After two whole months, Efter and I present chapter seven.
Download Link: Volume 2 Chapter 7
Translator Notes: There were a few odd translations in this chapter, especially where Holland expresses disappointment. He uses the term 「間違える」, which means "a mistake", but it's a little vague as to whether he means Renton made a mistake or they made a mistake in trusting him. I also want to thank Efter for her work in scanning and cleaning this chapter, without her this would have taken much longer despite being a short one. Other than that, apologies for the wait, and please enjoy the chapter!
*Please don't upload this chapter to a reader, I'll do it myself when I've finished the entire volume! Thanks for understanding!
[Spoilers Beyond This Point!]
For a chapter as short as this one, there are plenty of feelings to be had. I've never been fond of the particular "you're a man so you have to protect your girl!" rhetoric of growing up in this series, but in a more general sense I do agree that action is something you have to do to achieve what you set out to do, whether that's protecting a loved one or not. But on the flip side of the coin, I think that's exactly what Eureka's been doing all along, in her very narrow set of choices. Between losing Renton and losing the world, she picks the one she cares about most, and in doing so she effectively gives her life, and the planet's life, for her loved one. In her own words, "what reason is there in protecting this world if you are not in it?" I've always thought that Renton and Eureka do the things that they do for love, and that the both of them tend to go toward the extremes. Renton would risk everything to save Eureka, the planet be damned if it comes down to it, and Eureka is exactly the same. In the series though, Eureka's choices tend to end up in hopelessness for the most part, or dead ends, but that's because of plot. In reality, the two of them are very alike, and it's as clear as ever just how much they love one another. Which is why reading a chapter like this one hurts, especially when you realize the futility of Eureka's decision; no matter her choice, Renton will die. It's simply a question if he'll die before her eyes of a bullet wound or with everyone else when the planet reaches the Limit of Questions.
The scolding Holland gave Renton toward the end about saving his own skin sort of urks me. I've seen this reoccurring theme of "You chose to save yourself over X" in several shows and stories, and while in certain situations it's viable, sometimes I think they overuse it. There's generally a border, I feel, between trying to protect the one you love and simply forfeiting your life in an near impossible attempt. Why forfeit your life when there's a better chance of saving that person if you wait. Of course, this is not always the case. In certain situations you can't wait and have to face an ultimatum. To put simple, I feel the scene where Holland tries to use this statement isn't as strong given the situation Renton was in.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Holland could have viewed it as Renton had given up hope from the start of getting out of the desert, even after Eureka had turned herself over to the military. Though that doesn't fit Renton's naive and optimistic nature.
Sorry, I feel like I'm rambling. Thanks a ton for the new chapter, I enjoyed it a lot.
THANKS!! I like this very much and haven't read it since february!
ReplyDeletethanks man! good job!
ReplyDelete