Broken Blade (Break Blade)

[shinta|hikari]

Rygart was an extreme pacifist. That is what Zess, Sigyn and Hodr like about him. He takes a beating without fighting back.

Rygart didn't shrug Dan's death off. He felt guilty and responsible, which is why he started talking nonsense in front of the guy's grave when the general confronted him. It's not an impressive reaction, but perfectly understandable. In the end, the reason he decided to remain was probably to save his friends and take responsibility for Dan's death. I would have been disgusted at him if he kept walking, but he manned up and turned around, so I'm okay with it.

[Buffalobiian]

Rygart didn't shrug Dan's death off. He felt guilty and responsible, which is why he started talking nonsense in front of the guy's grave when the general confronted him. It's not an impressive reaction, but perfectly understandable

No, it wasn't impressive at all. I would have been alright with him talking about nothing and evading the question, but from memory he pushed it right off onto Dan himself. I could have talked shit in a variety of ways and he picked the worst one.

[Kraco]

Yeah, the truth is that in practice he did indeed shrug it off. Having zero pride and sense of responsibility of course allowed him to do it, but that's even worse. But like I said, it boils down to two things: He was tutored really miserably by his own father to believe he's nothing and thus he can't make any difference. His pacifism is probably derived from that same source. A few moments in the mecha's cockpit wasn't enough to change him - especially since he sucked in most of the things he achieved there either.

While it doesn't change the fact I hated him, I still can understand why a person with no self-respect or dreams and ambitions, who has already given up on everything (even getting a woman), would also successfully convince himself nothing was his fault. It would be pretty much the only way of living for such a worm. He was so detached from reality, like was demonstrated by how he thought everybody would cease fighting if asked, that I wonder if he even really understood he caused Dan's death.

[shinta|hikari]

That is a really exaggerated way of viewing Rygart, but okay.

At least he came back, right?

[Buffalobiian]

At least he came back, right?

lol. Yes, it seems like there'll be a Break Blade #3 next month

[shinta|hikari]

I mean, he could have been forced back. There will still be an episode 3 if that were the case.

[Kraco]

Yeah. I'm looking forward to not hating him. After all, it sucks to watch a show with an annoying main character. It wouldn't even take awfully much: He would just need to develop a more realistic view of the world (rid himself of some of his pacifism) and train with the mecha until he can kick ass. I don't expect him to become a pitiless killing machine but he should be able to disable an enemy without hesitation or he's going to be a liability till the end.

[shinta|hikari]

True. I wonder if piloting the relic is the same as the newer mechas? If it isn't, it might be very difficult for him to learn quickly since no one will teach him.

[Buffalobiian]

True. I wonder if piloting the relic is the same as the newer mechas?

It certainly seems like that's not the case. The quartz mechs are controlled by grabbing the knob with your hands and sending commands via quartz control (as if you're telekinetic, pretty much). You feed your commands mentally into the knob, which interprets and executes them. I think there might have been some turning of the knobs too.

Rygart has our more traditional input system with levers and pedals (and triggers?). Only he can discover for himself that pushing the right pedal forward does X command.

The troops should be able to teach him about the best way for golem to move effectively though, he'll just have to figure out the mechanics himself. The only person who could remotely help him in that regard would be Sigyn.

[Kraco]

Piloting it should be very different. I didn't pause the video while watching this but when he landed from some of the high jumps, you could see the screens indicating automatic responses. The quartz mechas have no computer control. They are just mechanical things and the pilot must take care of everything.

Rygart would be well off if he learned to read the old language and basic controlling. The rest would be just battle tactics, weapon use and other stuff that's more or less universal and could easily be taught to him - or actually he should already know much of it considering he was a military academy student.

In short, much reading and sparring is what he needs.

[Archangel]

Wow, Rygart's a loser. Looking forward to not hating him quite so badly next month but for now he can go fuck himself repeatedly

Strangely what i'm most looking forward is seeing 12 year old boobs pissed off in a fight, should be quite something to watch.

[David75]

That ep felt useless. Lee fight again? She was so desperate at how much of a moron Rygart is that she had to put herself to eternal sleep.
I guess the original story is a less contrasted, or should I say black/and white/extreme than the show. Because the extremes here are extremely condensed.
Super strong golem compared to the norm, that only an extreme pacifist can control goes against underaged girls in hard to pilot golems.

The animation was bad at times, especially Rygart's face.

The scenario isn't that good either.

The only thing is that the sceneries, golem designs and movements are nice to very nice.

But I whish they had a breathtaking story to support this, which seems possible with the material they have and 51 minutes episodes to polish things.

Regarding forcing Rygart? well, just blackmail him using his brother. But that's not possible in a country when even the king would have himself beheaded before trying his hardest at resisting.

I wish I like next ep, I know there's room for a good show, but right now I'm a tad disapointed I had to wait so long for this.

Sorry for the novel/manga lovers, I'm sure there are reasons not shown yet (or obliterated due to the medium) that could explain how great Break Blade is.

[Penner]

[Coalgirls]_Broken_Blade_02_(1280x720_Blu-Ray_FLAC)_[8B4E90A6].mkv (3.2 GB)

[Coalgirls]_Broken_Blade_02_(1920x1080_Blu-Ray_FLAC)_[A842164A].mkv (6.2 GB)

[Ryllharu]

[I'm in an essayist phase, apologies in advance. ]

The one thing this series really has going for it is that mecha combat is defensive in nature. A few openings and a couple of heavy ammunition, the enemy is finished. Shield use is common with Krishna's golems because they are much slower than the Artemis models that Zess' team is using. In fact, apparently one of the most fearsome Generals in the series, Sakura, only uses shields. Rygart survived because of his use of the claymore as a shield, and Lee became very frustrated when he used it, despite noting that he was a clearly inferior pilot who can't even attack correctly.

It really sets this series apart from mechas that can take an egregious level of punishment directly on their plates and frames and really only have to worry about which robot has the best weaponry. Defense is never taken into account. Robots should have fragile internals, especially ones piloted by a person. Lee showed this rather well by taking Dan out with one shot even considering her exceedingly damaged golem.

That puts the focus of the combat on tactics. Zess destroyed True's forces by taking the high ground and moving constantly, utilizing guerrilla tactics in their enemy's home territory. Angling armor/shields to avoid taking direct hits, getting inside the enemy's weapons for a clean hit, crushing the armor to crush the pilot inside, maintaining mobility, retreating to avoid getting flanked, the list goes on.


Break Blade is also good because for the most part, the characters act as adults rather than very large children.

These are not boys and girls fighting over who is the coolest (well, some are). They come off as adults for once, most of them (Hodr not included) thinking about their own responsibilities. Zess is trying to do what he views as the right thing given the knowledge he has. He has his own responsibilities, he has his own children already, so he is doing his best to end the war as quickly as he can. Correspondingly, Zess admitted to making foolish decisions about how he treats Cleo and Lee.

It is pretty obvious Zess doesn't know a damn thing about the conditions for surrender. He very likely believes that Hodr will simply be imprisoned or exiled when Athens annexes Krishna. This in turn infuriates Rygart, who does know that not only will Hodr be publicly executed, so will Sigyn.

Sigyn mused on Lee's final words to Rygart. There are hints that mild brainwashing and certainly propaganda being used on a very base level. Krishna might be a more inhospitable place than the former country where the four went to military academy, or Athens itself, but Athens is quite clearly using tactics to develop loyal soldiers from a very young age. Lee was 15 or 16 and she was a pure zealot. There are no righteous wars in this series, but Athens clearly wants its solider to believe they are brining civilization to the unwashed masses or that they are merely subjugating cruel, heartless people for the benefit of all.

As for Rygart, he did a lot of growing up in this episode. I don't think his pacifist stance is wrong. It is the correct viewpoint, and one shared on some level by a large number of the characters in the series, the mature ones anyway. Zess is trying to end the war as quickly and with as little bloodshed as possible. Hodr does not want his own people to suffer if he can take it all on, his only reservation being his hot wife would be dragged into it as well. None of the generals so far like sacrificing their own people, even the stupid ones like True, who offered his own life so his squad could retreat.

The problem, as shown in this episode, is that pacifism only works when both sides are not interested in killing and the loss of life that comes along with it. Rygart got a big slap in the face when Dan got killed. As shinta said, he knew it was his fault. He didn't brush it off at all. General Bard called him out about lying when he is upset. I'm kind of surprised that a few of you just glanced over that statement and assumed Rygart was blaming Dan, instead of himself.

Rygart has accepted that his viewpoint was wrong. His father told him to take the beatings because it shows a level of pride. Rygart was never on an even level with his peers. But that didn't mean he ever had to back down, as Zess noted in the flashback. Running away is also a good strategy when you can't win outright or without heavy casualties, it is sound advice. But now with the Under Golem, Rygart can fight back, he can take the beatings again, rather than having to run away.

I also respect Rygart a lot for sticking to his ideals for so long before realizing they were wrong. There are countless series where some little shithead is a pacifist, a powerful mech falls into his lap, and suddenly he isn't one anymore, instantly. Not to mention the series where their mech becomes so powerful, that they once again decide that pacifism truly is the right idea and adopt it again. They've killed scores of other pilots and soldiers, and suddenly decide that everyone should be saved now that they are strong enough. Where was that zeal when they first got into the machine? Rygart stuck to that as long as he could within reason. He witnessed the folly of that stance without the skill to back it up, directly causing someone's death, and got a further shock upon seeing his pregnant wife. He acted like a child trying to get his cake and eat it too, only to see the consequences. He has (re)gained some of his adulthood, hopefully he won't revert.

As for Rygart giving up on getting a woman, I wouldn't be so sure of that. There is little doubt in my mind he knows what woman he wants, but doesn't want to settle for someone lesser now that he can't have her.

[Kraco]

I think you are misunderstanding me a bit when I said he shrugged off Dan's death. It was made plainly obvious he understands it's all his fault. However, he acted as if it couldn't be helped because, according to his brainwashing by his old man, he is a powerless nobody and thus no matter what he does or doesn't do, it will have no effect in any way. That means that he believed (hopefully it really is an imperfect now) that he can't succeed at anything and thus if he fails or causes other disasters, it's just natural and to be expected - a fate, you could say.

I don't know if I still managed to convey my view understandably. It's kind of hard to put in words.

[Buffalobiian]

What I was saying about shrugging it off is not verbally admitting it and instead saying it was Dan's. It doesn't matter that he thinks it's his own fault if he can't ever own up to it.

Take an example:

A: You feel sorry for killing C out there don't you.
B: I'm not feeling sorry. It's his own fault bla bla bla
A: I've heard you lie when you're upset. I should take the crap you're saying to mean you're sorry.


Admitting it's his own damn fault is what he should do. Even tsunderes can mutter a half-hearted-sounding apology.

You can say that by staying to fight he's taking action for what he did, but the non-admittance doesn't sit well with me.

[Yukimura]

Good Lord Rygart was a noobtard. I can't say it any better than has already been said above but up until he turned back around I was dead set that this guy was lower than the lowest worm. I can't say I completely hated him though since I'd rather he run away than try to continue fighting with that weak-but-pacifist philosophy. While I find it contemptible that he would acknowledge his own weakness and flee from any opportunity to take responsibility and be courageous in spite of himself I see it as the lesser of the two bad choices he could have made.

However, if he has indeed matured into someone willing to fight in order to defend what he values then I think I can respect him. That said I'm with Buff and Kraco on being displeased with his apparent lack of open acknowledgement over the situation with Dan. There's still time for him to own up to it though and I'm still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt thanks to his main characterness.

[Buffalobiian]

[Harth-Seto]_Break_Blade_Picture_Drama_1_[BD_1920x1080_x264_FLAC][57818474].mkv







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Nice body without needing exercise investment? DO WANT!!

[Buffalobiian]

gg - Episode 03

[NeoCybercoin]

[gg] Break Blade 3(1080p)