
<MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thearmchairem-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com">	Released by BANDAI Entertainment Number of Episodes 5 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitle Extras - Textless Opening - Argentosoma Tech Files
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Argentosoma Volume 02: Getting Even (DVD)

After the first disc, most watchers of the series are left with the impression that the series will mostly be an action series with battles between large opponents being the primary interest. However, for myself, the highlight of the series is in watching the antagonist Ryu slowly eat away at himself by the problems of him working with what he hates the most, by his inability to get his revenge, and the deal with the long-haired man which requires him to be a traitor. The 2^nd disc of Argentosoma takes the basic formula of the start of the series and starts increasing the stakes; half of the fun of this series is trying to decide what characters know what information, or by how much each character is breaking their own morals by each episode.

Episode 06: War and Escape

Now that FUNERAL knows that Frank can be somewhat controlled by Hattie, some simulations are being run to determine how well she can give Frank orders and how well he can use them. During the testing, Hattie becomes unnerved once she sees the SARGs firing their weapons because she associates gun fire with losing her parents and her grandfather (her parents were killed 5 years prior during an alien attack and Hattie was left comatose due to

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ahead injury sustained during the attack). To protect Hattie, Frank escapes from FUNERAL with Hattie and Walton during a nasty storm that prevents anyone from tracking them. Frank brings Hattie back home to Montana where he is mistaken as an invader by a reconnaissance fighter and is fired upon. During the confusion,

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Walton was accidentally shot which upsets Hattie and so Frank responds aggressively against the recon fighter. Before Frank destroys the fighter and kills the crew, Ryu arrives in a SARG and prevents Frank from attacking.

At this point, Ryu is armed but stops himself from attacking Frank only because he sees Hattie crouched down over Walton.

Episode 07: Escape and Memory

With two escapes from the FUNERAL base by Frank, it has been decided by command that some defenses and counters against Frank have to be installed. To prevent Frank from turning on FUNERAL as well as keep tabs on him if he were to escape, a plug is installed onto his neck with a large brace. The large plug assembly contains both a large tracking device as well as a nuclear reactor that could be used to destroy Frank in case he were to go rogue. Once the installation was completed, another alien had landed and FUNERAL was dispatched to engage. The latest alien possessed a solid outer layer with a liquid metal core such that any attacks that punctured its skin would pass through it and it could reform in a matter of seconds. After all attacks were ineffective, Lt. Soma came up with the idea of using large stockpiles of liquid oxygen from a nearby university to flash freeze the alien then using Frank to attack it.

Episode 08: Memory and Loneliness

This episode serves as an introspective episode with Ryu and Dan being put into the brig for 24 hours for accidentally setting off the alarm during a fight. Each of the two characters uses the time to think about different topics, Ryu outlines the nature of the spying that he is doing for the long-haired man. Ryu is providing technical readouts of the SARG units as well as classified battle information from all FUNERAL sorties as well as mention the primary goal of the alien invaders – to reach the “Pilgrimage Point”, a point in Western Colorado. (Can’t imagine what a four-story alien would want there… not much to do there but tip cows and wait for death). Dan is thinking about how he left his family in Great Britain and his general dislike of Lt. Soma.

Episode 09: Loneliness and Sorrow

Hattie suffers a panic attack after a battle because of watching the SARGs fire their guns and is then tranquilized and placed under medical observation. During a conversation between Commander Ines and the doctor, it is revealed that the doctor believes that Hattie is able to communicate with Frank and not anyone else because of the 9 shards of alien metal throughout her body and brain. After awaking, Hattie escapes from the medical facility and the base is then placed on alert status while everyone searches for her. The continual terror of being around weapon fire has made her emotionally unstable and she has become upset about always being scared. The episode gives some interesting background on the usually stoic Commander.

Episode 10: Sorrow and Malice

The latest alien attack has the FUNERAL group stumped; this new alien has a superior defensive capability that allows it to manipulate its molecular density to defend against external attacks be it ballistic or physical. Ryu devises a harmonic attack using a wave amplifier named “Excalibur” that he designed for the specific alien.

Like all Argentosoma discs, the highlights of the show are usually not in the action, but in the character development and interactions. Highly recommended show.

- Tazman

(October 17, 2003 )

“Yeah! They take out those whack jellyfish old school! Word!”

- Joey Fatone (Simpsons)