Episode Review: NieR:Automata Ver1.1A Episode 15: Total Annihilation

July 25, 2024Episode Review,  Mecha Discussion,  ,  
The end of YoHRa
This episode keeps up the tension from the previous episode, with 2B and 9S desperately trying to escape the machine lifeform’s virus, only to find themselves back at base where everyone are also infected. The futile struggle of the androids, the deception of the Human Council, and the beginning of the end.

We got a great treat at the start of the episode with a very satisfying combat scene, mostly from 2B. We see she was in her Heavy Armored A loadout, which is very similar to the suit in Jin-Roh: Wolf Brigade. 2B’s solo action was pretty intense, especially when she bisect a whole ass satellite like its butter, channeling her inner Raiden. It’s also nice to see 2B feeling both “surprise” and “relieved” that 9S came to her aid and that he hasn’t succumbed to the virus. But the show must go on, 2B quickly regained her calm composure and deliver some impressive hand-to-thigh combat. I really love the armor she got on, it really emphasize her body shape.

And her Execution run is great as well, channeling Cloud Strife’s Omniflash and Shirou’s UBW to summon specific katanas for her fellow Androids that have gone berserk. Each “target” has their own “katanas” which is both badass and wtf at the same time (like why?). But seeing her cutting down her fellow androids was hard. And at the end, we got a reenactment of episode 1’s scene where 2B and 9S initiated self-destruct by touching their blackboxes together. It’s the ultimate sacrifice and the most intimate action they can make, which is nice.

Back at Bunker, they found Commander White collapsing in the Control Room – where fake footages of the android’s victory were being played on the screens. Obviously, it’s all bull and Commander White was surprised when she learned that all the YoHRa’s androids are effectively “finished” on the surface. Well, that’s the final nail in the coffin. It’s obvious that the machine lifeforms is much more dangerous than they anticipate and that the “Human Council” is just a bunch of crap. It’s kinda funny since the start of this episode literally explained the mystery behind the “human on the Moon” thing to us.

Eitherway, Commander White had no choice but to send 2B and 9S away. Since she herself was also infected with the widespread virus. Even though she has been doing the Council’s biddings, she genuinely cares for all of the Androids, particularly 6O, 2B and 9S. She even finished 6O by her own hands and was visibly pained when she “died”. And in the end, we see a spectacular “explosion” of the entire Bunker base.

The final arc draws near…but with 9 episodes remaining, how will the story develop? With this extremely fast pace, we might reach the end of the story in the game sooner than expected. They may explore new endings, or show us different ones. If so, this is one of the first adaptations that actually show a multi-route plotline. For Nier, whose essence is just that, I think it is fitting. Hopefully A-1 can pull this one off. And now with 2B and 9S descending back to Earth in a fiery fireball, A2 is waiting for them to end this once and for all.

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