Episode Review - NieR:Automata Ver1.1A Episode 23: Confrontation

When the truth is revealed, there’s only one path to take…

The confrontation we’re waiting for has come…but we haven’t got to see the entirety of it yet. 9S and A2 make their way deep into the Tower, and uncover the truth about Humanity’s extinction and the YoHRa Project. As expected, their reaction to that information and the action they take after are also opposite. With this penultimate episode, we get rid of a major obstacle and set our deuteragonists on the path of no return. And with the desperate cries of Devola, we descend to the depth as we ascend the Tower.

We get to see 9S’ path first. And we get to see some action from him as well. The notion that a Scanner model isn’t suited for combat seems to have been thrown out the window when it comes to 9S. I think in part because he’s the smartest of the bunch, and also his partner is 2B – well, 2E to be exact. Some of her skills must have rubbed off on him, and it’s ironic that he’s using it to fight against her clones. Every time 9S sees a 2B model, he went absolutely off the rails, but then he turn into a soft boy afterwards. Yoko Taro’s way of portraying such an emotional android is great.

And after stabbing a dozen 2B clones, one of 9S’ arm was chopped off, and he pulled a Build Strike move by welding one of the 2B’s clones arm onto him. Even though it’s not actually 2B, I guess the symbolism is enough for him.

For A2, she doesn’t have to get into any crazy fight, but once again, she becomes everyone’s executioner. Ironic when 2B is 9S’ personal executioner while A2 seems to be everyone else’s including 2B. After 2B and Lily and many others, it’s Devola’s time. But A2 doesn’t signify their end only, but also their legacy. Everyone she ended left something for her to carry. 2B entrusted her with 9S and the future of androids, Lily entrust her with a family, and Devola gave 2A her redemption, as in the end, Devola and Popola has finished their mission spectacularly.

While in the tower, A2 learned about the human server on the moon, the truth about YoHRa as well as the machine lifeform war. It basically reaffirms her doubt ever since her first mission many years ago. But furthermore, her Pod was able to inject a logic bomb into the machine lifeform server to turn it against itself. It’s…kinda anti-climactic that the machine lifeform was taken out so…effortlessly. But Nier is a heavy philosophical series, so using a logic bomb is pretty fitting.

And finally, after everything, A2 came face to face with 2B. While A2 want to live on and want 9S to live on as well per 2B’s wish, 9S has basically given up everything and only wanted to get vengeance now. The person who killed his only reason to live, 2B, is now right in front of him. There is no way he will just let A2 leave even if the machine lifeform is taken out. He is dead set on hunting her down and I don’t think there’s anything that can stop him. The only one that can reign him in is already gone. Although with how the series is progressing, I think A2 will be the last one alive at the end, carrying on YoHRa’s and everyone’s ideal, while 9S got buried under his quest for revenge. We’ll see which way it goes next week. Hopefully A-1 will go all out on the animation.

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