English Dub Review: Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song- “Quarter Note – The Beginning of the Hundred-Year Journey”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Matsumoto explains Aikawa’s demise in the original timeline and how his passing got the AI Naming bill to pass. Diva disguises herself as guard AI and she stops the terrorist organization, Toak from murdering Aikawa in the empty building. However, Toak has placed bombs inside the building, and they plan on blowing it up. During their escape, the two AIs argue as the terrorists find them and shoot Diva then Aikawa. However, the building goes on lockdown as Matsumoto reveals how he tricked the terrorists with their goggles.

The trio makes their way to the door, but a young Toak member stops them with an explosion. However, the debris almost lands on the Toak member and Diva saves him. Matsumoto, baffled by Diva’s actions, tells her the truth in the selection behind her assistance in the project. Despite knowing her future, Diva will continue to press on to complete her mission. Diva then gets a crazy idea to escape by blowing up the building. Matsumoto lifts the lockdown and sets up the timer for the bombs as Toak members escape. Aikawa, Diva, and Matsumoto successfully escape to the other building. Afterward Diva and Matsumoto talk and agree to work together. However, Matsumoto stops Diva from interfering with an airplane accident even though Momoka is one of the passengers.

Our Take:

This episode concludes the first turning point to the Singularity Project and sets up the tragic tone for the anime. The animation and soundtrack are stunning. I enjoyed the scene where Diva elegantly jumps off the building with Matsumoto riding on her shoulder. The shattered glass and full moon make for a picturesque scene. The soundtrack leading to that jump was lovely in time with the bomb’s timer. I like the subtle details like showing Diva through assemblyman’s glasses as a common guard AI. It gives a preview of Matsumoto’s abilities despite his teddy bear form.

Diva and Matsumoto’s partnership is not a partnership yet. Matsumoto’s comments about her inefficiency in taking out a human and Diva’s refusal to get the combat program show that. Their tentative agreement reaches a boiling point with Matsumoto disagreeing with Diva’s illogical actions in saving the young Toak member. Matsumoto is a true AI with how he thinks logically by making calculations to ensure the success of the mission. Diva despite her emotionless tone and lack of understanding of his jokes is more human. I enjoy how these two are the opposites of each other and how they clash their perspectives together. It makes for an interesting relationship between the two in the course of the anime.

Then there’s the truth from Matsumoto on Diva’s future in the original timeline. She is the only AI to exist in her complete form after a hundred years. In the original future, she is an exhibit in a museum instead of continuing on her mission. Despite knowing her future Diva counters with the importance of how they operate, not how long they work for their missions to Matsumoto. For once the talkative Matsumoto stays silent as if to digest what she said. In between Diva’s emotional actions and Matsumoto’s calculations the duo completes the job. The only change they make is Aikawa’s life. However, despite Matsumoto’s words Aikawa seems to have a change of heart given his last words.

In addition, there’s the last scene with Matsumoto injuring Diva by controlling a larger machine. At first, it might seem confusing until the show reveals that in Matsumoto’s original timeline there is an airplane accident. That scene of the airplane accident hurts with the unfortunate demise of Diva’s only human friend. The fact that she was unable to save Momoka thanks to Matsumoto’s interference works well at invoking emotional suffering. However, from Matsumoto’s perspective, it’s logical in order to prevent the future from getting an unnecessary butterfly effect. That animation of the rain in the closeup of Diva’s eye that mimics crying was beautiful. It drove the point home to how she felt in that moment watching the plane go down.

Then there are the humans in the episode that have their own agendas. Aikawa confirms he’s a politician who goes after votes and later has that change of heart. The anime makes a point of getting to know the AI-hating terrorists by their names like Kakitani. The young Toak member gets a larger amount of focus in comparison to his leader. Most likely he’ll be relevant in the future considering the duo’s mission to prevent the blur between AI and humans.

Overall this second episode establishes the two-episode format of the turning points. They give out some background information on what happened originally and how Diva and Matsumoto change things. Then there’s the firm and tragic truth that Diva might not be able to save everyone in this journey. I look forward to seeing the consequences of their actions and their unsteady partnership.