Impression – Coppelion, Episode 09

Episode 09 – “Diversion”

Yeah, it’s not even a surprise at this point that this impression is almost two weeks late, but here we are. Deciding that old Tokyo is too unsafe to stay in, what with 1st Division and the Ozu Sisters trying to blow the place up to hell, the residents of the Planet make the executive decision to leave the city. According to Haruto, a strong wind carrying particularly strong concentrations of radiation is due for the Planet in two days. This along with the Ozu Sisters hot on their tails, there is really no time to dawdle (like my post schedule).

To complicate matters a little, Ibuki approaches ever closer to going into labor and relies on Taeko to deliver her baby. However, Taeko is hesitant perform the task for fear of damaging an innocent, young human life. I believe this is like the first we really get to see any sort of depth into Taeko’s character, and it’s definitely a welcome addition to the series. We learn that she’s a bit of a sentimentalist, having stood at her school’s gates for the entire afternoon following her graduation.

Speaking of sudden character development, our favorite guide robot No-sense suddenly becomes an incredibly likable guy. We got a bit of his kind-heartedness last episode too, when he tried to cheer up Aoi and expressed his jealousy of her and the other Coppelion. I hope this isn’t a death flag for him. Even though he’s a robot, I don’t want him to die. In fact, maybe it’s because he’s a robot that I feel more empathy for him.

Non-human characters who experience existential crises are some of my favorite characters ever. Notable examples are Teddie from Persona 4, Vivi from Final Fantasy IX and Robo from Chrono Trigger. It’s funny that they all seem to always be comic relief characters and then end up with deep back stories or thought-provoking outlooks on life: outlooks that we humans often take for granted and therefore would never really consider under normal circumstances.