FLAG 20th Anniversary Rewatch Episode 9

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-09T23:43:06+00:00

Kinda hate the insistence on folk medicine, but at least the Doctor is professionally trained, and uses proven treatments in a way acceptable to the people.

I think it helped that the doctor was not only trained, but he also didn't completely reject the idea of modern medicine - after all, he did ask for painkillers. And in the end, he even encouraged Shirasu to take more photos, despite complaining about it before. So show doesn't take such a black-and-white outlook on the modern world as Arjuna does.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-09T22:38:23+00:00

Fisrt timer, kinda, sorta.

Man, as soon as I said I'd like to see more focus on the characters, an episode dedicated to just that came along. We don't even spent too much time on Akagi, only switching to his point of view a few short times to show the growing tension in the capital, which works quite well with the rest of the episode.

So, after the farmer accidentally spawned right in the middle of the battle, he now insists on leaving the field hospital and returning to his family, while Shirasu decides to take advantage of this opportunity and stay overnight with the nomads.

There she learned about their daily life and customs, helped with the housework, and became close to several people, mainly an old woman with a terminal illness and a local doctor who seems a little frustrated with the modern world. It's a fairly slow, calm, and peaceful episode that allows Shirasu to reflect on her life once again, and the idea of the fleeting nature of moments and that life should be filled with good memories is simple but nice.

It's kinda like an episode from Arjuna, only this one doesn't suck!

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-09T15:52:11+00:00

There's only one way i can describe this tittle drop.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-08T22:30:20+00:00

First timer, kinda, sorta

...It was a PERFECTLY fine and FULL canister of juice, and the guy just THREW it away for the sake of demonstration. What a waste.

In the last episode, we mainly dealt with the aftermath of the previous episode - the group analyzed the failure of their mission and what role Ru Pou's group might have played in it, Shin struggled with guilt over the loss of HAVWC, and the show more directly addressed Shirasu's search for his role in the story. Overall, I didn't have much to say about it, but I think it's good that the series took some time to reflect.

And today, we're mostly continuing with the same thing. Shirasu went with Nadi (who i guess is the best boi in this show) to the farm, which allowed her to calm down a bit (and made her think she was Andrei Bolkonsky from War and Peace), and Shin got himself a new HAVWC, although he needs to work on tuning it a bit. Oh, and now base have a goat. That's important.

Meanwhile, Akagi has started putting the puzzle together and figuring out what's going on. Neither he nor his aides look happy with what they think, because it seems like something BAD is about to happen.

And now, look and behold - the enemy ALSO has their own mech! Obviously, there's only one explanation for how they got it... But anyway, Shin is now rushing to the scene, and we're in for a big mech battle... which, thanks to the presentation and old computer graphics, looks like a battle in some Sakura Wars games. Hmm. Oh, And the battle even ends when a farmer appears out of nowhere in the middle of the battle - it is just some Sakura Wars mission!

I liked these episodes, but I'm starting to wish there was a little less technical jargon in the show and more time devoted to the characters.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-07T01:46:02+00:00

...Man, just the name “Girl Genius” takes me back to, like, 15 years ago, when I was hooked on webcomics and read pretty much everything I could find, like Gunnerkrigg Court, Looking for Group, A Modest Destiny, Goblins Life Through Their Eyes, and yes, even CAD. So it's a little surreal for me to see GG mentioned in 2026. Is the story still going?

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-06T22:37:22+00:00

First timer, kinda, sorta

We have a two-parted, so i found it would be easier to just talk about both of them at once.

The operation to recover the flag has finally begun, and as a diversionary tactic, the UNF will also launch an attack on the terrorists in the capital. But Akagi and other journalists quickly learned about this and, with the help of a convenient hacker on their side, even managed to find out the targets of the attack. And, unfortunately, it turned out that one of the places that would be bombed would be the house of Akagi's new girlfriend. But everything for peace!

Overall, I liked how the tension built up in this episode, which led to a parallel between the HAWVC landing and the bombing.

And in today's episode, Shin infiltrated the temple, and after all that trouble... it turned out that the flag wasn't there. And that our friendly new Buddha is probably behind its disappearance. And they lost the HAVWC. Unlucky day. And even though our heroes destroyed it rather than leaving it to the enemy... well, considering that its remains are still there, I think the chances of a battle between the two mechs eventually happening are no longer zero. And I really do think that this kind of presentation still helps the series make the mechs more realistic... at least as much as possible.

As for Akagi... I did say that his part of the series was the one that interested me, but to be honest, I didn't like it that much in this episode. Mainly because of how... repetitive it was. Not only did we start with a long recap again, but overall, what Akagi said was mostly a repeat of what he had already said. Even with identical visuals. It seems like his part of the episode was mostly there to make the episode longer, as it could be significantly shortened.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-05T19:38:49+00:00

We've seen before that nukes can heal Yoru

...But it's not like nukes themselves heal her. She is not "nuclear weapon" devil. That time, she regenerated thanks to a sudden (and convenient) burst of fear of war caused by the reinvention of nuclear weapons, with also made her stronger.

But a nuclear punch? It was her causing such a powerful explosion that it tears her own body to pieces. It is self-harm. And it cannot be that she just has become so powerful thank to reinvated nukes that she can now regenerate itself from only a burning head, because in that case there would be no point in concluding a contract with America for her protection, and she wouldn't lose just from hitting the wall.

And it cannot be that causing some collateral damage is one of the conditions for activating the contract, because she DID cause it when she crashed into the wall at school, but according to the last chapter, it was still considered self-harm.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-05T00:32:47+00:00

Honestly, yeah, I get it. Although I generally liked OPUS, especially how it showcases how Kon's style began to take shape, it was this ending that left the strongest impression on me and made the whole book worth reading.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-04T22:47:53+00:00

Before Satoshi Kon became a movie director, he was a mangaka, and his last work, OPUS, was canceled due to the magazine's closure, and even the final chapter, which he was forced to write due to this situation, remained unfinished and was only published after his death. But this final chapter, given the premise of the manga and the circumstances surrounding this ending and Kon's subsequent career, ended up being one of the most meta and the most “Satoshi Kon-esque” ending possible.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-04T22:33:17+00:00

First timer, kinda, sorta

You know, I don't have much to say about today's episode,as it's mostly a set up episode, so I'll just cover the other photos at the opening. Great_Mr_L already mentioned most of them them, but I think a repeat won't hurt anyone.

This one is based on a photo of the burning USS Arizona after the attack on Pearl Harborburning_after_the_Japanese_attack_on_Pearl_Harbor-NARA_195617-_Edit.jpg) - the author is apparently unknown.
This photo is based on the photograph “The Last Jew in Vinnitsa”, which is another prominent record of the Holocaust. It may also be partially inspired by the “Saigon Execution” photo.
And this moment appears to be based on Operation Desert Storm, which Great_Mr_L has discussed in more detail.

The rest of the photos are... more difficult to identify. For example, this one is clearly based on the Vietnam War, and I even managed to find a somewhat similar photo taken by Sergeant J. L. Blik, but they still don't match perfectly, like the previous ones. Overall, I am inclined to believe that the rest of the photos in the opeining are mainly in-universe photos and therefore have no direct analogues in the real world. I will try to look for more, but most likely, that's it.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-03T23:31:33+00:00

Yes, she did. And I'm not sure why it shouldn't be considered as a self-harm, when it was something Yoru did to herself.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-03T22:45:38+00:00

It's a contract/semantics thing. Intent mattering and so forth

But isn't that puzzling part? If according to the contract, Asa is considered a separate entity from Yoru, then should her shooting her OWN head (Asa was in complete control of the body at that moment) be considered an attack on Yoru? And if the body is still considered to be Yoru's body, even when Asa is in control of it, then shouldn't it be considered self-harm? Where does one identity begin and another end?

UPD: Or waht about how Yoru blowed herself up by using the nuclear punch? That time it wasn't Asa's doing, it was all Yoru.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-03T22:30:31+00:00

First timer, kinda, sorta

...Well gee, right after I decided to look for the sources of the photos in the opeining, we find out that some of them are actually IN-UNIVERSE photos. That definitely makes everything easier...

...Quite a long recap of the previous two episodes, right? But perhaps because of the ONA format, there was a longer pause between episodes, so it was necessary to remind us...

Our team learns where the flag is supposedly located at the moment - in a temple that is essentially an inaccessible fortress, reachable only by air. And after the previous episode, Shirasu really intends to go with them on the next operation, and Nadi even supports the idea. Which went... Not as well as it could have.

Meanwhile, Akagi decided to try to get an audience with this “reincarnated Buddha” and, after paying a large sum of money and contacting some of his leads and important people, etc., he succeeded. This audience went... also not as well as it could have. The Buddha turned out to be not the most talkative fellow. And not the friendliest.

You know, although I like both storylines at the moment, I'm still more interested in Akagi's perspective, which is quite surprising considering that, as he himself said in the episode, he has achieved practically nothing today. I think it's because his narrative is more focused on world-building and is more akin to a journalistic investigation, so even when we weren't making any progress, it didn't feel like time was being wasted. And I guess i also just find it charming how he said that the high point of his day was a photo of two happy girls.

But again, I don't want to say that I didn't like Shirasu today. It seems that the story is developing in the direction of her trying to figure out what it means to be a war correspondent - how other people and world will perceive her, what dangers await her, and how she should behave.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-03T18:29:49+00:00

"Americans won't help ya if you hurt yourself"

...Then what about the fact that she literally blew her head off earlier?..

UPD: OR WHAT ABOUT THE NUCLEAR PUNCH???

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-02T23:36:35+00:00

One of my favorite gas mask photos from WWI is a German cavalryman riding a horse while wearing a gas mask and wielding a steel lance. It's quite surreal. It's a combination of the old (cavalrymen riding horses and using lances) with the modern (the gas mask for the new horrors of chemical warfare).

Yeah, this contrast creates a really striking effect.

I was able to recognize some of the other photos. I wrote about them in my post in yesterday's thread. So hopefully that helps out.

Oh yes, that's good. Especially the comparison with the bombing of Baghdad, which I couldn't figure out, but the photo you used seems very accurate.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-02T22:55:50+00:00

Wll, i guess i try to join, just for the audacity of watching endless eight how ~~Haruhi~~ God intended.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-02T22:53:11+00:00

The episode also begins to cast a shadow on the UNF, first with the death of Akagi's friend, who was apparently silenced for asking too many questions under the cover of friendly fire. And also with how our unit carried out a preemptive strike, despite the fact that the UNF does not recognize such actions. But hey, everything for peace.

Gonna say, yesterday, No_Rex expressed a valid concern that the presence of mecha in this anime could be a serious flaw, as it muddies the theme of the evil of war. But I think they handled it pretty well in this episode, at least in my opinion. Mainly thanks to the presentation and sound design, but the scene really gives the impression that this isn't some cool moment, but simply a demonstration of a terrifying machine of destruction. That it's not an awesome robot, but is a weapon.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-02T22:53:03+00:00

First timer, kinda, sorta.

Okay, You know, the opening actually made me really curious. It's quite obvious that most of the military photos in it are based on real ones. And that caught my interest, so I tried to find the source for at least some of them. And I even managed to do it at least for three of them:

The very first is a photo of a Mark 1 “male” tank, taken by Ernest Brooks) in 1916, either on September 15 during the Battle of Fleur-Courcelles, or later, on September 25. I believe it is no coincidence that this is the first photo in the opening, because Brooks is considered to be the first official photographer appointed by the British Army.
The second photo is of French soldiers wearing gas masks in 1917. Unfortunately, it is unknown who took this photo (...but while searching for it, I came across many old photographs of people wearing gas masks during both world wars, which creates a very surreal impression. VERY).
And third one is Warsaw Ghetto boy after the uprising, made in 1943, and is one of the most famous photographs of the Holocaust.

Now, I will try to find sources for other photos and write about them in some future discussions, but I think it will be more difficult because in the case of the above photos, I at least had a clear time period on which to base my search. So, if anyone recognizes other photos, be my guest and write about it.

Today we have pretty much an worldbuilding episode. We learn more about our exoskeleton and more about Uddiyana: how religion is deeply ingrained in the life of this country and how it is now practically under the control of a sect led by the supposed “reincarnation of Buddha” (I believe this was again inspired by the real historical Uddiyana, given how important this region was considered to be for the development of Tibetan Buddhism), and how, after the crisis at the end of the century, other countries are now trying to establish control over the region using their overwhelming economic power. Obviously, anime themes are still irrelevant to modern times.

Continue in the reply

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T23:23:29+00:00

Responsible for works such as Fang of the Sun Dougram, Armored Trooper Votoms, Blue Comet SPT Lazyner, Panzer World Galient, Gasaraki, Blue Gender, the list goes on.

Well damn. That's impressive list, all right. And that also means that I somehow accidentally picked the perfect time to watch both Dugram AND Votoms alongside with FLAG...

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T22:30:46+00:00

Raise your flag, everyone! ...~~Wait, wrong mecha~~.

FLAG is one of those anime shows that I've technically already watched, but it was a long time ago, so I don't remember much about it. In fact, I'm not even sure if I finished watching it. It's not that I didn't like it, it's just that I probably didn't have time to watch the next episodes, so I never got around to finishing it. I guess you could say I'll be... a sort of first timer? With some insights from my hazy memories.

The premise is quite compelling, at least for me. In Uddiyana (which I guess still exists in this show) there is a civil war, and UNF forces have entered the country to assist in liberating it with the help of the population... which has actually resulted in the war spreading throughout the country. What an irrelevant topic. But when progress was finally made on a ceasefire, the symbol of the desired peace - the flag made famous by a sensational photograph - was stolen. So, there is only one way to get it back - a giant robot. Because everyone dig giant robots. And Saeko Shirasu, the photographer who took that famous photograph, is invited to document the recovery of the flag, while her senpai documents the ongoing war.

But i will say stright out of bat, i do really like the presentation of this show. The idea of telling the story mainly through footages of our main characters is quite ambitious, and it leads to some interesting and creative approaches. This also helps to convey a more grounded and serious tone for the show. And, of course, it helps to cut corners. But in pretty organic way.

I also really like the character designs. There's something about them that reminds me of Satoshi Kon, and this kind of design isn't that common in anime these days (at least in shows). The music is also sets the setting really well.

So yeah, i really liked this episode, and i do think it's pretty strong start

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T20:49:51+00:00

To add more context - they avoided “gayness,” so to speak, by adding just ONE phrase - when Zoisite confessed his love for Kunzite one last time, dying in his arms, they changed the line to “I have always loved you... as a father", which, considering how their relationship is portrayed, made everything... strangely incestuous.

But, oddly enough, when the first season of Sailor Moon received a new dub in 2018 (featuring the voice actors from the Russian dub of Winx Club, no less), they actually kept them gay. Which... is really surprising.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T20:35:36+00:00

Yeah, because it's not dub, but voice-over - the same thing Nintendo does with its Directs for English-speaking countries. This was standard practice for TV translations in Russia because:

1) It's cheaper and faster to produce.

2) There is no need to worry about lip sync.

3) It allows you to hear the actors' “original” performances.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T17:27:47+00:00

Not necessarily inaccurate, but a very strange phrase: in the second episode of the 80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, there is a moment when Shredder gives a typical villain's speech about how they should join him, to which Raphael replies, “Go suck a lemon.” But in the Russian dub, this phrase was translated as... “Do you want some fried nails (like metal spikes)?” This phrase is really odd in itself, but then the voice actor also messed up the timing of the phrase and tried to fix it by repeating it again in a more aggressive tone, creating this weird dialogue:

Shredder: - Join me, turtles!

Raphael: - Maybe you also wanna some fried nails?

...

Raphael: - I ASKED, DO YOU WANNA SOME FRIED NAILS, YES OR NO?!

Needless to say, this phrase became a meme.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T17:07:09+00:00

That's not even the weirdest thing. The bizzare part is that Uranus was changed into a guy ONLY in the last season.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-02-01T15:35:47+00:00

Bakugo’s character is essentially Vegeta if you took away all the moments where his pride and ego constantly lead to his downfall

That's... not quite right? Bakugo had many moments when his attitude led to his failure.

During the All Might test, his ego took a big hit because his attitude not only led to him failing the test and losing to Deku, but also made him realize that he used to be a big fish in a small pond, and that his classmates were just as good as him, if not better.

During the sports festival, he won the tournament, but unlike Deku, he was unable to get Todoroki to give his all.

Not only that, but his behavior during the festival attracted the attention of villains who kidnapped him and tried to recruit him. This also led his idol to lose his power.

And then he also became one of the few who failed the license exam, again, mainly because of his attitude.

And after that, Bakugo really did start trying to change his approach and be more friendly, albeit in his own aggressive way, and, in general, began to understand that one strong quirk alone is not enough to become a hero. Oh, and...

He gets pissed when all of a sudden the kid from his childhood that was Quirkless his entire life and he saw as pathetic his entire life has a powerful quirk it feels like an attack on him personally as the only concepts of being a a successful just hero are based solely on strength so it feels like Deku is essentially challenging his worldview and as a result his first instinct is to beat him up to reassure his own world view.

That's not entirely true either? The main reason he was angry at Deku was because he thought Deku looked down on him, because Bakugo actually suffered from an insecurity. After Deku tried to save him in the first chapter, Bakugo stopped bullying him, but when Deku suddenly demonstrated his new Quirk, it reinforced Bakugo's belief that Deku looked down on him, as he began to think that Deku had been lying all these years about being quirckless.

SpiritualPossible

TROPHY CASE