Suisei no Gargantia - 10

'Island of Ambition'

In this episode of Suisei no Gargantia, the writers really took liberty in dragging Ledo down to the lowest pit of his existence. Completely smashing Ledo's own beliefs, and core values fundamentally shaken by the irrefutable proof presented, Ledo becomes severely traumatized to the point he's been emotionally destroyed.

Ledo quite literally has blood on his hands

Everything great that has happened seems to have come at Ledo's expense, and what annoys me was Pinion's glee at having finally gotten his hands on the treasure while totally forgetting Ledo's wellbeing. Speaking of which I thought Ledo displayed real strength, and solidarity as a character. Had I been in his position, I'd have lost all hope. Of course, an accurate comparison is impossible, since we have completely different upbringings. However, there is no questioning the difficult challenges he has undergone.

Look at my biceps

To this end, it must also be noted how significant it is that creation of the Hideauze is confirmed to be a product of directed, human evolution via nanomachines, and was something made in an attempt to survive the oncoming Ice Age. As we see once again though, the path towards the goal of achieving evolution is not without hitches, and it's here where human nature arguably leads to the twist of survival intent, and sparking the start of a war that may claim the lives of millions...

Heroic BSOD

...though as Ledo's remarks in anguish, both sides are technically human, and theoretically, there isn't even a reason for him to fight the Hideauze anymore. Ironically, Ledo finds himself being lectured by Chambers, who explains he believes mankind produced the Machine Caliber purely as an extension of themselves, in order to match the Hideauze, a life form which has rejected civilization and all rationality. I disagree upon the fact Mankind needs to fight in order to preserve its dignity as the apex of living beings. The very concept itself is flawed, and is merely inflated egotism, especially if it leads to the open provocation an otherwise passive species of Hideauze, and their wholesale slaughter, despite the fact they're entirely innocent. But, therein lays the reason for having Ledo as a pilot and Chamber as a pilot support interface, that is to say the inter-depend on each other, since some problems can only be solved by the creativity, and imagination of humans, while backed up with the intellectual force of a computer.

Man must bow to Machine

In most cases, there is an apparent and fine line between right and wrong. Having recovered the advanced technology of an ancient civilization, I don’t think many people would take the approach Flange did. He desired to benefit mankind as a whole by distributing their discoveries. Unfortunately, Pinion, along with the rest of the fleet, seems to be intent on monopolizing the discovery for themselves, and even militarising them. Melty poses the question which hits the nail in the coffin, when she asks:“Are we going to be okay? Are you alright with this?” These people have long strayed off the path of righteousness, and few possess any moral conscious in their attempts to meet personal goals driven by self-indulgence. Anarchy is being advocated, even amongst the fleet, with the shipmasters being won over by Pinion's charisma in face of Flange's deteriorating authority.  At this point, things are going horribly wrong. Heroic ideals have fallen from a utopian vision, to a terrifying dystopian reality.  Not much notion is spared for morality, or the possible consequences for anyone. I suspect this will cause strong issues later on...

'Are we going to be alright?'

For me, it feels wholly erroneous, and ultimately acts as the exposition of humanities greatest, and ugliest facets. Ambition is one of our defining aspects, showing the lengths we can aspire in order to achieve anything. Too far, and it becomes entirely consumed by impure intentions. Pinion has a morbid obsession with avenging his brother, and claiming the treasures from the Whalesquid nest, which eventually becomes corrupt with greed. He oversteps the boundary, by threatening remove any opposition standing in the way, and refusing to share anything discovered. The threat is no shallow one, as the first body of ships which stray into the fleet's territory gets blown up. As I watched this episode unfold, I couldn't help but feel a vast sense of apprehension during the progression, and I believe Pinion's bravado and arrogance will what eventually spells their doom.  Someone needs to take that smug mug down a couple of pegs, and while I don't hate him, I certainly can't find myself liking him. At the rate he's going, he will alienate everyone, Hideauze or Humans alike.

Things looking grim on the Gargantia

What else I noticed was that Amy is suffering owing to the incredible amounts of poor decisions everyone else around her has made. By this point, she's noticeably in love with Ledo, and I really hope they can reunite soon, as unlikely as that is now. If only Ledo had stayed, seeing as his decision to leave has only brought ordeal after ordeal upon himself. Daily life on the Gargantia looks far quieter, and empty compared to before, with the vast majority of the fleet having defected. Perhaps with a show of resolution, and sustained hard work in rebuilding, Ridget can restore the sorry fleet to former glory, though I'm still antagonistic towards her due to the hostile way she treated Ledo.

Meanwhile, a more ominous demeanour develops with the introduction of a third party. This approaching fleet of ships flaunts the numerous corpses of the Hideauze, in a far more cruel, and horrific manner than Ledo dispatched them with. They have been killed, mutilated, and hung up for so long that they shrivelled brown. At the fleet's helm, Colonel Kugel, a character we believed to be long dead, makes his emergence. With Kugel's return, along with his Machine Caliber, I expect to see rapid build-up towards the final conclusion. Alongside the announcement of an additional OVA to extend the show's duration, hopefully, any concerns about a rushed, disappointing end will be diffused. Suisei no Gargantia has yet to give it's best, and the coming episodes would do well to fulfill these expectations.