English Dub Review: Azur Lane “BLUE WATERS – May the Azur Lanes Bless You”

Overview:

The Orochi unleashes its deadly arsenel.

Our Take:

The battle of the Orochi concludes, this time with all the other ships chiming in. The main weapon is revealed to be a missile, but not just any one– one seemingly from the modern era that packs the power of the modern era. Keeping this in mind, it would be incredibly easy for the Sirens to wipe out Azur Lane’s base, even from so far away. Considering all the Azur Lane ships are modeled after WWII-era ships, seeing something like a long-rage missile is unheard of, and it takes Enterprise at full power to stop it.

Enterprise, also coming into contact with the mind of the Orochi, sees a figment of herself: the Enterprise that despises fighting, the Enterprise that fears for her own life and the life of her comrades. That figment warns that even though this battle may have been won, there will be battles to come in the future. The fear of death, of becoming meaningless, is a strong one even in concepts such as themselves. The reality is that her figment is right, and they are all things that Enterprise herself must feel– but she has no time for that now. It is her resolve that not only stops the missile, but saves Akagi as well.

Kaga finally concedes, admitting that her sister is in the wrong. Akagi is consumed by grief, and is absolutely not thinking rationally. While she does greatly miss Amagi, she particularly misses Amagi’s stern yet kind nature, and how that made Akagi bridge even grudges back in the Sakura Empire. Without that guidance, Akagi feels lost– and it’s only when her enemy, Enterprise, is able to reach out to her regardless that she finally realizes her folly.

As this is the final episode, everyone comes together to defeat the Sirens. It is less the power of friendship, at least for the majority of the ships, as much as it is seeing it the most logical way to defeat an enemy with overwhelming power. In the end, that unity is what’s able to break the Orochi’s defenses, and bring the Sirens to at least a temporary retreat. It is also what’s able to foster a conjoined base between all of the factions, now that they realize they’re better off fighting the Sirens on a united front instead of infighting. This lends for a fairly positive ending– not everything was solved, but the girls have come together in a stand that they’re willing to make things right.