Episode 15.5, you ask? But Tara, doesn't that mean this was a recap episode again? Yes, yes it does. Like I said in my last episode post, since this was a recap for the first series, it could either be really fucking amazing, or end in me being buttmad extreme - and I was prepared for either!

THE VERDICT?




IT WAS SO AMAZING YOU GUYS I CAN'T EVEN. Dio and Al narrating like we guessed! The new stuff at the start and end of the episode AND THE ONE SURPRISING THING AT THE END AND DIO IN THIS EPISODE oh my fucking God you guys I love Dio so much. This cast. I LOVE THIS CAST. I LOVE THIS SERIES.



Dio and Al are hiding away, can't hear anything from Glacies anymore, and thus we begin our recap.







And then the OP was Cloud Age Symphony and everyone's brains exploded.



Prester and Exile talk-- mainly how over time they forgot what Exile truly was.









Al then talks about meeting Claus and Lavie and such. And how Lavie was scary at first, but the sandwiches that she made were so delicious. ;;





Then Dio talks about his creeping.





"We were taken in as prisoners..." DIO'S VOICE NARRATING THIS WAS SO :> IT WAS HILARIOUS.



And then he trolled.





Maestro time no sis no.



A-AND THEN SO CUTE.





B-BUT THEN...!!





Delphine ruining EVERYTHING and lolisnatching.



And then Lost Friend starts and it's weep time. I couldn't even cap the end of this my feelings don't judge me.





Dio's voice here is the saddest ever. "I just sat there laughing..."





/just rolls around in a puddle of her own tears at these caps





Understatement right here. Boy was fucking crackers.



;_;





YES





Mysterion and Exile time.





And this whole ending with Dio and Al I just capped it all because it is amazing.





















Then more pursuit. :(



AND THEN EVERYONE CREAMED THEMSELVES.







Dio and Al run, and holy shit Dio is the god damned master of the skies LOOK AT THIS three ships after him and HE IS OWNING IT.








AND NOW.


This recap was insane and amazing, and I am so happy GONZO made my dreams come true with it after that first one and after all my UNSURE when I saw last week's preview. For the recap itself, it was a very refreshing reminder to fans of the first series and how amazing it was - it was also pretty informative about their general world and where Dio and Al came from from their POVs for anyone who hasn't seen the first series (but seriously hopefully nobody falls into that category). Dio and Al narrating it also brought so many feelings to it - even though I wish there was a little more but that's only because I personally cannot get enough of that LET ME KNOW YOUR FEELINGS thing.

Al is easily #2 on my most wanted canonmate list after the last few episodes. Her and Dio's relationship is so amazing -- SERIOUSLY they go from "I hate you, Dio." "Eh? Why?" "Because you're weird." "I am?" to THAT WHOLE ENDING and Al just jumping into his arms when he shows up to save her in Anatoray. It's also just this feeling of COMING SO FAR and growing SO MUCH from what they both started out as. Dio's sister not only fucked up Al's life (as well as like, everyone's ever) but Dio's as well. And now Dio who had the worst older sibling ever is making it up to Al by being the best older sibling type ever. Dio's sister fucked her up so much, and now Dio is there to do all of the right things. And be what he probably always wanted to have-- not to mention he's also come from being the g(u)ilded protected spoiled Principal with Lucciola always there to protect him, to now being the one who is the protector. It is such a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking I never know how to feel when I think about it but when I do I feel so emotional. ;;

Dio's whole thing with her at the end as well, was so very telling in SO many ways. They're still there because of everyone, and they HAVE to keep living no matter how hard it is. Claus and Lavie and Lucciola and Alex and the crew of the Silvana and everyone they know fought so hard and did so much for them and in cases died for them so they could live and be where thet are now. So for those people they have to keep going-- a-and in Dio's case that just makes me so sad because of all of his emo in the series already re: Lucciola and the thought that he feels the same way but needs to keep on living even if it's painful because Lucciola died for him to keep living, so it's like this double edged blade of LIVING IS HARD WITHOUT LUCCIOLA FUCK/but I have to keep going because Lucciola is gone just for that reason of living. Dio's life you guys. And Al's. Because Al's was fucked from the start with the other Guild houses being purged and killed, so she not only had so much death already as a child, but that was also the reason why she met Claus and Lavie-- when Ralph and Guita were killed. Al still felt unsure and she's still very young so it's understandable but that is why Dio being there is just PERFECT. I love the two of them so much.

And then THAT ENDING. Claus and Lavie are back and I jizzed. In. My pants. They look so GREAT in the new animation style, and Claus looks like a hobo so it's perfect. Best re-entry into a series ever - sleeping in his vanship like a lazy hobo he is. Of course, Lavie was pushing that looked to be a wheelchair, so fandom has now exploded with SPECULAH over if Claus can't walk anymore. Is it a giant fakeout trolling from GONZO? We'll see soon I guess, but for the time being it really looks like something happened to him! Maybe we'll find out what in the series or in the Travelers from the Hourglass manga.

But it does seem likely that Claus in fact is hurt/in a wheelchair, because of the very end of the episode where Dio says he'll protect Al because he made a promise to Immelmann. Why would Dio need to make a promise like that unless Claus was somehow unable to protect her himself? So, yes. CURIOUS. And of course like every god damned episode in this series, it leaves you with some kind of cliffhanger that makes you scream and kick until next week comes. This one was OMG CLAUS AND LAVIE ARE BACK AND CLAUS MIGHT BE HURT? And then Dio and Al ONCE AGAIN escaping from pursuit. Dio is fucking boss though, COME AT HIM BITCHES.

Dying for the next ep so much now -- I wonder if after the recap they're going to hold off on first-cast things for an episode to focus back on the anti-Luscinia alliance and/or Luscinia's big discovery. Or maybe finally let us know what the Silvius has been up to. I'll take any of those things because next week I am going to be at a con and will die if there is too much Dio because I will just be able to look at caps on my phone until Sunday night/Monday morning. '-'