天下制覇

What good RPG doesn’t end with a machine capable of erasing the world?

Impressions:

After the shitacular episode #5, this was a very well done and probably the best of of the series. The final battle with Ceci seemed a bit silly, and they went out of their way to show Kaito’s evil glowing sword, as well as it breaking, but it didn’t really seem that he was under any form of possession or the like, just kind of angrily whiney at the world. The ending Kaito vs Alita fight was also rather well done though, so I have no complaints with how things reached their fever pitch. I’m in the process of ripping/uploading that, so check back in a little while if you’re impatient to see it. It’s uploaded below. I’m a bit confused with what exactly they did with Kaito afterwards. Apparently Alita was still in charge so… maybe he’s rotting in a dungeon or something. *shrug*

Final Thoughts:

At best, it still remained a somewhat guilty pleasure. The animation quality was nowhere up to OVA levels except for maybe this episode, but even that would be stretching it. The plotline could have also been (and probably was) ripped from any number of bad RPGs. Still, there was a lot of fun to be had with the series. It clearly wasn’t meant to be hard or serious fantasy, just enjoyable fluff, and without trying to take itself seriously, it was easy to let your mind go and simply enjoy the visceral pleasure of an attractive woman (it’s the hottie eyes) get herself covered in other people’s blood. I’d have liked an explaination about Alita’s berserker mode that she goes into occasionally, most notably in episode 2, and Kaito’s motives near the end seemed… well… silly at best… but other than that, the animation, and the existence of episode 5, I really have no complaints with this one. Not going to win any awards for sure, but certainly a fun little ride.

Alita vs Kaito
 

Summary:

Outside Forland castle, the guards are in an uproar. Team Goodguy is hiding inside the Doctor’s old lab, everybody apparently all healed up and the lolis getting reequipped and refueled to bring an end to it.

Alita and Milano enjoy some tea while blathering onward about how the battle tomorrow is important to Alita too. She still needs to fulfill her promise to protect the kingdom to Milano and settle things with Cecilia. She asks Milano if she’s ready for this to be brought to an end. Milano says that she is, but Alita says that she knows that’s a lie, but understands her feelings anyway.

They get ready to head out. Alita and Dom take out two guards at the gate and infiltrate the castle en masse. They discuss a plan to get around some guards a little too loudly and draw their attention. Everybody runs off but Yuna and Pete… somewhat overkill for two pathetic human guards, you think?

Kaito and Cecilia are in a lab or library. Kaito is brooding as he looks at his malevolently glowing sword, but puts on his helmet and his eyes start glowing.

More guards are closing in on the rest of the group. Dom and the other loli are the next to delay. They get to take on about a dozen guards to Pete and Yuna’s two. Which of them drew the short end of the stick here?

The last three are closing in on Kaito/Cecilia. Alita senses something, so calls out a challenge. Cecilia answers it and the two face down. Alita demands to know why her village was torched, and Cecilia pretty much says that it was just in the way of her power. Alita attacks, but is pushed back by Ceci’s magic.

Alita attacks again, dodging the lightning Ceci shoots. Ceci blocks again with her staff, but this time uses her other hand to smack some electricity into Alita. Alita starts to fall, but a sudden slash then busts up Ceci’s necklace. Alita had palmed a dagger and attacked on the way down. Her necklace shatters, showing a gem on her chest. The gem glows and feeds energy to her wand, shocking the living hell out of Alita. Milano runs out and distracts her by throwing the taped up little clay doll at Ceci, freeing Alita. The two vanish while Ceci is distracted, and she crushes the doll in annoyance.

Alita, Milano, and Joudou are all at the door to Teoria. A sudden bolt of lightning knocks gnomeboy out, and then Alita is coldcocked by Kaito. He presses her hand against the door and it opens into a room of light.

Once inside, Teoria is generically science-fictiony, with all sorts of glowing bubbles and symbols. They lay Alita on a slab in front of… well… another slab… and tie Milano to a convenient pillar with some kind of magical handcuffs. Kaito then tries to wake Teoria. The symbols cover Alita’s body and Ceci laughs to herself. Kaito tells Teoria to destroy the world. A panel opens and Milano yells at her brother to stop (calling him brother).

Alita finally wakes up and kicks Kaito away at the last second. Ceci restarts their fight, but Alita dodges and has somehow regained her sword.

The rest of the party finds the knocked out Joudou at the door to Teoria and he says that they’ve all gone inside, but the door is shut once again.

Inside, Alita has managed to lose her sword somehow and is knocked down. Ceci shoots another blast at her, but Alita throws a dagger out of the smoke. Ceci easily dodges, but while she’s distracted, Alita rushes forward and stabs the gem on her chest, shattering it. The gem destroyed, Ceci ages hundreds of years in a moment and turns to a withered old woman and then explodes in purple sparklies, leaving an empty dress behind. Somehow, this managed to cover Alita in blood.

Milano’s handcuffs release as Kaito slams his hand down on the panel. Alita demands to know why the world must be destroyed, and Kaito gives the usual badguy speech about how corrupt it is and how it needs to be remade/punished/whatever. If you’ve heard one badguy speech about destroying the world, you’ve heard them all.

The two begin fighting as Teoria powers up. Kaito stabs at Alita, but only manages to thrust his ginormous sword into a wall where he’s forced to leave it for later dramatic effect. He still has the upper hand and slams Alita in the cut before slashing her chest open. Kaito heads back to Teoria to watch the last moments. A slash then appears and knocks his helmet off. Alita is back up and in crazed berserker mode. This time, Kaito is no match for her. She slams him down and is about to finish him off, but stops herself. She says that she promised to protect the kingdom and the happiness of the queen, and Kaito is part of that. As she says this, his sword breaks.

The door to Teoria opens and everybody rushes inside.

Milano and Alita are trying to figure out how to stop Teoria when here comes Joudou and Dom with the very useful explanation of how to stop it by turning it off, and thus shutting all Lost Technology off. Dom says that he and Pete are willing to do it, and moreover, it’s what they want to do. He wants to thank them for treating them as humans instead of monsters, and protect their smiles. He turns to the lolis and asks if that’s okay with them too, and they agree.

Alita doesn’t want to power it down, but Dom yells at her until she does. In a rainbow light, all the monsters and magic from the world vanishes. The sphere of Teoria drops to the ground, lifeless. Kaito asks Alita why she did it, and Alita says that she had a promise to protect the kingdom. She then walks away from the two.

The sun rises over the kingdom as Alita watches. Milano comes out and Alita says that she’ll continue to smile and protect the country for everybody’s sake.

Later, an invading force is at the borders of Forland, and Alita is there to lead the forces to defend the kingdom, keeping her promise. Forland would come to be known for its powerful warrior princess, capable of slaughtering any foe that dared endanger Forland… the “Murder Princess.”