Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #18: Tunnel Vision

The hard-working folks over at ARM have come up with yet another way for you to enjoy AT3 without owning it and/or knowing Japanese. It’s the play videos from Nico that I’m also following, subtitled with the dialogue translations. My own contribution seems to be the episode titles. (If you can come up with something wittier, feel free to use it instead. >_>)

So, now that there exists a multimedia experience which makes my blogging entirely pointless… nah, I’ll postpone the next depressive rant until they overtake me in the game.

This entry covers the revisit to the Tokoshie Old Tunnels to find Hikari Gojyou, as well as an event in Cielo Valley afterwards.

Spoilers, as usual.

When you head to the clinic, it will be empty. Finnel wonders if Hikari was captured after all, and Tatsumi suggests they search around town.

Once you head to Yokkora Restaurant, you’ll see a scene with Lu and Finnel. Lu scolds Finnel for worrying her when she didn’t return, and Finnel asks her if she’s seen the doctor, since he isn’t in his clinic. Lu says he hasn’t passed by the restaurant, at least. Gengai remarks, “As a Reyvateil doctor, he’s a precious commodity for Clusternia. I doubt they’d kill him, at least…” Tatsumi wonders if they might have confined him elsewhere.

Lu inquires, “Sounds like dangerous business. Did something happen? The Great Fang Alliance has been bustling about these past few days…” Her words remind Gengai of something; in the old mining tunnels are the Great Fang Alliance headquarters, which only the officers can enter. If the Alliance were hiding somebody, it would probably be there.

Aoto says “So the doctor’s been captured by the Great Fang Alliance…?!” Gengai says it’s just a hunch, but Aoto replies they’ve got to go and investigate. “And… the doctor might know what they’ve done with Saki!” he realizes. Time to head back underground into the tunnels you just escaped from.

The door is guarded by military with orders to capture Gengai, so you’ll have to fight your way through. After some tunnel running you’ll find the place where Hikari is imprisoned. He’s quite appreciative that they came searching for him. After verifying that he’s uninjured, Aoto asks if he knows what happened to Saki, and Hikari replies she was taken away by the Clusternia military.

The doctor says, “Gengai, I heard you were removed from the alliance. You haven’t heard the news about Jouteimon, then?” He continues that the Great Fang Alliance has surrendered Jouteimon in order to appease Clusternia, thus putting the best location for traveling to the Tower in enemy hands. Gengai mutters, “Those fools…! They’ve fallen that far?”

Hikari says that they’ve already occupied the Mebius Factory as their operational HQ. He suggests Saki is most likely being held there. However, before the conversation can continue, a new voice speaks up; the mayor of Tokoshie.

He says that he’s decided to pursue a policy of cooperation with Clusternia, and can’t allow barbarians like them to run amok. After a bit of arguing, he sends his goons at you, this time instructing them to finish you off. This can be a tricky battle, since Hikari hasn’t rejoined your party for whatever reason and the enemies outnumber you.

After the battle, Gengai delivers a well-deserved knockout punch to that old fogey of a mayor. They then return to their conversation as though nothing happened. You’d think someone would suggest chatting in the enemy headquarters isn’t the wisest idea.

Aoto wants to head to Jouteimon and rescue Saki straight away. Hikari agrees this would be prudent, since she’ll likely be taken to Clusternia shortly, but reminds him that Jouteimon is occupied by the enemy and they can’t simply force their way in; they wouldn’t even get close. Aoto says that though the regular route isn’t an option, he knows a way to sneak into the city undetected.

Gengai says that he’ll have to pass on this endeavor; a big guy like him can’t stay out of sight so easily. Instead, he’ll gather the survivors of Fallen Heaven Peak with the objective of recapturing Jouteimon. Tatsumi wants to go with him, but Gengai tells him to accompany Aoto and keep him informed with the Telemo.

Instead of heading to the new Empire’s Road location that opened up in Tokoshie Canopy, the PV decides here to revisit Cielo Valley on the world map and see what transpires. Aoto hesitates to enter after what happened earlier, but decides he can’t bear the thought of never returning home and goes ahead with it.

After he greets some men in the village square, the village gathers and apologizes for betraying him. They are glad to see he survived and beg him to forgive them. Aoto worries that, the matter of forgiveness aside, his escape might cause repercussions for them; but the village chief says that thanks to the example of his courage, they’ve decided to resist as well. After realizing what they lost in betraying Aoto, they no longer intend to place self-preservation above their own beliefs.

As proof of their sincerity, they give Aoto five Shakirin Vs and a bunch of other items. Aoto complains that it’s too much, but they say he will need it on his journey.

The rest of the PV appears to be wasted on naming Hikari’s new skill, clearing talk topics with Finnel, and browsing the Encyclopedia; I’ll leave those to the dialogue translator to cover in detail. >_> Short write-up this time.

Tags: ar tonelico, ar tonelico 3, gust, jrpg