QuickNavigation - FF Odyssey Final Fantasy Unlimited Episode 25 (Last updated on 11/14/2007)

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By: Kenji Masaki

Warning: This writeup contains spoilers, view at your own risk!

Writer's note:

I must admit: Final Fantasy: Unlimited is not my thing. A year ago, I asked to resign from my position as reviewer and instead put another competent person in my place. Unfortunately, whatever happened to him, he did not review any further episodes, and for a year the section remained incomplete. Annoying me further, I decided to finally bring some closure to this series in my final review of the last episode of this series. It has been over a year since episode 25 aired. No other episodes of Square's anime have been shown ever since; originally scheduled for 52 weeks, low ratings and lack of enthusiasm cut the series from 52 to 25, cutting out the flashback episode 26. Whether or not the remaining episodes will be aired in the future remains to be seen.

In lieu of the missing 16 episodes of review, here is an overview of the main points that happened: The Count, after finding that Omega has been revived, orders the four Gaudium Deathlords to search for the remaining Omega crystals, the pieces of Omega in their inert forms. Meanwhile, Lisa, Ai, Yu, and Kaze join the Comodin, the resistance group aimed at destroying the Chaos caused by the Count. While searching for the Count, Chobi evolves into the legendary Ciel Chocobo on one of the Inner Worlds; the seemingly- immortal Hungus is destroyed along with his entire world as punishment for not returning any Omega crystals; Cid reveals his prototype airship, Sylvia, and begins searching for special "Flight Water" to make it run effectively; Demon Fist traps the Comodin (in Cid's special submarine, Jane) in a special trap known as the Ocean Puzzle, in hopes of absorbing the resistance into Chaos; Ai and Yu save a group of Cactuars from "the moving ocean"; a Moogle known as Kupo-kupo, with its ability to enhance the Demon Gun's powers, joins the group, looking very similar to Kaze; Ru Rufus, the annoying werewolf girl set on winning Kaze's heart, leads Ai, Yu, Lisa, Kaze, and Cid to the Flight Water on an Inner World known as Telos; Lisa learns the ultimate skill of Genesis, a Leviathan creature that is similar to Kaze's summoned creatures; the Demon Fist, just before he tries to reset the Ocean Puzzle to send the Comodin back to the beginning, is destroyed by Kaze's rival White Cloud; and most importantly, Ai, while wandering within one of the Inner Worlds after fighting with Yu, finds a strange boy named Clear, searching for his siblings. Upset over his ability to destroy everything he touches, he protects himself with special clothing made of Flight Water (the same that Ru's cape is made out of). When Ai leaves, however, she finds out that Clear is in fact a human form of Omega.

Prior to this episode, the Count, frustrated with saving only one Omega crystal from the destruction of Kaze and White Cloud, transforms into his true form, the very Chaos itself, and obliterates Jane with everyone on board, save for Ai, Yu, Lisa, and Kaze. Using the Hayakawa scientists as puppets to create a special invention for unlocking Omega, the Count begins to put his final plan into motion, with the help of the remaining two Gaudium Deathlords, the mischevious Helba with her deadly Hug-Hug flower, and the jester Oscar with his marionette lackey Crux.
And thus begins the last episode...

Episode 25 (The Final Episode) - Kaze: The Life That Gives Hope

Deep within the Court of Gaudium, Lisa, Ai, White Cloud, and Kaze rest unconcious within the tight grasp of Helba's Hug-Hug monster. As Ai opens her eyes, she sees the Count and Yu below her- along with her parents, Joe and Marie Hayakawa. Unfortunately, the scientists are in fact brainwashed and have no recollection of either Yu or Ai. Furthermore, Oscar reveals to the captives that the submarine Jane, still trapped within the Ocean Puzzle, was completely obliterated- along with Nav, Cid, Mireth, Fango, and the rest of the Comodin resistance. While Ai cries her eyes out, Oscar orders the Hayakawa scientists to begin the next stage of their plan in bringing about the rise of Chaos. A giant molecular machine at the center of the gangplank is turned on, and at the top- Clear, the being who befriended Ai a few episodes back. All things are not as they seem, however, as the Count tells Lisa that Clear is not only a piece of Omega, he is the very Heart- the only piece that remains in the Inner World. Placed in a sphere of Flight Water to retain its human form, the Count then orders the Hayakawas to remove the Flight Water, leaving only the Omega Heart Crystal within. White Cloud attempts to end it all by sending his sword through the contraption, but an arm of Chaos catches it just before the blade runs through it. "You still have enough strength in you, Demon Swordsman?" The Count replies. "I guess I have no choice..." In one swift blow, the arm of Chaos runs the sword straight through White Cloud, supposedly leaving him for dead. To further feed the Chaos, Oscar orders Crux to send all Mist bottles and Soil bullets retrieved from White Cloud and Kuroki Kaze into the abyss. Crux does so, but seeing White Cloud dead in the arms of Hug-Hug makes her unwilling to comply. Their plan: to feed the Outer World (the real world) to the Chaos, and to eventually absorb everything in its path. To further seal his victory, Hug-Hug devours Pochepoke whole, leaving the group with nothing to fight back with. Shaking with fear (and thus feeding the Count), Yu asks the Count to stop the senseless violence. Instead, the Count responds that he will be part of a 4-way fusion using the Hayakawa's invention- along with his sister.

According to Oscar, Ai and Yu are the "perfect products that emerged from the Chaos". That, by introducing to them the Interdimensional Subway, giving them a Chocobo as backup transport, and letting them win every battle they have encountered, he had planned to mature Ai and Yu to the pinnacle of evolution in the Inner World, sending them on a perilous journey that gave them valuable experience. And then Oscar drops the plot bomb unto everyone: Ai and Yu are not human. Joe and Marie's children both died very young, and while searching in the Inner World, they found two children whom they adopted and brought with them to the Outer World- products that would eventually play right into the hands of the Count and the Gaudium Deathlords.

Meanwhile, Ru and Moogle trace the scent of Kaze and find themselves on the doorstep of the Court of Gaudium. The only problem is, in fact, getting inside...

The plan is at long last at its frutition. In one sphere remains Yu, the other, Ai. The top sphere contains the Omega Heart Crystal, and at the center of it all, the Count. Oscar orders Joe Hayakawa to flip the switch to transfer all energy from Omega to the Count. The switch is thrown. As the transfer begins, Lisa valiantly tries to convince the professors that what they are doing will not only destroy their children- it will destroy the world. Suddenly, Marie Hayakawa pulls the plug on the transfer, saying that Yu and Ai will always be their children, regardless if they are of their own flesh and blood. The hypnotic device (created by Helba) within them is destroyed, and Ru and Moogle choose this time to make their dramatic entrance, destroying the entire invention with a single sonic blast. While the children reunite with their parents, Helba attempts to eat them all with Hug-Hug, but is then eaten himself by none other than Pochepoke (talk about indigestion). Ru, with another sonic blast, sends Helba into the dark abyss below, and all seems that everything is turning around...
And then Ru gets impaled by an arm of Chaos. In her dying moments, Kaze finally appears before her, realizing that once again he is losing someone he loved (sort of, anyways). "And Ru will always be in Kaze's eyes," she says, her voice fading away. "Always... wherever he goes... always... always......"

All of a sudden, a voice from the rubble. "There is NOTHING you can do!" Millions of arms of Chaos arise from the abyss, encircling one another, until they form a giant red winged Dragon of Chaos. "With my full strength, I will swallow you all!" the Count speaks, now fully integrated with Chaos. As Moogle tries to state the obvious and tell everyone to run, the Count unleashes an Omega-type blast, sucking the strength out of everything before it. The only one that isn't affected is, in fact, Kaze. Ai and Yu plead for Kaze to destroy the Count, activating the Demon Gun one last time. Without any bullets, however, it seems that Kaze's up a creek without even a boat...

At the other end of the Court, Crux finds a single empty mist bottle that did not fall into the Chaos- and gives it to the dying White Cloud. "My soul," he shouts to Kaze, "Will be the Mist."

"Let the performance begin!
Symphony of the White Clouds!"

Sending himself into the Chaos, he buys Kaze the valuable time he needs to fire the Demon Gun, weakening both Omega the Count. While he searches for much-needed ammo, Kaze hears the voice of Ru and his love Aura within his head: "Use my powers. My soil. Use my soil!" And with his tears, Ru transforms into Soil...

"How much longer must I witness this bloodshed? All this for the sake of putting an end to Chaos!
With the rays of light brimming in thine eyes... Tear Rainbow!"

Then Moogle decides to sacrifice himself in order to add his strength to the Demon Gun...

"The ultimate Soil is born... Soul Gun Metal!"

Lisa at long last figures out that Soil is truly the essence of life, and that the bullets Kaze posessed were really souls that had died in the last battle with Chaos. With no one else to turn to, Kaze decides that he himself must become Soil to destroy the Count...

"And now... I HAVE CHOSEN THE SOIL FOR THE LIKES OF YOU!"

"Lisa..." he whispers to her, "Fire the gun in my place."

"Our Circle of Life... Endless White!"

"With my life," Lisa shouts as she aims the Demon Gun, "Return this energy back to where it belongs!
Please! Stop taking lives away!"

With the help of her Genesis powers, she fires the Ultimate Summoned Creature of the Demon Gun- the unstoppable Bahamut Zero. Regaining its powers, the Dragon of Chaos tries to fire an energy blast at the creature, but is stopped by Bahamut Zero's own Tera Flare. As the energy blast destroys the Court of Gaudium, the Bahamut Zero performs a kamikaze run at the Dragon of Chaos, destroying both in a brilliant explosion of white. "Kuroki... Kaze..." White Cloud murmurs to his adversary. "Shiroi... Kumo..." he whispers back. And both return to the nothingness.
Oscar then falls into the void, his last words echoing in his head: "UN-LI-MI-TED!"
Meanwhile, out of the destruction of Gaudium comes Ciel, leading the airship Sylvia- along with Cid, Nav, Fango, Mireth, and the rest of the Comodin- to the unconcious Hayakawa family and Lisa. As the curtain falls, all that remains next to Lisa is a small silver and red earring.
Kaze's earring.
.... THE END

Final Score: 7/10

"What awaits our traveling heroes now? I will continue their story. Until we meet again someday..."
- Fabra