Earth Maiden Arjuna 25 Years Anniversary Rewatch Episode 4 Discussion

# Episode 4: [Transmigration](https://files.catbox.moe/n2ctng.jpg)
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[Previous episode](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qaay98/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Index](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q2dzfb/earth_maiden_arjuna_25_years_anniversary_rewatch/) | [Next episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2HPPHdPAA)
***
## Links, useful info:

[MAL](https://myanimelist.net/anime/812/Chikyuu_Shoujo_Arjuna) | [Anilist](https://anilist.co/anime/812/Arjuna/) | [Anidb](https://anidb.net/anime/107) | [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/chikyuu-shoujo-arjuna) | [Livechart](https://www.livechart.me/anime/5910) | [ANN](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=602) | [AP](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/arjuna)

***
## Streams:

[Tubi](https://tubitv.com/series/1960), but that service is only in certain countries. [Otherwise](#piracy)

***
## Questions for the day:

1) What is Juna's problem?

2) What is this hidden village? Would you live there?

3) Why is this old man acting weird and strange?

4) Do you agree with him that even the harmful must live or rather keep the plants safe and clean?

5) Why can Juna and Tokio see themselves in the food?

6) What is that scene sequence about nature and life, is this how Juna become one with?

7) Why did mankind forgot about the beauty of the nature?

***
## Highlights from yesterday:

1) Just because SEED is on Juna's side, it doesn't mean they are inherently good guys:

> While brats still acting obnoxiously, I think it helps that other characters seem to condone their behavior, like for example, how Teresa continued to watch over Juna and was against the idea of abandoning her. And if we return to the idea that this show is an “post-EVA” anime, then Cindy and Chris's “mysterious” behavior really starts to remind me of Fuyutsuki and Gendo, which raises the question of whether they are actually good guys or not.

> I'm kinda starting to wonder if this SEED organization, and especially Chris and Cindy, are actually supposed to be people we're even meant to sympathize with. I assume so, but geez. They're either incredibly incompetent, or just flat out evil. Even if their goals are noble, their means are absolutely not.

> It's just the whole SEED and Chris situation that's doing my head in a little bit. The show is pushing such a clear environmentalist agenda, yet SEED and the brats who are supposedly on the planet's side are acting like incompetent villains, while Tokio, the person who relies constantly on modern technology, eats junk food, and thinks fighting against pollution is a lost cause, is the person who constantly gets shit done and acts like a selfless, good person.

> Man. These S.E.E.D. guys kind of suck.

***
### Other information:

ED: [Kuuki to Hoshi (空気と星)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXP9hyTgkU8) by Maaya Sakamoto

***
## Disclaimer notice:

Dear rewatchers, please be nice to the first-time watchers by simply not spoilering anything. But if you want to discuss spoiler-territory things, use spoiler tags instead. Thank you for your understanding.

For example [this is] >!a spoiler!<

Voir le contenu lié

Commentaires

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-12 22:05

**First-Timer Maiden Subbed**

- [F](https://i.imgur.com/w9IwQVF.png) [](#toradorasalute)

- [You can say that again, Tokio.](https://i.imgur.com/5g0DeqW.png)

- [That must be terrifying…](https://i.imgur.com/Fz1No2Q.png) [](#therethere)

- [Bro what the fuck?](https://i.imgur.com/whkWzGf.png) [](#whatamireading)

- [I guess they’re working for this guy now…](https://i.imgur.com/FndM4jR.png)

- [*What*?](https://i.imgur.com/IZeSlWw.png) [](#blankblink)

- [Denied a kiss again.](https://i.imgur.com/9WMirhY.png) [](#cantbehelped)

- [This is kind of unsettling…](https://i.imgur.com/yYg2jlt.png) Like I get what the show is going for, it just weirds me out. [](#hardthink)

- […alright then.](https://i.imgur.com/X7fISc3.png)

- [She was going to shoot down a helicopter that was spraying pesticide on a field…](https://i.imgur.com/CqhJPAo.png)

- Ooh, ED lead-in! [](#delighted)

- I’m just glad someone *finally* helped Juna understand things even if the old man was super weird about it at first. What Chris and Cindy were doing before this was starting to really annoy me.

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-12 22:10

> This is kind of unsettling… Like I get what the show is going for, it just weirds me out.

Pretty much normal here.

> She was going to shoot down a helicopter that was spraying pesticide on a field…

Probably because of the health and enviromental effects in general.

wloff2026-01-12 22:16

> I’m just glad someone finally helped Juna understand things even if the old man was super weird about it at first. What Chris and Cindy were doing before this was starting to really annoy me.

If Chris always wanted her to meet this old dude and learn things from him, I wonder what the plan would've been if they just happened to take a different path at the intersection.

SpiritualPossible2026-01-12 22:05

**First timer**

Chris was still acting like a jerk, so Juna and Tokio (who is now truly fed up with his antics) had no choice but to rely on this strange... *~~and also kinda obnoxious~~* old farmer. But at least he tried to teach and explain something to our couple, by making them work with him on the farm, unlike Chris, who always [chooses the other option](https://files.catbox.moe/mcu03y.webp). And thanks to that, Juna learned an important lesson that she could have learned by watching [the first few minutes of The Lion King](https://youtu.be/GibiNy4d4gc?si=nJPsXPDsdp0RhNAZ&t=95) instead of, you know, being dropped in the middle of the jungle and risking her life.

The episode is... okay, but the way the theme is presented really bothers me. I'm not even against natural farming, but in this episode, it's presented in such “profounded” and forced that it feels more like a preaching than something meaningful, and makes me think I'm watching a Japanese remake of [Captain Planet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiYjTb3opAA).

...I'm starting to notice a pattern where an episode I liked is followed by an episode with some issues. Let's see if this tendency continues.

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-12 22:06

> The episode is... okay, but the way the theme is presented really bothers me. I'm not even against natural farming, but in this episode, it's presented in such “profounded” and forced that it feels more like a preaching than something meaningful, and makes me think I'm watching a Japanese remake of Captain Planet.

I think you are right with that.

wloff2026-01-12 22:19

> Juna learned an important lesson

Did she actually learn much beyond "if you eat something, it becomes a part of you"?

I mean, that's not really *that* profound of a thought. \^_\^;

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-12 22:45

> Did she actually learn much beyond "if you eat something, it becomes a part of you"?

Atleast those which are useful to the body.

wloff2026-01-12 22:10

**First-timer, subs**

Today, Juna's training arc continues with her now apparently needing to learn what to eat. Or wasn't that the point of the so-called training in the last episode? Wait, what *was* the point of the so-called training in the last episode?

[](#lost)

"Why do you think you have that power?", eh, Chris? Well, gee, *literally no clue*. It's not like you've even tried to explain it one bit.

[](#etotamadunno)

Apparently, Tokio was far-sighted enough to go buy himself a tent (which he had no idea how to build), but not enough to make sure he had some gas in the tank. C'mon, Tokio, you're better than that!

[](#facepalm)

Then we meet some random old hermit who teaches Juna that vegetables grow better when you don't kill pests, get rid of weeds, or use any fertilizers.

[](#bitchplease)

Or something like that, I guess. You know, I'm all for the pro-environment message, I really am, but most of this is pretty silly pseudoscientific nonsense. There's absolutely a time and place to let nature live free and support natural diversity, but it has nothing to do with sustainable ways of growing food.

And apparently even this hermit's morals don't go as far as to not smoke what are clearly [industrially manufactured cigarettes](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/01062278b95a.png).

[](#seasonallaugh)

It's quite interesting that Juna now sees the dusting helicopter as a monster. I wonder what exactly is the true source and meaning of the Raaja? They were completely invisible to Tokio's human eye, were they not?

Again, the messaging is a bit... naive, but as an episode it was quite nice, a chill change of pace and a time to collect some thoughts. I wonder if we're getting any closer to understanding the whole purpose of Raja's role as the Avatar of Time.

The ED was really cool too! They've pretty much always been, actually.

[](#peace)

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-12 22:55

> Then we meet some random old hermit who teaches Juna that vegetables grow better when you don't kill pests, get rid of weeds, or use any fertilizers.

Quite unorthodox take.

> And apparently even this hermit's morals don't go as far as to not smoke what are clearly industrially manufactured cigarettes.

But smoking is bad though.

> It's quite interesting that Juna now sees the dusting helicopter as a monster. I wonder what exactly is the true source and meaning of the Raaja? They were completely invisible to Tokio's human eye, were they not?

Because the helicopter contains harmful materials.

> The ED was really cool too! They've pretty much always been, actually.

Unique indeed.

No_Rex2026-01-12 22:11

**Episode 4 (first timer)**

That is more like it. Today’s episode was like a training arc, and the best episode so far. The message is still very clear and obvious, but it is not as annoying as in the previous episodes. Mostly because of a success of *show, don’t tell.* We get to *see* the healthy nature instead of being accused of not having it. That not only works better for Juna to understand, but also for the viewers. I also like the CGI a lot better in the nature scenes than in the fight scenes. Even that old guy was ok, as far as old perverts go.

Something else I like about the series that was at the forefront today was the relationship between Juna and Tokio. Anime has a long history of teenage romances, but the history of badly bungled teenage romances in anime is almost as long. Juna and especially Tokio feel refreshingly real. Yes, Tokio is still a teenager who is horny (like teenagers tend to be), but he is not *anime horny.* Him trying to kiss Juna feels like something a real human would do, not the setup for a romcom gag. And you can see how Juna feels safe with Tokio and how Tokio is trying to protect her, without it ever descending into tropes.

Maybe not surprisingly, the best episode so far had zero SEED in it.

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-12 22:47

So yeah, gave a few episodes a chance, then it is going much better. Less SEED, the better.

JustAnswerAQuestion2026-01-13 02:26

Oh, hey, I was going to post today, and then worked late and went to dinner.

I watched this as it aired, and it quickly became one of my least favorite shows. I couldn't tell you why, I don't remember it. I don't know **anything** about hinduism or buddhism, so I could only play it straight with no understanding of the metaphors and allusions.

**I DO remember the epilogues with the old man.** Vividly. Especially tomorrow's. #tableflip.

The old man is an avatar of [Masanobu Fukuoka.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanobu_Fukuoka) He is a proponent of what he called Natural Farming. This goes far beyond organic farming or sustainable agriculture. You can look up that term if you are interested.

Mameshiba is the best Maaya Sakamoto / Youko Kanno collab, hands down.

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-13 09:53

> The old man is an avatar of Masanobu Fukuoka. He is a proponent of what he called Natural Farming. This goes far beyond organic farming or sustainable agriculture. You can look up that term if you are interested.

Indeed. I just can't unsee the striking similarities now.

il8872026-01-13 02:27

**First-timer, subs**

Training arc survival challenge part completed, onwards to spiritual growth part! We even have an old enigmatic hermit here who apparently has an idea of the supernatural stuff happening to Juna.

After all the drama previously this was a refreshingly chill slice-of-life episode.

Old man, you’re asking the guy to protect a literal deity who’s fighting monsters invisible to anyone but her… give him some slack, alright. But actually, Tokio might be doing a good job at protecting her mentally / spiritually.

The helicopter part is confusing — what were the Raajas Juna slayed before then? Those monsters only get even more mysterious.

QotD:

1. She doesn’t know how to carry out her divine duties without letting someone get killed in the process.

2. Just the hermit’s house in the countryside I think? As to living there, that’s not the worst possible option for sure, but I’d rather stick to suburb or city life for the time being.

3. Cuz he follows a different lifestyle, I guess? Groping Juna’s butt wasn’t necessary tho… the dude would’ve better brought a bunch of ero-books with him instead of cigs when he left the town.

4. To some extent, yes. On the other hand, locust swarms have historically caused massive famines, and they certainly don’t bother with eating only bad parts of the plants.

7. It’s not like they completely forgot. I think the old man explained it pretty well — snort-term practical gains often prevail.

AgentOfACROSS2026-01-13 06:38

**First Timer**

This is a very beautiful anime, there's no denying that. I love the visuals in this episode and the slow pace.

But that said, this episode really annoyed me.

I consider myself to be more or less in agreement with the show's overall environmental message. I try to buy organic food from small farms when I can and avoid factory farmed eggs, meat, and milk as much as possible. My family even used to have a vegetable garden in our backyard.

But this episode's whole "return to nature" viewpoint feels a bit naive and misguided. Yes, some weeds and even insects can be beneficial to the plants you grow and pesticides are harmful. But at the same time, there are also weeds that are harmful to the plants that are growing.

Also I don't get his whole argument about not using fertilizer. From what I understand his argument is that using fertilizer leads to bigger crops and when people have more crops it makes them fat and unhealthy. It had a real circular logic to it.

This is probably my least favorite episode so far purely because I had to put up with this old hermit's pseudo-intellectual moralizing about how kids these days need to get off their phones and go work in the garden.

That aside, I do think Juna seeing a crop duster as a Raaja was interesting and has some worldbuilding implications.

From what I understand it seems that the Raaja come from humanities neglect of the Earth.

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-13 21:36

### First-time watcher and your host (subs),

The forest wandering continues. It leads to a hidden place, home to an old man who lives there all alone. And this old man has a rather unorthodox way of agriculture. Everything is natural, and leave them be as it should be, that is his motto, if there is any. Because everything can be grown well if there is no intervention from outside, just like in liberal economics. What he says, there might be true, as it could be the key to resonate with nature, in Juna's case. Weeds or insects which are supposedly harmful, they are alive and must be kept alive, because they need nutrients and whatnot.

Because food has some elements and things, understandable why Juna and Tokio can see themselves in it.

In the rice paddy, Juna finally understands everything. As for the old man why embraced this ideas, well, because he was disillusioned from this world, as mankind distanced and alientaed itself from nature.

Juna saw a helicopter spraying pesticied which preceiuved as a Raaja, maybe because it contains haremful and toxic elements. Something that the old man disdains.

> 1) What is Juna's problem?

> 2) What is this hidden village? Would you live there?

Not exactly a village, but rather one small house with a hermit guy. Nice place.

> 3) Why is this old man acting weird and strange?

Probably his iunorthodox way of agriculture.

> 4) Do you agree with him that even the harmful must live or rather keep the plants safe and clean?

He might be right.

> 5) Why can Juna and Tokio see themselves in the food?

Because it will enter their body, become one with them

> 6) What is that scene sequence about nature and life, is this how Juna become one with?

Probably understands what the old man said.

> 7) Why did mankind forgot about the beauty of the nature?

Because the technological advancement.