Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~

[Buffalobiian]

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6227/15963.jpg


Plot Summary: A spate of mafia assasinations occurs in America, the work of the mysterious organization named Inferno. "Phantom" is their most strongest and capable assassin, however a lone tourist witnesses Phantom's latest act of murder. He unwittingly exposes the top assassin's true identity, a young girl named Ein. Witnesses are usually killed, but the man is captured and taken to be brainwashed into "Zwei", Inferno's newest assassin, with no memory of who he is. From this point on, Zwei is drawn into a world of conspiracy, deceit and violence.

Official Website: http://www.phantom-r.jp/
ANN: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10541
AniDB: http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=6256
MyAnimeList: http://myanimelist.net/anime/5682/Phantom_%EF%BD%9ERequiem_for_the_Phantom%EF%BD%9E

First episode by a fairly new group Desire (in 810p, for something different):

[Desire] Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ - 01 [h264][1440x810][9706ABBF].mkv (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2001%20%5Bh264%5D%5B1440x810%5D%5B9706ABBF%5D.mkv .torrent)

[Munsu]

For those interested, I had posted about this series in this thread:
http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread.php?p=417933&postcount=9

There's an OVA that came some years ago, I don't know how it fits with this series.... I assume that this series starts from the beginning. There's a download link for the OVA in the post I linked to above.

[KitKat]

Well, for a first episode, I didn't feel like this series had anything special, but I didn't feel like it was terrible either. I liked the music but at certain points it just seemed to clash with the show. I also feel like they tried to introduce too much in way too short a space, and as such I wasn't made to care very much about any of the characters at all.

I think whether I stay with this series or drop it will depend on what direction they take with the two main characters, and what the themes of the show are going to be. If it's just going to be them killing people while looking cool while the main plot is played out by the higher-ups I'd feel pretty 'meh' about this. If we have these two starting to question their orders and potentially even rebel, that would be more worthwhile to watch.

Edited to add: From reading the short blurb on the OVA, it seems like it encompasses the introduction of the characters and the backstory that they only quickly referenced in the first episode. Maybe they didn't want to overlap too much with the OVA material. I'll probably watch the OVA next before the second ep of this series.

[Kraco]

Good points, KitKat. Although it seems to me those two should play a significant role, not all the crooks drinking Champagne, driving fancy cars, and whatever those yakuza dudes were.

Considering the master brainwasher was emphasizing instincts so much, I reckon it should be clear those two ghosts will start to feel for each other. After all, the instinct of procreation is just as strong as survival. I'm looking forward to that. I'm a fan of emotionally damaged characters getting healed by love, after all.

You gotta love the empty eyes in this series...

[Yukimura]

Phantom - 01v2 (1280x720 H264) - [Desire] (Improved Subs and not 1440x810) (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2001v2%20%5B1280x720%5D%5BAAC-x264%5D%5B372BB528%5D.mkv.torrent)

Phantom - 02 (1280x720 H264) - [Desire] (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2002%20%5B1280x720%5D%5BAAC-x264%5D%5B44B40508%5D.mkv.torrent)

Of all the ep 1's i've watched this week Phantom's made me the most eager to watch ep 2. I have a huge soft spot for stoic girls like Ein as well as stories featureing shady emotionally detached assassins. This show reminds me somewhat of Darker then Black but with the added bonus of getting to see the creation of an emotionally detached assassin in addition (I assume) to their interaction with the world. I don't really expect anything shockingly unique or spectacular from this series but I'm more than happy to get another helping of one of my favorite archetypes of show.

[digitalrurouni]

Phantom - 01v2 (1280x720 H264) - [Desire] (Improved Subs and not 1440x810) (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2001v2%20%5B1280x720%5D%5BAAC-x264%5D%5B372BB528%5D.mkv.torrent)

Phantom - 02 (1280x720 H264) - [Desire] (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2002%20%5B1280x720%5D%5BAAC-x264%5D%5B44B40508%5D.mkv.torrent)

Of all the ep 1's i've watched this week Phantom's made me the most eager to watch ep 2. I have a huge soft spot for stoic girls like Ein as well as stories featureing shady emotionally detached assassins. This show reminds me somewhat of Darker then Black but with the added bonus of getting to see the creation of an emotionally detached assassin in addition (I assume) to their interaction with the world. I don't really expect anything shockingly unique or spectacular from this series but I'm more than happy to get another helping of one of my favorite archetypes of show.

Because you said Darker than Black I am going to give this show a shot.

Just watched the 2 episodes and I must say I like this show. Thanks for that DTB reference which pretty much made me check this show out or else this one would have been missed by me!

[Buffalobiian]

Because you said Darker than Black I am going to give this show a shot.

I was still hesitating whether to try this or not until Yuki's DTB reference - then I jumped on board. Funny how people do that.

The first two episodes felt pretty good. Like BEETRAIN's last(?) girls-with-guns series El Cazador de la Bruja, Phantom's (the show) managed to capture my interest in a detached sort of way. I want to see more, but it's not making my heart beat or ache neither. Eins is pretty cute, and does remind me of Ellis from El Cazador.

I do think a rebel is in the works, since Zwei doesn't seem to have lost all of his self-awareness. While Eins says he'll inevitably fall into an unfeeling state like herself, I feel that while she's following orders to train Zwei, she's really trying to keep him alive, and at the same time prevent him from becoming a second Ein (emotionally anyway).

Zwei's attachment to Eins too goes beyond that which bonds two mere assassins, and is bound to stir up some chemistry later on.

The first two eps have been pretty enjoyable, so unless a major turn-down happens, I should be seeing this to the end. If not, then at least up to episode 3's shower scene.

[digitalrurouni]

Agreed on all counts Buffalobiian except for the fact I dont think Ein is cute at all...zenzen....

[Buffalobiian]

Not kawaii cute, but more like an alluring, doll-like cute. Maybe just alluring was a better word to use.


Phantom's (the show) managed to capture my interest in a detached sort of way.

I just thought a good analogy for this would be like watching this show through, ironically, empty eyes.

[oyabun]

I agree. She's cute in a weird mysterious way. It's really funny how the pronounce Zwei.

[oyabun]

[Desire] Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ - 03v1 [1280x720][AAC-x264][A87C6073].mkv (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BDesire%5D%20Phantom%20~Requiem%20for%20the%20Ph antom~%20-%2003v1%20%5B1280x720%5D%5BAAC-x264%5D%5BA87C6073%5D.mkv.torrent)

Here we go. Atlast the mandatory "Test" part for every new recruit is over. I gotta hand it to Zwei though, he has ultimate self control. Just like when Ein was changing in front of him. And there seem to be character bonding next episode.

[Naruto_RNG]

wow this eps was annoying, and very typical (Not the weird sexual harassment part). Just once I want to c the main lead come up with their vendetta against people who are controlling them from start of the this kind of anime. Not when they become a puppet and then bam one day they kill someone and before the target dies they'll enlighten the main leads of their wrong doing.

[shinta|hikari]

I am actually hoping it does not go down the path you mentioned (because it is overdone). I want it to focus less on rebelling against control, but rather how one survives within that control, and how they find themselves and their emotions as they interact with each other.

The two are already aware of their evil in their ways. It is just that they have no choice.

[Naruto_RNG]

I am actually hoping it does not go down the path you mentioned (because it is overdone). I want it to focus less on rebelling against control, but rather how one survives within that control, and how they find themselves and their emotions as they interact with each other.

The two are already aware of their evil in their ways. It is just that they have no choice.

could you explain more on the bold part? Cause I thought the girl already told him how to survive for the past few eps. As for emotions I think thats a given just like any other mystery/assassin anime before it. We already seen that road before, its not really a new domain to venture in.

The current path the anime is taking will lead with the typical enlightenment which will lead to 2 roads, either one of the 2 main leads die, or both bite the dust(which my money is on this). Gungrave came close to the type of storyline that I wanted, but took too long to get to that place.

What I really wish to happen is within the next 2 eps the male lead start coming up with his own plan on taking down inferno. Now how he go about it is another story which I would very much like to c lol. I'll be honest I hate the robot type of expression, its old and not creative. I think I'm setting my expectation too high lol.

[shinta|hikari]

What I mean is, that they don't go and try to destroy the organization that they are in. Rather, they learn to live as assassins, but not emotionally deficient ones.

What you want to happen (the main character trying to destroy Inferno) is probably the most obvious path the show can take. It would be interesting if Zwei can slowly climb up the ladder of the organization (much like gungrave). Still, what I am probably most interested in is the relationship between the two leads.

I am betting the two will eventually be put against each other. While that is also quite cliche, the way they do it can salvage a trite development.

[Buffalobiian]

Just what was the stuff the doctor was applying? Memory-erasing drug? Preservative? Sunscreen? Unless they explain what that goo in the fancy bottle was, it was simply pointless fanservice (I know it's an oxymoron, but come on.)

Other than that, yeah. For some reason, I wasn't expecting to see Zwei's graduation so soon. It wasn't that the training sequences weren't complete enough, but just the development during episode 3 now suddenly makes this show feel a lot more "generic".

Meh, I'm hoping for some more good development to come.

[shinta|hikari]

It was probably just some skin conditioning lotion, to make Ein look smoother and feel softer, much like how a doll maker polishes and grooms their own doll creations. It wasn't purely fanservice, since it shed some light as to how the doctor treats Ein, which will probably be quite relevant later on.

[Naruto_RNG]

As Shinta said the scene with the doctor rubbing the lotion on was how he thinks of Ein, I didn't noticed it till one of my friend pointed out how they focused on the polished gun and right after it he put the lotion on Ein.

Its a ok anime so far, much better then other shows that came out the same time. I just hope they don't over due the robot expression I hate it lol. Other then that I'll take anything hehe.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom- OP Single - KARMA [KOKIA].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Phantom%20-Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom-%20OP%20Single%20-%20KARMA%20%5BKOKIA%5D.zip.torrent)

[oyabun]

I don't mind the "robot expression" at all. I think her cold expressions shows how she deals with her being an assassin. And its hot. The doctor does know how to take care of his dolls.

[shinta|hikari]

I actually love robotic and cold expressions in most anime. Some of my favorite characters this season, like Felli Loss, (and some from older ones, like Rin from DTB) have such expressions.

[Buffalobiian]

That expressionless look sure is a major attraction of this show (a turn-off for some, I guess). I'm loving it. I did get put off by Zwei's "depressed" look though. I'm not really a fan of the darkened/wrinkled eyebag look. It just makes him look insomiac and sad. Sad as in homeless, pathetic sad.

[Kraco]

I have nothing to complain about so far. Obligatory test is finished - couldn't have arrived too soon, because we all knew how it would go, and on the other hand the story couldn't have advanced without it. It was a bit of a forced test, I suppose, as opposed to sniping someone defenseless, but maybe, considering Zwei's personality, this was the only way he could have ever pulled the trigger.

Still, like shinta, I'm mostly interested in the relationship between those two and their psychological development. I hope the story will serve that well enough, no matter what route it's going to go down; rebellion or adaptation. We don't actually yet know what Ein desires. It's pretty obvious Zwei isn't exactly happy and would probably get the hell out if possible. Ein's feelings and much of her personality is likely locked behind many walls; maybe she's hoping Zwei will do something about that, consciously or unconsciously.

[Buffalobiian]

Ein's feelings and much of her personality is likely locked behind many walls; maybe she's hoping Zwei will do something about that, consciously or unconsciously.

Yeah, while Ein's just following orders to train Zwei, if there was one thing Ein revealed about motives, it's that she wants Zwei to stay. While deep down, she's probably feeling bad about pushing Zwei down this path, she can't stop herself, as it's the first time she's ever had a companion or any sort.

I do think it's all unconscious.

[Naruto_RNG]

I should of said wut I meant for the robotic expression or should I say who that sentence refer to, which is Zwei at the end of eps. I actually don't mind Ein expressions, can't really expect much from her character. I like shows that main leads fight against their faith not give in to it. Well one thing is for sure, for the next few eps we'll get a obedient expressionless Zwei.

[shinta|hikari]

I like Zwei's expressions too. They look bad ass, without the arrogance.

[Kraco]

I like shows that main leads fight against their faith not give in to it. Well one thing is for sure, for the next few eps we'll get a obedient expressionless Zwei.

Assuming you meant fate, not faith, that's a pretty restricting attitude. There are plenty of shows where the main character has all the reasons to fight for his fate, not against it. For example Bleach: Ichigo was immensely happy he was turned into a shinigami. Saying a story would always benefit from fighting against your fate will limit the plot just as much as a stoic attitude (or even deterministic).

If we assume Zwei has truly lost all his memories, he has little to go back to right now. I'd say the paths of adaptation and rebellion are equal like now. By adaptation I don't mean to work like a slave till his death but to climb the ladder of power in the organization, doing what he sees fit.

[Naruto_RNG]

Yea I meant fate, don't know why I spelled it faith haha. Personally I think bleach and this show are 2 totally different things so the comparison doesn't really apply here, but thats my opinion. The thing I like about naruto was that he was and is always fighting against his fate. I enjoy that type shows I guess, it really comes down to that.

I agree with your second paragraph, but hoping that he slowly regains his memories.

[Yukimura]

Phantom - 04 (1280x720 H264) - [Desire] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=61289)

More emotionless killing <3

[Xelbair]

Damn i just love this anime - it always stirs something in my heart. I have more trouble waiting for next episode than with code geass(and that was hard), bah, even than waiting for translation of fate game!

[Kraco]

I kept thinking in the beginning of this episode that it's Zwei having a dream, it looked so unreal after the previous eps. And still it seems like a bit of a stretch. They were acting roles in order to scout the place inconspicuously, but there was surely extra parts there. It will ultimately predict problems later on if they can still be that normal without acting, for it couldn't all have been acting. At the very least they are far from being emotionless killing machines.

But who cares when Ein looked so hot in a swimsuit.

[Buffalobiian]

Agreed on all counts Buffalobiian except for the fact I dont think Ein is cute at all...zenzen....

I dare you to say that now. :p

I think that lady-with-big-bossoms in the mafia has a good chance of dying sometime. She's too kind to be sitting in that position, and that Dr is pretty keen on rising through the ranks. Plus, she was mentioning before about what freedom she had (or didn't have). Just a hunch.

The swimsuit scenes were nice and all, but my favourite would still have to be the the whole pout-slap-hug scene. <3

Too bad I had to watch this in 512 x 288. It was the only DDL source that worked with my current connection.

[Xelbair]

Oh and in my opinion she is cute - especially in some scenes in mall - i don't think that everything was act there.

[shinta|hikari]

I think it was all an act, but it displays that she is indeed capable of such expressions. So far, the only real emotion I have seen from her is fear and concern, both involving Zwei.

[Xelbair]

EP 5, from comments it its pretty decent - rated 7.5/10 (http://www.mininova.org/tor/2549668)

[Yukimura]

Apparently C&D's went out for Phantom c/o of Funimation (which is apparently streaming this if you like that sort of thing) and supposedly Desire, Ayako, and Menclave have all dropped. No word on Nekomimi and some anonymous group posted another ep 5.

Phantom - 05 (1280x720 H264) - [Timo] (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=61793)

Xelbair's link is to the (shitty) Lance-Menclayako-HorribleSubs release which I suspect is a rip of the Funimation stream (It's 640x360 and looks grainy as hell. Thanks Funi, but I'd prefer 720p).

EDIT: The Timo release seems watchable but clearly no QC was involved. I noticed some spelling errors and extra spaces between words and at least one untranslated line at around 19:12 which was easy to glean from the context. It could be a whole lot worse. Also no karaoke and no translation of the preview :(.

[Kraco]

Bloody Funimation. I wish some group outside of the USA was subbing it, and thus wouldn't drop it (as Funimation streams only to American recipients, as far as I know). A real group with QC. Well, who knows, maybe if we wait for a little while, strange Nyaatorrents hosted anon releases will appear that suspiciously remind of real subs...

[Xelbair]

Damn, haven't those groups thought that people outside US watch their releases?

[Buffalobiian]

Damn, haven't those groups thought that people outside US watch their releases?

I'll assume you mean "fansub" groups, and they're probably pulling back for more selfish reasons ;)

[Kraco]

Zwei surely took hard killing the kid. No wonder, of course. He displayed remarkably dead eyes after the deed. Somehow I doubt he was of any entertainment to McCunnen that night. It'll be interesting to see how he will get over it later. Who knows how long this series will be, though, so it's impossible to say whether anything significant should yet happen (inside his mind). Also, we don't yet know if things will change because Zwei (and hopefully Ein) decide to change them or maybe there will be internal strife within Inferno, and things will just fall apart leaving those two no choice but to make a choice.

Asumming something will happen in the first place, of course.

[Buffalobiian]

Link to Episode 5 by Desire. May be the last.

http://www.cyber12.com/page-Phantom.html

[Yukimura]

Torrent for same "[Desire] Phantom - 05" as above (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=62212)

This release was also missing a few lines at around 19:06-19:10 mark.

When the guy gets off the phone and then starts talking to the wife he says "The Boss and Anton are safe" then there are three untranslated lines.

The guy continues on to say "But Rob and Lutz were..."
Then the wife says "Oh no...!"
Then the guy says, "In any case, you should stay with Duke for now."
Then the wife says "Okay" which is in the subs.

I got those omitted lines off the Funi stream, I suspect whoever did the script Timo used left them out by accident.

[Xelbair]

Timo used the same script from the crappy-sub link i provided - they said that they used Lance subs.

[Buffalobiian]

I always thought McCunnen didn't want Zwei to be simply a tool to Inferno, so I was initially confused by the "Wonderful (that you can kill little kids)" scene. It all seems a bit contradictory to what she keeps saying before.

[Kraco]

Hmm... I don't think there's any contradiction. They are separate things. She was the one who ordered those kids killed, following Inferno's motto of by any means necessary. I suppose that "wonderful" just indicated she was pleased with his work. If Zwei doesn't want to be a tool, according to McCunnen's views, he should at some point start to make plots of his own to further his own position (and enjoy his new life). I think that's what she's after, not rebelling against Inferno's goals and methods as such.

[shinta|hikari]

That "Wonderful" was a ploy to get into his pants, which I'm pretty sure she did.

Seriously though, I agree with Buff. It does seem kind of OOC for McCunnen to praise Zwei for following orders blindly. I'm pretty sure Zwei did not wish to kill the child, and would have avoided it if he could. But he still did it because he was ordered to do so, much like Ein.

The only reason I can think of is that McCunnen personally thinks that Zwei finally decided to do anything to further his rank in the organization, and has willingly accepted his fate in Inferno (which I very much doubt is the case), and praises him for it. She did say that even if the path was determined, Zwei gets to decide on the speed. Killing children kind of speeds up the process of becoming a cold-blooded assassin.

[Kraco]

I think it's pretty clear by now that if you want to be anybody in Inferno, you need to be ready for anything. It's that kind of an organization. That's the baseline from which you will start. Zwei would probably have been scrapped (like a flawed tool) if he hadn't been able to assassinate the mom and the kid.

That's my point, nothing more.

[Pessu]

Wow this series just became my current favourite. It has a pretty similar athmosphere to GunGrave which was my favourite anime series before it went all sci-fi. Especially the music is mind blowing. The chorus while Zwei killed that child and woman was so epic.

[Yukimura]

Phantom 01-05 (720p H264) - [Underwater] (http://underwater.dbmd.org/torrent/%5bUnderwater%5d%20Phantom%20-%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2001-05.torrent)

Relatively new group, OCRing subs from Funi and then going from there like a regular fansubbing group would (including QC). They use ordered chaps so make sure you dl the OP/ED and keep it in the same directory as the eps if you want it to be in every ep. Not based in the U.S and they claim they won't be bowing to any C&D's. I've downloaded the latest ep and will compare it to the ep 05's done by Desire and Timo later.

[Buffalobiian]

[Underwater] Phantom - Requiem for the Phantom - 06 [15E160D7].mkv (http://underwater.dbmd.org/torrent/%5bUnderwater%5d%20Phantom%20-%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2006%20%5b15E160D7%5d.mkv.torrent)

[Kraco]

Hmm... Maybe I need to change my views of how things might proceed in this series. Ein and Zwei are growing more and more estranged. Ein seems to see no other way but to stick to being a tool without thoughts and emotions, while Zwei has been thinking more and more. It's even furthered by the fact Scythe Master's little plays enhances Ein's tool feelings while Ms. McCunnen tries to make Zwei think (to undermine Scythe Master's control and power, no doubt).

Kind of a pity when at the same time we see more and more Ein fanservice... I guess under these kind of circumstances Zwei won't do what any healthy dude would attempt to do... Sometimes I think Ein is actively trying to gouge some kind of a response out of him by walking naked around him.

[shinta|hikari]

I've actually played Ein's arc in the DVD game (which is superb by the way, bar all the problems trying to make it work), and it seems the anime will not follow it, at least not completely. I'm not sure if they are following a different arc, or just completely made the current story up.

[Kraco]

Divergence continuum:

Episode 7 - Underwater (http://underwater.dbmd.org/torrent/%5bUnderwater%5d%20Phantom%20-%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2007%20%5bA9536925%5d.mkv.torrent)




- - - - - - -




Kind of hard to judge where this is going. Maybe this is nothing but an intermediate phase, separating those two more and more to force them to finally recognize they care about each other, or maybe this is a real story element and this will only go downhill from now on. It's quite a bit of psychology for them, of course. Will they make a decision for themselves or not. I guess that's the question. Ein doesn't look like she will do anything at all with the current pressure, but who knows if something really bad happened. Zwei is far more unstable and could go either way at any moment.

Regardless, Ms. McCunnen is pissing me off. Evil woman keeping Ein and Zwei separated.

[Buffalobiian]

Evil woman who's framing Scythe Master too. It seems she wasn't as dumb as I thought.

[Yukimura]

I think Ms. McCunnen is just being a good evil organization middle manager. Scythe Master seems somewhat dangerous to the overall organization because of the power he wields through Phantom as well as his readily apparent mental instability. On the flip side he's also a threat to her personal status in the organization as he steals glory like a starving raccoon. Sadly her homicidal insinuations about Ein all but doom her in my eyes. It's unfortunate too, getting rid of just Scythe Master and bringing both Ein and Zwei under her would have been great.

[Kraco]

She might be thinking Ein is too deeply under Scyther Master's control, and wouldn't serve well someone else. Maybe there's also a tiny bit of jealousy involved, though I can't really see her having such humane feelings... I suppose she only likes Zwei as a tool, even if she tries to brainwash him by telling he's no tool, which might be nothing but making sure he won't become another toy for Scythe Master.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 08 - Underwater (http://underwater.nyaatorrents.org/torrent/%5bUnderwater%5d%20Phantom%20-%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2008%20%5bB1442812%5d.mkv.torrent)

---------------
Heh, your own will my ass. Seeing McCunnen's evil scheming smile and all, she's no different from Scythe Master. I'm all for the pro-Phantom wagon now.

Girl with no memory runs away with a care-taker from an organisation in the Americas reminds me of BeeTrain's El Cazador more than ever, with this one obviously a lot more dark.

What makes me think things will be a bit more complicated than the generic runaway couple setup is Scythe Master himself. That fellow's no dumbass, and he probably saw this coming. Not soon enough to do anything about it except hide, but he'll make a comeback, possibly rallying the Phantoms back to his side then.

While on one side I'm thinking the getup feels "used", I can't say I'm unhappy with how things are developing so far. Far from any worst-case scenario I may have had in mind.

[Yukimura]

Lol yeah BeeTrain shows tend to be reminders of one another. Anyway, NEARLY NAKED EIN!!!!!

Now that that's out of the way. I though this ep was quite good. Ms McCunnen's scheming was creepy and devilish on multiple levels but I'm glad Zwei made the choice to go back to Ein. The scene with her getting impromptu surgery alone made this whole show worth it (as if it wasn't already).

One thing I did have a bit of a problem with was that Ein and Zwei seemed to be hiding out in their original training house which Scythe, Ms McCunnen, and even that long haired Asian looking guy had ALL been to. Why no one from Inferno bothered to look there seems rather strange.

[Kraco]

I couldn't avoid thinking the same thing: That place should have been one of the first places to check out when looking for them. Should I want the situation make any sense in that regard, I can only reckon very little time had actually passed at that point, and everybody was thinking Ein would still be in town. But it's a pretty thin margin for sure, especially with all the scenes of them sitting together with no urgency whatsoever. I guess it was just an unlikely case of a blunder: Surely she's not stupid enough to go there...

Forgetting that lapse in logic I also liked this episode tremendously. Zwei deciding not to care he got his identity back and instead going to save Ein was of course the only right thing to do, but it still felt good to see it happen. It would have been a bit too cruel if poor Ein first had got shot and then abandoned by Zwei as well. She probably expected such a thing to happen, seeing how she never dared to really hope for anything good, but that only made it better Zwei decided to find her.

Preview looked quite ominous, though.

[Buffalobiian]

I can sort of justify their not being found. Don't forget that this story started out with Zwei already being an assassin, while all that training stuff was just a flashback. We don't know how much time has lapsed during all that and now. The impression that I got was the duo have never gone back to hat place since killing the SEAL team member. They've been hiding in more urbanised place since, possibly multiple ones, making for easier deployment.

I can still see how hiding in a known place like that will raise eyebrows. Only other reason I can see is that everybody prioritised boxing them in first, then the search to flush them out.

As for the preview, Zwei wants to save Ein from within as well. In order to regain Ein's true identity, he's letting himself get caught by the organisation. (I refuse to think that after all that training, he'd get caught with a tap on the shoulder.)

(PS: Inferno leader has womanly legs :S)

[shinta|hikari]

Still, he is only one man, and is carrying around an injured albeit lethal girl.

The only reason "phantom" is feared so much in the underworld is because only Inferno, their masters, know their identities and faces. That makes them impossible to find or track, and coupled with superior killing skills, makes them the perfect assassins. But if a gigantic organization knows who you are, I doubt it's going to be easy trying to keep out of their grasp. You do have to eat and find shelter, and those things cost money and necessitates contact with the rest of society, both activities a possibility of being exposed and caught.

PS: That leg scene made me want to puke.

[EpyonNext]

In the immortal words of Gabe from PA: "Shit is about to get sweet."

[shinta|hikari]

I think it was more than sweet enough this episode, with the extremely erotic bullet removal scene.

Ein is just too hot, especially because even if she acts like a robot. Maybe that is why hearing her scream in ecstasy pain was so arousing amusing.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom- ED Single - Jigoku no Mon [ALI PROJECT].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Phantom%20-Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom-%20ED%20Single%20-%20Jigoku%20no%20Mon%20%5BALI%20PROJECT%5D.zip.tor rent)

Definitely not my favourite Ali Project songs. In fact, I think the only one I actually liked is Code Geass S1 ED1. .

[shinta|hikari]

I love Ali Project, so thanks. My favorite would have to be the one from Kaibutsu Oujo/Monster Princess. That was awesome.

[Xelbair]

Ali Project made OST for Hack//Roots right?

[shinta|hikari]

Most of them, with another of my favorite bands, Fiction Junction Yuuka, doing the rest.

[Xelbair]

Not my style of music but i really did enjoy Roots ost, and phantom ost is great too.
And phantom ep once again ended in cliffhanger - i just can't get enough of this series.

[EpyonNext]

I think it was more than sweet enough this episode, with the extremely erotic bullet removal scene.

Ein is just too hot, especially because even if she acts like a robot. Maybe that is why hearing her scream in ecstasy pain was so arousing amusing.

I'm talking more along the lines of two of the best assassins around are gonna start ruining peoples shit.

[Kraco]

Best assassins:

Episode 9 - Underwater (http://underwater.nyaatorrents.org/torrent/%5bUnderwater%5d%20Phantom%20-%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2009%20%5bAFC6A019%5d.mkv.torrent)


- - - - - - - --




Edit: A somewhat short honeymoon... I don't think Ein and Zwei's level of skill is quite consistent throughout the series. Sometimes they are like real, unstoppable killing machine, and then sometimes they let people sneak behind them like there're no worries in the world.

Plus Zwei should have fricking hugged Ein after he took the gun away from her and had his little speech. I'm almost amazed that didn't happen, especially now that the dude has his memories back.

[shinta|hikari]

I wondered the same thing, especially because in the game, he did.

Ein didn't do badly, while Reiji was stupid enough to hotwire a car from the outside with his back exposed to the world. Even a dumb cop could have arrested him.

[Buffalobiian]

There's always a hug in these sorts of scenes. Always. I suppose they held hands, but that's hardly a substitute.

As for Zwei, his mindset is completely different. As Ein said, he's not Zwei anymore. He's still got all his skills no doubt, but now that he's got more on his mind than just missions, I wouldn't expect him to be as good on a day to day basis. For example, he's not remembering everybody's characteristics anymore when he walks the streets normally, while he's been trained to do that, and only that, when he was Zwei.

Regardless, there's no excuse for stealing a car with the door open.

Ein was a tad slow too. The stalker drew the gun a fraction faster than her even though she crept up on him.

[shinta|hikari]

I guess that's what happens when you give emotions to previously numbed teenage killers. Doubt will definitely dull ones skill in anything, especially if it is something that normally causes guilt. Doubt and regret usually go hand-in hand.

[Yukimura]

Phantom - 08 (1280x720 H264) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2008%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b165276A5%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Phantom - 08 (XviD) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2008%20(XviD)%20%5b943F139C%5d.avi.torrent)
Phantom - 09 (1280x720 H264) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2009%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b1B927C1E%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Phantom - 09 (XviD) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2009%20(XviD)%20%5b27AA8D58%5d.avi.torrent)

The comments for these torrents indicate a dissatisfaction with accuracy of the Funimation sponsored subs that Underwater is basing their releases on. Something about Eren instead of Ellen was mentioned. I watched SoT's release for ep 09 and it said Ellen so idk.

[Buffalobiian]

It always amazes me that sponsored subs who would most likely have access to resources fansubs don't can still stuff up like this, if it is indeed the case. Normally, fine, but a name?

[Yukimura]

I tend to think the problem with 'sponsored' material is an overabundance of bureaucracy and red tape between decision making and actual appreciation for the product. A translator or editor in a fansub group would only bother doing the work because they honestly cared about either the show itself or at least cared about maintaining their own reputation within their group or the community at large. The corporate translators or editors could be working on the show just because it's their job and not care for the subtleties of the source material.

[Xelbair]

still once again i can't wait for next episode...damned cliffhangers.
Zwei was pretty stupid hotwiring that car, that was the only thing that annoyed me in this ep.

[Kraco]

All who draw the sword will die by the sword:

Episode 11 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2011%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b0C09B2B4%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Episode 10 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2010%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bDE6C428F%5d.mkv.tor rent)

Episode 11 xvid - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2011%20(XviD)%20%5bFF584B30%5d.avi.torrent)
Episode 10 xvid - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2010%20(XviD)%20%5b4EE20FE2%5d.avi.torrent)

Edit: Since crushing hopes is so sweet, I'll reveal here that episode 11 is 90% recap, with a little bit of new material here and there - so that you must suffer through it and not simply skip it.







- - - - - - - - - - -


The new material seems to reveal that Zwei crawled back to Inferno. It'd seem strange if you didn't consider the fact he might only want to be there to exact revenge. He surely seems now like a killing machine with nothing but malice residing inside him. At least I will be sorely disappointed if he's not there only to fill body bags when the perfect chance appears.

[Naruto_RNG]

how disappointing, and predictable too. He changed his master. Why would we want to c a recap within the spam of 10 eps? Instead of recap I think it would of been way better if they would show wut just happened during that 3 months.
If he is there for revenge he just missed his best opportunity to kill the main guy.

[Kraco]

He might want to take them all out. Although I suppose he might just have lost his heart, and is now there because nothing matters and it's the only thing he can do. Maybe the big-eyed girl shown in the preview will begin a gradual process of turning him back into a man from an emotionless killing machine (if that's what he became instead an incarnation of vengeance).

[Yukimura]

Lol the preview for 11 hinted at exactly what I expected. I figured after losing Ein Zwei would need something like a cheerful positive genki gir type person in order to re-regain his humanity (Like Saya for Train in Black Cat). I didn't expect him to go back to Inferno though, but perhaps they found him, stitched him up, and Clau rebrainwashed him some while he was hurt.

In any case, it seems Ein is really gone and that's about the worst thing that could possibly happen in this show. Still Ms. McCunnen still interests me and I want to see more of Zwei's jouney so I will persevere despite the tragic loss.

[Buffalobiian]

Ein....:(

I'm still going to tell myself she's out there somewhere, unless I see a grave or something.

[Kraco]

Hard to say for sure. Zwei's own scene certainly showed him receiving several rounds of slugs yet he seemed to be in perfect operational condition in this ep. Although the difference here is that we didn't see the bullets hit any vital areas. Ein's single wound was through her lung, and could cause problems if not treated immediately (instead of taking a dive in the ocean). Still, it wasn't immediately fatal like a heart hit.

However, considering we see a new girl in the next ep preview already it makes me think Ein has become nothing but a character development waypoint for Zwei already.

[Buffalobiian]

That also proposes another question:

What's her name going to be? Drei? :rolleyes:

[Kraco]

What's her name going to be? Drei? :rolleyes:

The name's Cal.

Episode 12 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2012%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bE8AF94F8%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Episode 12 xvid - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2012%20(XviD)%20%5b4AC5DE3D%5d.avi.torrent)

Edit:
Episode 13 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2013%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b1CAF3205%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Episode 13 xvid - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2013%20(XviD)%20%5bEF22D208%5d.avi.torrent)



- - - - - -




Well, she was that sort of a girl. I was expecting her to be somehow connected to Inferno, but she was more like a collateral victim. Now Zwei's partner... Haha, that was actually almost funny. She certainly had no idea what kind of a deal she made. It was pleasant Zwei went for it, though. Shows how he doesn't care anymore - even if down the line he might still start to care again.

Edit. #13 was surely a troublesome episode. I thought I saw some insanity in Zwei during ep #12, but this episode revealed the guy is actually a pussy, and nobody's afraid of him (except those who don't know him at all, only his reputation). I had been hoping he was a barely contained lose cannon, or a time bomb, waiting to break all hell around him, but instead he's very insecure and the Inferno bosses view him as nothing special.

What a bloody letdown. And here I was waiting for the ep when he would launch his masterplan of killing all of Inferno. The girl is kind of a nice character, but would probably be even more so, in reflection, if Zwei acted like a half insane hitman, and not like some neighbourhood dude, who just happens to have a couple of secrets and strange friends.

[Buffalobiian]

First of all, I'm totally into Zwei's new theme. Very appropriately gangstar!!

That aside, I'm with what Kraco said. The Zwei pre- and post- Cal were entirely different. The first was as if he's totally lost it, living on a work/reward (tits, as they put it) basis.

It's a bummer things have turned a bit more "normal" now, though Cal's development still holds my interest. Ein trained so she has a place to be (I presume), Zwei trained to live (as his talent's staying alive), so if Cal's talent is the will to kill, Zwei would certainly bait her that they know who killed Judy, but it's up to her to kill them.

Let's just hope she does have something up her sleeve and it wasn't all BS Zwei coughed up on the spot.

To my joy, I can only think of 1 person who's outline matches that of Episode 12 - 13:42.

[shinta|hikari]

Let's just hope she does have something up her sleeve and it wasn't all BS Zwei coughed up on the spot.

That should be a safe bet, since Reiji did call her a genius during the preview.


To my joy, I can only think of 1 person who's outline matches that of Episode 12 - 13:42.

Yuki should be ecstatic.

[Buffalobiian]

[Inferno] Requiem for the Phantom - 14 (1280x720 h264) [CBCD452D].mkv.torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=73603)

[Kraco]

Episode 15 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2015%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bF585CC75%5d.mkv.tor rent)


- - - - - -



This is no good. Like I said earlier, I was hoping Zwei had become a cracked killing machine after losing Ein, but instead, as was very clearly shown in this episode, he has become a broken assassin who can't even shoot without hesitation anymore, nor does he possess a sufficient mindset and attention. If McCunnen has any wits, she will get rid of Zwei and get a team of compenent men to replace him. Zwei is no good any longer. You can't rely on someone like that.

What comes to Zwei himself, he should stop pretending to be Phantom and hit the road before it's too late. It's painfully obviously he's not interested in the work anymore.

[shinta|hikari]

The reason why he couldn't shoot was because he thought the assassin was Ein. He can't really help it, since he actually saw Ein going down the elevator. Since the sniper is assumed to be the same person targeting the Japanese, the chances that the sniper was Ein is very high (she was actually, only not the one Reiji shot). In fact, the only reason to doubt such a possibility would be Reiji's past trauma, causing him to see things when he chased after the female assassin.

I'm pretty sure he can function properly outside of this exception. I don't think he ever did the assassin work out of interest, either. He simply realized he can't go back to any normal life since he already has so much blood on his hands, explicitly shown when he chose to forgo calling home years ago. Being a killer is his only way of life, except killing himself maybe,

[Kraco]

I'm pretty sure he can function properly outside of this exception.

Unfortunately that exception will haunt him forever from now on. He will always be a second late, and that means there's nothing but the plot of the show between him getting killed first or failing the mission. Plot devices aren't my favorite plot elements... He should take a leave of absence from his other work to hunt down Ein (and Scythe Master). It's quite obvious that is what he would really want to do, regardless of the fact he now has Cal's life to worry about as well.

[Buffalobiian]

Well, most (if any) negative feelings towards Zwei was completely blown away during the last few seconds of the episode for me.

Ein's back with a bang (literally). It was sort of bothering me how each new successor to the name Phantom seemed to be naturally more talented than the last. They always named Ein the best sniper though, and I'm glad they used this opportunity to demonstrate that. Even without seeing her face, Zwei realises the only person who is capable of sniping at such distances is Elen.

Claudia has a huge tattoo on her back? .....

Okay, she's still sexy, but she loses a point now. I always thought Claudia was attractive, but I couldn't figure out why. A certain shot this episode had her looking almost identical to Galetea from Claymore, which explains everything.

It's hard to say for me if I like Zwei hanging around Cal so much. It's just too easy-going when I see them around, and I can't really get into the mood that this is supposed to be a critical counter-sniping mission, or that it's their last chance.

On the other hand though, it helps establish how much of a prodigy Cal is, and how Zwei is slowly helping her along the way, instead of her suddenly becoming a pro assassin out of the blue.

[shinta|hikari]

@Kraco - He will only be a second late if the enemy is possibly Elen. If he was tasked to kill someone else (which is practically what he does, since he is an assassin), his issue with Elen should not matter. The main weakness here does not lie with him being unable to do his job in general, but with the fact that he cannot possibly kill Elen again, and that Elen seems to be their enemy. These problems are limited to this specific case.

I do agree that Reiji would definitely want to find Elen if he is 100% sure she is alive. Right now, he probably still has doubts, and that would prevent him from simply going on a search while neglecting his duties (which I'm pretty sure is not allowed in Inferno, anyway).

[Yukimura]

I have come up with a prediction for the endgame of this series. Ein and Zwei play cat and mouse for a while longer, eventually Scythe is killed off but not before ordering Ein to either kill Zwei or do something that requires killing him to get to her objective. Ein and Zwei face off, wounding each other. Zwei ends up getting the upper hand but Ein manages to incapacitated/kill him due to a hesitation to rekill her. Cal witnesses this whole fight, perhaps also flashing back and revealing that it really was Ein who killed her roomate, then she kills Ein, as she glitches over killing Zwei. Then the ever manipulative Ms. McCunnen, injured perhaps but still viable after the final showdown, recruits Cal into Inferno as the new Phantom candidate. Roll credits.

[Kraco]

Haha. Just a bit morbid scenario prediction, eh? After Ein and Zwei both miraculously surviving once, I'm having a tad hard time believing they would both get killed again. What good was killing and "resurrecting" them in the first place if they are simply killed again? Now that they are both obviously alive, I could even see a happy ending to this series, though I'm not really expecting one. Cal is one big question mark, though. Obviously she will have one big role or another before the end.

[Buffalobiian]

As much as I wish all three ex-Phantoms-to-be would survive, I like Yuki's prediction. It's fittingly morbid.

[shinta|hikari]

A little too morbid for my taste. What usually keeps me going in dark series is the chance for a happy ending, and vice-versa. The contrast is always a good thing when done well.

[Kraco]

Cat and mouse:

Episode 16 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2016%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bE2ACED82%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Episode 16 xvid - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2016%20(XviD)%20%5bBD8BA066%5d.avi.torrent)





- - - - - - - - -



Edit: Hmm... This is certainly going down a very textbook path right now. Even to the point the yakuza underling didn't even ask where Scythe magically got the photo so conveniently. Aside from that Reiji certainly isn't Zwei anymore. I guess he pretty much said it himself in this episode as well: When he began to take care of Cal he ceased to be an assassin. So, you might say he switched from being Phantom to being a random gangster when he switched from serving death to serving life.

I'm not really expecting too much anymore from the next ep's fight. Although maybe we will already see an interesting death.

[Buffalobiian]

[Inferno] Requiem for the Phantom - 17 (1280x720 h264) [6897F65B].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=76959)

[Yukimura]

Well that ending would have actually been impactful if people actually stayed dead in this show. That said, they did take Cal's little snapshot out of the midway break so maybe she really was there (lol as if).

[Buffalobiian]

I certainly wasn't expecting the Godouh Group to actually figure out the situation. Scythe still set them up, and they were still being used, but it was much better than the "Phantom killed my man!" revenge brawl I had in mind.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom- Original Soundtrack.zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Phantom%20-Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom-%20Original%20Soundtrack.zip.torrent)

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - Episode 18 (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2018%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b27089758%5d.mkv.tor rent)

[Yukimura]

Loved this episode, normally I don't even notice these things but I liked the background music selections in some of the scenes. Ein x Zwei forever! That said, I'm concerned about whether the Cal shots in the preview are more than just lead up to what we saw at the end of 17. I fear we will come to find out she survived and will be holding a grudge at Reiji for seemingly abandoning her.

[Buffalobiian]

Loved this episode, normally I don't even notice these things but I liked the background music selections in some of the scenes. Ein x Zwei forever! That said, I'm concerned about whether the Cal shots in the preview are more than just lead up to what we saw at the end of 17. I fear we will come to find out she survived and will be holding a grudge at Reiji for seemingly abandoning her.

I was thinking along the same lines too.

It was greatly satisfying to know that Ein didn't actually fall back to her killing-machine state, but was living because of Reiji. Reunions rather than "win back Ein" speeches are almost always better, since the feelings aren't so one-sided.

While the thought of maximum Ein fanservice is tempting, the lighting plus censoring made that scene gave that scene a rather elegant atmosphere. Full view would have dropped its appeal from artistic to a cheapened sexual nature

It was still funny seeing Ein get changed into casual clothing for the fight (makes it easier to strip I suppose (^ ^) ), then change back to assassin-clothes for their getaway.

"I'd love to ride the owner too." <- I wonder if that pun works just as well in Japanese.

[shinta|hikari]

I think Elen changed her clothes because she wanted to die in her normal clothes, not the one she used for killing (most of the time, anyway). Elen did go to that place to die. Killing Reiji never crossed her mind.

[Kraco]

The dead really should be less restless in this show. Although considering Cal's part the truth is of course that she has had very little part so far. If Ein/Elen hadn't made a comeback, killing Cal would have probably cracked Reiji for good - like I was hoping would happen already when Elen seemed to die. Now that Elen x Reiji is better than ever, Cal's role will probably be to mix the soup a little more, much to Scythe's delight, no doubt.

Hopefully we will at least see a jealous Cal vs Elen scene before the end, with Reiji helplessly trapped in the middle. The guy would surely deserve it. After all, nobody seems to die so why not?

[Buffalobiian]

It's scary how Scythe's new toys literally seem like puppets, strings and all. If Elen and Cal ever make up, I'd be looking forward to some Ein/Zwei/Drei? vs Mass Production Phantoms fight.

The way Scythe seems to be climbing the Inferno ladder again, it would also be Ex-Phantoms vs Inferno Phantoms.

[shinta|hikari]

Didn't Claudia die though?

I'm pretty sure she's not coming back, with the fancy death scene and all.

[Buffalobiian]

Didn't Claudia die though?

Yeah. I'm positive that the pair of gravestones were her's and her brother's. Why do you say that?

[shinta|hikari]

The dead really should be less restless in this show.

After all, nobody seems to die so why not?

That was a comment to this.

[Buffalobiian]

Recap Episode:

Inferno - Episode 19 (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2019%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b9DF3D0FE%5d.mkv.tor rent)

The preview got me REALLY excited. :D

[shinta|hikari]

A recap episode at 19? How random. Yet I think there are other anime doing this as well this season.

[Yukimura]

Come now, it wasn't completely recap, it did confirm some things that were already strongly hinted and fleshed out what happened to Cal after the explosion. The big 'reveal' for me was that Ein was not just observing that bad drug deal where Judy died, it was her profile that was seen chasing the guys fleeing the scene. I would assume that she was the only one armed since 3 grown men were running from her rather than trying to shoot her so she was probably the one who killed Judy. Scythe will undoubtedly use this tidbit as part of his conditioning of Cal for the inevitable battle against Elen and Reiji.

[Buffalobiian]

Not completely recap for sure, but the majority was.

An episode 19 recap is less common, but I can see they're trying to split the story into the 3 various arcs, each with their respective leading Phantom Ein/Zwei/Drei(?).

[Kraco]

1, 2, 3...

Episode 20 - Inferno (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2020%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bB20DC033%5d.mkv.tor rent)





- - - - - - - -



Edit: I have a feeling Scythe pumped some selected hormones into Cal to make her change so much in mere two years. Nevertheless, she certainly looks like a willing slave to the Inferno. Little girl's grudge can be a terrible thing.

Elen and Reiji were certainly taking things leisurely, even if they kept close to the Godoh link. They did want to separate themselves from the criminal world but I expected them to launch an attack against Scythe to gain some degree of freedom (if succesful), not just play around for two years doing little. Somewhat strange and careless.

The most interesting thing willl be to see whether Reiji can fight against Cal.

[shinta|hikari]

Launching an attack against Scythe is launching an attack against Inferno. It is foolish and hopeless. They may be awesome as assassins, but facing an entire organization who are aware of their identities is definitely not within their abilities. I think this show has emphasized this point several times already.

Living freely for two years is already quite an achievement. If they only had to lay low to get it, it was well worth it.

[Kraco]

I don't think Inferno fully trusts Scythe (if it trusts anybody for that matter) and furthermore Scythe is kind of a loner anyway. They could specifically target him and him alone, then disappear. It should reduce considerably the attention Inferno would grant on them, because Scythe is the one mostly feeling betrayed and also interested in his own twisted kind of way. He considers Ein and Zwei his own creations, after all, and likely now wants to test his later subjects against the older ones.

You say living freely for two years is an achievement but I disagree. They both knew it would end rather sooner than later, so what manner of an achievement is that? They probably know they will need to deal with the situation in a more permanent manner, and thus what they have been doing is nothing but postponing the inevitable.

[shinta|hikari]

Postponing the inevitable is an achievement, don't you think? A rather extreme example would be postponing death, yet most people don't seem to think living longer is meaningless. Elen said it herself. She was happy seeing Reiji happy. If you think only a more permanent happiness is meaningful, then that is your prerogative. But some people believe otherwise, like our two protagonists.

Inferno itself wants the two phantom's heads. It doesn't have anything to do with grudges. They betrayed Inferno by leaving, and for just that Inferno will try and kill them. The first time they tried to escape, they were hunted down immediately by Inferno. If they go around trying to hunt people from Inferno (yes, Scythe does count), that would only aggravate the situation, not to mention risk exposing themselves to more danger.

[Kraco]

They weren't hunted down by Inferno as much as they were hunted down by Scyther and McCunnen for their own ends. I mean, nobody really paid any attention to the Phantom aside from marvelling their efficiency. I don't think they really even paid attention to their faces. The second time they hunted Reiji because they though he was likely neck deep in McCunnen's plots anyway and thus completely untrustworthy. However, at that point Inferno hardly knew Elen was still alive. Scythe hardly advertised he still had an uber assassin in his backpocketses when the other Inferno people were wondering how so many people were dying all around them.

In the end Inferno would likely kill them if given a decent chance but I don't see them going out of their way to hunt them down from the far reaches of the world. Where's the profit in that? Scythe is another matter, because that man is not intested in money or power, just his dolls. That's why killing Scythe would turn Inferno into an ordinary mafia and much more predictable. At that point Elen and Reiji would be much safer just running away and hiding, without the need to worry about Scythe's unpredictable plans.

[Buffalobiian]

Reiji was taking things a bit too easily, since that 9mm could have easily gone for his head instead of an ornament, but I don't think killing Scythe is as easy as it sounds. They're two assassins, but they no longer had the backing they once did. Before they had connection, intel and money from Inferno to back them up in their operations. Now, they've not only lost that, but it's the very power they're up against. While Kraco's got a point that Inferno may not be actively pursuing them, they've probably got a kill-on-sight, or at least report-on-sight order for them, forbidding them to get too close.

On the other hand, this episode did nicely in portraying the effect this all had on Reiji's life. The first segment felt almost too good to be true, only to be brought back to reality with the all too familiar firearm. (I was actually in emotional conflict for the first half. Elen as a sister only? NOOOOO!!! ---> but that's all good now :) )

I remember Kraco saying how he wished Zwei would break after Elen died during the second arc. We never got that, but I feel Cal would be the closest thing yet to a crazed killer. Scythe hinted at some other creations of his, but those seemed to be mere killing puppets without the feelings the first three Phantoms possessed.

Cal's proportions are :eek:. Her unnatural maturity is bordering on being uncomfortable to watch/see. Ah well, with McCunnen dead they'll need someone to take over those big boobs.

[shinta|hikari]

I don't think killing Scythe is as easy as it sounds. They're two assassins, but they no longer had the backing they once did. Before they had connection, intel and money from Inferno to back them up in their operations. Now, they've not only lost that, but it's the very power they're up against.

Exactly.

@ Kraco

Scythe is a major part of Inferno now, especially since the two other big bosses are dead. If it is Scythe hunting them now (and it probably is because of Cal's presence) then he is most likely assigned by Inferno, or at the very least volunteered to take the assignment himself. This does not mean that Inferno would not send their own people had Scythe not been there.

When Claudia and Lizzie hunted them down before, it was because they represented Inferno as well. It also doesn't mean that no one else looked for them. It just so happened that they were found by Lizzie first.

There is enough evidence that Inferno is hunting Reiji and Elen down actively in this episode alone. They both know that their peaceful times would not last. They said so themselves. When Reiji was shot at, the first name they thought of was "Inferno", not Scythe. Those two worked for the organization, so they know best how that organization works, as well as the protocol for certain cases (like theirs).

Also, it is not just about profit, but liability. Having your two extremely skilled ex-assassins running around with potential to severely hurt your organization with the information and talent that they possess is not a good idea. The two may have little chance of winning, but pose a great risk nonetheless.

[FaramirRat]

As u can see this is my second post, though i read these forums alot. I dont even wanna discuss the series i would just like to say how good it is. Ive been watching anime sense friggin thunder cats if u can classify that as an anime. This anime is one of the best i've ever watched on par with cowboy bebop and others i hope they keep up the good work and bring more thrill. This anime would be great for the discussion of new vrs old anime and how supposebly less effort is put into the new ones and they are all the same. Though this is similar to other animes the twists and turns and the story just keeps u on your heels. I dunno i wish more newer anime were more like this with great story lines and great animation. This show makes u believe it can be done and hopefully will be done. I applaud this anime even if the ending doesnt end to my liking it is still a great anime to watch week to week.

[Kraco]

Scythe is a major part of Inferno now, especially since the two other big bosses are dead. If it is Scythe hunting them now (and it probably is because of Cal's presence) then he is most likely assigned by Inferno, or at the very least volunteered to take the assignment himself. This does not mean that Inferno would not send their own people had Scythe not been there.

I guess our disagreement boils down to our different views of Scythe. I never looked at him like a man who had any love whatsoever for Inferno. He was simply using them as a steady base for funding, security, and - most importantly - a chance for plenty of opportunities to test his creations in practice. I don't think we have seen any scenes in the whole series where Scythe would have been more interested in becoming powerful in Inferno than his deadly dolls.

Of course we can't also forget the fact that Elen actually knows Scythe betrayed Inferno as much as McCunnen did. That's quite a liability, like you said, but not for Inferno, only for Scythe.

Anyway, Inferno is hardly like a country with endlessly patriotic people ready to die for it. It's just a mafia organization not even made out of old family the Italian way but a mixed collection of criminals either crushed and forced to serve it or driven by greed to join it for higher profits and power. What I mean to say is there's no single will of Inferno but a bunch of executives each trying to get stronger than the others.

[shinta|hikari]

I never said that Scythe is not moving because of his own motives. I said that Inferno has a reason for and is hunting down the two former phantoms. Scythe can use Inferno as much as he wants. It doesn't change the fact that Inferno actively wants to kill Elen and Reiji, and has probably assigned Scythe to do it.

There are tons more information, like faces, location of offices/bases etc that can be used against them, most of which have nothing to do with Scythe. Don't forget that Reiji has met with the big boss several times.

Please don't forget that Inferno has a leader. Even Claudia and Isaac constantly obeyed McGuire's orders. Now that they are dead, it can even be said that Inferno has a single will. Still, this has nothing to do with the basic idea of wanting to kill traitors from your organization.

Please remember the case when Ein and Scythe betrayed the organization. Didn't McGuire himself task Reiji to hunt and kill them? Why? Because they are traitors, like Reiji and Elen are now. I don't get what is so hard to understand about this.

[oyabun]

Inferno kills those who betrays or those who they think betrayed them period. Reiji and Elen was running from them from the start. Remember from Palau islands to Philippines. It was inferno who was hunting them. Betrayal for inferno warrants you to have killed at all cost. Whatever the reason.

[Kraco]

I never said Inferno doesn't want them killed. Of course it does. It's the most infamous and ruthless of all the mafia groups, wich is exactly why it wiped out so many of its competitors. What I have been trying to say that if Elen and Reiji took out Scythe, their hiding would become considerably easier because Scythe is the innovative maniac inside Inferno. The rest are just plain old boring mafiosos without him. And you can always guess how the usual mafia types act, even if they happen to be a bit more ruthless than non-Inferno ones.

Surely you haven't forgotten that Scythe is badass enough to even mock Inferno all he wants, like he did when he plotted McCunnen's downfall. In fact this McGuire fellow, whom everybody seems to listen to, hasn't done anything at all during the show. He was simply dancing on Scythe's palm trying to look calm and composed.

Surely you aren't next going to tell me that Scythe sending cracked Cal, with no doubt top-notch assassin training, after Reiji and Elen is equal to the ordinary nameless grunts they will also be facing no doubt. Those nameless grunts would have been everything McGuire could have ever sent.

[shinta|hikari]

In the end Inferno would likely kill them if given a decent chance but I don't see them going out of their way to hunt them down from the far reaches of the world. Where's the profit in that?

This is what you said before. What I am trying to point out is that they are going out of their way to hunt them down from the far reaches of the world. Even if it is Scythe doing the hunting, it is most likely because he volunteered for the existing task or was assigned to do it.

I also agree that if they did kill Scythe, it would be considerably easier to hide and live freely. Heck, I bet Reiji would kill Scythe the first second he could just for ruining his and Elen's life (though Scythe was also the reason they met in the first place). The problem with that plan is, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for the two of them to kill Scythe right now, for reasons me and Buff have stated before. You yourself admit that this guy is badass, and you want two people with no information, no backup, and limited resources to go and attack him?

[Kraco]

Would Inferno without Scythe have even found them? Scythe likely found them simply because he knew of the girl. However, the other person who knew of her was the former no.2, now the boss of the Godoh group, and he would have more likely kept the girl a secret than reveal her to all of Inferno (unless we will learn in the next episode he himself wants to get rid of the girl or marry her or something else). So, Inferno wouldn't have gone out of their way since they wouldn't have had anywhere to go in the first place. The world is a big place and Inferno is not like CIA or something with crazy resources for finding individuals (and even CIA can't find one terrorist boss).

What comes to offing Scythe, Ein and to a lesser extent Zwei are probably the two persons who could mostly guess how Scythe would behave or react, thus granting more opportunities. Even without Inferno backing them, they are still the original two uber assassins that everybody was afraid of.

[shinta|hikari]

Would Inferno without Scythe have even found them? Scythe likely found them simply because he knew of the girl. However, the other person who knew of her was the former no.2, now the boss of the Godoh group, and he would have more likely kept the girl a secret than reveal her to all of Inferno (unless we will learn in the next episode he himself wants to get rid of the girl or marry her or something else). So, Inferno wouldn't have gone out of their way since they wouldn't have had anywhere to go in the first place. The world is a big place and Inferno is not like CIA or something with crazy resources for finding individuals (and even CIA can't find one terrorist boss).

What's your point? Scythe is in Inferno now. I even agreed with you that it would be easy for Reiji and Elen to hide if Scythe is out of the equation. Still, I would not underestimate a worldwide criminal organization. There is always a paper trail somewhere. Didn't they move several times for the first year and a half of their escape before settling in Japan?


In the end Inferno would likely kill them if given a decent chance but I don't see them going out of their way to hunt them down from the far reaches of the world. Where's the profit in that?

Not going out of their way because they have no means is different from not going out of their way because they see no benefit in it. Which is it?


What comes to offing Scythe, Ein and to a lesser extent Zwei are probably the two persons who could mostly guess how Scythe would behave or react, thus granting more opportunities. Even without Inferno backing them, they are still the original two uber assassins that everybody was afraid of.

This is wishful thinking. You yourself said that Scythe is using Inferno and its resources. The odds are just too bad, and is not worth risking their freedom (even if it is limited) for. If they knew where Scythe was, what he was doing, and what his assets (weapons, allies, and resources) are specifically, then it might be possible. They don't, and most likely cannot find out. Scythe isn't exactly the most straightforward character in the show. Even Inferno (his "boss") doesn't know what he is doing half of the time.

[Kraco]

Not going out of their way because they have no means is different from not going out of their way because they see no benefit in it. Which is it?


Still, I would not underestimate a worldwide criminal organization. There is always a paper trail somewhere.

Sure there is a way if they for example hire a thousand private investigators to look for them. But who in Inferno will let go of the millions of dollars to fund such a search? And what says the investment would benefit more than just let Reiji hide (do they even know Elen is out there? Except for Scythe). However, Scythe telling them it would be worth it to check this one place costs them the price of plane tickets to go there and have a look around.

What I'm saying that without Scythe (if Reiji and Elen had killed him) it might not be worth the millions for Inferno to overly actively look for Reiji. Sure they still would look for him, he's a traitor after all, but likely without that much success if Reiji and Elen had been careful. Although as it is their current location was anything but carefully chosen, so maybe Elen's thinking like I am anyway.

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - Episode 21 (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2021%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bCF4F6222%5d.mkv.tor rent)

[Kraco]

Who the heck taught those Chinese criminals to shoot? Or rather, who the heck was supposed to teach them but never appeared for the duty? That was the most miserable gunfight so far in the series and was on a par with the likes of Noir, Madlax, and others from that gun hating franchise. I was hoping to get to see Cal show skills like Ein and Zwei possessed but instead it was so bad I couldn't even laugh.

I hope the next episode will turn out better. Much better.

Edit: Oh, being so pissed off by the horrible gunfight I almost forgot to mention that I was so correct and you guys so wrong. Inferno wasn't there for the old Phantoms at all and even Scythe himself has only marginal interest, probably mostly due to the fact that killing those two would perfect Drei.

So, screw you, guys (especially you, shinta)!

[Board of Command]

Who the heck taught those Chinese criminals to shoot?
Blame the guns, not the shooters ;)

[shinta|hikari]

Oh, being so pissed off by the horrible gunfight I almost forgot to mention that I was so correct and you guys so wrong. Inferno wasn't there for the old Phantoms at all and even Scythe himself has only marginal interest, probably mostly due to the fact that killing those two would perfect Drei.

So, screw you, guys (especially you, shinta)!

What? What specifically made you say that? Because there was another mission aside from killing Phantom? Just because Scythe himself only wants to perfect Drei doesn't mean that Inferno itself isn't hunting down Phantom.

Only you said that Scythe has some sort of vendetta against the escaped Phantoms, which we now see to be untrue, since Drei is the one that has an issue with them. Just because Inferno wasn't there for the old Phantoms (probably because they are not aware they are even there, excluding Scythe of course) does not mean that they are not hunting them down. Scythe has his own motives, but this does not negate Inferno's motives at all.

Btw, I have seen this episode (the raw) and played the entire game before I made my previous comments.

[Kraco]

Doesn't change a thing. Already in the van Scythe said the man who helped him while he was outside of Inferno needs to die because he knows too much. If that's true, it's certainly true as well for Ein and Zwei. In the end listening to Scythe's words too intensively is no good because the dude's totally amoral but yet is a master of psychology and brain washing.

What I mainly meant up there is that without Scythe here now, Elen and Reiji would have continued living their pretty illusion even with Inferno assassinating people right next door - neither side never knowing of the other's presence. That's the only point I have been trying to prove: That with Scythe out of the equation, they would have little to worry about. And I deem this episode in my opinion indeed proved my position.

And I'm certainly not interested in raw or game material prophesies in this thread. So, you saying that means nothing at all to me. Rather, if I still prove you wrong, it will look very strange indeed.

[Buffalobiian]

What I mainly meant up there is that without Scythe here now, Elen and Reiji would have continued living their pretty illusion even with Inferno assassinating people right next door - neither side never knowing of the other's presence. That's the only point I have been trying to prove: That with Scythe out of the equation, they would have little to worry about. And I deem this episode in my opinion indeed proved my position.
.

True. What I said was it's not that easy, and both sides know it. If it wasn't, Scythe wouldn't drop by into the school with nothing but a book.

----------

Scythe said Drei's driven by hatred, and her #1 hatred is for whoever killed Judy. I'm positive the entire thing was ordered by Scythe and carried out by Elen, so if Cal really did find out who was behind the shooting, it could be a turning point for her.

Currently though, since she's not aiming her gun at Scythe, she's probably just succeeding the Phantom name by killing the old ones, rather than because she knows Elen pulled the trigger.

I'm digging the new ED, but not so much the OP. The animation's good to watch though, and I take it as a flashback of what the last 2 years (or 6 months in Japan) were like for both parties. Cal must have been a hungry teen with that sort of appetite. All that training must keep the fat off where you don't want it.

[shinta|hikari]

What I mainly meant up there is that without Scythe here now, Elen and Reiji would have continued living their pretty illusion even with Inferno assassinating people right next door - neither side never knowing of the other's presence. That's the only point I have been trying to prove: That with Scythe out of the equation, they would have little to worry about. And I deem this episode in my opinion indeed proved my position.

The funny thing about that is, I said this several posts before.


I also agree that if they did kill Scythe, it would be considerably easier to hide and live freely. Heck, I bet Reiji would kill Scythe the first second he could just for ruining his and Elen's life (though Scythe was also the reason they met in the first place). The problem with that plan is, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for the two of them to kill Scythe right now, for reasons me and Buff have stated before.

You are arguing a point I never disagreed to. What I disagreed to was the same as Buff, which is the text in bold.

I know that this is the only thing you were trying to prove, since you said so in one of your later posts (the one which I didn't reply to, since I didn't disagree with the content). But like I said, nothing in that episode disproves anything I have said so far. It just supports the single argument you were trying to make, which I agreed to, so I am glad to be proven right as well.

Just for clarification, I quote myself on my stance.


If it is Scythe hunting them now (and it probably is because of Cal's presence) then he is most likely assigned by Inferno, or at the very least volunteered to take the assignment himself. This does not mean that Inferno would not send their own people had Scythe not been there.

EDIT: I did not mean my comment about having watched the raw or played the game in that manner. Please don't take offense. I merely wished to point out that I am not arguing out of ignorance, and that is why I left that comment in white (like a spoiler), since it was never supposed to be replied to.

[Kraco]

Nah. Arguing out of ignorance is the normal way to go if we assume the normal situation is to talk about different interpretations and predictions that will only be verified by future episodes. Which is exactly why you mentioning watching raws and the game pissed me off, because it creates unequal situation - making me argue the normal way and you the abnormal way.

But anyway, I agree that issue is largely over now. With Scythe stuffing the changed situation down Reiji and Elen's throat, I surely hope those two will realise there's no assured rest for them as long as the man keeps breathing.

And who knows, the situation I was hoping for half a series ago might still happen: Drei kills Elen, Reiji becomes a totally cracked madman psycho who slaughters every last Inferno man and woman from McGuire and Scythe to the most remote garbage collector. And at the very end he would arrange himself to get killed by Drei, who would then turn back into Cal after the bloody deed and live a miserable life of solitude and regret.

[shinta|hikari]

That is one tragic prediction. I for one would want a happier ending, preferably with Elen and Reiji alive.

[Kraco]

Haha. So would I. I only hoped for such a grim outcome after I believed Elen died (against my better judgement like this nobody-important-ever-dies series later showed). But I do have one requirement of utmost importance: Reiji and Elen can't live as a bloody brother and sister. They gotta live as a husband and wife.

[Buffalobiian]

But I do have one requirement of utmost importance: Reiji and Elen can't live as a bloody brother and sister. They gotta live as a husband and wife.

I can't agree more. I flipped when Elen called Reiji her brother. I'm trying to imagine how Ein, Zwei and Drei all fit in the happy ending though. Cal certainly sees Reiji as more than a brother, and she doesn't look like the type to share. Reiji probably wouldn't, and as long as he's happy, Elen would keep her opinions to herself. I would really feel sorry for her if that happened though.

[Yukimura]

Wow I'm glad I've been gone for a while and didn't get sucked into that argument fest. But it's nice to see someone else being the lone dissenter. Anyway, better late than never... OMG Cal, plz be my mistress (Elen is still my #1 waifu candidate) As someone mentioned earlier I kind of feel wrong looking at new Cal with the sort of lustful eyes her new shapely form deserves but I just can't not do it.

As for the outcome of this arc...OMG tension! Scythe is such a good asshole character I cant' help but love him for being so good at being so evil/nefarious/mean. I feel like Elen is going to die by the time this is all over and if that's the case the only thing I can hope for is that Reiji dies too (after wtfpwning Scythe of course) and the we get a nice Oboro x Genosuke (Basilisk) style scene at the end and they can be together for ever in the next world.

I feel really bad on the Cal front though, she has just been screwed six ways to Sunday and I don't think anything will end well where she is concerned, though hopefully she'll be brought out of her hatred by the end. I'm so strongly in love with this show it's almost frightening, I just hope they can pull together an ending worthy of the rest of the series in terms of both badassness and emotional impact.

[EpyonNext]

I stopped watching around episode 11 and just picked this back up recently. I'm really enjoying it now, but no matter the end, I fully hope that Scythe dies in a horrible fashion. As far as characters go, he is the most smug asshole I've seen in like....ever.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom- ED2 Single - Transparent [KOKIA].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Phantom%20-Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom-%20ED2%20Single%20-%20Transparent%20%5BKOKIA%5D.zip.torrent)

[Yukimura]

Phantom - Requiem for the Phantom - 22 (720p H264) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2022%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bEE4E6384%5d.mkv.tor rent)
Phantom - Requiem for the Phantom - 22 (XviD) - [Inferno] (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2022%20(XviD)%20%5bDE0DAF04%5d.avi.torrent)

[Board of Command]

So what happened at the end of this episode? She let the remaining guy bang her?

[Yukimura]

Somehow that wouldn't surprise me. Poor Reiji though, two hot chicks fighting over him but no chance of a reconciliation threeway.

[Kraco]

If Reiji wants to save Cal, he needs to get through to her somehow. The girl already has one foot in a grave and the other slipping in. Even if she managed to kill both Reiji and Ein, she would just follow them very soon after herself. Such a husk of a person. Even Scythe should be realising Drei is vastly inferior to Ein and Zwei as a pawn and experiment.

[Buffalobiian]

Such a husk of a person. Even Scythe should be realising Drei is vastly inferior to Ein and Zwei as a pawn and experiment.

A few episodes ago, Scythe mentioned to Reiji that Drei is inferior to Zwei and Ein. At least for now. Throughout the story, they've highlighted the strengths of each Phantom. Ein was the least naturally spectacular. Previously having no free will, she was the stereotypical brainwashed assassin. That did work to her advantage though. As possibly the most calculative of them, her lack of "urges" made her into a better sniper than even the later models.(it's not an explicit point, but I inferred it that way). She's also the most experienced.

Zwei had a special talent where he has great self control over his own urges too. That was demonstrated when he hid in a building for lengthy periods of time to avoid Ein when he was hunted despite being hungry, and more recently when he didn't kill Scythe despite his hatred for him. His survival instinct is his second gift that supplements for Ein's experience (example was when he saved her in the car-fight scene outside the shopping center back then), which may explain his preference for closer-quarter semi-automatics.

Seeing how Zwei balanced control and intent perfectly, Scythe decided to experiment by applying the emotion "hatred" to Drei, without brainwashing. She's been portrayed to be the most talented assassin of them all regarding weapon use, but her unpredictability and emotional fluctuations make her too unreliable, despite her exceptional abilities. In that restaurant fight, I think she used a fully automatic pistol.

So back the the point, as a pawn Cal is certainly inferior. In fact, only Ein would make the perfect pawn. Reiji would be too, if only he was loyal to Inferno (making it a no). As an experiment, I would call her interesting, because I saw experimenting as "discovering/playing with" rather than "manufacturing".

------------------------
I was really thinking Elen would die this episode. Hopefully she doesn't, but killing her must be all that's on Cal's mind right now, thanks to Zwei's lack of tact.

[shinta|hikari]

Cal still seems to think that Zwei abandoned her knowing that she was alive. Maybe she will change her mind if she realizes that Reiji believed her to be dead after that explosion.

Cal also misinterpreted Reiji's seemingly tactless line. Reiji did not offer his life to protect Elen (though I believe he would if needed). He offered his life to Cal as a means of atonement, for not being able to save her and dragging her into his world. If he was willing to die to save someone at that moment, it was Cal. She was just too blinded by her twisted love for Reiji to see it.

[Kraco]

A few episodes ago, Scythe mentioned to Reiji that Drei is inferior to Zwei and Ein. At least for now.

Yeah. But these episodes made me decide she won't ever be a better one. Now she's burning like a torch but if she managed to kill Reiji and Elen, she would be nothing but a pile of ash. The hatred seems to be her only driving force and once it's gone..? Unless she somehow manages to find a new hatred, but I doubt it could be toward anything else but herself and Inferno.


As an experiment, I would call her interesting, because I saw experimenting as "discovering/playing with" rather than "manufacturing".

I suppose so, but on the other hand I think the experiment is already more or less over.

[Buffalobiian]

Cal still seems to think that Zwei abandoned her knowing that she was alive. Maybe she will change her mind if she realizes that Reiji believed her to be dead after that explosion.

Cal also misinterpreted Reiji's seemingly tactless line. Reiji did not offer his life to protect Elen (though I believe he would if needed). He offered his life to Cal as a means of atonement, for not being able to save her and dragging her into his world. If he was willing to die to save someone at that moment, it was Cal. She was just too blinded by her twisted love for Reiji to see it.

That was part of why I said Reiji was tactless (not exactly the right word but anyway). What would have gotten him out of the situation was making Cal promise she'll leave Inferno after killing him or something. It allows him to explain that he thought she was dead, that he lied to her and didn't want to drag her down the same path he walked, and also gets rid of her killing intent towards Elen (sort of).

Saying he'd die for atonement, but making her promise Elen's safety is like saying

"I'll only atone for my sins if you spare Elen. Otherwise, go fuck yourself. It's two phantoms vs one."

[shinta|hikari]

Tactless really isn't the right word then. I misunderstood you because of it. Otherwise, I agree with what you said.

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - episode 23 (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2023%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5bB26CF290%5d.mkv.tor rent)

Someone's reported getting copyright notices for downloading a Requiem of the Phantom episode, so here's a DDL link for this episode:

http://www.animetake.com/phantom-23/ (I suggest against the "hotfile" option. Use Zomgupload instead since you'd probably use megaupload more.)



----------------------------------------

It figures that Scythe is just going to discard Drei as a failed experiment, but not before she helps him with killing all his previous works. I'll be looking forward to the prototype vs mass.produced Phantoms, should we get such a fight, but those new ones look so devoid of personality it might only be as entertaining as watching the Phantoms fight elite, nameless grunts.

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - episode 24 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=86219)

-----------

It's building up pretty well to a finale. I like how all that talk from Scythe about final acts and all gives this episode a real feeling that everything's going to end. Hopefully this carries through right to the end. I really want this story to finish with nothing else to be desired, though not necessarily a closed ending.

The music was good, but that "Aaah!" soundtrack always seems rather inappropriate every time they use it. For the shirt-ripping, maybe, but the bits before were certainly mismatched. Even then "pseudo-raep" scene wasn't even sexual.

I have a feeling the ending is going to be gloomier than I had hoped. Every phantom is going to die, either in a 6 vs 3 fight, or a 6 vs 2, then 1-6 vs 1 (Zwei) fight.

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - episode 25 (http://torrents.speedsubs.org/other/%5bInferno%5d%20Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom%20-%2025%20(1280x720%20h264)%20%5b5D370BF0%5d.mkv.tor rent)

That's it? Cal died?! This may well turn out like Kraco suggested, except the one bearing everything will be Reiji.

[EpyonNext]

Surprisingly I felt really bad for Cal when she died. I didn't expect it to have the emotional impact that the scene had.

[Buffalobiian]

I was a little saddened when Cal died, but was more saddened at the fact that it endangers Elen. I'm not so confident that two previous Phantoms can hold up to 6 others.

[shinta|hikari]

Elen is just plain broken. She killed a group of people sporting machine guns using a knife (initially)! She won't get killed by couple of mannequins.

[Yukimura]

Alone I'd bet on Elen winning against pretty much anyone but having Reiji in the mix I can see Elen dying having to save him from some hesitation. When he's focused properly I feel like Reiji is the best Phantom the show has to offer, unfortunately his focus is comparatively malleable and Scythe, being a magnificent bastard, could find a way to shake Reiji's resolve mid battle requiring a sacrifice from Elen. If things go down this way I think we can expect an epic curbstomping from angry Reiji.

[Buffalobiian]

Alone I'd bet on Elen winning against pretty much anyone but having Reiji in the mix I can Elen dying having to save him from some hesitation. When he's focused properly I feel like Reiji is the best Phantom the show has to offer, unfortunately his focus is comparatively malleable and Scythe, being a magnificent bastard, could find a way to shake Reiji's resolve mid battle requiring a sacrifice from Elen. If things go down this way I think we can expect an epic curbstomping from angry Reiji.

The only one I could have seen Reiji hesitating against was Cal, and even that didn't happen this episode.

If Cal was alive, and momentarily siding with Cal, then I could have imagined something like Reiji pausing at the opportunity to kill Cal, neo-phantom taking the opportunity to strike Reiji, followed by Elen jumping in the way to save him, receiving a fatal wound.

But against a bunch of nameless, emotionless, robotic phantoms? I doubt it. If Reiji has enough determination to win against Cal in a duel, the only one left who Reiji wouldn't kill is Elen. So if Reiji sees his beloved Elen fending off 6 phantoms..... he'd be pretty determined to kill them.

edit: Actually..all Scythe has to do is hold Mio hostage or something. That trick will work against both Elen and Reiji. It would only hold Elen back for a single moment though, since if she had to choose between them two, she'd rather rescue Reiji.

I don't think that will happen though. Scythe seems pretty confident that his new toys are better than their prototypes. Further more, he sees this final act as like a graduation ceremony for his final product. He wants them to win fairly to prove that they are better, if you can call 6 vs 2 fair.

[Yukimura]

@edit: That's part of what I'm talking about, I think Scythe will do whatever it takes to win including psychological attacks if it becomes necessary. The fact that his old toys might be susceptible to their emotions at all might be taken as evidence that the new ones are that much superior. Either way I just don't think a pure happily ever after conclusion is in the cards for this show, if it is I'll be over joyed but I'm just holding onto the hope that it's not an 'everybody dies' sort of ending.

[shinta|hikari]

Scythe is probably underestimating his previous creations when he says he thinks the new dolls are better, particularly Reiji, who he only brainwashed. It was Elen and Claudia who "raised" Reiji to become the killer that he is, capable of killing one of those most important to him, not because he is cold-blooded, but because he has gained a resolve and ambition that allowed him to sacrifice as much.

Scythe is probably underestimating Elen as well, thinking that she is still the soulless doll she was before. Being with Reiji has changed Elen, particularly in her ability to rebel against Scythe.

[shinta|hikari]

Sorry for the double post, but I will apologize in advance for much more than that.

I just watched the raw for episode 26 of this series and I need to say something about it. It will contain mild spoilers (not actual content, but one can deduce from what I said) so read at your own risk. Still, I need to say it (and hopefully people like this show enough to read it) because I want most of the people here to enjoy this show.

MILD SPOILERS


If you want to get the ending that is the same as in the game, please stop watching at 21 minutes of episode 26. That is the game ending. Anything beyond that (the last 20 seconds or so) is anime crap that ruined the ending without salvation. Save yourself the frustration. Stop watching when the clock hits 21. Don't let curiosity ruin it for you.

EDIT:
As a safety measure (though that is a bit hypocritical since I created the danger myself [sorry!]) please don't reply to this post even after you have read the white text, especially if you are commenting on what it contains. Just PM me if you have any curses or complaints. I would gladly take it for this.

[oyabun]

I wonder what it is..

[lelouch]

Wow.

I'm going to pretend those last 20 seconds never happened.

[shinta|hikari]

Well, I did give a warning, even if it was quite an inadequate one stated in invisible text. Still, one can take consolation in the fact that the last 20 seconds are filler.

[Buffalobiian]

Inferno - Episode 26 (http://www.animetake.com/phantom-26/)

[EpyonNext]

NEEEERD RAAAAAGE

[Yukimura]

Well that was quite a sad last bit of epilogue, but I knew something bad had to happen to someone before it was all over. Part of me is glad though, a pure happily ever after would have been nice in some ways but a bittersweet/bad/unknown ending feels more 'right' to me.

[Buffalobiian]

Okay, what the hell happened?!

Elen shot Reiji? Inferno shot Reiji?

Elen committed suicide afterwards with poisonous flowers? Inferno let Elen live?

I accidentally read Lelouch's comment about the last 20 seconds, so sitting there waiting for something to happen killed the "shock" factor for me. Maybe I'm not pissed for that reason, or perhaps another.

Elen was from Mongolia?! If you say so. :S

That said, I liked the ending episode. Those Phantoms were way too easy, but it looks more like they lacked combat experience. They're good, but they kept getting outwitted time and time again.

Elen said they felt exactly like what she was when Scythe first trained her, and that nothing's changed. If that is true, I really don't understand the basis for Scythe's belief of their superiority.

This show did the entire opposite of Canaan. I can't say that any aspect of this show was spectacular, but it felt pretty damn good. Like the other guys said in the Canaan thread, it must be the characters. Elen, Lizzie and Reiji all had appeal. Cal went skitz, but still got my sympathy.

[shinta|hikari]

That wasn't bittersweet/bad/unknown. That was a horrible ending, which is obviously a crappy copy of Kite in an attempt to give more emotional impact, and give a moral lesson.

There really is no way for it to be a pure happily ever after ending since Cal died. But instead of making it bittersweet (if the remaining two survive), they go crazy and kill everyone that matters. Elen will not be able to live without Reiji. So in the end, all phantoms died. It really can't get any worse.

The game (Ein's route) was inferior to the anime in many aspects, but the ending was where it really shined. If they just copied it as is, it would have been great. Instead, they had to do this stupid moral poetic justice shit.

@Buff - If you were asking seriously, Reiji got killed by Inferno, and the show ended without Elen knowing about it. We can pretty much guess what would happen when she finds out though.

[Buffalobiian]

I think this is the first time I'm actually ignoring an ending.(<- must be the reason I mentioned above) Funny thing is, my mind is doing it on it's own. There's not effort, it just glossed over it, acknowledged it, and only remembers Elen's smile in the sunlight before that.

[Yukimura]

Cal was a late entry and while her story was sad and moving I never really thought she was a strong enough influence to come between Reiji and Ein in a 'best end' sort of scenario. I always saw the ideal ending as Reiji and Ein settling down in some out of the way place and finding some measure of happiness together.

I don't know where you're getting this 'moral poetic justice' stuff from the way I saw it Reiji died b/c he and Elen risked being found by doing something as predictable as retracing Scythe's steps. He and Elen might have disappeared off the face of the Earth and lived happily ever after if they hadn't followed Scythe's trail looking for Elen's past. I have to believe an organization like Inferno is capable of putting two and two together and monitoring places where Scythe may have gone to pick up Elen in order to pick up the trail of the ex-Phantoms who might be looking for her past. The guy who shot Reiji looked suspiciously similar to the person loading the cart in the background when they were talking to merchant who suggested they go up to the grasslands. I'm inclined to see that whole last scene as being an Inferno set up.

[shinta|hikari]

Poetic justice is a literary device wherein good acts are rewarded, and bad acts are punished eventually, often in an ironic manner. Morality is inherent in this literary device.

Reiji and Elen are killers, so they have to be punished (killed) in the end. The story could have had a happy ending just as easily, but I believe they chose that ending for this reason.

EDIT: Completed the definition.

[Everon]

And yet, Inferno remains.

[Yukimura]

I know what the terms mean I just don't see where your belief that Reiji's death was a morality lesson stems from. As Everon said, Inferno remains, it seems like being bad only leads to punishment if you were good first. If I learned anything from the final scene it would be that you can't escape from the past if you are unwilling to let it go and live in the future.

[shinta|hikari]

Poetic justice does not have to affect all characters or groups in the show.

The moral lesson is that even if you are "good", killing is a bad thing, and will come back to bite you in the ass.

If those two actually managed to get away and live happily ever after, that would be like saying that killing women, children and tons of other people is okay, and you can still be happy. I personally think that the creators did not want to send out a message like this so they killed Reiji off in the end, ironically via assassination. Of course, I could be wrong, since there really is no way to tell what the creators were thinking. That is just my take on their decision to do such an ending.

[EpyonNext]

I am now done raging. All I gotta say is this: Reji's death was fucking pointless, hell they did Inferno a favor by offing Scythe. That asshat would have eventually usurped all of Inferno in a quest for the "ultimate stage"(as contrived as that is). I think I'm just gonna join the crowd that says "The Series ended at 21:00" instead of that retarded LETS TEACH EM ALL A LESSON LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Bullshit(not directed at anyone here just the apparent thought process that the producers/directors of this series had).

Then again, shooting Reji could just be a pro-troll move on the studios part. if so:

WELL PLAEYD!

[Kraco]

Haha. So, Reiji died in the middle of nowhere in Mongolia, shot by a faceless mule driver. Whoever it was that came up with that scenario better find another profession instead of script writing. Because there's no future for him/her in that business. Unbelievable. Naruto filler writers probably have already invited the author of this masterpiece into their exclusive club.

Otherwise I really liked the last episode, especially the part where Elen recognized the sky. The scene of Elen shooting Scythe was also a good one, and Scythe went down like I expected him to, though I wouldn't have minded a more cruel end. This was probably the best way of dying the man imagined for himself and thus too good for such a bastard. Getting mauled by the excavator would have been more fitting...

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom- Original Soundtrack Vol.2.zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Phantom%20-Requiem%20for%20the%20Phantom-%20Original%20Soundtrack%20Vol.2.zip.torrent)

At last.