Simoun – Episode 20

It is with great expectations and more than a little fear that we return for the twentieth episode of Simoun. On the one hand, this show is brilliant. It started off by introducing an imposingly broad main cast, but has successfully humanized every single member of Chor Tempest, and built them into something very much like a family. At the same time, the show has consistently emphasized how all of Chor Tempest’s feelings are reflective of far larger conflicts within their society, with various characters’ loyalty to or emotional reliance on their patriotism, religious faith, or whatever else that moves them directly feeding back into their personal conflicts.

Simoun is one of those stories that demonstrates how thematically driven fiction can engage with complex, universally relevant subjects in a way that a direct essay or argument never could. By framing its thoughts on war, duty, and religion in the context of characters we’ve come to know so well, it demonstrates the true human complexity of these situations, and the paralyzing reality of discovering your country or faith was only a walled garden, and not the world itself.

On the other hand, Simoun has been really friggin’ mean! A few episodes ago we lost Limone and Dominura, who probably both fell within my top five characters in the show. Just last episode, we lost Mamiina, who was easily my favorite remaining character in the show. At the rate we’re hemorrhaging favorites, I expect the show’s final episode to focus on a heated argument between Bridge Adviser C and Overwhelmed Soldier E, with every actual named character having heroically sacrificed themselves. I’m impressed and annoyed at the same time, but either way, it’s time to move. Let’s see what tragedies await in Simoun’s latest episode!

Episode 20

We open on a shot that demonstrates a variety of Simoun’s aesthetic eccentricities. There’s the beautiful, richly colored painted background – a lush green forest topped by mountain peaks, with a burnt orange sky crossed by vapor trails above. It’s a background that inherently conveys the allure of the sky… counterbalanced by the appearance of the Messis, an awkward CG blob in the middle of that lovely painting. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is doing some bass slap funk thing that conveys at least part of the intended tone (presumably menace, anxiety, and expectation), while still holding true to this show’s oddly “easy listening”-style tunes

“The sybilla’s death has at least bought us some time. Is that not so?” Disagreements between the government’s military and religious branches, as always. The military sees Mamiina’s death as a well-used expenditure of military resources, the priesthood is less impressed. And yet, it was this society’s religious strictures that demanded Mamiina stay outside the temple while a dead enemy combatant was celebrated as if they were a great ally. Both of these sides are happy to embrace a moral high ground if it’s immediately convenient, but ultimately, both of them also see the sybilla as tools to further their own goals

There’s a stark difference in the gender breakdown between the largely male military officers and largely female religious representatives. This show’s reflections on gender have kinda necessarily slipped into the background a bit, as the war drama has become more and more urgent

“Elegy.” This episode is gonna be painful

And yep, here’s what remains of Chor Tempest, grieving at Mamiina’s side

And of course, Floe’s the one who can’t keep her tears is. Extra-expressive in all directions

She’s also the one who can admit what many of them are likely thinking – “we’re going to be next!”

And Yun answers with an almost smug “war is nothing but mass murder.” Is this really the time, Yun

Meanwhile, Neviril still can’t cry at all, and feels like she’s been dead inside since Amuria’s death. It’s such a strange thing to center this drama around – this whole show has been about the grieving process for a relationship we only barely witnessed

And of course, Aaeru is working out her feelings by flying in the practice chamber. She’s a person who can’t just sit still, and needs to be pursuing action to feel like she’s accomplishing anything

I like how Aaeru’s breakdown here combines both excellent traditional animation and one of the show’s signature Dezaki postcards

I love how messy this is. Aaeru’s breakdown prompts Neviril to uncharitably think, “didn’t you say you were strong?”, but then Aaeru’s defiant “I have to live” actually inspires Neviril in turn. Neviril is realistically confused in a way that’s rarely embraced in fiction, for understandable reasons – most narratives demand characters who at least possess clear goals, even if those goals are misguided

Oof, this song for Rodore’s reflections is brutal. This light guitar sounds just like a music box, perfect for sad memories

Their relationship was one of the shining lights of this series, offering a hope that we might connect as individuals even if divided by social class

The church are making moves against the military, but Messis’ own crew are caught in the middle – they don’t want their sybilla used as fodder by the military, but they also don’t want them surrendered to some tempus prophecy, either

“The legendary choir, Chor Dextra, must be revived”

Wapourif asks Morinas to go to the spring!

But Morinas now feels genuinely responsible for her teammates, and can’t comply

And of course, Para blames herself. Unfortunately for her, she really is the one who’s most obviously at fault – her preoccupation with her own emotional problems caused her group to be delayed, which was why Mamiina was put in danger in the first place

“When did it happen? How? How did I sink so low?” It’s an awful feeling, as you seemingly all at once recognize how far your life path and sense of self have deviated from what and who you always took pride in being

And Alti tells her, “it doesn’t matter if you’re wrong, so long as you make firm decisions!” Even if Para can’t believe in herself, they need her strength now

“I realized something. She won’t be happy as long as I keep getting in her way.” Alti’s reflections on her sister clarify Para’s relationship with Neviril

No horny eyecatches this time, just TEARFUL MEMORIES

Floe actually took Yun’s advice, and has packed up her things to head to the spring. FUCK THIS WAR

But the group is rapidly united again, by their anger at Mamiina’s body being stolen away in the night. This is a useful trick both in fiction and in the real world – discordant individuals can easily be united by a common enemy

And we learn Vyura, a former rival, is joining the team

“We will have to reorganize the pairs immediately. We will choose the pairs that can create the strongest Ri Majoons…” It’s clear enough that the military has only a vague understanding of how sybilla actually work, but beyond that, they might actually be intentionally disrupting the relationships of this group over and over, in order to keep them from actively aligning against the military

Neviril responds that sybillas’ minds must be clear to perform Ri Majoons, which the military officer responds to with “what a carefree thing to say!” They don’t actually believe any of the mysticism surrounding this religion, which means they have no respect for the elements of the lore that actually are true. The disdain they’ve always felt for this society’s traditions is now coming through clearly

Yun runs into Onashia herself!

Yun brings Mamiina’s cut braid back to the group, and tells them that Onashia told her Mamiina accepted the end of her life. An interesting variety in the reactions from the group – Floe responds with suspicion, which makes sense, since she’s basically just realized the world sees her as a tool to be manipulated. But Rodore sees the cut braid as an answer to her own cut braid – a gesture of friendship, and disavowing of the class boundaries that previously divided them

Rodore’s well-earned tears reunite them. Aaeru calls for strength from Neviril, and Neviril answers it with a firm reassertion of their identity, as well as an unequivocal declaration that Mamiina was just as much a sybilla as any of them. You can really feel this team holding together, even if they’re all individually at their wit’s end

The entirety of Vyura’s old choir went to the spring. This military really wasn’t prepared at all for an actual war

And so the whole chor heads off to do what they once saw as their only duty: to offer prayers in the form of Ri Majoon for their departed friend. Both the religious and military officers can only look on in anger

And Done

God, that episode sure wasn’t any easier than the last one. Though Limone and Dominura’s disappearance was too strange and confusing to really compel normal grieving, this episode was entirely dedicated to the aftermath of Mamiina’s death, as the members of Chor Tempest once again struggled for reasons to keep fighting. They’re certainly not receiving any support from their overseers anymore; the military branch sees them as an expendable trump card to win a losing war, while the religious branch seems more preoccupied with fulfilling some impersonal prophecy than actually saving the country. But as the military, religious, and class structures that have guided them disintegrate, Chor Tempest are learning to truly rely on each other, and take pride in their identities as sybilla. I only hope that’s enough to protect them!

This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.

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