Greetings! For those who celebrated Christmas yesterday, I hope it was a fun day! For those who celebrate other days, happy holidays! And for those that didn’t celebrate at all – I hope you had a wonderful Thursday, lol. Today we’re covering episodes 9 and 10 of the cute and interesting anime, Touring After the Apocalypse. Episode 9 in particular was an extremely important installment for understanding the show, and episode 10 was visually impressive and funny. You’ll see what I mean in these episode reviews.
Episode 9: Mobility Resort Motegi
Episode Rating: 8/10
Yoko and Airi were getting ready to leave the Motegi circuit, when Yoko thought she heard a voice telling her to wait. Throughout this episode, she hears voices at several points. Airi couldn’t detect them. The two adventurers went to the building where a bunch of old robots, bikes, and cars were showcased. After turning on the electricity – which Airi thought shouldn’t be possible – the girls were greeted by a robot named Isaaq. He was voiced by Takahiro Sakurai, one of my favorite male voice actors.
Isaaq said the machines showcased here were in working condition. Yoko spotted a brightly colored, bulky motorcycle and Isaaq said it was once the fastest in the world. Yoko decided to ride the bike around the track, and if possible, race with Airi. The girls helped Isaaq service the machines, though Yoko fell asleep at some point. She had another dream about biking with Onee-chan. When Yoko awoke, Airi told her it was time to race. Yoko donned a helmet and a rider outfit and took off on the speedy bike.
As for Airi, she controlled a race car remotely with a set-up much like a video game. She could see what was happening on the track thanks to cameras installed on the car. Yoko and Airi had a great time racing. During the fun, something bizarre and beautiful happened. Yoko saw dozens of glowing machines – driverless cars and bikes – driving on the track with her. They all glowed blue and looked semi-transparent. Yoko was captivated, especially when she started hearing the voices of the machines saying “Thank you.”
Yoko also saw dozens of robots in the seating area, cheering for the race. While that was happening, Isaaq thought to himself happily that these girls had brought the circuit back to life. However, after Yoko accidentally veered off the track, she couldn’t get the engine to start again. Airi had the same problem and said her car stopped working. Moreover, Isaaq tumbled over and stopped working. The electricity was gone from the showcase building. When Airi examined Isaaq, she said he was broken on the inside and hadn’t been functional for years.
This made no sense. Airi was extremely confused. She also hadn’t seen the cars, bikes, and robots on the track. As the girls wondered what was going on, a bunch of fireflies appeared – except I don’t think all of them were really fireflies. Hundreds of little light orbs rose from the showcased machines and ascended. It was a beautiful scene in terms of lighting and aesthetics. The emotional special ending song that played was also gorgeous and fit the mood perfectly. Yoko teared up a little as she held one of the little lights in her hands and watched it fade away. She wondered if that was Isaaq.
After watching this episode, I feel like I “get” this anime fully for the first time. It’s mostly an unassuming sort of show, but it has an underlying theme that comes through most strongly in episode 9. The main theme is that machines – as well as natural life – deserve respect. This anime goes as far as granting supernatural souls to machines. Yoko and Airi were basically talking to the ghost of the robot Isaaq. In addition, Yoko heard the voices of the cars and bikes that wanted to be used again. In the finale, we saw the glowing souls of the machines, now satisfied, rising to the sky and slowly vanishing.
Since I don’t believe in literal souls even for humans, I definitely don’t think machines have souls. I also think it’s incorrect to assume robots and AI have the same kind of consciousness as humans. However, I don’t see anything wrong with having basic respect for things that were built with care by other people. Objects in general that people love have value because people love them. I sometimes anthropomorphize my car, and “he” even has a name. I care about that car and feel bad when it’s damaged. While I don’t grant them the same respect as life, I value machines, too.
Despite not believing in souls, I love fantasy with souls, so I appreciated this episode as a wholesome and unusual supernatural fantasy. Supernatural and sci-fi make for an interesting combination. Also, for all I know, the creator of this anime may not have a belief in souls or may not advocate that machines have souls. One shouldn’t take things too literally all the time. Regardless, the scene with the machine souls was beautiful and full of meaning for Yoko. Now let’s get on to the next episode.
Episode 10: Oarai, Oya, Nikko
Episode Rating: 7/10
In Oarai, Yoko and Airi wanted to continue their digital stamp collecting, but the terminal containing the scan was deep underwater. The sea levels had risen a lot by this time. Much of the city was now submerged. The girls spent the night on a wrecked ferry – one that Onee-chan had once used in the past. It used to go to Hokkaido, which was regarded as a mecca for motorbike riders. That night, Yoko had a “dream” of being there on the ferry with Onee-chan. It was a good experience even though the dream didn’t last long enough for them to make it to Hokkaido.
The next thing the girls did was explore the Oya History Museum, again looking for the stamp they could scan on their Touringram. The musuem was built underground in an old mine where the famous Oya stone was once dug out. It was cold down in the mines, so Yoko and Airi had to wear coats. Eventually, they found the stamp they needed on the ceiling of a vast underground chamber. They scanned the pattern and got the stamp certifying that they visited the Oya History Museum.
Yoko and Airi had an interesting experience in the area known as Standing Rock. First, they talked a bit about Benkei, the warrior monk from Japanese history. He supposedly split one of the giant boulders in the area, and Yoko kept imagining him as a giant. Airi said there was no such thing as a giant, and Yoko accused her of not being a romantic. “I am a romantic, but a realistic one,” replied Airi. this exchange was repeated a few times to humorous effect. Yoko went so far as to call Benkei the guardian god of travel, offering him a prayer, which Airi said was unscientific.
As the girls were looking at one of the pretty boulders, part of it collapsed. A huge chunk of rock was set to fall straight on the young travelers. Airi was prepared to shoot the rock with her energy blast, but Yoko grabbed her to shield her. Out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning struck, blasting the falling rock into hundreds of pieces. Yoko and Airi were safe thanks to the sudden fickle weather. Of course, Yoko wanted to credit Benkei for “saving” her. I like Yoko, and her wonder at life and nature reminds me of myself. But I’m really more like Airi on any given day, since she’s way more rational.
(Side note: I don’t think the creator of this anime is necessarily saying that gods are real. I believe the show is pointing out that many people are much too easily convinced of the supernatural, like our dear Yoko. The bolt of lightning was a strange and rare experience, but not enough for anyone to conclude a supernatural cause.)
After working together to get over some tough terrain, Yoko and Airi approached Nikko National Park. Yoko wanted to see the huge waterfall that was a local landmark. After some exploring, the girls arrived at a flat area where they could view the waterfall. It was gorgeous! The trees were colorful with autumn leaves. The scene was so beautiful that it brought tears to Yoko’s eyes and she side-hugged Airi for comfort. She was simply overcome by the beauty of what she saw. I understand that. One doesn’t need to believe in gods to feel that awe and appreciation for the world’s natural majesty.
~Thanks for Reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 