By The helicopters carrying Miharu fly away. Miharu recalls Won’s death. She thinks about how everyone dies because of her, also recalling her past life and the Kugai. She thinks about how she doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by hatred. Hayakawa goes to see the TA Experimentation Company, apologizing for taking so long to return. He tells everyone that he has agreed to aid Nishida, surprising everyone. He says that they will return to Tokyo and be placed under Hirokawa’s command. He tells them that these aren’t official orders and that they can ignore them if they see fit. He says that they will be responsible for security detail at the Diet, and that they will leave at 1300 hours; asking everyone to make up their mind by that time. The helicopters land. Meth is told that Miharu is acting like a doll, not reacting to her environment. Meth seems concerned when she is taken out of the helicopter and asks for her to be sent to their medical facility. Kazukiyo and Hirokawa bring Nishida to their information center. Nishida thinks the events of the next few days will determine whether they succeed or fail with their endeavor. They arrive at the information center, where many people are analyzing information on various international markets. The ship that Yushiro is on ports in Tokyo and he gets off of it. He is told that Won will receive a proper burial. Yushiro recalls Won’s death and final words. Kitazawa watches a news report on protests at the Diet regarding the curfews in place. Murai comes in and they talk. Kitazawa asks whether she has made her decision yet. She hasn’t decided yet. Kitazawa says he will continue to follow Hayakawa. He admits that he was envious of Yushiro, the only one of them who was able to do what he wanted. He admits that he was too harsh to him in the past. Takayama talks with Hayakawa, saying that he trusts him without hesitation. Hayakawa wonders how Nishida is thinking. Yushiro calls the Gowa estate, asking for Misuzu. The attendant picking up the phone immediately contacts Kiyoharu. Yushiro asks Misuzu if she can do something for him, but then hesitates, saying he only wanted to hear her voice. Kiyoharu suddenly joins the line and tells Yushiro he might be able to help him. Yushiro asks why and Kiyoharu simply says that he is worried for him as his brother.
At the TA Experimentation Company test site, Hayakawa finds that the entire squad has arrived, wanting to continue with him. He tells them that some last minute trouble has come up in that two of the TAs won’t be ready until later. Because they need at least two units at the Diet, he is going to have Ataka and Kaburagi stay behind and everyone else will head to the Diet. They depart. Kaburagi admits that she is happy that they were delayed and that she’s still thinking about what they should be doing. At the information center, the news reports on demands from the mob at the Diet for information. Nishida talks to some of the men there. The TA Company arrives at the Diet. Hayakawa and Tokudaiji head to the Command Center. Meth watches as doctors work on Miharu. He thinks they’ll have better luck at their main facilities in the U.S.; his attendant tells him that they will not be able to depart until the next morning. Meth wonders what happened to Miharu. The Prime Minister leaves the Diet. The TA Experimentation Company gets ready for when he leaves the building. The TAs are loaded with plastic bullets. The Prime Minister gets into his limo as the military attempts to keep the road clear of the mob. As his limo drives away, the mob is able to push back the guards. The mob starts throwing rocks at the limo. The two TAs, Focus Three and Focus Four head towards the mob, which is quickly overwhelming the guards and surrounding the limo. The TAs walk up to the mob, scaring them away. The mob soon starts throwing rocks at the TAs. Takayama fires plastic bullets at those attacking him and starts breathing very heavily. Focus Three continues to fire upon the crowd. Upon seeing a woman knocked out who won’t get up, Takayama starts freaking out. Murai notices the same kind of reaction happening with Kitazawa in Focus Four. The mob throws flaming bottles at the TAs, which are now still. The TAs emit smoke dischargers. The pilots are injected with a compound, which is able to lower their heart rate and stop their panic attack. A sniper hiding in a tree starts firing upon the Prime Minister’s car. One of the TAs is able to fire upon the sniper, stopping him, but an explosion causes the Prime Minister’s car to crash seconds later. At the test site Ataka and Kaburagi are finally able to leave. Ataka receives a phone call from Yushiro just as they are about to leave. Yushiro says he needs to ask her of something. Miharu sits still in a room.
This episode gets slow out of the gates, but picks up towards the end. Very little happens plot-wise in the first half of the episode, featuring Yushiro getting back to Tokyo and the TA Company deciding to stick with Hayakawa. The episode does give some sorely needed development to minor JSSDF characters like Kitazawa and Murai. The episode picks up in the second half where the TA Company is forced to suppress a large mob at the Diet. It’s a rather interesting dynamic, and something you’d never expect to see in a mecha anime like this. Miharu continues to be catatonic and mute for the fourth straight episode, although there is a rather bizarre and interesting scene featuring her at the start of the episode. Given the rather interesting sequence at the Diet in the second half of the episode I’m willing to give this episode an average rating.
Comments