Blue Seed 2
Episode Two
Phase Two: Operation Mitama
Episode two begins with shots of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Traffic on the bridge has come to a standstill, and there are sirens wailing in
the background. The fog has set in, obscuring visibility, so that the
people on the bridge are unsure of what is making the loud booming noise that
seems to be shaking everything. Out of the shrouds of white, the outline
of an Aragami monster emerges as it approaches the bridge. The people
trapped by the traffic jam begin to flee on foot and Kusanagi lands on the
bridge to contemplate the monster's progress. As he watches it, he
reflects on the past, and tells himself that the "old days" have come back,
which is fine with him. He takes off of the bridge and approaches the
monster, getting ready to fight and remembers walking up to Momiji in the New
York airport. As he fights the monster, he vows he's going to forget;
that it's the best thing to do, because he has a mitama just like the monster
he's fighting, and if he and Momiji keep going the way they're going, he doesn't
know what he will do with her. He's thankful for the diversion of
this new Aragami monster, feeling it gives him a chance to be himself without
worrying about the consequences. He gets ready to finish the monster off,
but it runs away.
The monster submerges and begins "torpedoing" U.S. ships in
the harbor. The captain of one of the naval ships starts giving orders to
attack, but the ships' weapons have little effect against the underwater Aragami.
Kusanagi watches the action from above and wonders what the heck the monsters
are up to as they begin to swim away. Back on the ship, the naval
officers watch the Aragami disappear from the sonar. Kusanagi is still puzzling
over it when his mitamas begin to glow and he senses an Aragami overhead.
He takes off after it. Back on the ship, the captain is floored by what just
happened and Sugishita explains that they were just attacked by something called
an Aragami. The captain turns to hear the "authorities" offer up their
explanation when Sakura's voice interrupts them. Following the loud
echo of her chirping salutation, the TAC members and the naval captain step on
deck and see four helicopter from which giant, red talismans are hung. The
captain wants to know what they are and Sakura's voice tells him that the TAC
will use the seals to get rid of the new Aragami. The naval captain is a
bit... nonplussed, and replies that it looks like simple paper to him (in other
words, he's not buying it ^_^) , to which Takeuchi chimes in that Sakura's
"powers" are CIA certified. It's still a bit too much for him to swallow,
so Yaegashi steps in and encourages him to listen to what they have to say.
Yaegashi eventually gets around to explaining that they will
use the huge, traditional seals that are part of the Kusamikado technique to
create a light barrier. He shows the captain the six points where the
barrier will be set up and with the seals they will be able to contain all of
the Aragami within the barrier. Then he attaches one of the red seals (a
regular sized one, not a giant one) to a toy penguin and sets it in front of the
captain. Sakura blows a kiss to it and it promptly blows up in a puff of
pink smoke. Alarmed, the captain stands up and looks at her like she's
crazy and calls her a witch. Sugishita breaks in at this point and informs
him that another team is already on its way to the enemy's plant to destroy it
and he flips a couple of photographs in the captain's direction. Takeuchi then
adds that they will crush the enemy in what she has coined as an Aragami roach trap
(a title that Matsu is not very enthusiastic about).
The captain keeps grumbling, saying that if they could just
shoot at the monster, then the U.S. wouldn't have had to ask for the TAC's help.
As he stares at the picture, Sugishita begins to allude to the fact that the
scientist that was manipulating the mitamas might have been doing so with U.S.
government approval. It almost sounds like an accusation, but then he says
something to the effect of whether or not this "accident" was triggered by
research or by a mad scientist on the rampage, the result is that the test
subjects began to escape one by one, and the U.S. government could not publicly
acknowledge their existence. So to get rid of them in secret, they need
the help of the Japanese government and the TAC. At this point the naval
captain promises to back up the members of the TAC, after calling the pretty
girls of the TAC princesses. Feeling insulted, Kome hits him with her fist
and calls him an amateur, irritated that he doesn't take her and her fellow
female comrades seriously.
While Matsu, Takeuchi, Sakura Sugishita and Yaegashi are with
the naval captain, Momiji is with the newest member of the TAC, Valencia.
They are in a military chopper, flying over the city. Momiji is staring at
Valencia, lost in distressed thought. "Sixteen years old" she mumbles to herself
and has a flashback of seeing Valencia first clasped in Kusanagi's arms and then standing
by Kusanagi's side. Then she thinks back to when she and Kome were doing
an inventory at the airfield. Kome is asking her if it's okay to leave
things the way they are: Kusanagi with Valencia and Momiji on the outside.
Momiji replies that there isn't much she can do about it. Kome calls her
an idiot and asks her why she doesn't go to him. Momiji doesn't really
answer, but turns the question around on Kome, asking her why she broke up with
Yaegashi. Kome gets flustered and says that that has nothing to do with
the current situation. Momiji disagrees and Kome mumbles that when they
started talking about getting married and having kids, she basically panicked,
afraid that she wasn't doing the right thing. Momiji cries that if Kome
loves him, then of course it's the right thing to do. Kome just gives her
a melancholy smile and replies that if she were Momiji maybe it would be that
simple. Then she turns around and walks off, saying that if Momiji lets
Kusanagi have Valencia, then Kome won't talk to Momiji anymore. =)
Valencia breaks into Momiji's musings to tell her that they
are approaching the enemy's headquarters. Momiji gets up to see.
It's a new building, very high tech looking. While Momiji's getting her
first view of the enemy's lair, Sakura is giving directions on setting up one of
the giant seals. She can already feel an evil aura in the air. And
then back in the chopper, as if on queue (isn't that the way these things
usually go?) Valencia's mitama starts to glow. She senses an Aragami
in the sky over them. It's a giant, dragon-like Aragami and it comes after
them, hitting their chopper. Valencia grabs Momiji and drags her out of
the chopper, free falling out into the open sky.as the chopper explodes.
Momiji is screaming as she watches the ground rushing up to meet them, but
Valencia stays calm and she activates, first Momiji's glider wings and then her
own, slowing the rate at which they are descending. But the danger isn't
over. The dragon has spotted them and now it's coming after them.
Before it can swoop down and gobble up Valencia, Kusanagi flits in and whisks
her out of harm's way.
Momiji lands safely with an ungraceful bump and Valencia soon
joins her in a much smoother fashion, telling Momiji that everything is all right - Kusanagi saved her. Momiji
turns and sees Kusanagi facing the dragon. He turns and addresses them,
telling the to go ahead. Momiji starts to reply, but is interrupted by
Valencia, and she comes to the unpleasant realization that Kusanagi wasn't
talking to her, but Valencia instead. Valencia calls Kusanagi "Mamoru",
and Momiji just listens, eyes wide with distress. Valencia takes off and
has to call back to Momiji to get her to follow. They take off in a
truck, Valencia, grim and determined, Momiji distressed and unfocused.
In silence, she watches Valencia drive for a few moments and
then blurts out that she loves Kusanagi. Valencia turns and gives her an
odd look and Momiji realizes she just said something completely stupid.
Now feeling awkward, Momiji tries to stumble through an explanation, but is
saved from any more painful, ill-timed confessions by a loud explosion coming
from a building in front of them.
The same Aragami that Kusanagi was
fighting at the Golden Gate Bridge emerges from the smoke and the other members
of the TAC are a few blocks away trying to tackle the rampaging monster.
They get in the car and start chasing it, Matsu doing a bit of "stunt" driving
which causes Kome to squash Yaegashi in the backseat. He tells her that
she's heavy and she wants to know why he's even there.... In the front
seat, things are not so cramped, but just as tense. Sugishita is eyeing Matsu in alarm, wondering if she is going to kill them
all with her driving before the monster even has a chance to. The TAC
finally catches up with the Aragami but in their current position they can't get
a clear shot at it. Kome takes the initiative and goes after it, closely
followed by Yaegashi. Climbing up on a fire escape, Kome takes aim and
fires her bazooka.
Meanwhile, back in Momiji's truck, the awkward moment of
confessions has,
for the most part passed, helped along by the Aragami explosion. But now,
Momiji is worried that her spontaneous words have made Valencia think that
she is a total nut case. By now, they are nearing their target's
objective, and they are being watched by someone. Switching views yet
again, we see Sakura putting the finishing touches on her Seals. Once
complete she begins chanting and her giant, red seals start to glow creating the
barrier that they told the naval captain about and the Pentagram that they form
is reminiscent of Susano-oh's Pentagram in the first series (except this one is
red and not blue). Somwhere inside the barrier, Kome's battle with the
Aragami wages on as she continues to fire her bazooka at it. Kome is
delighted that Matsu's CO2 fixative seems to be effective against the
monster. But they have started celebrating a little prematurely. Out
of the side of a nearby building explodes the dragon that Kusanagi was fighting.
Kusanagi is pinioned to its head, feeling the brunt of the impact with the
building as the dragon goes crashing through it. Getting angry, he stabs
the dragon in the nose (more or less; it's its head) The dragon responds
by smashing its head into the pavement to shake Kusanagi off. Kusanagi
rolls to a stop a few feet in front of Kome and Yagashi. They rush over to
him to make sure he's okay. Grimacing, he clambers to his feet and says
he's going to finish off the Aragami. Yaegashi urges him to go be with
Momiji, but he stubbornly refuses by saying he will do what he wants to do.
He rushes off and Kome, angry at him, yells after him.
Unaware of what is happening with Kusanagi, Momiji follows
Valencia into the scientific building and down several flights of stairs, their
progress observed by the same person that was watching them from before.
Once they stop descending, Valencia reaches in her jacket pocket and pulls
something out. She hands it back over her shoulder to Momiji, telling her
that she dropped it in the airport waiting room. Momiji looks at it.
It's that goofy picture from the first episode of Kusanagi and her with her head
under the covers and her butt up in the air. Momiji gets embarrassed.
Valencia turns and says, "You like him that much?". This gives her the
opening that Momiji needs and she asks Valencia how she feels about Kusanagi.
Valencia tells Momiji that she's not going to fall in love because of her
mitama. She is worried that she might accidentally transform when she gets
close to someone and gets excited. Shocked by Valencia's confession,
Momiji wonders if Kusanagi feels the same way that Valencia does. Before
she can ask Valencia any more questions, vines erupt through the floor and drag
Momiji down into the lower levels of the building, leaving a panicked Valencia
calling after her.
Back outside, Kusanagi continues his battle with the dragon,
thinking to himself that it's okay if he's not with Momiji. Sakura shows up them
and upbraids him for not being with the object of his thoughts. She tells him to stop putting
on airs, that Momiji was confused and they are all leaving him to take care
of Momiji. Kusanagi remember the airport and seeing Momiji's face.
He realizes that he has hurt her and he wonders what he's doing. Flying
away from the dragon, he finally goes after Momiji.
Inside the building, Momiji cowers away from an Aragami
monster, managing to temporarily free herself by using a bright flare built into
her TAC jacket to blind it. But even as she runs away, she is still
watched; watched by the same eyes that have been watching her from the
beginning, and now there's a voice too. A voice that says the pulse will
be finished soon as Momiji runs towards the center of the building.
Kome and Yaegashi are still in the thick of things outside,
the one Aragami monster that they're fighting refusing to lay down and die.
Kome grumbles that Matsu's amazingly effective CO2 fixative must have
not been all that amazingly effective, since the monster is still alive and
kicking. Out of bazooka bullets =P, the two TAC members hobble towards an
abandoned trolley car. Getting inside they prepare to ram the monster with
it. Before Yaegashi pulls the lever, Kome calls his name in a soft voice.
He turns and looks at her and she kisses him and tells him to buy her a ring
when they get home; a really BIG one. (awww how sweet ^^). Yaegashi
releases the trolley break and they start rolling towards the Aragami.
Kome takes aim with her hand gun as they approach their target and shoots.
They jump out of the trolley just as it runs into the huge monster. Once
free, they look back at the monster to see the giant, red seal that Kome had
shot at it attached to its face. The seal quickly nullifies the monster
and with that, the outer TAC group has completed their tasks successfully.
All that remains in the way of having a completely successful mission is for
Momjji to complete her part.
By this time, Kusanagi has arrived at the scientific building
looking for Momiji. He starts yelling her name and it echoes in the empty
building responded to not by Momiji, but by Valencia who runs to tell him that Momiji has been
captured. Together the two of them take off to try and rescue Momiji.
As they run, Valencia makes the observation that he must care about Momiji to
come and rescue her. She says she envies Kusanagi, to have someone like
Momiji, to which Kusanagi says his relationship with Momiji is painful to him.
It hurts being around her. Valencia tells him it hurts because he's
running away from Momiji and that he should stop. Kusanagi worries what
will happen to Momiji if she stays with someone like him, but Valencia tells him
it doesn't matter what happens. What will happen will happen and that he
should trust in the fact that Momiji is willing to be with him no matter what.
By this time they've reached the production plant of the Aragami and they can
hear Momiji screaming.
Following the sound they come out into a huge chamber where
Momiji is suspended upside down. Momiji calls to Kusanagi, and his
attention is focused on her until he hears Valencia calling to her father,
wanting to know where he is. At this point, Valencia's father emerges, the
culprit behind all of the new Aragami monsters. To Valencia's horror, he
has merged with an Aragami and he begins to tell her that today is their day of
victory: the day when the Aragami will become rulers of the world. Then he
turns to Momiji and tells her that he is going to give her a special mitama.
Kusanagi begins to curse him and Momiji starts crying. Kusanagi tries to
go to Momiji but he gets tangled up by several cord-like vines, suspended in
midair much the same as Momiji. Pleased with the way things are going,
Valencia's father then begins to send electricity through the vines to torture Kusanagi.
Valencia stands helplessly watching everything around her,
her grief and horror immobilizing her as she stares at what her
father has become. Finally gathering herself together, Valencia pulls out
her gun and pleads with her father to stop. She tells him that she allowed
him to implant her with a mitama because she loves him and she wanted to make
him happy, but now she just wants him to stop. Seeing the gun, he calls
her a bad girl, telling her that they could have had happiness once again and
she begins to see how mad he is as he says that he was only doing this for her.
Then he gets angry and tells her that none of them deserve to live. Still
struggling to free himself, Kusanagi cries that he isn't going to die - not
until he can hold Momiji in his arms (o_O) and he his emotions give him the
strength to break free and go after Momiji. Valencia shoots her father and
kills him and then the mitama that she has been implanted with dies. The
pain of its death incapacitates her and she falls to her knees as the building
around them starts to collapse. Together with
Valencia between them, Momiji and Kusanagi flee the building as the newest
Aragami threat is suppressed.
The episode comes to an end with the American president
formally thanking Kunikida for the Japanese government's help and Momiji and
Kusanagi standing at a lookout point over the city. Together side by side,
they quietly take in the view until Momiji turns to Kusanagi and
tells him that she was beside him through the whole ordeal. He
smiles a little at that and turns away saying, "From now on too, right?"
Momiji is startled by his response, not quite believing she heard him
correctly and starts pestering him to repeat what he just said. He
doesn't. He only tells her to hurry up or he'll leave her there.
And
that, for better or for worse, is that. ^^
