Episode 25 Summary, A Loss without a Reason

As Kunio inspects Kanaru's home, he remarks that it was fortunate Tomohiro didn't come along to witness the truth that was before them.

Akihiko was relieved of his post as councillor but he managed to pull a few strings to give Kanaru a proper burial before he left. They had found out the owner of the place was named, "Shinsuke Kametsura", one of Kyujo's sponsors which means it probably won't be possible to try and charge him. Looking around, Kunio thinks of how Kanaru lived alone while given the illusion that she was living with a family. He picks up a cracked photo frame when Akihiko reminds him she did have some real friends in the end.

Megumi was back at the hospital after attending Kanaru's burial with Akihiko. Still lying with his injured back, Takuro asks what Kanaru looked like when she died. Forcing a smile, Megumi replies Kanaru looked beautiful. Most likely because the person she loved was by her side.

Changing the subject, Megumi offers to help Takuro change clothes. He must be all sweaty after getting some sleep but Takuro continues, apologising that he couldn't go along too. Facing down on his pillow, he thinks Kanaru and Shin made a good couple and starts to wonder why things have turned out this way. Megumi, grips the bags Shin brought tightly as she thinks back to ten years ago as the source. However, at the same time she thinks they wouldn't have got together like this if all of it never happened.

At the park, Shin had returned to the bench where he and Kanaru had spent the last moments together. He thinks back to what she had said to him, about how the villagers in the story hadn't disappeared but it was the boy who had chosen to ignore them.

Slowly, Shin returns home as it started to snow. He enters his parent's unlit studio and looks at the statue that Kunio had put back together for him. A sudden ache can be felt in Shin's heart as he remembers what had happened that very day when Ayane was extracting the Personas from his parents. Falling to his knees and grasping his chest, Shin looks up to find little Ayane standing before him. He demands to know if it was her that showed them their old memories again. Expressionless, Ayane answers that it was just the memories deep within their subconscious calling to them.

Still on his knees, Shin demands Ayane takes him to where his brothers Ryo and Jun were but, Ayane tells him he won't be seeing them any more because they know the world will soon be filled with atonement. The Bionoid Ayane has also already designated Shin as what it needs right now to help free the real Ayane from the Whale so it would be best if Shin stays away.

Ayane disappears and a loud crash is heard just as Megumi was about to ring the doorbell to the house. Megumi hurries over and finds a shattered sculpture on the floor. Seeing the angry look on Shin's face, Megumi is frightened. Just then, Akihiko also arrives, picking up the weapon that broke off.

The three of them enter the house to talk over matters, leaving the light off. As Megumi goes about making some tea, Akihiko reveals it was Ryo's greatest worry for Shin's memory to return. When Akihiko saw the sculpture and the weapon that struck through the two figures, he had a feeling it was the same sword that belonged to Shin's Persona. However, as Shin said he didn't recall seeing it, Akihiko decided to keep quiet about it.

Akihiko had always thought there was something else besides Ryo's sense of responsibility that kept him going and, that was taking the fate of his family into his own hands. He was afraid of getting his own brothers involved and didn't want the Personas within them to awaken so that Shin wouldn't have to remember what happened to his parents. When the Marebito just started to become active around the city, Shin and Jun's return was really bad timing.

Hearing what Akihiko said, Shin is sure that he would have helped his brother if his memories had come back sooner but again, wonders why his brother decided to undertake everything alone. Megumi silently lays out the tea as Akihiko reasons that it must have been because of his Persona. To summon his Persona, Ryo had to take a lot of the specially developed suppressants which strengthened his mental mind. This in turn created a kind of mask for him to hide behind. By letting Jun lure out the Marebito, Akihiko was hoping he would be able to calm Ryo's Persona down. Ryo had expected Jun to join him but never expected Yuki to be part of him too.

Akihiko continues that Kyujo had intended for the Ayane Bionoid to be the ultimate existence to control the world but, the "Whale" that Ayane speaks of does not approve of it and thus, took Ayane away. Shin should know what his Persona is capable of by now which was being able to free Personas from others. As a last resort, Kyujo had wanted to use Shin's Persona to cleave his way into the unconcious world to free Ayane and even now, that will be his goal. They must not let Shin come into contact with the Bionoid Ayane because if his Persona gets absorbed too then, the tragedy that happened ten years ago will most likely re-occur. Hearing this, Shin desperately asks how they can stop it and Akihiko replies he has one last resort to use. This time none of them will need to fight for him.

Megumi interrupts and says that she's starting to understand why adults can't summon Personas anymore. They don't lose the ability but they just can't maintain their real selves as well any more. Akihiko thinks it's an interesting theory and then faces Shin to tell him why he thinks Ryo took Jun away but trails off.

In another place, the batch of Bionoid Ayanes were being prepared to be shipped to St. Marshall. Just as Inui was about to secretly attach something to the pods, Nakamura appears and wonders what was wrong. Inui claims he was worried the Bionoids would awaken along the way and if that happened, nothing would be able to stop them but, Nakamura assures him they were put into deep sleep.

Changing the subject, Nakamura reveals that he's noticed some discrepancies in the reports that Inui filed him and has come to the conclusion Inui did them on purpose to allow Ryo and Akihiko to act more easily. If it wasn't for their satellite system, they never would have caught onto Akihiko's actions.

Suddenly, little Ayane appears on one of the pods and the Bionoid Ayane is awakened. It summons its Persona and a blast of yellow energy strikes everyone nearby turning them into Apathy Syndrome victims but, Inui was unaffected. He rushes up and just manages to attach a tracking device onto her before being blasted away. An image of the sea flashes briefly in the Bionoid Ayane's mind as she walks off.

Meanwhile, Shin and Megumi had made their way back to the hospital. Shin was sitting next to Takuro who told him not to wake Megumi. It's been a very long time since she finally managed to set some sleep. He then thinks back to what Megumi had said about how they wouldn't have got together like this if all of it never happened but, knows how hard it must be for Shin to accept. Takuro then reflects on his own Persona thinking how it was just a reflection of himself, hiding away all those years.

Losing his parents and being betrayed by everyone made him become afraid of others. He then decided that he would show everyone how strong he can be and things became a little easier for him. In the end however, it still felt like he was just running away when he realises he couldn't control his Persona. However, after meeting Shin and the others and being able to meet his father again, he found out that he can control it after all and be strong.

For Megumi, Takuro thinks it was a very similar experience. Over all those years she had tried to suppress her worries that she didn't save her own brother but now, her worries are gone and her true self of looking after others is completely freed. Even when they set off to the Marebito base it was her Persona that spotted Kanaru. Realising all these things, Takuro thinks there must be a meaning to their Personas. Looking at Shin he tells him that no matter what happens, they will always treat Shin as who he is.

Moments later, Shin had made his way alone to the sea drinking a bottle of water while thinking back to what Akihiko said. Akihiko was going to tell him why he thinks Ryo took Jun away but didn't, thinking what he thought couldn't possibly have been the reason. He tells Shin they should think of another way to end Kyujo's plans.

Sitting down with the rest of the people who wished to be taken away, Shin thinks of the possible times he could have had if his family were still around. In his dream, the whole family was outside in the garden full of bright sun flowers. Eiko was there too. As they sat around the table eating, Shigeru their father asks what Ryo wanted to announce. When Ryo hesitates, Jun tries to rush him and gets a bottle thrown at his head by Yuki. Ryo continues slowly and reveals that he wishes to marry Eiko even though it may seem a bit early.

Shigeru and Haruka smiles saying they had married much earlier and had no disagreement. Everyone takes turn congratulating the two while Shin still have trouble getting rid of his habit of calling her "Nee-chan (Older sister)". Yuki laughs saying that Shin can just keep calling her "Nee-chan" and Jun agrees since they were going to be one big family soon. With that out of the way, Ryo reminds Shin he must think about what he wants to do after high school and says he will be there for him if Shin ever needs to discuss about anything.

Shin nods and then asks why Ryo was doing the job he was now. Ryo answers that there was a teacher named, "Youko Tanaka" who was a great inspiration to him. Just then Jun interrupts to ask how Ryo had proposed to Eiko but, Eiko reveals he never actually made a proper proposal. Immediately, Jun and Yuki work together to force Ryo to do it on the spot. Eiko agrees despite Ryo's annoyed reaction but, everyone laughs in the end. As Shin continues to dream, a large number of white feathers float by behind him.

Somewhere else in Ayanagi City, Akihiko was heading to the facility where the Bionoid Ayanes were being kept after he received reports from St. Marshall that they couldn't contact Nakamura. He couldn't contact Inui either and was worried about him and whatever could have happened. Akihiko gives Kunio a call too, letting him know and to execute the plan they had come up with earlier if anything was to happen.

The number of feathers floating around were increasing now as Akihiko walked on. Suddenly, he spots Ryo standing on a street ready to confront him. Looking straight at Akihiko, he warns him not to interfere as the Bionoid Ayane continued to make her way to the sea where Shin has disappeared.

Next episode, "The Future that Surfaces".

With the fate of his family changed because of Personas and his own beloved woman stolen away from his by his own Persona, Ryo wished for Personas to be separated from the human minds. When Shin sees his brother this way his heart aches, forcing him to discover the Persona that changes various emotions into its swords so that he could end all tragedy and chaos.

Thoughts

Another dialogue intensive episode. Maybe the script writer should consider writing a novel instead of directing a show.

So lets see... Kyujo has been trying to ressurect his daughter but Ayane doesn't want to be brought back. She tells Shin to stay away from the Bionoid and directs it towards the sea, possibly trying to kill it. On the other hand, the "Whale" (whatever it is) is mad because of Kyujo and other people's meddling with Personas and is about to cleanse the world. Ryo appears to be all for it which is probably why he doesn't want Akihiko to stop the Bionoid or perhaps what the Whale is about to do.

Now I wonder where Shin's gone? Maybe he's broken into the other world himself now that he knows his Persona has that kind of power? It was a nice scene watching the whole Kanzato family together and maybe that's the future Shin wishes for if a miracle happens.

With nothing shown in the preview, I guess anything can happen next episode but, it appears Ryo doesn't want Akihiko to wipe out what remains of Kyujo's research because if that happens, he won't be able to achieve his dream of separating everyone from their Personas.

I really wonder what this "last resort" Akihiko is referring to and how he deals with Ryo.