Message
We fought under the burden of our destinies as "RONINS."
The fight we couldn't lose. The pressure of responsibility to win.
Dreams..... no time, Hope..... yes, as much as we could, The future.....
made ourselves believe in it. It must have come to an end.
We believed we were no longer "RONINS".....
This is the motif of the Message OAV. It is very sad, this motif. It reveals how stressful, how painful, how trying this was to all of them. Destiny's burden. The knowledge that failure was permanent. How much despair they must have hidden within themselves.
Message is largely a reflective story, as each of the Ronins remember about Talpa, the Ancient, and the Black Inferno. Each volume focuses on one Ronin. There isn't any fighting even though the Ronins get new armor. The story is set in 1991, around late March during the break between school years. Sai is entering his first year of college, and the others are entering their last years of high school. The only new character is Suzunagi, whose mystery is enfolded through the entire series. Since there are many monologues, it isn't as simple to guess what is going on. What is for sure, is that the Ronins no longer have their armor and have lost their sense of purpose. Here's my guess on the main points of each volume.
Unraveled End
Rowen is running through Shinjuku asking "Why, why are we called again?" He rides an elevator to one of the upper stories of a building across from City Hall. As he looks at City Hall, he remembers the time he and the others were Ronins.
Suzunagi appears on City Hall, and Rowen recognizes her. She says he expected that the fight was over, that they were no longer Samurai Ronins. From her cross, she shoots several energy bolts. They break through the window, Rowen jumps and flips out of the way. Just as they are about to hit him, a barrier erects and protects him.
When the threat is gone, the barrier dissipates. Suzunagi notes that he still retains some of the armor power.
She shows a flashback, to World War II I think. Bombers have largely destroyed a Shinto shrine that the Ancient has come to. He jumps into the cellar where the sealed armor casement of Strata is held. the the Ancient releases the seal and is about to send the armor to find its bearer when Suzunagi, as a child, appears and tells him he must not revive the armors. She is very powerful for a spirit, which surprises the the Ancient. He calls in Strata's power to block and repel her next attack. The energy is sent back, dissipating her.
In Suzunagi's room, Rowen sits on a sofa with the child crying in her sleep. He notices some papers in her hand but when he tries to get them they flutter away. Five sheets of paper hang in the air, drawings of armor. Child-Suzunagi gets up and begins to recite.
Suddenly Rowen remembers Inferno. They had called to it with the power of their hearts but they forgot or never realized, that Inferno has no heart of its own. Its only purpose was to fight.
Rowen appears on Suzunagi's NeoStage. The five Ronin armor surround the two Infernos who are encased in flames. The two armors fall down the steps. Mia says how lonely it is and then swings around to pick up one of the Go Retsu Ken. Using it, she hacks down each of the other four RONINS. The last to be struck is Strata.
The bow flies in the air and Rowen catches it. Suzunagi drops the bloody sword. Rowen draws the bow and an arrow appears at ready. Suzunagi tells Rowen to please shoot her, to send her to Nirvana. But another vision appears behind Suzunagi, her child self crying amidst flames. Rowen asks why does he have to shoot her. She says her past sadness has led her to this. It can't be changed, it's fate. It's fate for him to shoot her, just as it is his fate to be a Samurai Ronin.
The bolts of silk come flying and spinning around Rowen. Suzunagi summons the Strata armor. Rowen screams for it to stop. In the end, he is sealed in her Strata armor. He can be seen with his eyes closed within the face mask.
Suzunagi: One.
Note: The shield Rowen erected was a remnant of the power of the armor and sub armor. Sunrise explained that after having the armor and sub armor for so long and with all the use, some things rubbed off on the RONINS. Sort of like a permanently magnetized needle.
Hinted Future
It's raining. Sai is dreaming. He sees five boxes that bear each of the armor emblems. Turning around, he sees Rowen amidst the bolts of silk groaning. Sai asks whats wrong. But Rowen doesn't answer as he screams. Sai wakes up.
The four RONINS collect at a below street-level coffee house, ThinkSinking. They can still sense each other. When they all come together, they can't look at one another. Sai makes coffee for everyone. Ryo reveals the reason he called everyone together, to see the book that Rowen sent Ryo before his disappearance. It's called Torrent, the new battle legend. The manuscript details the RONINS and their battle with Talpa. This creates questions as to who wrote it and why. Part of the letter Rowen sent with the package says that he's gone to make sure that the fight was over for all of them.
The RONINS leave their separate ways: Sai on moped, Kento by train, Sage by taxi, Ryo walking. As Sai is leaving, he says "The battle has started again."
At the intersection, the lights start acting strangely and soldiers start coming out of people. The soldiers are attacking a barrier. One soldier's weapon breaks and flies off, destroying the cars and Sai's moped when it lands.
When Sai looks closer, he sees Suzunagi and himself in Torrent. When he tries to get closer, she yells at him not to get close. She'll protect his future.
The scene switches to the NeoStage where a narrator of theater speaks. Sai in Torrent is kneeling. The narrator says this man is lost. Why does he still fight.
Back in Suzunagi's room, she tells him that he must fight because his gentleness will guide him. Sai asks why does she want to protect him. She says she has seen the future, he choose the armor. Sai retorts that by choosing the armor, that's choosing to fight. Suzunagi says she will gladly give her life to protect a heart like his.
Sai asks who is going to be happy with that. Suzunagi notes that it seems like he has lost his trusting heart.
Suddenly Suzunagi gets stabbed by many spears and held up in the air by them. The room is filled with the soldiers from earlier. Sai screams.
Then he jumps up, breaks the spears holding her, and lands with her in his arm. With the other arm he grabs one of the spears he broke as it fell. Sai is angry and says he will fight for the future. He calls the armor.
The image of Torrent armor. Suzunagi says, "Two." Within the eye hole of the face mask, a tear forms in the darkness and trickles.
Note: Sai also retains parts of the sub armor enhancement. The heights he jumped to get off of his moped and to 'save' Suzunagi are beyond human.
Crushing Self-confidence
In a warehouse, Sage is reading the manuscript as Kento does push-ups. There have been no communications from Rowen or Sai. Sage and Kento know that Kento is next and Sage tells him to be careful. As Sage reads the script, he gets a vision of NeoStage.
This time, the Infernos break out of the flames and leap into the air, throwing their weapons into the stairs. The energy released kills the other RONINS armors.
After Kento and Sage separate, Sage meditates on a rock before a waterfall. In his meditation, he sees again the scene of the two Infernos destroying the RONINS armor. This time however Halo fights back, destroying the Infernos but darkening the Halo Ken. The vision disturbs Sage and when he opens his eyes he finds Halo armor standing over him.
Halo swings the sword as if to attack and Sage slightly leaps back and reaches for the katana before him. He stops himself before grabbing the sword. Sage remembers that he can't beat the armor with force/sword. Instead he stands and faces Halo. After several moments, Halo kneels to Sage and holds out the Halo Ken. Sage takes the blade, holds above him, and says something. The armor and blade disappear, and Sage glows with a green light.
Suzunagi who was watching the whole time from within the waterfall is surprised that Sage withstood her trap.
However, Kento fears facing the armor again because of what happened with Inferno. He is actually afraid of Inferno. Finally, Kento forces Suzunagi to reveal herself by jumping off of Keio Plaza hotel. (He's assuming that she doesn't want them to die before she gets to them.)
Either way, something stops him from splattering his brains over the sidewalk. Pushing himself upright, he hears the bells that are Suzunagi's trademark entrance. Everything darkens and Suzunagi is seen dancing with the robe that garbs the Hardrock armor. He jumps out of the way (onto the roof of the hotel entrance) as Hardrock armor lands in the middle of the street, creating a crater.
In the manuscript that Sage was reading was the design for City Hall and he runs off.
Kento asks why is she doing this, is she trying to call back Inferno. Whatever explanation she gives, Kento doesn't believe it. When Suzunagi sends the Hardrock armor after Kento, Kento punches it when it is right in front of him, saying he won't become part of Inferno. It causes the armor to glow, and the glow acts as an image projector. On the cloudy sky, it show a young red-headed girl in a kimono holding a string ball and laughing.
There is a tall pale woman with gentle eyes and long black hair watching her. The two walk off together.
Suzunagi looks at the clouds and the image in shock. It is her mother and herself. Her face goes from shock to happiness to sorrow.
Right then, Sage runs up from the subway calling to Kento. He sees the image in the clouds and Suzunagi.
Suzunagi sees him too and flys/flees to the upper stories of City Hall where she makes her home. Hardrock stops glowing, turns, and begins floating after Suzunagi. Kento jumps and grabs it from behind.
Sage yells for Kento but Kento says he's going to try the armor's power and then calls on the armor. The armor glows orange, and envelops him in its light. Two lights are clashing repeatedly (Kento and Hardrock?). Sage shields his eyes from the brightness. They disappear and the normal day returns. Determinedly, Sage turns to City Hall and begins to walk toward it, wondering if this the beginning or the end.
Note: Suzunagi was trying to prove to Sage that he was controlled by his will to fight. Instead, he was able to control it and hence the armor. He conquered the desire to fight and the armor acknowledged him as the victor. It is similar to a pyschic duel where the two opponents stare off to judge which of the two has more control. Whoever drew first, lost. The green light was created by Sage, same reason listed for Rowen. The armor was only an illusion.
Wandering Spirit
Sage confronts Suzunagi in her rooms in the building. Somehow he is drawn to the past (during Japanese modernization, maybe turn of the century), just after the theater that Suzunagi's parents owned burned down.
Suzunagi's past and reason for revenge is revealed. With her parents dead, Suzunagi grew up in bitterness toward the Armorden because the production of that play at her family theater resulted in her father's execution by the shogun and of her mother's death when she was saving Suzunagi from the fire set by the shogun's soldiers. Sage, sympathizing with her, voluntarily calls on the his armor. But Suzunagi tries to stop him, he being the first person to actually feel her pain but it was too late. He vanishes, leaving Suzunagi behind in tears.
Visited Truth
Ryo knows it his turn and he calls Mia for advice. He can sense the others in Shinjuku. The only thing she can tell him is to proceed slowly.
Devastated, Ryo sits in his room listening to the messages his friends had left him on his answering machine.
Rowen wonders about fate, how history repeats itself, and leads to battle. Sai doesn't think he can handle going far into the armorkai. He knows a fight is beginning, he hopes to see the end of it with his friends. He believes there is an end to the battle. Kento confesses how scared he is of Inferno and what it did to them. Sage believes in their five hearts. The armor are part of the world, past, present, future. He says he feels ready to wear the armor again. He hopes the others also will return.
Then there's a memory sequence covering each of the RONINS and the entire Message storyline accompanied by the lovely song, Lullaby of the Stars.
Somewhere there is an international discussion of the RONINS. Their appearance in Japan and America has caused quite a stir. Mia is there, probably to explain the RONINS and their existence to the international delegation.
Ryo meets Suzunagi on the ground level of City Hall. She says that Rowen felt the armors were a painful past, Sai saw lost hope in them, Kento the never ending battle, Sage the light to guide the lost. She asked what did Ryo see the armor as, as a means to call on Inferno.
Ryo says they fought evil, that inside they are all lost like Suzunagi. The armor helped them to discover what people are. Suzunagi is pleased by his answer and dresses him in the armor.
When he wears it, she asks him about her hatred. Ryo says that surely her hatred will be destroyed along with the armors she made for them. Then he called the other four to him. The four lights come to him, causing an energy backlash.
In a mist, the other RONINS come walking to Ryo. Suzunagi is also in the fog. Part of it clears, revealing a large graveyard. It is the cemetary of all those who protected the armor over the centuries. Suzunagi proclaims that this will be their graves.
White Blaze appears carrying a flower. He gives one look and Suzunagi and then places the flower at a gravestone and roars. Suzunagi recognizes the stone.
She is back in her mother's room. Her mother says that Suzunagi shouldn't have so much sorrow and pain of so long ago in her small chest. The armors weren't made for hatred but for love, for people who cared for people.
Suzunagi's heart has turned to hatred and her mother can no longer love her.
Suzunagi is shocked. Flashback to the day the theater was burned. Suzunagi is crying amidst the fire. Her mother appears and covers her with her kimono. A ceiling beam breaks and Suzunagi screams for her mother.
Her mother continues talking. There is love in the armor and power in the heart.
Suzunagi is a child again. She runs crying to her mother, falling onto her and grabbing her clothes. Suzunagi cries that with her mother and father dead, there was no one to love her or for her to love. Her mother embraces her, saying she'll love her gentle child again. Suzunagi has found the correct path in her heart, her daughter can go to the sky.
Rowen is flying over Tokyo in his new armor (no bubble). Sai wields his trident, currents of water fly. Kento raises pillars of rocks and destroys them by force of will. Sage stands on a building holding his blade. Ryo steps up in full armor.
Kento hugs White Blaze, asking him to visit his grave when he is gone. Sai says now it is their time. Rowen says he hopes it will be for them five. Sage says they will try to make a honorable name of the Samurai Ronin. Ryo says through the heart, as far as love goes. Suzunagi appears briefly, "That is the answer I asked of you before."
In the end, Yuli wins the championship for the a kendo tournament.
Note: Don't take what the RONINS say as set in stone. I have no idea if I heard correctly. I think Ryo is living in Tokyo now for high school.
