{"id":104775,"date":"2024-03-15T14:30:56","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T14:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/?p=39142"},"modified":"2024-03-15T14:30:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T14:30:56","slug":"star-driver-episode-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/15\/star-driver-episode-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Driver \u2013 Episode 22"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to be returning to Star Driver, as we charge forward into what I have to assume is the show\u2019s endgame. With Ko and Madoka having abandoned their pursuit of the Ginga Bishonen, we\u2019re basically out of secondary conflicts at this point; all that\u2019s left is the school play and Tokio\u2019s machinations, meaning I have every expectation that we\u2019re in for a school festival episode.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking one final break before the big action climax seems more than fine by me. Both Igarashi and Enokido are in their element spearheading comedy; the two have been collaborating on delightful goofiness ever since their Sailor Moon days, and given his long stewardship of the Doremi franchise, I\u2019ve likely laughed at more Igarashi nonsense than any other artist in the industry. In their hands, irreverent school adventures and ludicrous expressions aren\u2019t just a break from the action, they\u2019re often a vehicle for characterization, revealing as much or even more about their casts as their actions under pressure. With that play and its long-anticipated kiss scene approaching, I\u2019m guessing we\u2019re in for an episode that revels in school shenanigans while simultaneously harnessing them as a vehicle to explore Wako\u2019s hesitant, shifting emotions. Let\u2019s find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Episode 22<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the world is about to be reborn.\u201d We open directly on the play itself, as Wako offers a song of flowers blooming and the world awakening – the same conflation of sexual awakening and apocalypse that defines the show as a whole. So presumably this whole play will serve as an elaboration on or mirror for the show\u2019s central metaphor – yeah, we\u2019re in deep Enokido territory here. Any veteran of Utena must surely be well acquainted with its frequent \u201cplay within a play\u201d interludes – a technique that has been used to elucidate truths the actual players are denying since at least Hamlet, though I\u2019m sure there are earlier precedents<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarina addresses Takuto as \u201cMarc.\u201d He looks pretty adorable in his newsboy cap and suspenders<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sarina is dressed in some sort of bizarre jumpsuit, and Takuto addresses her as \u201cthe avatar of the Great Squid King.\u201d Oh shit, are we expanding on Tokio\u2019s fairytale? I recall \u201ckilling the squid king\u201d was his stand-in for claiming great power, but that it required the sacrifice of a maiden – basically another metaphor for the island\u2019s Cybody transaction<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarina states that Marc is in love with Crace, Wako\u2019s character, though Marc doesn\u2019t seem to know her name<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you see her?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m able to see her.\u201d So Wako\u2019s character is apparently ephemeral, of uncertain substance, which makes sense for this portrayal of the liminal age<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI came here to tell you the story of Crace, and of the ship.\u201d Given Tokio also knew this story, I\u2019m guessing this is the legend of the island itself – the origin of this whole Cybody paradigm<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCrace was invisible to the eyes of ordinary people\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Crace wasn\u2019t lonely. Why? Because she met Calumna.\u201d Sugata\u2019s character, seemingly playing the same role as he does in real life, the same role his ancestors once performed<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Their attire and accessories are purposefully chosen. Sugata\u2019s in a business suit with a briefcase, an adult man who must attend to his professional duties, while Wako is in a school uniform sitting at a bus stop, the young maiden who\u2019s perpetually on the verge of flight<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have a special aura of life that no ordinary person has. The radiance of that aura is what\u2019s reflecting me in your eyes.\u201d Even Crace frames herself as an illusion, a distortion of perspective<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re the first man who\u2019s seen me.\u201d \u201cThen that makes me the happiest man in the world. Because that sweet smile of yours belongs to me alone.\u201d His love is defined by ownership from the start. Women are to be tucked away, available only to their male protectors<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cMy body is like a mirage.\u201d Crace has no physical substance – she is a figure of longing alone, the desired perfect maiden that cannot be held in the hands. A fate that seems to echo Tokio\u2019s perspective; women he can actually hold are swiftly discarded, he only longs for that retreating, unreachable back. He is always seeking the shrine maiden, but the shrine maiden must be pure – the moment it is claimed, it is no longer the ideal he seeks<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery morning and night for the rest of my days, I want to gaze upon your smile.\u201d And yet that smile is never enough<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure that I was born just so I could live this day.\u201d And at the start, Crace is also happy to define herself through Calumna\u2019s happiness<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tiger is our next cast member to appear, realized as a jewel-bearing temptress who questions Calumna\u2019s love<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiger could apparently see Crace as well<\/span><\/p>\n

The expression work is top notch for this episode, a welcome priority for a sequence so driven by character acting<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not some radiant aura I possess. It\u2019s eyes of magic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you saying you\u2019re a witch?\u201d Sugata immediately brandishes his knife, the symbol of his office. The leader of this island covets shrine maidens but detests witches – once again, women are subjects of worship until the precise moment they are claimed, or express agency<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery man has at least one knife on him.\u201d The play frames Sugata\u2019s position as simply the way of all men<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiger introduces herself as \u201cSayin the Witch,\u201d and her gem as the \u201cJewel of the Night\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you wear this jewel, you can touch Crace\u2019s body.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

God, the character acting is so good this episode! Tiger\u2019s seductive sneer, Sugata\u2019s guileless longing – their \u201cperformances\u201d are so good that it\u2019s easy to get caught up in the drama of the play, while also appreciating how the cast members are pushing beyond their comfort zones (or embracing their true desires, in Tiger\u2019s case) in offering these performances<\/span><\/p>\n

In exchange for the jewel, Sayin desires a ship docked at the north shipyard, an ominous vessel that looks much like some megasized Cybody<\/span><\/p>\n

In between acts, Takuto spies a girl he knows in the audience, presumably from the mainland<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTo his surprise, it turned out to be a ship that could fly.\u201d The ship as realized on-stage is quite different from that momentary vision of a Cybody, further implying that this is a reenactment of the island\u2019s origin story<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can make this ship fly across the heavens wherever I wish! I\u2019m not the same man I was yesterday!\u201d Enthralled by the freedom offered by this activated Cybody, Calumna immediately forgets his promise, and his lady Crace<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut flying in the sky was taboo on the Fish Planet. The queen resided in a high tower of the castle. And it was taboo for anyone to come near the queen\u2019s room.\u201d Another woman who cannot be touched, only coveted from afar<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The queen is played by Jaguar, who\u2019s also having a ton of fun with her role. Sadly, she is assassinated pretty much immediately by Calumna<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m the new king of the Fish Planet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy performance ends here!?\u201d We even get some laughs from the crowd as Jaguar makes her final plea for a bigger role<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe king has to be in the highest place. In other words, whoever can reach this height should be king!\u201d Circular, self-aggrandizing reasoning, which ultimately posits that the desire to conquer and subjugate is its own justification<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gradually forgot about his love for Crace. Or perhaps by that time, he was unable to see her.\u201d Interesting. So fulfilling his ambition erased the sense of dissatisfaction or longing that allowed him to dream of the shrine maiden? I suppose that fits; the shrine maiden can only exist as longing unfulfilled<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as I\u2019ve got this ship, everything the world has to offer me is mine!\u201d But what <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> the world have to offer you, Calumna? What has your freedom brought you? The dreams we see on this island never seem to extend that far – the horizon is always distant and shimmering, indistinct<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ship belongs to you? Haven\u2019t you realized it yet? You <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> the ship now.\u201d A phrasing that also resonates with the progression of the Cybody activation phases – given Madoka\u2019s last transformation, the natural next step would be total integration of the human and Cybody selves<\/span><\/p>\n

During the intermission, Hanako questions Kate on the story so far. \u201cHow tragic, he chose ambition over love. But Class Rep, since you\u2019re so cool-headed, do you find it more convincing to lead such a business-like life?\u201d An interesting jab. Hanako is obviously twisting the knife intentionally, obliquely referring to Kate\u2019s lingering feelings for Sugata, mocking Kate for her superficially cool-headed nature. I\u2019m also intrigued by the choice of \u201cbusiness-like\u201d as a way of describing Calumna\u2019s choices – a phrasing that echoes his costume, implying induction into the world of adults necessarily requires both abandoning romance and entering the corporate sphere<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Crace is still happy, regardless.\u201d A response that might be Kate trying to convince herself she\u2019s okay with her own choices, with her inability to truly claim Sugata<\/span><\/p>\n

The girl from the mainland reveals she actually came to see Wako, because she \u201cwanted to see what kind of girl Takuto fell in love with.\u201d Ah shit, we\u2019re really in it now<\/span><\/p>\n

And <\/span>now<\/span><\/i> we get the OP drop. Goddamn!<\/span><\/p>\n

The menacing robot our heroes face in the OP is the same one that briefly appeared representing Calumna\u2019s ship, confirming its identity as the original, fully integrated Cybody<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A slight wardrobe malfunction as Tiger is lowered onto the ship via crane apparatus. They really went all out for this play\u2019s production!<\/span><\/p>\n

In spite of allegedly being paralyzed by the witch, Calumna swiftly stabs her as well, drawing on the power of the ship to betray his partner<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDie, you damned witch!\u201d Our brief cut of the original story reveals the \u201cwitch\u201d to be another person integrated with a Cybody, though this one of the more conventional Cybody size<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch states that merging with the ship is his punishment for abandoning his love<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cAfterwards, Calumna continued to rule as the king of the Fish Planet, but he remained hidden deep within the castle.\u201d So is Calumna still the wielder of that ultimate Cybody?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarina states she is one of the \u201cEntropeople,\u201d presumably riffing on entropy, a system\u2019s natural tendency towards disorder and decay. So she is trapped like Calumna, slowly disintegrating over time<\/span><\/p>\n

They are \u201ca galactic race that has vowed never to use magic.\u201d Perhaps they were the original shepherds of the Cybodies, understanding their power should not be exploited<\/span><\/p>\n

The cast members to the side reveal that these lines aren\u2019t actually in the script – Sarina appears to actually be controlled by the genuine Entropeople, who seem to be controlling her through our fox mascot character<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you carry a knife, just as Calumna did?\u201d Will you wield this power for violence, Takuto?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy purpose is not to steer the ship, but to see her radiant smile. If I do have a knife, it is only to protect her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After the play, Tokio tells Sarina that she \u201cended it at the right place,\u201d as he is of course incapable of believing that any man could be satisfied with that conclusion, and that any continuation would inevitably result in Takuto\u2019s character embracing Tokio\u2019s own selfishness<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Takuto introduces the visitor as his junior high friend Hana Okada. She elects to leave on the last ferry, assured that Takuto has found his direction – that he \u201chears the soul of the world,\u201d as Takuto\u2019s grandfather once phrased it<\/span><\/p>\n

And now Tokio\u2019s telling <\/span>Sarina<\/span><\/i> he\u2019d like to paint her, though she\u2019s fortunately far too smart for that<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike the others, Tauburn is a Cybody created specifically for earthlings. Even we have no idea what it\u2019s capable of.\u201d Sure, just sneak some last-minute alien overseers into our narrative, no problem<\/span><\/p>\n

We conclude on Kate\u2019s nightly ritual – though this time, Sugata awakes<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And Done<\/b><\/p>\n

Goddamn, what a reveal-stuffed episode! Our drama club\u2019s play turned out to be even more informative than the outright flashback-focused episode, revealing the full origins of the Cybody system while offering an array of delightful performances in the bargain. Apparently Aliens Did It, though of course knowing the alien origins of these Cybodies doesn\u2019t really impact their thematic significance – instead, these final reveals effectively illuminated the darker corners of Star Driver\u2019s central metaphor, articulating a perpetual cycle of men seeking love, but being drawn away by the allure of power once love was in their grasp. I particularly liked how Sarina\u2019s interpretation of this story differed from Tokio\u2019s, offering some damning context for his story of Squid King violence, wherein only through sacrificing the maiden could the hero achieve true freedom. Fables can either explain our world or guide our destiny – let\u2019s hope that Takuto embraces Sarina\u2019s telling, and breaks the cycle at last.<\/span><\/p>\n

This\u00a0article\u00a0was\u00a0mad<\/a><\/em>e possible by reader support<\/a>. Thank you all for\u00a0all that you do.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to be returning to Star Driver, as we charge forward into what I have to assume is the show\u2019s endgame. With Ko and Madoka having abandoned their \u2026 Continue reading \u2192<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[61,122,127,129,124,128,125,132,131,133,126,130,123,66,94,88,97,56,64,65,60,112,40,75,95,104,33,120,105,101,98,115,30,29,41,86,70,69,68,72,71,26,118,108,87,46,55,48,52,54,51,50,83,62,58,57,109,35,59,63,85,79,82,96,80,27,81,114,44,42,43,45,38,39,110,117,100,111,116,73,89,90,92,91,93,84,78,37,102,34,36,77,67,74,99,113,119,28,121,32,47,49,53,103,31,76],"class_list":["post-104775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","tag-airpods","tag-anime","tag-anime-characters","tag-anime-cosplay","tag-anime-edits","tag-anime-merchandise","tag-anime-movies","tag-anime-news","tag-anime-recommendations","tag-anime-reviews","tag-anime-series","tag-anime-streaming","tag-animes","tag-app-store","tag-app-store-samsung","tag-appgallery","tag-appgallery-oneplus","tag-apple","tag-apple-music","tag-apple-tv","tag-apple-watch","tag-bbc-sport","tag-best-mobile-games","tag-bixby","tag-bixby-xiaomi","tag-champions-league","tag-cyberpunk","tag-cyberpunk-2077","tag-fantasy-football","tag-fifa","tag-football","tag-formula-1","tag-fortnite","tag-free-fire","tag-free-mobile-games","tag-freebuds-pro","tag-galaxy-a52","tag-galaxy-note-20","tag-galaxy-s21","tag-galaxy-watch-4","tag-galaxy-z-fold-3","tag-game","tag-games","tag-golf","tag-harmonyos","tag-how-to-backup-iphone","tag-how-to-factory-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-restore-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-5","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-6","tag-huawei","tag-ios","tag-ipad","tag-iphone","tag-live-soccer","tag-lol","tag-macbook","tag-macos","tag-mate-40-pro","tag-mi-11-lite","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p-huawei","tag-mi-smart-band-6","tag-minecraft","tag-miui","tag-mlb-scores","tag-mobile-game-design","tag-mobile-game-development","tag-mobile-game-marketing","tag-mobile-game-monetization","tag-mobile-games","tag-mobile-gaming","tag-nba-scores","tag-nba-standings","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-scores","tag-nhl-scores","tag-one-ui","tag-oneplus","tag-oneplus-9-pro","tag-oneplus-buds-pro","tag-oneplus-nord-ce-5g","tag-oxygenos","tag-p40-pro-plus","tag-poco-x3-pro","tag-pokemon","tag-premier-league","tag-pubg","tag-pubg-mobile","tag-redmi-note-10-pro","tag-samsung","tag-samsung-pay","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-steam","tag-steeam","tag-top-10-anime","tag-valorant","tag-when-do-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-does-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-is-the-iphone-7-coming-out","tag-world-cup","tag-xbox-series-x","tag-xiaomi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104775"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105330,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104775\/revisions\/105330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}