Earth Maiden Arjuna 25 Years Anniversary Rewatch Episode 10 Discussion
# Episode 10: [The Flickering Genes](https://files.catbox.moe/etwj36.jpg)
***
[Previous episode](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qfosd9/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) Any opinion on this episode having an "opening" scene?
2) What is wrong within the Oshima family?
3) How dangerous what the Bio Alpha Laboratory doing?
4) Why do they experimenting with a dangerous thing called PDB, which is a carcinogen?
5) If father and son arguin, then how their thougfhts are so aligned?
6) Do you think there will be a consequence of this event?
***
## Highlights from yesterday:
1) Looks the theme of the previous episode was kinda strange:
> This was just a really weird one with the whole "babies can talk to you before they're born" thing which is such a strange focus for an episode.
> It also has a weird pro-life slant that I'm not sure I like.
> Not sure where the subplot involving Juna's sister being pregnant is gonna go but I am kinda worried about it after this episode.
Two big themes today that are connected. First, the topic of having babies. I called the scene in the hospital disturbing above, but disturbing does not mean bad. If an anime makes me feel something, it succeeded and that definitely worked here. I feel that the direction is either staying at a high level or getting even better. So many good cuts during the first half of the episode. And the anime also knows how to use music and set up themes. If only there was a way to separate the good directing from the crackpot theories of the director. Seriously, he is doing a speedrun of throwing nutcase theories in our faces. Feels like the worst parts of facebook.
> The second part ties in having babies with Juna and her sister. I did not expect my sex comment to become this relevant this soon. I guess you can call this successfully foreshadowing a theme? I like the Juna & her sister plot to 90% (and the 10% is me suspecting some “women are made to have babies and need to have babies to be happy” crackpot theory lurking in the background, because the director does not seem to miss a single one of those). Juna listening in to babies is probably the best narrative use of her ability so far.
> On one hand, the anime goes on about listening to babys’ voices and, apparently, trusting them on when and where it’s the best to give them birth. On the other, the outro sequence shows us that "born against its will" baby growing up good and healthy.
> Overall, this seems to be further development of the previous episode’s agenda that I’m not really vibing with.
> Talking about pro-life stuff and so on… I can’t help but worry about Juna’s sister’s future kid, doubtful it’s going to live in any functional family.
> I wondered when was the best time to bring this up… but why nobody seems to care about that thing on Juna’s forehead? Or they like "well, that’s not the weirdest thing about this girl lately".
> Well fucking gee, I guess I praised the show too hastily yesterday, because after another intermission, not only are the characters acting stupid (why did Tokio give Sayuri a ride and take her bento AFTER yesterday's incident, instead of clearing things up with Juna first?), and not only preachy nature of the show returned, but it's was also a damn pro-life episode promoting childbirth outside of a hospital.
> Honestly, this episode probably annoyed me the most in the entire series, because unlike previous environmental themes such as farming or pollution, this approach actually puts other people's lives at risk. Like, in the episode itself, the doctor said that it would be better for the mother's safety to give birth earlier, but the episode still treats this as a bad thing. No, no, the baby knows best when it should be born, you should put yourself in danger!
> The way the idea of abortion is presented in the show is no better. Perhaps they wanted to add nuance when Juna's sister told her that she was pregnant by “a guy she doesn't love,” but not only was Kaine already presented as a less... pleasant character, insensitive to other people, which makes her arguments questionable, but this revelation didn't even make Juna reconsider her opinion, because immediately after that she goes: “Why can't they understand what BABIES feel and think? Can't they forget about their own circumstances???”
> And that's not even mentioning how Episode was... weirdly uncomfortable with Cindy. Like, I don't even think that whole story about her experience in her mother's womb really adds anything except a cheap shock effect.
***
### Other information:
ED: [Bike (バイク)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKUFME54DUk) 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!<
***
[Previous episode](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qfosd9/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) Any opinion on this episode having an "opening" scene?
2) What is wrong within the Oshima family?
3) How dangerous what the Bio Alpha Laboratory doing?
4) Why do they experimenting with a dangerous thing called PDB, which is a carcinogen?
5) If father and son arguin, then how their thougfhts are so aligned?
6) Do you think there will be a consequence of this event?
***
## Highlights from yesterday:
1) Looks the theme of the previous episode was kinda strange:
> This was just a really weird one with the whole "babies can talk to you before they're born" thing which is such a strange focus for an episode.
> It also has a weird pro-life slant that I'm not sure I like.
> Not sure where the subplot involving Juna's sister being pregnant is gonna go but I am kinda worried about it after this episode.
Two big themes today that are connected. First, the topic of having babies. I called the scene in the hospital disturbing above, but disturbing does not mean bad. If an anime makes me feel something, it succeeded and that definitely worked here. I feel that the direction is either staying at a high level or getting even better. So many good cuts during the first half of the episode. And the anime also knows how to use music and set up themes. If only there was a way to separate the good directing from the crackpot theories of the director. Seriously, he is doing a speedrun of throwing nutcase theories in our faces. Feels like the worst parts of facebook.
> The second part ties in having babies with Juna and her sister. I did not expect my sex comment to become this relevant this soon. I guess you can call this successfully foreshadowing a theme? I like the Juna & her sister plot to 90% (and the 10% is me suspecting some “women are made to have babies and need to have babies to be happy” crackpot theory lurking in the background, because the director does not seem to miss a single one of those). Juna listening in to babies is probably the best narrative use of her ability so far.
> On one hand, the anime goes on about listening to babys’ voices and, apparently, trusting them on when and where it’s the best to give them birth. On the other, the outro sequence shows us that "born against its will" baby growing up good and healthy.
> Overall, this seems to be further development of the previous episode’s agenda that I’m not really vibing with.
> Talking about pro-life stuff and so on… I can’t help but worry about Juna’s sister’s future kid, doubtful it’s going to live in any functional family.
> I wondered when was the best time to bring this up… but why nobody seems to care about that thing on Juna’s forehead? Or they like "well, that’s not the weirdest thing about this girl lately".
> Well fucking gee, I guess I praised the show too hastily yesterday, because after another intermission, not only are the characters acting stupid (why did Tokio give Sayuri a ride and take her bento AFTER yesterday's incident, instead of clearing things up with Juna first?), and not only preachy nature of the show returned, but it's was also a damn pro-life episode promoting childbirth outside of a hospital.
> Honestly, this episode probably annoyed me the most in the entire series, because unlike previous environmental themes such as farming or pollution, this approach actually puts other people's lives at risk. Like, in the episode itself, the doctor said that it would be better for the mother's safety to give birth earlier, but the episode still treats this as a bad thing. No, no, the baby knows best when it should be born, you should put yourself in danger!
> The way the idea of abortion is presented in the show is no better. Perhaps they wanted to add nuance when Juna's sister told her that she was pregnant by “a guy she doesn't love,” but not only was Kaine already presented as a less... pleasant character, insensitive to other people, which makes her arguments questionable, but this revelation didn't even make Juna reconsider her opinion, because immediately after that she goes: “Why can't they understand what BABIES feel and think? Can't they forget about their own circumstances???”
> And that's not even mentioning how Episode was... weirdly uncomfortable with Cindy. Like, I don't even think that whole story about her experience in her mother's womb really adds anything except a cheap shock effect.
***
### Other information:
ED: [Bike (バイク)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKUFME54DUk) 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!<
Commentaires
- Oh they’re using the ED as the OP this time. [](#suddenshock)
- [That sure is… some home life Tokio’s got there.](https://i.imgur.com/dhaTyNm.png)
- [Oh shit–](https://i.imgur.com/uhdiqxk.png) [](#gasp)
- [Juna, you can’t just drop something like this on a guy and not elaborate at all.](https://i.imgur.com/H4O6qyc.png) That’s just going to make him go out anyways! [](#whathaveidone)
- [Mushrooms, huh?](https://i.imgur.com/CgcBVbR.png)
- [This is true to a point](https://i.imgur.com/jLxskN0.png), I guess, but I don’t really support either side of this argument. [](#hardthink)
- [Okay, fair.](https://i.imgur.com/lyveutI.png) [](#kotohoops)
- [That doesn’t sound good…](https://i.imgur.com/f8yb450.png) [](#watashiworried)
- [Ah shit, there it is.](https://i.imgur.com/v5qtSE6.png)
- [Sure seems like it.](https://i.imgur.com/iT80tR1.png)
- [Ah, *that’s* why his dad was like that…](https://i.imgur.com/BfnARF7.png)
- [Oh *fuck*](https://i.imgur.com/zRfpCGU.png), his dad [shoved Tokio into the bar that fell on him?](https://i.imgur.com/WbuZCkC.png) [](#gasp)
Oh, *that's* what it was? I knew something was off about the OP but I couldn't figure out what!
Shows how much I pay attention sometimes...
Have we usually gotten the full opening theme with all these callback images and whatnot? Feels almost like the show is only now starting for the first time! The music is still great for sure.
[](#listen)
Tokio's father is home, and doesn't seem the most amicable person ever. Interesting that his stepmother calls him "Tokio-san". Is that normal?
Uh-oh, Juna sees a vision of Tokio getting hurt. Please don't kill off the best character in the show!
[](#scaredmio)
Chris is being his usual asshole self and refusing to say anything. It's kind of nice to see Juna just flat out call him out on that. But it really seems like the awful communication skills are contagious, because Juna once again handles the situation like an absolute airhead.
"Don't leave home today, Tokio!" Whew, job done, there is absolutely no need to explain anything further to him.
[](#facepalm2)
The portrayal of genetic engineering is kinda funny, about as subtle messaging as I would've expected of the show. It appears the theme today is in fact Tokio's relationship with his father, how neither of them can understand each other or reach each other.
Juna and Tokio, on the other hand, are getting better at discussing their feelings openly and being honest with each other, which is really nice to see. If only Juna was equally competent at communication when dealing with Avatar of Time issues.
Well, to the surprise of no one, "something bad" does happen at the facility, namely a random Raaja attack. Do these things happen only when Juna is present, or is every factory in the world in constant danger of spontaneous explosions?
Juna saves the day and fixes the father-son relationship and freezes the Raaja destruction (I had already forgotten she has this power! Maybe use it a bit quicker next time, eh?), but Tokio gets hurt in the destruction nevertheless.
[](#howcouldyou "Please be okay!")
Luckily, he is alive and well, if a bit hurt. Thanks goodness! And I guess the father-son relationship has been mended a bit too, although it's implied his dad is heading to prison next. Uh oh.
This felt almost like a filler "Raaja of the week" episode in a way. We're getting close to the end of the series and I'm still kind of waiting for the real plot to begin! Aren't we due a build-up for an epic finale soon? I'm hoping for some kind of an epic finale, anyway!
[](#peace)
Juna’s magic powers are surely versatile — in today’s episode she used them to cool down a father-son argument.
By the way… what about the SEED guys? It’s as if the anime starts forgetting they exist… I think they’re going to show up again soon when the climax (apocalypse!) ensues.
QotD:
1. I didn’t expect that, but the soundtrack is familiar… I wonder where in this anime we’d heard it before. (edit: saw the answer in Shimmering-Sky’s comment)
2. Dad not keeping up with family duties other than making a living.
3. Pretty darn dangerous.
4. It seems that if used properly, these bacteria could help with plastic pollution.
5. They argue cause they care of each other!
6. Yes — a horrible disaster that I’d been anticipating for the last few episodes is finally upon us! The hazardous bacteria leaked into the ocean. (actually not clear yet what exactly danger it poses, do they just die off if there’s no petrochemicals around to eat? But they even said they used cancer genes to make this PDB, so must be dangerous as hell)
* I feels like we didn’t have the OP in forever, but I don’t know how often they actually skipped it.
* “Why can’t you just be straight with me?” – good question.
* “Don’t leave the house today” *hangs up.* *Leaves house* - Chris is not the only one with communication issues.
* “It is dangerous here. You have to evacuate.” – The fact that Juna thinks this will work shows that she can’t put herself into the shoes of other people at all.
* And Tokio tries to argue with his dad on the basis of a magazine article he didn’t even fully grasp.
* “I did not want to drag you into it” – she literally told his father to evacuate his facility (and surely used Tokio’s name to get to speak to him).
* Oh, a leaking bioreactor of some oil-eating bacteria infused with cancer virus genes. Let’s have an argument here!
[](#kyonfacepalm)
Tokio is a computer kid who missed his dad? Not sure I like that development. His character previously came across as more out-going and people oriented to me, so the story does not seem to fit. And it is a very common trope, too. Maybe not as common at the time, but we are post-Evangelion.
In terms of *the author’s barely disguised political ranting,* we get more GMO stuff today.
Maybe I'm misremembering, but I swear that there was never a typical style OP before now and every previous time was either recaps of the previous episode or Ep 1 taking it's time with setup.
It seems like the company Tokio's father is working for is trying to make a new kind of microorganism made to treat oil spills (bioremediation is a thing, you know), but somehow they put a cancer gene for the experiment, probably to speed up growth.
Seems like the opening scene was only used on this week's episode since the previous episode goes over 30 minutes with the intermission.
Questions only time again.
> 1) Any opinion on this episode having an "opening" scene?
Basically that was a recap.
> 2) What is wrong within the Oshima family?
They moved to a different place and new workplace.
> 3) How dangerous what the Bio Alpha Laboratory doing?
If carcinogen is involved, this means no good.
> 4) Why do they experimenting with a dangerous thing called PDB, which is a carcinogen?
All because of the greater good.
> 5) If father and son arguing, then how their thoughts are so aligned?
Because family.
> 6) Do you think there will be a consequence of this event?
Somehow slowly corrupts and infests the seawater.