Simoun 02

Episode title: Blue Springs (Aoi Izumi)

Quick summary: Aeru goes out on a training Simoun vessel and engages the enemy fighters. When her guns don't work, she rams into them and uses their broken fighters to ram into each other. Those watching above in the ship can't believe how she can fight in a Simoun with "remersion" capabilities... they are also surprised to see that her flight patterns resemble those of Simoun remersion attack patterns. When she returns, a pilot named Paraieta is angry with her and asks if she was trying to do Nebiriru's Simoun remersions, but Aeru neither knows about remersions or Nebiriru. Paraieta angrily stomps away, and Aeru learns from the other girls that Nebiriru is their star Simoun pilot; Aeru's decided, she's going to be Nebiriru's partner.

Meanwhile, a pilot named Eri assists Nebiriru, who had been training Simoun patterns. She's in civilian clothes as she will go to the Springs and asks Nebiriru if she can accompany her since she lost her partner. Nebiriru agrees. We learn that everyone is born female in this world, and when one turns 17, one must go to the Springs where you decide to be male or female. Eri is past 17. Paraieta (who has a thing for Nebiriru) tries to stop Nebiriru; Nebiriru says that she may enter the Springs herself since she's over 17 (she has an exemption because she's like their princess and their symbol). Aeru tries to stop her too, but Nebiriru decides to go anyway. Aeru asks if she can pilot them there and Nebiriru agrees.

After they land, Nebiriru and Eri go off alone to the Spring site. They go there by train and some passengers pay homage to Nebiriru. Nebiriru asks Eri if she's decided, but she hasn't yet chosen which gender. They get to the Springs, Eri enters, some light, looking like DNA helixes hit her. Afterwards, they walk out, and Nebiriru congratulates her. It seems Eri will now become male; her new name is Erif, and as the realization hits her, she breaks down and cries. At the air port, Nebiriru tells Aeru she decided not to enter the Springs, and she'll become Aeru's Simoun partner. They kiss, start up their Simoun vessel and fly back to the ship. Nebiriru seems pensive and full of emotion, and she tells Aeru to fly higher... higher than their ship.

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