Suisei no Gargantia - 9

"Deep Sea Secret"

Talk about pulling a Shinsekai Yori.

Normally when I fall behind this much I would consider a double post, but considering what happens in the last two episodes of Suisei, I don't think a double post would really give either of them justice. This is really where the Urobutcher finally blows things up the way he likes it, and while that's not necessarily what I like about his work, I do find the form it's done in this series to be far more effective than a similar reveal in a work like Psycho-Pass. Though not quite a Sybil System sort of reveal, the truth of the whalesquid does hit a similar chord, but I find the parallels of what happens here to be stronger in line with those of the world in Shinsekai Yori. That's also only a superficial comparison, since the relationship between PK users and the bakenezumi was hugely different from that of the whalesquid and the Gargantians, but it's hard not to see a similar line of thinking when an enemy so different turns out to be much closer to oneself than previously believed.

The emotional effect is also much closer to Shinsekai than it ever was in Psycho-Pass. Though it's harder to note in just this isolated episode, the truth has a profound effect on Ledo's psyche. Even without noting his reaction, consider his position; his whole life he has been raised to think that the Hideauze are horribly evil creatures that threaten mankind's existence and should be purged from the world. His entire society has been shaped by these ideals; they kill the weak not fit for military service, they brainwash their soldiers, and their entire beings are dedicated to destroying these so-called invaders. Ledo has been taught to cherish human life; while his own life may not seem important to him, it's folly to think that he does not place the well-beings of humans above all else. It's not just the Gargantians that have taught him this; his years of being in the Galactic Alliance have raised him to think that humanity is the ultimate goal worth protecting. So what does he do now? How does he come to terms with this terrible secret and his actions?

That the whalesquid are scientifically altered humans isn't what really intrigues me here. Shocking as this is (considering how I didn't quite expect it), what really catches my attention is the root of this conflict. This isn't just a fight between evil creatures and noble human beings, or even an innocent species and a brutal set of murderers out to destroy them. This is a political and religious schism at play, a break in ideology so strong that the Evolvers and those against them have been at odds since far before the project even began in earnest. This is a question of human rights and the way in which society deals with such issues. It's as controversial as something like nuclear energy, or abortion, or whatever sorts of issues polarize people to this extent. And scary though it is, here the result is war, war so terrifyingly brutal that it continued out into space and forced countless generations to evolve to suit its needs, and Ledo and the Gargantians are but only a few consequences of that original divide.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for the caps! Sorry about the terrible delay; my internet has been hugely unhelpful to my already busy week.