Ririka was a famous female pirate, but I don't think they actually said she was a captain of any description.
Ririka was a famous female pirate, but I don't think they actually said she was a captain of any description.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
When Marika searched on the term "Bentenmaru" in the first episodes, mostly images of Ririka came up, wearing the captain's uniform that Marika now wears.
It's a rather reasonable conclusion.
It's an easy conclusion to come to.. I may have done so myself as well if I wasn't looking a little more.
Disregarding that the uniform is slightly different (fashion over time), when Ririka was testing out weapons with Marika at the scapyard she said "They used to give it (the smaller gun) to me for work" (ep2, 8:27). Add in the casual tone that Misa and Kane use to talk with Ririka (without honourifics), and I'm not so confident that Ririka was a past captain of the Bentenmaru. I'm kinda on the fence.. since the hat and jacket seems to symbolise captaincy.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
The smaller gun comment was because Ririka had just used a weapon that could punch clear through two separate hulls in a row. Kinda impractical for boarding missions. Who says her superior officer gave her the smaller one? Marika uses what is given to her for boarding missions...
Kane, and especially Misa disrespect everyone. They also did not necessary serve under Ririka, so they may have always known her as, "the captain's wife," and a distinguished former crew member.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I hope we will soon learn why exactly the old junk of a ship is so important in their internal power struggle. You'd think Marika would be enough of a pirate, less of a soldier to ask why it's worth risking their lives and ship for. The pay better be royal if it's worth the silence as well.
The Bentenmaru crew is actually quite big, now that we saw more glimpses of it. It was some position for a high schooler to suddenly accept.
We saw Marika's atmospheric re-entry back in the first episode and got an impression that she's pretty good. And now we have Kane on a totally different level. That was pretty cool.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I feel like the conclusion to this arc failed to address one of the most important details: The amount of dough earned by Bentenmaru for all this trouble and danger. It's not like they are in charity business. The Golden ship was apparently looted many times during the history, so it's unknown whether they could find anything worthy aboard, while the princess was looking the other way.
Otherwise I have to say I quite liked the plot twist.
I don't quite get what the arc was all about.
The initial problem: What was it again? Power struggle amongst the Serenity royals was something that was rumoured but never confirmed by either party. We thought it was a race to find something on the ship that would end that power struggle somehow.
It turns out to be the birth place of the royal family. The older sister wanted to destroy it, while the younger one wanted to use it to..bring the royal family back to its former glory? How would that work? Produce more babies?
So with the above difference in opinion, the two parties face each other.
-blank-
..And now they ride the ship back to the Serenity system! The womb was no longer functioning.. so did Gruelle win? Why bring the ship back now?
More fundamentally.. what was the ship? They said it was an immigrant ship, but failed to say from where it was migrating. All the time I assumed that Serenity was the old planet that had sent out the golden ship to find a new place to live. As it stands now, it seems more like the current Serenity family and the planet/system/kingdom they rule over actually resulted from leaving this ship (and so perhaps migrated from elsewhere??).
While it's a pretty grand arc and all... it doesn't make much sense.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I got the impression there was already a planet (or just a country?) called Serenity somewhere, which was possibly being enviromentally destroyed, so they set out to space, with the STL ship. However, as it happens in fiction most of the time, FTL was developed and thus later people arrived sooner than the first ones leaving. So, the later people searched and found the old ship and retrieved all the people to the new Serenity. It's anybody's guess why they didn't take the whole ship back then; maybe it simply would have been far too difficult, as it didn't possess an FTL drive.
As to why they took the ship back now. Aside from the fact they finally could, it no longer presented any practical political divider with the artificial womb running dry. So, it can't produce new royals anymore. All that remains is its symbolic meaning. If the royal family was struggling already, like Gruier suggested, all they have left are political theatrics. Or perhaps it's better as a conclusion to their affairs, so that the populace will finally see where their royals and crisis funds came from, historically. The preview suggested their royal life might be over anyway.
Perhaps the biggest question here is why didn't the royals breed like normal people do...
Genetic purity most likely. Any royal born from that ship would be produced in a safe, artificial environment at the heart of the golden ship, shielded from radiation, parasites, or any other environmental malady the universe can produce. It also sounded like the current Serenity royal family is staggered significantly. Gruier and Hildegarde are close in age probably as a backup to one another, but we don't know how much older the siblings are than Gruier. Since they never tell or show us, I imagine they're at least 20 years older, probably more. I wouldn't be surprised if the family was spread over hundreds of years, "thawing out" a new set when the previous becomes elderly. The two sisters didn't go on the standard, "Let's get a new pair of royals," mission to the ship as had apparently happened so many times before. It is by luck that they did set out, since they were able to get the last baby before it was frozen forever.
As for how the Bentenmaru got paid? Probably very handsomely by the government. They were after all, filthy pirates working for both sides. I like that the legal pirates are used in situations where true legal means would be problematic (i.e. physically/chemically assaulting royalty). They're in a grey area where they don't have to play by the rules, allowing them to solve problems with no legal repercussions. Same as providing thrills to the effete wealthy. They're entertainers, the ultimate diplomats, and function as a crack team of salvage/investigator/mercenaries.
As for Serenity's political struggles, the flagging influence of the royalty was clear. Hildegarde naively thought she could revive it, but the older, wiser Gruier understood that her people no longer needed their guidance. The two girls were already past the figurehead stage. Their government was both self-sufficient and capable of maintaining the "spirit" of Serenity. By bringing the ship back, the two princesses actually further legitimize the non-royal government with the statement made that the royal line's immortality and "threat" has ended.
There is a lot of finite details they're leaving out, but with the other stuff said, you can make a fairly educated guess.
I'm very impressed with Marika. She's grown into a very confident and devious pirate. There's no better training than experience. When Misa made the prince and princess comment, I idly thought that Gruier was about to fall in love with Marika in a serious way. It could still happen.
Buff - take note that this show follows the pirates employed by royalty. you think that royalty will disclosure all their inner secrets(internal power struggles etc) to the pirates that they employ?
Number of works of fiction that made me shed at least one tear: 3Thou seeketh soul power, dost thou not?TOX: 33524385841A92B08787EEBEBA2DB51ED293C4F15A2E292F3F C92165E82388281433A77EA8FE
Episode 13 - HS
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Looks like the political situation of Serenity wasn't as bad as it was suggested, even if it was worsening rapidly. Grueir and Grunhilde could even remain royals, albeit with reduced political power. So, in the end nobody really hated them personally that much, just the old system of government (can't blame them if it was a real monarchy).
Some other details were also revealed, but all in all this was surely a giant step back to the slowness of the beginning of the show.
It still bothers me Marika doesn't call Ririka mom (or equivalent).
Marika has probably been ordered not to. At least that's how I rationalized the weirdness away.
Grunhilde was considerably more sheltered that Gruier apparently. But it seems everyone is happy with Marika's treatment of the two, and Marika seems to have long-term plans to make the two girls more comfortable with their changing galactic standings, and reduced influence and prominence. The more experience the two of them have, hopefully they will not be as easily manipulated as they were by their government factions.
I was a little taken aback by the comment by the Bentenmaru comm officer that the royal guard captain was hot. Then they showed her, and I agreed. I guess I never noticed her body shape during her previous appearances. I may have been thrown off by the hideous alpine buns in her hair. Her maid dress before looks a lot frumpier than her SP uniform.
edit:
Hmm, how many yacht club members are going to end up on the Bentenmaru's crew? I wouldn't mind seeing Jenny replace Misa when she retires. They both give off a similar All-Knowing "Ufufufu..." feel. Sadly, she has responsibilities to her own wealthy family. Some of them are a little more obvious, like the current club president and hacker (with a juvenile criminal record if I remember correctly), and the new 1st Year who is a highly skilled pilot.
Last edited by Ryllharu; Sun, 04-01-2012 at 07:36 AM.
This episode hit all the right notes for me. The breather episode of school life that comes after a breathtaking journey across the stars. I complained about the story missing information about the Serenity political situation, and they delivered it all right here. I have to say I'm pretty satisfied with everything so far.Originally Posted by Kraco
I'm a little surprised Kane didn't like his stand-in job. He even went as far to say he was married to avoid the troubles. Wonder if he's gay or if he just likes someone on Bentenmaru. I was hoping it would be Misa, but those two don't seem so share that sort of relationship.
I had to laugh at the preview. This show certainly lives up to its name Mini-skirt Pirates.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I would have thought that if they actually were more immature like your typical highschool girls, but give the interesting nature of the Yacht club, I would have thought he'd give it another thought. Maybe at his level he doesn't see them as mature though..
Here's hoping we'd see more of Jenny in the future. Maybe she'll hire out a contract or something.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Jenny, first High ranck familly member to get a Corsair liscence?
After all, she has a pretty good crew she molded all those years in the Yacht club, and seems to be a good captain for a "Rookie"
The only thing being the familly rule. But you can always think of solutions for that.
Reminds me we did not have much Chiaki recently. So that Pirate Jenny idea might not be.
Jenny can be useful in many other fields, like galactic enforcement, bounty hunter etc...
All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening. And then: Golf.