English Dub Review: Clockwork Planet “Progressor”

Okay, that is a nice ring, though.

Spoilers Below

Our heroes intend to conquer the Pillar of Heaven, the master control spire and seat of power for the entire Japanese multiple grid systems. To do that, however, they need to be at full strength. With Vainney Halter stuck as just a head, he isn’t much use to anyone. Fortunately, Vermouth remembers a time when the old man cyborg once hooked himself up to an assault automaton and used it as a body. One model with a similar vulnerability is still being used by the defense forces. Our heroes work together to destroy this unit’s AI, and Marie wedges the bodyguard’s cyberbrain inside. Now with their full numbers, and Halter now inside a one-eyed mecha with missiles and guns all over it, they are ready to take their objective.

The announcement of their conquest goes out over the local news. They capture the princess and claim that they are going to drop the Tokyo grid. Both the Government and those controlling the Yatsukahagi are thoroughly confused. Why would they try to take credit for what is going on? Do they want to be martyrs? Worse yet, now that the Tall Wand orbital weapon is being deployed on the Akihabara grid, those in the neighboring grids are also going to be blown away. Even the princess they captured is confused. Marie explains their plan to her. Apparently, the two were friends from a time they studied abroad. She supports them, understanding now that what they are doing is not for power, but to stop a catastrophe. Marie leaves to begin work on the Pillar of Heaven, while Naoto and RyuZU take a moment with each other. Ever since returning from her magnetic coma, she can’t look her master in the eyes. She can’t forgive herself for the burns on his hands and demands that he punish her. Her punishment? He puts a ring on her finger, and she can never take it off. In returns, she asks that he promise never to do this for anyone else. And I now pronounce you man and robot. You may kiss the SCSI board.

As far as plot goes, even past all the “rule of cool” stuff they pull, the first half is halfway exciting. The combat isn’t high end, but Vermouth keeps things entertaining with his/her banter as he/she stomps and blasts the enemy. Gender identity is a bit strained when you’re a male soldier crammed in a female pleasure bot, but he seems to be taking to it. The biggest problem is the second half, which is as boring and plot-light as it can get. Nothing that happens in this chunk is even remotely important. We know all of the information we are told during it. All it does is introduce the princess. Even the “big emotional moment” of him putting the ring on her didn’t feel all that impactful. Their relationship has consisted of a series of sex jokes and her alternating between ruthlessly insulting him and threatening anyone else who tries to do the same. This seems like they are trying for a big payoff for too little buildup. Maybe if they had bothered with character development throughout the series…

Visually, this episode was a little better than some of the others. There weren’t any noticeable animation errors, but there also wasn’t much done in the animation that would prove it worthy of being called “good”. It was just average, with the exception of the special effects. Even the voice acting was what I would say as average. There just isn’t enough here for the actors to care about, I feel. It’s just… ho-hum. We have two episodes left of this series, and it still hasn’t gotten any more compelling than when we were two episodes in. At least it hasn’t gotten any worse. As such I give this episode six stolen robot bodies out of ten. Maybe it can assemble something more exciting out of that.