Why did I want my feelings taken? What did I want to do?” Even the pied piper of the purple reflectors is now doubting her trigger, realizing that with out her unfavorable emotions, she has no motivation in any respect. I suppose that’s the strongest counter to their philosophy – that with out the good tumult of our feelings, we merely stop to exist as passionate, pushed actors on the planet. We stay with out goal, content material purely with the truth that we’re not being damage

“I can’t remember myself. I can’t remember how I felt or what I was thinking… at all.” The promise of the purple reflectors is fantastical, nevertheless it’s a good sufficient parallel for the assorted methods we are able to really flip from ache by courting psychological oblivion

“I don’t exist.” With out her emotions, painful as they’re, she is nothing

“I guess I’m already dead.” There may be sadly just one escape from the inherent anguish of consciousness

With nothing left to really feel or stay for, Kana walks in entrance of a truck, however is saved by Hiori and Ruka

“Does that mean that once you lose your feelings, you disappear? Does my sister know that?” Hiori’s studying extra about Mio, nevertheless it’s not notably comforting information

Ooh, I like this kind of “videotape rewind” impact they use for the world falling into purple reflector darkness. This manufacturing’s sources are actually restricted, however they’re providing what thrives they’ll for these witch world sequences

Apparently the purple reflector Shino has the flexibility to conjure this area, and make all inside it susceptible to extraction

However Hiori nonetheless can’t rework. Ruka once more demonstrates her private development, assuring Hiori that the whole lot might be okay. It appears she’s discovered that trick from Hiori, of believing in a greater ending and thereby making it doable

The stolen feelings are transferred on to the church’s home windows, struggling captured inside the glass

Ruka makes an attempt to counter Shino’s spell, banishing this miasma with an influence of her personal. And searching up at her courageous buddy, Hiori is reminded of how her sister used to guard her as properly

“I hated that other people saw our lives as sad, so I always made sure to smile in front of others.” Her mom’s disappearance swiftly taught her to dislike being pitied. Mio was the one one she was capable of cry with, and Hiori’s been holding in her ache ever since dropping her too

Her reminiscences convey readability: she nonetheless loves her sister, and he or she trusts in Ruka’s emotions as properly. Even when she doesn’t know the way issues will proceed, she holds these items true

And Performed

Thus Hiori can lastly cry in Ruka’s arms, as soon as once more holding her emotions tightly, and now not apologizing or pretending to be courageous. An important episode for Hiori, who’s been concealing her struggling ever since this collection started, and who has solely acquired new causes to really feel misplaced and deserted alongside the best way. However alongside the revelation of her sister’s disappearance, she has additionally discovered Ruka, a buddy with whom she now not has to carry out a cheerfulness she will’t really really feel. To cover your emotions behind a masks is little completely different from what the purple reflectors are doing – it’s a denial of self, a tragic assumption that feeling nothing is preferable to participating together with your ache. However it is just by embracing our emotions that we are able to hope to just accept and transfer past them – and with Ruka at her aspect, it appears Hiori is able to attain out to her sister as properly.

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