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Metallic Rouge Episode 10 – Quick Summary
In Metallic Rouge Episode 10, “Family Portrait,” Naomi, Rouge, Eden, and Ash were on their way to Venus. Naomi had a big surprise for everyone – a very special weapon that would give her an edge on Venus despite the odds. There was just one problem…
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Metallic Rouge Episode 10
Sadly, the anti-phaser was never seen again. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Naomi was super excited. Though she and her shipmates were heading into danger, she thought she had the perfect weapon – and she felt thrilled to show it off.
On the way to the armory, they got bad news: Cyan had escaped. Naomi was bummed – but seriously, how bad could it be? Cyan had escaped back on Earth, and Naomi was in space! And besides, she had something more important on her mind. She wanted to show off the super special weapon.
How special was it? What kind of power would it grant its user?
““It’s like giving a club to an ogre,” she said as she excitedly typed in her access code (01:19). “Or a Rouge to me!”
I almost felt sorry for how disappointed she was at what she found in the case!
Favorite Moment from Metallic Rouge Episode 10
It’s a little surprising to see Naomi’s reaction. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Naomi’s Antagonist Toward Cyan
A laid back episode is just what I needed. It let me catch my breath, reflect on what’s come before, and enjoy the character banter. And may I add – that banter was in great form in this episode!
Naomi really went after Cyan in this episode. Maybe it’s because Cyan had discarded the only real weapon that stood a chance of stopping any of the Immortal Nine. To be fair, I don’t blame her for being pissed off about that! But there were times I thought Naomi pushed things a bit far.
Do you know who else thought that? Rouge. Rouge stood up for Cyan, and I was happy to see that. I think Rouge’s experience in the previous episode seemed to give her the courage to push back when Naomi was being a bully.
Cyan came pretty close to adjusting Naomi’s attitude for her. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Cyan herself was no push over. At one point, Rouge had to restrain her, or Cyan would have inflicted serious injury on Naomi.
That played into my favorite moment. To give it a little more texture, we found out in this episode that Ash had been a dad, and he seemed pretty good at it. He convinced Cyan to take a bath while Naomi had zero luck. Between Ash being a dad and Rouge having a little sister (and a big brother in Gene), Naomi started to feel a bit lonely.
Delivery: Naomi Cherishes Rouge – Mostly
In a scene that was almost my favorite, Cyan drew pictures of herself and Rouge growing up – with their “dad” as the Puppeteer. She drew several pictures that reminded me of something you’d see a middle schooler draw. At night, when Rouge and Cyan were asleep, Ash found Naomi looking at those pictures.
“… seeing people who have things I can never have,” she said, wistfully, “makes me just a little jealous” (15:11).
It’s against that backdrop that Naomi approached the room she shared with Rouge. She heard Rogue and Cyan talking behind the closed door. Cyan seemed to have processed that she wasn’t Rouge’s “real” little sister, but she wanted to be. Rouge had really warmed up to Cyan, because she assured her that just as Rouge considered Gene her older brother, she consider Cyan her little sister.
When Cyan asked what Naomi was to Rouge, Naomi leaned closer to the door. Sure, Naomi is powerful, independent, and driven. She gets things done that others can’t. But she’s lonely. She bickers with Rouge so much you know Naomi likes her.
Thinking out loud, Rouge said (18:33), “The best… Stranger?” Fortunately for Naomi (and me!), Cyan asked what that meant.
Rouge decided that Naomi was the best stranger. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
“She can be irritating, but I don’t mind being with her all the time,” Rouge said (18:37). “So she’s the best stranger.”
Naomi’s relieved smile is my favorite moment. It humanized her and only added to my perception of her as a strong character. She cares about Rouge. Though she often takes Rouge into danger, she cherishes their friendship – albeit in her own special way.
What did you think of the surreal dinner party on Venus? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!
Metallic Rouge Episode 10: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Metallic Rouge – Episode 10 discussion
- ARUM JOURNAL: Metallic Rouge Episode 10 Review – Family Bonding
- RABUJOI: Metallic Rouge – 10 – Rocket to Venus
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Metallic Rouge Episode 1: Crimson Is the Sound of Dawn
- Metallic Rouge Episode 2: Wander in the Labyrinth
- Metallic Rouge Episode 3: Marginal City
- Metallic Rouge Episode 4: Freedom and Phantoms
- Metallic Rouge Episode 5: Carnival Dances with Lost Memories
- Metallic Rouge Episode 6: Guest with No Name
- Metallic Rouge Episode 7: Appropriate Gear
- Metallic Rouge Episode 8: Nowhere House
- Metallic Rouge Episode 9: The Ones Who Visited
- Metallic Rouge Episode 10: Family Portrait
- Metallic Rouge Episode 11: Target Planet
- Metallic Rouge Episode 12: Mask Graveyard
- Metallic Rouge Episode 13: Code Eve
I don’t really think Naomi took things too far, but I was certainly afraid of Cyan either going postal like a child with nukes attached or being told by the mysterious voice again to kill Rouge.
Mostly, this episode did much to confuse me. I mean, the Nine and Gene were all like family at one point? And Gene didn’t remember, and the he did remember, and it’s getting difficult to try and keep track of everything that has or hasn’t happened. Just what went on between them all to make all of these things happen? Everything about that “family dinner” both humanized the Nine ever more and showed how insane they all are now. And it was very sad seeing the one lingering, but fading slowly with his memories dimming.
Naomi had to know a) that Cyan was super powerful and b) as immature as she was powerful. Though I could make the case that Naomi pushed Cyan so hard now to learn how far she could trust her.
Which suggests that Naomi trusts Rouge a lot — to protect her from a rampaging Cyan!
I agree it’s tough remembering all the details. It’s even tougher to keep track of how the details relate and which are relevant. And that dinner sequence… it felt very surreal. It felt more literary than I expected. I’m not sure what it meant. I’m not sure I’ll ever know what it meant. But it was interesting to experience.
Eden slowly forgetting is tragic. The episode did a great job showing that!