[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by James Rye

Right.

Spoiler for 86 stuff:

I think that Suzunari branch is either one that belong to Shinoda or the HQ and which recently started to do its own thing but has yet to earn some "standing" in Border's council.
Like it was mostly an operator or engineer related branch, you know, support stuff. And at some point due some reasons they started accepting agents as well and try to get them to A-level as there you really hold a meaning in Border and can influence things. Either that or have a crapton of people working under you.

Yeah, while I think Yuuma and Chika still have a chance to win this battle as well, Suwa and Arafune squad were shown as competent enough to be able to deal with those two if they make any mistakes.
My bet is that they will focus on Chika first and then take out Yuuma and that those two need Usami's help to be able to avoid a lose. As well as have Osamu think what he might have done differently if he had been in that battle or have those two think what would have been differently with a clear leader.
Ya know, just show that they still struggle against good teams with good teamplay/who know what they are doing as they are still a new team despite being superstrong.^^

It better be huge, Border lost 6 of its Staff members inside its own HQ and 32 teenagers have been captured. While that is far less than like 4-5 years back then, the people who lost their husbands/wives/sons/daugthers won't take lightly to their lose.
And the press/goverment will also have a talk in that as well. Still wonder why we haven't heard yet anything from the japanese goverment. Kind of feels like they are letting Border do whatever they want.

What I really enjoyed about the flashback was how it kept entirely to Osamu's POV and didn't "showed" us Osamu's emotions but made us "imagine" them ourselves, as if we were in Osamu's shoes, hearing about Rinji's plan, his disappearance, seeing Chika cry for the first time, try to get enlisted as Agent but fail for a reason we cannot understand, do something illegal as last desperate mean, almost getting eaten aaaaaaaaand there's the draw-back to the very first chapter where Jin saved Osamu in the opening from a Neighbor!
Nicely done, liked that compact yet full of informations/more understanding for Osamu's struggle as a trion weak person with great ambitions flashback alot.^^

You know, seeing this flashback makes Osamu's draw against Kazama, the 2nd strongest fighter of Border, even more amazing. Even if it was after 20+ loses and Osamu's trion weakness didn't mattered as much due the endless trion supply from the simulation room. XD
It just makes it more amazing because we basically got told that Osamu is no "agent material". Yet we see him standing up to people who are considered elites or are superdangerous trion soldiers/humanoid neighbors and be able to stand his ground. Albeit ofc at his very limits of his ability.
Still amazing now that we know Border had first made Osamu "fail" for being an Agent. Guess Jin foresaw back then when he saved "four-eyes" that this person gonna mean great changes for Border, even if he is a "weak" fighter.

And yes, sleeping Chika is an adorable sight. <3
Osamu's mom's pretty hot though. Guess he got his looks from his dad after all. :P

This whole situation should be a major wakeup call to everyone. Obviously for the relatives for those dead or kidnapped, but just everyone in general. They are living on the front lines of a war here. No matter how nice everything seemed once Border took over, that reality has now been thrown in their face.

I guess the Japanese government and really the world itself can only have so big an impact. Border can always just disperse at their leisure and then everyone is screwed. That group has a monopoly on their only legitimate defense against these invasions, they'll have to give them a wide berth.

This was a good reminder that Osamu is starting from a much weaker position than I ever imagined. I thought he was just average to below average agent material. But really this guy was below the borderline. But his personality and determination are keeping him going in a world full of monsters. Good point that it probably explains why Osamu eventually got in. Jin probably helped the process along knowing that it was important for Osamu to be in Border.

The first person perspective to the flashback worked well I agree. Really helped to literally stand in his shoes. Seeing someone he looked up to struggling to protect his sister and vanishing, seeing Chika just crying from her loss and then boom he took action. Didn't need any more than that to get why he was there taking the test.

Sleeping Chika was nice, but also a good reminder of the realities of the situation with his mother being there. Osamu still has his family as far as we know so he's different from even his two friends here who have both suffered some real losses. He is the guy that helps ground this show.