{"id":86385,"date":"2024-02-03T16:05:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T16:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/?p=38927"},"modified":"2024-02-03T16:05:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T16:05:25","slug":"star-driver-episode-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/03\/star-driver-episode-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Driver \u2013 Episode 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I\u2019m eager to return to Star Driver, after an episode that graciously drew back the veil obscuring the prior generation of would-be Cybody pilots, revealing some clear parallels with our current group in the process. Ryosuke and Tokio make for an odd contrast with Takuto and Sugata; though both pairs are defined by their competition regarding a shrine maiden, Tokio\u2019s Takuto-reminiscent role as societal outsider stands in contrast with his obsession with mastering the Cybody system. In that, he is more like Sugata, while the insider Ryosuke\u2019s antipathy towards this whole order makes <\/span>him<\/span><\/i> more like Takuto. And that\u2019s before you get to the question of Takuto\u2019s parentage, and the pocket watch connecting all six key players.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been nice to have so much of this island\u2019s history clarified, but to be honest, episode twenty\u2019s revelations didn\u2019t actually change our understanding of the ongoing conflict. Star Driver has been focused on clear personal dramas and equally clear thematic concerns from the outset, the strictures of tradition and call for personal agency set in conflict through both the love triangle at its center and hormonally charged scaffolding of its science fiction inventions. Rather than obscuring the truth, its metaphors have emphasized the clarity of its philosophy, painting adolescent identity-forming as the crux of apocalypse or revolution in the manner of many anime classics, including a number penned by Enokido himself. Let\u2019s see how our young lovers fare in a fresh episode of Star Driver!<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Episode 21<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Libidinal Age.\u201d As I said, much of Enokido\u2019s best work has framed adolescence and the accompanying awakening to sexual desire as apocalyptic theater, echoing the internal sense of dislocation and apparent finality of discovering your \u201cadult self\u201d through the story\u2019s external drama. Evangelion, Utena, FLCL, RahXephon, Captain Earth – when you\u2019re writing for an audience of adolescents, one of the best ways to connect is to consider their emotions from that audience\u2019s own perspective, as the world-shaking events that first love, first rejection, first consummation feel like in the moment. And considering how impactful our first brushes with sexuality are in consolidating our mature identities, framing these events as the end or beginning of the world isn\u2019t too far off from how they\u2019re actually experienced<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Additionally, if you\u2019re writing melodramatic fantasy, teenagers and their larger-than-life emotions often make for a natural tonal fit with your overall storytelling. You <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> have adult characters express these feelings, but they\u2019ll likely come across more as devices than people, exaggerated figures like Conan the Barbarian or whatnot. There\u2019s a reason Shakespeare\u2019s most grandiose speeches emerged from the mouths of his teenage characters<\/span><\/p>\n

We begin with an unexpected cold open, as Takuto once again defeats Ko in battle<\/span><\/p>\n

And then we cut to Ko and Madoka demanding they speed up the Cybody regeneration process. So that was just a flashback to Takuto\u2019s previous victory, reorienting us on the timeline after last episode\u2019s time-hopping shenanigans<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTauburn always considers his opponent\u2019s safety.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s insulting.\u201d The introduction of Ko and Madoka remains an extremely strange choice to me. You could say they represent \u201cmature sexuality,\u201d or possibly a kind of rebellion against the heteronormative paradigm embodied by Southern Cross\u2019s philosophy, but we simply haven\u2019t learned enough about them as people to classify them as anything more than \u201cantagonists.\u201d In a show that\u2019s all about the human emotions underlying our often contradictory public actions, they feel like an oddly mechanical inclusion, acting according to their narrative purpose more than their personal feelings<\/span><\/p>\n

Kanako arrives, mentioning a \u201cnew toy\u201d they\u2019re developing. Whether because he\u2019s ashamed or afraid he\u2019ll give up the game, Takashi cannot meet her eyes<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cOverphase System\u201d is apparently their new weapon<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kanako digs in the knife a little further with Simone, who bites back with a reminder that it was Kanako\u2019s own actions that drove them apart. Kanako\u2019s in a uniquely tight position, in that her surface life is also bound up in the necessities of the Kiraboshi order. Though her defeat by Takuto seemed to promise the opportunity to actually live out her adolescence as she wanted, she\u2019s still defined by her relationship to her husband and his resources<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, Kanako confides in Simone that she indeed had a prior relationship with Madoka, but that \u201cMadoka only ever saw me as a shiny new toy.\u201d She characterizes Madoka as possessing \u201ca single-minded, endless lust for something more stimulating,\u201d a libido so strong it could destroy the world. So rather than a distinct perspective, Madoka is being characterized more like one end of the libidinal scale<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And of course, Simone worries for Takashi, planted as he is within this horny-ass group<\/span><\/p>\n

Kanako responds by revealing that Takashi still hasn\u2019t told his father he\u2019s left Kanako\u2019s side, a fact that offers some assurance regarding where his loyalties truly lie<\/span><\/p>\n

Playful twisting of a motif over at the Kiraboshi lounge, as Ko throws darts poorly while remarking that this \u201cis harder than it looks.\u201d Seemingly a beat referring to her overall adoption of masculine signifiers, considering this dart board is so closely associated with the men of Kiraboshi – in fact, it featured prominently in the very sequence where they dismissed Kanako due to her gender<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Takashi asks if they\u2019re scared of the regeneration process, to which Madoka replies \u201cwe\u2019re members of the reckless Vanishing Age, aren\u2019t we?\u201d That title seems particularly appropriate for them – they embody an oversized embracing of this libidinal age, seemingly possessing little identity beyond their sexual desires. They are not people, they are a moment in time, and thus they do not fear for future consequences<\/span><\/p>\n

Wako notes Takuto\u2019s increasing closeness with Kate, just before Ko and Madoka join their table<\/span><\/p>\n

They of course immediately bring up the kiss in the drama club\u2019s play. Jeez, been a while since that was an active concern<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Oh my god. Madoka accompanies her acknowledgment that Takuto\u2019s partner hasn\u2019t been decided with a piercing of her meal\u2019s egg yolk, about as aggressive a flourish of symbolism as you could imagine. Though again, a touch of gender ambiguity there, as she is the one invading the egg<\/span><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, one of our scientists reveals to Tokio that his plans for a \u201c3.5th phase activation\u201d are almost complete<\/span><\/p>\n

Tokio flashes back to a meeting with Sora, wherein he said he wanted \u201cto paint her at her most beautiful.\u201d Given what we know of Tokio, I assume that means \u201cat this very moment of libidinal youth\u201d – like his work with the Cybodies, his paintings are a method of grasping eternity, of sealing beauty forever in its moment of culmination. He feels more like Akio all the time, a perpetual jailer of adolescence<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He then imagines a treasured memory with Matsuri, before she disappears as well. Because of his obsession with youth and Cybodies, everyone he loves eventually grows past him. But he is certain that with the power of the Cybodies, \u201cI can regain all that I\u2019ve lost\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ooh, this is nice. Ko actually seems put off by Madoka\u2019s fascination with the drama club, and her prior relationship with Kanako. Some friction between them would do wonders to establish their distinct personalities<\/span><\/p>\n

Kate remains preoccupied with Takuto. The two of them represent an answer that\u2019s clearly too easy for this drama-loving production: each of them overcoming their obsession with their childhood preoccupations, and finding new love in each other, outside the dictates of the Southern Cross system<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And with a last taunt to Kate, Madoka begins the Overphase activation<\/span><\/p>\n

Ko briefly questions the procedure, but Madoka gives the go-ahead. Penetration again, as the power is conferred via a needle<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe higher the phase, the more close the link with the Cybody\u201d is proven true again, as Madoka\u2019s body seems to itself morph into the Cybody shape<\/span><\/p>\n

Though they\u2019ve always referred to the Cybodies\u2019 activation cage as an \u201celectric bier,\u201d the Overphase cage looks even more like a coffin than the original devices. Is it just their childhood selves that are passing away, or has Madoka gone too far this time?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As expected, the \u201cCybody\u201d inside the coffin is far closer to Madoka herself, complete with long flowing hair and a human face. It\u2019s an interesting choice – if the Cybodies represent our aspirational adult selves, the versions of ourselves we hope to become, then you could say the increasing phase activations are the wielders getting closer to bridging the gap between their aspirational and current selves, with their new forms taking on more aspects of their original identity. Of course, if you follow that line of thinking through to the end, then the ultimate Cybody would be the <\/span>absence<\/span><\/i> of a Cybody, a person who is entirely comfortable in their own skin – ie, an adult. Little wonder that Tokio\u2019s scientist friend couldn\u2019t see the appeal in running all these risks to command a Cybody<\/span><\/p>\n

Takuto\u2019s recent methods also might become an issue here – he\u2019s recently been extracting the wielders from their Cybodies, but is Madoka too closely linked for that to be possible?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Yep, Sugata immediately notes that the Tau Missile would kill her<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t want to die, you have to kill me.\u201d Madoka again demonstrating her fatalistic attitude, her willingness to discard all but this precise moment<\/span><\/p>\n

And she of course immediately sexualizes this death drive, claiming that in this moment, \u201cwe can feel each other far more intimately than in any sexual encounter\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her victory is explicitly framed as an act of sexual dominance, as she straddles him with sword raised while panting<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And this time it\u2019s Wako with the save! Glorious smoke animation as she unleashes a thunderbolt upon Madoka, returning her to her earlier phase form<\/span><\/p>\n

While the other Kiraboshi members suspect some mechanical reason for Wako\u2019s ability, Kanako suggests that \u201cshe couldn\u2019t bear to see another woman flirting with the man she loves.\u201d She believes Wako isn\u2019t working within the Kiraboshi system, but surpassing it – that earnest love can restore Wako\u2019s agency<\/span><\/p>\n

And having expressed her desires on the battlefield, she now carries that confidence onward to her <\/span>other<\/span><\/i> battlefield, by agreeing to do the kissing scene in the play<\/span><\/p>\n

With Madoka\u2019s defeat, Vanishing Age goes up in smoke – Madoka and Ko return to the mainland, while Takashi returns to Kanako<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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

And so our act three interlopers are defeated! Ko and Madoka exited much like they entered, existing more as metaphorically resonant ciphers than full human beings. Fortunately, their metaphorical resonance has never been more pointed or impactful than it was here, with Madoka essentially explicating the full nature of the Cybody system while simultaneously pushing Wako to embrace her own libidinous instincts. The reveal of this \u201c3.5th stage\u201d activation reaffirmed the Cybody\u2019s nature as an articulation of the idealized self, complete with the attendant understanding that to truly master the Cybody system is to surpass the Cybody\u2019s usefulness. Tokio believes that becoming the lord of this Cybody order is the only route to controlling his destiny – but in reality, the truest escape is simply boarding that ferry to the mainland, and finding out what the future holds.<\/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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SalesExecutive@ITSec.vip<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I\u2019m eager to return to Star Driver, after an episode that graciously drew back the veil obscuring the prior generation of would-be Cybody pilots, revealing some clear parallels with our \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-86385","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\/86385","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=86385"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87372,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86385\/revisions\/87372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}