Those of you who consume sci-fi content regularly are probably already well familiar with the Three Laws of Robotics, AKA the Asimov Code. This sci-fi trope comes up frequently even in anime. But in case there are any newbies, or anyone who might want a reminder, let’s go over what the Asimov Code is and where it came from.
Isaac Asimov was one of the most famous science fiction writers ever known, living from 1920 to 1992. He created three laws under which robots operate within most of his stories and books. These are the paraphrased, simplified laws: 1) Robots may not harm humans or allow them to be harmed; 2) Robots must obey human orders except when it would break the first law; and 3) Robots must protect themselves as long as it doesn’t break the first two laws.
Following Isaac Asimov’s works, the Three Laws of Robotics became a staple trope of sci-fi in many forms of media. In Metallic Rouge, the Neans are androids which have the Asimov code written into their very beings. Now that we understand all that, let’s review Metallic Rouge episodes 2 and 3.
Episode 2: Wander in the Labyrinth
A lot happened in the second episode and there’s much to discuss as a result. Let’s start with the information about the Great War between humanity and aliens. Somebody in the first episode mentioned aliens, but nobody in the bar took it seriously, so neither did I. Apparently, however, humanity has already been in contact with two alien civilizations. The first ones, the Visitors, were peaceful. The second group was a different story. They were called the Usurpers and they fought a fierce war with humanity.
No details were given in this episode about the appearance or nature of the aliens. We don’t even know how long ago the war took place. We only know there’s tons of old battleships and war machinery strewn around Mars. According to Naomi, the technology that allowed humans to win the war was the Neans. They fought alongside human soldiers. One of the people aboard the bus happens to be a Nean who survived the war and is now a servant for a human couple.
That’s about all the information we got from Naomi. Speaking of Naomi, the dynamic between she and Rouge is highly entertaining. I love the way they interact. Despite meeting relatively recently, they seem to “get” each other instinctively, so that quick back-and-forth conversation and casual teasing is effortless. I loved when the two of them negotiated for how long it should take Rouge to knock out the enemies. It was also hilarious when Naomi told Rouge to “stay” like a dog. Rouge proceeded to growl and bark at her companion. Perfect chemistry.
Moving on to the other characters in this episode, most of the passengers on the bus were cool, interesting, or at least tolerable. The two kids were annoying, and the businessman was just an asshole for no particular reason – but the journalist, the doctor, and the Nean servant were all good. Also, the grandmother of the children was a surprising bad-ass when it came to guts and driving ability. She helped save everyone. As for the strange young man with wavy hair, I don’t know what to make of him yet.
The action scenes in this episode were excellent, if a little absurd – but all the best anime action is absurd and bombastic, right? Well, I enjoyed it, anyway. I do hope to see more cool robot battles, chases, and explosions like this in the future. The animation in general is a style I can really appreciate. Something about it is very modern, but also harkens back to certain styles in the early 2000s like Code Geass. I can’t quite place why the two seem similar to me, but I love the art and animation in both.
There is probably a lot more to comment on, but for now, all I really have left are a few notes about Rouge and her character development. This episode might have tried a little too hard to show the idea that she is becoming more mature, or at least trying to appear that way. Then again, I can’t think of a better way to communicate it besides the banter at the end about Rouge “climbing the steps to adulthood.”
Rouge’s self-proclaimed maturation makes me wonder how Nean aging and growth works. We don’t know when she was born or any other relevant details. (She randomly mentions she has a brother, which also makes me wonder how Nean families work.) In any case, Rouge still seems quite childish to me, but that’s not a bad thing. As long as she continues to grow and understand things, I can totally get behind this character. I remember being similarly ignorant once upon a time, too.
The most important thing we learned about Rouge wasn’t that she wants to appear more like an adult. To me at least, the most critical facts about Rouge from this episode are: 1) she can feel empathy, and 2) she can reflect on concepts like identity and freedom.
I wasn’t completely clear on these facts before, since we don’t know exactly how “sentient” Neans can be. But now there’s no question. Rouge wonders if she’s free because all she does is follow orders. She also empathized with Emily, the human girl, who was being looked down on by her brother. I feel like I have a better grasp now on Rouge’s character and how she might change as the story continues.
Episode 3: Marginal City
This third episode was hugely important for setting up the story of Metallic Rouge. Before now, it was difficult to tell what the story would be about. I suspected it would be largely about Rouge’s personal quest for freedom as she’s being made to hunt others of her own kind. However, the pilot episode made Rouge seem so robotic and clueless that I doubted my original expectation. But it seems I was basically right. In episode three, we see a version of Rouge who wants to be free and protect others like her.
Although it helped immensely with setting up certain themes and information, this episode also felt a bit rushed and crammed. It was a lot for one episode. But since it stayed interesting and never felt boring, I won’t count that as too much of a negative. The dialogue and character interactions also felt a little too on-the-nose, like this was the writer’s first time with a script. While the lines are very simple and straightforward, they also aren’t bad or cringeworthy – especially when you understand that Rouge is basically still a child.
From what I can tell, Rouge’s “brother” is someone important – perhaps the leader – in an organization called Aletheia. This organization is hunting the Immortal Nine, but we don’t know any more details. The brother – apparently named Gene Jungheart – seems to be an extremely advanced Nean like Rouge and the Immortal Nine. I think he’s also the person we saw playing the piano. Whoever he really is, Rouge thinks of him as her superior older brother. She wants to impress him.
Moving on, Naomi was a complete bitch in this episode. I like her as a character overall, but the casual way she treated Rouge like a slave and a machine was not remotely acceptable. She said Rouge was nothing more than a tool or a piece of equipment for Aletheia. If Naomi really thinks that way, she isn’t worth a damn and isn’t a real friend. However, she clearly felt bad about what she said later. I hope she was just parroting words she didn’t truly believe.
The settlement and the Neans For Freedom were extremely interesting. Juval was a fascinating character considering how briefly he was around. I knew it wasn’t going to work for Rouge to stay with him in the settlement, but still, I didn’t expect for Juval to be suddenly killed off. I don’t know why anyone would kill him. If it was the Alters – who basically seem like the Immortal Nine – then they should have common interests with Neans for Freedom. They both want liberation. All that to say, Juval’s death was both sad and mysterious.
There were several scenes thrown into this episode about Detective Ash Stahl, Dr. Afdal, and their respective Nean assistants (personal slaves). Neither of these human men are likeable so far. I did think Dr. Afdal was cool in the previous episode, but since he clearly doesn’t want Neans to be able to self-govern, I no longer respect him. Both of the assistants are cute and I recognized both their voices from other roles.
Again, there may be aspects of this episode I forgot to comment on. After all, a lot happened and we got a lot of new information. (I was especially interested in hearing about how Neans are being forced to terraform Venus for the humans). But for better or worse, that’s all I wrote in my notes for the third episode. So far, I’m impressed and interested in Metallic Rouge.
Thanks for reading~
PATREON
