86 - Episode 4 Review - Lena Learns the Real Names of the Spearhead Unit

Warning: Spoilers up to the end of Episode 4 follow.

This was another emotional episode. We pick up right where we left off. Laughing Fox is still lashing out at Lena over the tragic death of Kirschblüte. Finally, Wehrwolf orders him to stop. Lena de-synchronizes her Para-RAID, as no one is in the mood to talk to an Alba right now.

Later, everyone at Spearhead tries to talk to Laughing Fox to make him feel better. They figure that Laughing Fox may feel remorse for the way he spoke to Lena. Snow Witch (Anju) brings up a person named Fox Commander from their past.

Shin adds a carved out piece of Kirschblüte’s Juggernaut to the rest, with her name written on it.

Then we go back a bit in time to see how these last few days have been for Lena. She’s still depressed and shook up over what happened. Annette, her best friend, tries to give her logical advice. She said Lena should quit being a Handler. That there’s no way she can truly treat the 86 as humans. They live in different worlds. Her uncle has similar advice. He says her father was idealistic and reckless. That he died in vain chasing his ideals. And that running after ideals instead of affecting real change for the empire is cowardly. He doesn’t want Lena to be like her father.

But Lena doesn’t listen to either of them. She stays true to what she believes.

She gathers up her courage and contacts Undertaker by Para-RAID. She apologizes for everything, gives her own real name, and asks for everyone’s name in the unit. Shin accepts her request. He also lets Lena know how many of his comrades he’s had to make nameplates for, as he’s always the last to survive. He carries on and remembers them until it’s his time to go.

Lena has overcome the hurdle of speaking to Undertaker, but before she knows it, Undertaker connects her Para-RAID to the rest of the unit. As hard as it is, she sincerely apologizes to all of them. And asks to know them by their real names. Laughing Fox goes first. He also shares the story of Fox Commander, an Alba who fought and died by their side.

Wehrwolf speaks for multiple unit members saying they can never see Lena as their equal. But they do apologize to Lena for previously thinking she was just some hypocrite.

The last name she learns is Shin’s. From learning his name, she discovers that they know the same person. Shourei Nouzen - Shin’s older brother!

Episode 3 Review

Image source: Amazon