REVIEW: ‘Metallic Rouge’ Episode 8 — “Nowhere Home”

There’s a weird conversation in Metallic Rouge Episode 8 that requires a deft, delicate hand. It’s currently uncertain whether the series is equipped to grapple with the questions they’re doling out. As the series hurtles through the back half of the season, it brings up discussions on themes of order versus freedom. The murky gray area arrives not because of the introduction of the conversation but because of the balance of what it means when the protagonists want order, which only restricts the freedom of one group.

Metallic Rouge’s entire messaging throughout the series orbits the notions of freedom. Since Episode 5, Rouge (Yume Miyamoto) has worked to determine what this freedom means to her. Now, having been abandoned by Naomi (Tomoyo Kurosawa) and forced to confront the hypocrisy of hunting and killing members of the Immortal Nine, she’s at a bit of a crossroads. It makes sense that, at this moment, she’d return home for answers, leading her to her brother, Gene (Shunsuke Takeuchi). The two, accompanied by Ash Stahl (Atsushi Miyauchi) and Noid 262 (Chiaki Kobayashi), explore the digital library of their father’s memories. Gene wants to know more about Rouge, and Rouge wants to know about herself.

The peak into the past reveals more than either are ready to deal with. Rouge realizes that their father observed her as a little more than a test subject. Their father writes accounts of her growth in the video footage they watch. He notes how her emotional development pales compared to her physicality. Troubled by this, Rouge expresses her frustration. She tells Gene that it’s all so “cold” and that she feels no love from the videos. But there’s no time to deal with these concerns, as they soon see a new character, Eva Kristella. She helped create the Neans, but she also developed Code Eve. The latter would help nullify the Asimov Code, which makes it so Neans are subservient to humans.

This is where the episode’s conflict arrives, as Gene and Rouge discuss what it means to have the existence of Code Eve. Rouge believes the apparent choice is to use Code Eve to free all Neans immediately. Gene counters that with the belief that if they were to do so, it would disrupt order and instead cause chaos as radical Neans take advantage of that freedom. They seem in an impasse, with Ash Stahl even offering his input, placatingly telling them they’re both right to a degree. But before a natural conclusion can come to the story, they’re disrupted by a woman dubbing herself Rouge’s younger sister, who tries to provoke a fight. Chaos continues to fall on them when they learn that Althea is under attack by the Alters, who’ve declared war against humanity.

It leaves little time to ruminate on the conversation between Gene and Rouge. This is especially true when she’s facing Jill. Rouge declares that she means to protect order, meaning humans and Neans alike. But her stance suggests a world in which humans are being persecuted in the same manner the Neans have. This goes against the story it’s been telling up until this point. Are those who claim to love her still manipulating Rouge? Or has the show’s intent always been to play it safe by ensuring that each side had its antagonists? Thus ensuring that, when peace is achieved, we don’t think about the imbalance between humans and Neans?

Full disclosure, but Metallic Rouge makes me feel dumb. There’s so much world-building. The series deals in specificity and jargon that the writers hope viewers are simply holding onto despite the whirlwind of ideas, concepts, and characters dizzying us in the process. Metallic Rouge Episode 8 hardly rectifies this feeling. Instead, it doubles down on the crescendoing scale of people, places, and things to keep track of.

There’s a lot going on. There’s the appearance of Rouge’s younger sister. Later, there’s the return of Black Noir, whom we only met a handful of times. We get the history of Code Eve and its maker’s connection to Rouge and Gene. There’s a deluge of information to keep up with. The action ramps up as members of the Immortal Nine square up against Rouge and co. to achieve some semblance of power. It’s a lot to the point of overwhelming and potentially alienating viewers who simply want something big and bombastic.

Despite that and the blurry moral lines the series plays through, Metallic Rouge remains a beautifully assembled series. Something as simple as assailants watching from the shadows as Gene and Rouge talk highlights the beauty and craftsmanship. The details of the pink lines of the armored suits play in subtle contrast against the hues of the sky behind them. The score continues to be a constant MVP of the series. These details maintain our interest even as the plot flies fast by us in efforts to achieve the slightly disproportional goals the writers have set out for themselves.

Metallic Rouge Episode 8 is, at times, a frustrating watch. The series, too, can be frustrating on the whole. There’s so much to love about this show, and “Nowhere Home” highlights its continued strengths. But it also highlights its most significant weaknesses, the stumbling, ever-growing plot that fails to answer questions before unleashing more. Visually graceful with subtle shifts that help imbue this world with weight and understanding, the writing could benefit from a similar approach.

Metallic Rouge Episode 8 is available now on Crunchyroll.