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Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 8 Review – Quick Summary
In Unbreakable Machine Doll episode 8, “Facing Sword Angel IV,” Raishin Akabane and Yaya thought they were in big trouble when Loki and Cherubim showed up to the fight. Raishin was surprised when Loki and Cherubim decided to fight alongside them. But the odds against them were still long, as Loki’s father Bronson poured more resources into the battle. Can Raishin and Yaya still complete their mission? Are Loki and Cherubim really helping them, or is it a ruse? And why is Kimberly letting Frey watch this battle?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 8
I blame Yaya. Capture from the Blu Ray.
Towards the end of the episode, when Raishin and Loki were both in the hospital, Yaya decided to give Raishin some tender loving care. Where “tender” and “loving” both were defined through Yaya’s rather eccentric views of the world.
To put it into perspective: She told him that if he didn’t stop resisting her attempt to undress him, she would give him a shot in the eye. So the idea of “tender,” at least, seems different in Yaya’s view.
They made quite a racket, which disturbed Loki, who was trying to recover in the next bed. He threw the curtain aside and said (16:57), “I am a humble and tolerant man, but there are three things I simply can’t forgive. People who give me orders, people who stand against me, and no-good outsiders who stoop to getting busy with nurses in the infirmary!”
In Raishin’s defense, the only reason he was “busy” is that he wanted to remain clothed. So I really don’t fault him in this case!
Best in Show Moment for Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 8
With her jealous/spurned lover act, it’s easy to forget just how dangerous Yaya can be. Capture from the Blu Ray.
Setup: Blu Ray vs Funimation 1080p
This was an interesting episode. It presented the climax of the Facing Sword Angel arc, it introduced the final arc of the season, Elf Speeder, and it gave us some rather abrupt world building around Kimberly and her status as a Crusader. With apologies to cultures where that term has a rather colonial history.
Before I get to my favorite moment, I want to mention that in this episode, I switched my screen caps from Funimation to the Blu Ray edition. As I watched the Blu Ray, I had the impression that the resolution, color depth, and brightness, especially during the nighttime scenes, were superior.
The one on the left is the Blu Ray. The one on the right is Funimation. When in motion, the difference feels more significant. Or maybe I’m lying to myself! Capture from the Blu Ray.
Interestingly, when I compare them side by side, as you can see in the screen captures above, it’s not all that different. I still think it looks better, and as evidence, look at Charlotte’s eyes. I’ve always thought that Unbreakable Machine Doll had a unique, soft-looking style, and it looks to me that it is best expressed in Blu Ray.
Just as an aside, the screen capture was from VLC on an iMac 5K running Monterey 12.2.1.
What do you think? Can you see a difference? Or am I deluding myself?
Delivery: Yaya Can Get Serious – Very, Very Serious
Yaya acts so goofy that it’s easy to forget that she’s an automaton designed for combat. We’ve gotten a brief sense of her speed and power before. She did a job on Carnival Candy back in episode 4, for example.
In this episode, Raishin and Loki had worked together to trick Bronson into letting his guard down. That’s another way of saying that in the first stage of the battle, they got their butts kicked. But it sounds much better if they present it as part of their strategy.
The first stage of the battle did give Raishin enough information to come up with a strategy. After he’d gotten Bronson to monologue enough to incriminate himself in front of Kimberly and Frey, he put his plan into action. Raishin sent Yaya in. She attacked, hard. Cherubim backed her up. Their teamwork managed to stun Bronson’s automaton named Lucifer. That was the opening Raishin had hoped for.
Yaya’s size and speed let her evade effectively. Capture from the Blu Ray.
“Final Whistle,” Raishin said, pouring magical power into Yaya (12:47). “Hisagi Sword Glint!”
Yaya began to glow incandescent, then launched herself missile-like into Lucifer. She blew clean through the automaton’s chest. He crumpled to the ground.
Seeing that they had won, both Loki and Raishin crashed to the ground, utterly exhausted. Of course, they bickered about who was weakest, but one thing was certain. Yaya wasn’t in the least bit weak. So far, she’s lived up to her reputation as one of the best automatons on the planet.
Now, if she would just let Raishin keep his clothes on…
What did you think of Frey’s new pack of automaton dogs at the end? What were your favorite moments? Let me know in the comments!
Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 8: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- AngryAnimeBitches Anime Blog: Unbreakable Machine-Doll Episode 8: Facing “Sword Angel” IV
- Brave New Moe: Unbreakable Machine-Doll ep 8 impressions
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 1: Facing Cannibal Candy I
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 2: Facing Cannibal Candy II
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 3: Facing Cannibal Candy III
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 4: Facing Cannibal Candy IV
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 5: Facing Sword Angel I
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 6: Facing Sword Angel II
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 7: Facing Sword Angel III
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 8: Facing Sword Angel IV
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 9: Facing Elf Speeder I
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 10: Facing Elf Speeder II
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 11: Facing Elf Speeder III
- Unbreakable Machine Doll Episode 12: Facing Elf Speeder IV
