Warning! This review on Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta… Chapter eleven contains spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, I recommend you go check it out and then come back to read the review.
Episode 11: The turning point has come … (Second part)
Hamehura Chapter Eleven begins with Katarina’s typical day-to-day life before reincarnating in Fortune Love. Despite the small “flashback” she does not remember her life in the game. Meanwhile, the entire harem regrets the situation of Katarina who has been unconscious for two days. Each member of the harem reflects on their relationship with Katarina. Sophia manages to hear Acchan’s voice, which injects her with a renewed determination to help her friend. Everyone gathers to bring her back, Acchan reveals the truth to Katarina and helps her return to her world. Recovered and with the new information obtained, Katarina and the rest leave to rescue Maria and confront Sirius.
What she means
Nothing better than a sudden loss to become aware of the feelings we harbor. The sudden situation of seeing Katarina bedridden, with chances of never waking up, has made each member of her harem reflect on what she has given them and what her existence means to each of them. Although in essence everyone harbors love for her, each one developed it based on different reasons. The love of each one was born and grew fed by different feelings but with the same essence.
The way Katarina earned their harem was by helping them overcome what weighed most heavily on each other’s hearts. For Geordo that would be his feeling of indifference and apathy to everything around him. Meeting Katarina was a revolution in her day to day. His expressiveness and spontaneity awoke in him feelings that he believed he did not possess, which gave him a new vision of the world. As for Keith, he was freed from his loneliness through the warmth and comfort his sister brought him. Prince Alan had an affair with her at first but that only served to appreciate her more, after all she was the only one who would face him head-on.
Then we have Nicol, he had given up on being understood by others, yet someone could see through those feelings and recognized them. Katarina was the only one who noticed what was in her heart. Mary did not have a good image of her own, she lacked confidence and it was Katarina who gave it back, gave her a place to belong. After this Sophia, she grew tormented by her appearance and that led her to withdraw. But like a fresh wind, Katarina took her outside, nourished her confidence in her appearance and accepted her with all her being.
For the entire harem, Katarina is an irreplaceable existence. Putting romantic feelings aside, what Katarina gave everyone was: a place to belong, trust and warmth. That the clumsy Bakarina is so loved is not something free. She genuinely earned everyone’s affection through simple but very significant actions. He accepted the strength and weakness of all and chose to be by his side, that simple action except the heart of each one. For this reason, no one can abandon her, because she is the reason why they were able to advance in the first place.
“Thanks and goodbye”
While the episode has been very emotional simply by rectifying the harem’s feelings for Bakarina, the most emotional part is taken by Acchan. After explicitly revealing that Sophia is a reincarnation of Acchan, she asks him to go to Katarina’s side to bring her back. Although it is a sad thing, Acchan is fully aware that he cannot return things to what they were. Her great friend now belongs in a different place, and although technically she also, things will not return to what they were before.
In their previous lives the two were very close, the feelings between the two are strong, and the separation was so sudden that neither of them was allowed to properly close. But this kind of dream into which Katarina has fallen, allows them to have that last goodbye that they could not share in their previous life. In order to move forward without regrets, a closure is necessary, and believe me, this has been a very beautiful one.
Death does not always warn, losing someone suddenly can leave a lot of accumulated regret, for what we did not say and did not do. For Acchan, Katarina’s loss was painful, she had no chance to say goodbye and even the last thing they exchanged was somewhat trivial. Fortunately, she did not drown in regret but was filled with longing. So great, so deep and so pure was his longing that it was finally fulfilled, again he met his dear friend and this time he did not let her go so easily.
Although Acchan reunited with her friend in this new world as Sophia, that doesn’t mean she didn’t need a closure like Acchan. Unlike Katarina, Sophia does not share consciousness with Acchan, she has no memories of a previous life. Perhaps that is why the parting should come in the real form of Acchan. Because they are words and feelings that only correspond to her. Even with the certainty that he can have a future of moments with Katarina, there is also the reality that these will no longer belong to him like Acchan, but will belong to Sophia. The closing was necessary, and the words were the ideal, a thank you for everything you did for her and what you shared, and a goodbye because your time together has come to an end.
Final comment
Hamehura Chapter Eleven has been a pretty emotional chapter. As I said before, being able to corroborate the feelings of the harem for Katarina is something very pleasant, because in that way we can remove any label of “forced protagonist”. Everyone’s feelings are not born out of something empty like her being the protagonist, they are justified and have real depth. The same thing happens with the closure they gave to Acchan. It is something very forgotten in the Isekai, after moving to another world they usually tend to forget everything about what they left behind. I am pleased to see that this was not the case here, that they took the time to look back and offer a closure to the emotions that were left behind after the departure of the main character.
Before closing this review, I can only say that although I really love to see everyone’s feelings exposed, I felt a little disappointed by Alan’s scene. Although in truth he has admitted his own stupidity by not being aware of his feelings, it falls far short compared to what is described in the novel and illustrated in the manga. I would have liked it to be more faithful, since this scene is the great moment of catharsis for Alan, and just as they put it in the anime it passes without pain or glory.
Anyway this time we are closing this review here, tell me: What did you think of this episode? Did you like the reaffirmation of feelings? What is your opinion of the closing that they gave to Acchan? The confrontation with Sirius is coming, just like the end of the anime. What do you expect for the grand finale? I hope they announce another season.
