English Dub Review: Boogiepop and Others “Vs Imaginator 6”

When everyone is the same, there is no suffering.

Overview:

Boogiepop finally enters the scene, here to stop Imaginator once and for all.

Our Take:

Thus brings the end to the Imaginator saga, and what a conclusion it is.

Asukai reveals his hand- that in expanding Orihata’s heart to the world, he is able to make the world all the same. Because Orihata has no drive of her own, then implanting her flower into the hearts of everyone else means that everyone would feel and act the same. If everyone is alike, there is no conflict, because there are no desires to spark conflict. This would be essentially erasing all of humanity, and why Imaginator is viewed as such an enemy.

Masaki is the true shonen protag in this all because he powers through just about everything until he isn’t physically able to. He’s realized that Orihata has betrayed him and manipulated him, and is even bluntly told that his actions are complete folly. Yet at the same time, even after his brainwashing has been removed, he still cares for Orihata. That wasn’t something created by Spooky E, he was always that devoted to Orihata- he loves her, and that doesn’t change. He would have stormed up the tower to fight Imaginator had he not been stopped, but that probably saved his life.

Orihata, even, in the end, realizes as the very last moment that she doesn’t want to die and that she loves Masaki, truly. It took her a long time to break through what she’s been taught, that she’s worthless, that she needs affection in order to live, that nobody would ever love her, and she realizes that’s true. As Boogiepop later admits to her, just because she is artificial doesn’t mean she can’t feel- if someone were to cut out her flower, it would regrow because flowers come from wants and needs. Now that Orihata wants something, artificial human or no, she has her own heart.

The two of them end on a happy note because they choose each other. Boogiepop clearly tells Masaki that he’s been brainwashed, yet that doesn’t deter him. It isn’t knowing the actions behind everything that makes Masaki relent, but he pushes on. He chooses to be with Orihata, the same way she chooses to be with him.

In the end, everything is wrapped up neatly. Nobody dies, except for Spooky E last episode (and nobody was really rooting for him) and everyone gets their happy ending. Asukai is debatable, as Imaginator gave him a purpose in life and a way to fulfill it, and now he is left with nothing. At the same time, he isn’t dead, so he could find some other way to use his talents. Boogiepop leaves, having defeated Imaginator, and the saga closes, at least until the next monster shows up.