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9S and 2B are assigned a new mission in Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 8 titled: I ate a Mackerel. The title of the episode hasn’t been confirmed officially, as the translation of the same has not been revealed by the franchise.
The episode will get puzzling and brain-teasing when you will learn more about the YoRHa soldiers. But before we discuss the Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 9 let’s first have a previous episode recap for a better insight.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Episode 7 Recap
In the previous episode, we say Pascal asking for help from 2B and 9S to find one of the machine lifeform’s sisters; let’s just call her Mac-A for now, so Mac-A’s sister got lost while finding Mac-A’s parts as she learned that Mac-A’s parts are breaking down.
In search of Mac-A’s part, Mac-A’s sister enters the forest kingdom and gets lost. 9S and 2B agree to help and scout the area. As they explore the kingdom they also get hold of the dead machine life forms memories which show them the history of the kingdom.
Soon they find Mac-A’s sister, and on Mac-A’s sister’s lover’s request; they try to find the king. When they finally find the baby king, it gets killed/destroyed by another wanted YoRHa soldier. 9S and the soldier clashes but soon the soldier retreats when her weapon breaks apart. The episode ends with a cliffhanger, and the story is continued in the next episode.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Episode 8
Who is YoRHa’s Wanted Soldier?
In Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 8, we finally learn who the wanted soldier is. If you have guessed it right then; yes it’s Lily’s previous comrade who accompanied the squad to the impossible mission which we saw in Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 6.
Now the episodes are getting more mind-numbing with so many new elements thrown at us. I would say; the story is good, but it’s getting complex with new elements. The pacing feels rushed at times and does not feel natural. Coming back to the episode; yes, 9S and 2B are assigned the mission of hunting down the wanted soldier 2A (whom they clashed against in the previous episode). 9S asks for information about 2A’s betrayal but gets turned down because the information is classified.
9S and 2B Bath In The Sea
The hint thrown at us by 2A tells us that there’s a bigger mastermind behind the war that’s manipulating or using them. 2B and 9S; then scout the area in search of 2A. They reach a location where they witness a sinking city, and the view was worth the time.
The only part that; I liked was when 9S and 2B enjoyed themselves and the background music suited the mood perfectly. 2B also finds the flower that operator 6O once asked 2B to show her if she gets her hands on one.
Jackass and Her Weirdness
After some good relaxing moments, the episode takes a turn when 2B locates Jackass fishing a mackerel for no reason. Okay, this does not make sense. The mackerel part feels a bit bizarre and unfit but; okay, I guess; when it comes to story progression. Jackass is crazy for sure and can be annoying but looks good in a swim outfit, right? winks
While 2B has a little chit-chat with Jackass, 9S contacts operator 6O to share some pictures which; have not been seen by others yet. Operator 6O requested it to understand more about humans and life forms as a hobby and to analyze data.
9S Infiltrates The Command Centre
9S uses the communication to sneak into monitoring cams at the command center, where he finds the YoRHa project’s commander in a pinch with the higher authority. The command center soon detects a hacker, so 9S disconnects itself and tries to cover up his tracks so they won’t feel suspicious of him. 9S and 2B are unable to communicate with each other or send emergency signals because of an unknown signal interrupting their signals.
9S Finds 2A
9S stumbles upon 2A and follows her to a room where he finds paintings of 9S and 2B. He gets confused and looks around. While pursuing 2A whether 9S will get into trouble or 2A’s life will meet its end only time will tell. The episode ends when we see Eve losing contact with his brother.
Yes, the episode ended with another cliffhanger but it did not feel right. I will be honest the episode didn’t feel natural like before. Too many elements are being introduced, and very; less character development has taken place over the 7 episodes. If they want the viewers to keep watching then they need to drop the Rubik’s cube-like puzzle.
Conclusion
I think they could have done the Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 8 more justice if they would have made sure of the character development and pacing. As of now, there will be a delay in future episodes; due to COVID-19, which may result in a drop in the fan base which would harm the franchise, but let’s hope that it does not get delayed for too long. Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 8 is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Let us know your thoughts on Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode 8 in the comments section; below.
