English Dub Review: Metallic Rouge “Nowhere House”

Overview

Returning into her memories once more, Rouge discovers the true purpose of Code Eve. Meanwhile, The Immortal Nine continue their attack on Aletheia…

That was a shockingly straightforward episode of Metallic Rouge.

After spending most of its run meandering, running in place, or being frustratingly vague with its reveals… We finally get into the show’s conflict proper: Order vs Freedom. 

Code Eve– after being vaguely hinted at in episode 5– is finally revealed to be the program that overrides the Asimov Code. Which then sparks the debate between Rouge and Gene. Which is the better course of action for humanity? Gene wants to uphold the status quo regardless of the suffering and Rouge wants freedom for all Neans, regardless of the consequences. Before that debate can go anywhere, we get interrupted by another Nean(?) known as Cyan– and a brief fight scene occurs. Honestly, it took me out of it a little. Again, once it feels like the show finds itself; we have to take a brief detour that kills the flow.

Obviously, the viewer is supposed to side with Rouge here. Gene’s right about the massive status quo shift that would come from such a massive change, and it certainly won’t be a pretty one based on the events that occur later in the episode, but if your “status quo” relies so heavily on suffering in the first place, then maybe.. Just maybe… That system deserves to be re-examined. It’s no secret that the Neans are supposed to be a stand-in for the oppressed. It sounds fine on paper, but can lead to god awful execution if you’re not careful. In the case of Metallic Rouge, the show’s far too scatter-shot with its ideas to make a meaningful verdict– yet. If they continue to keep this momentum then I’m interested to see where it goes. Hope it doesn’t end with them admitting Gene has a point.

The rest of the episode is spent fighting– and building up the divide within The Immortal Nine. It’s satisfying as hell to finally see Rouge take stand for once, after spending most of the series being dragged along by others. 

Though again, there has to be something to take me out of it. The random death of Noid felt. Well. Random. Superfluous, more like it. I was growing quite fond of him and Detective Ash as a pair, but not to the point where his death would personally affect me. I was just slightly confused at the decision. 

Metallic Rouge finally showed its hand. Lets see what the cards hold for next week.