The following contains spoilers for episode 6 of NieR Automata Ver1.1a, “[L]one Wolf” nowstreaming onCrunchyroll.
While scouting a nearby area,9S shows off his latest “invention"to Lily and 2B, a machine lifeform detector. Unfortunately, it still has a ways to go as it continues to glitch, much to the latter’s amusement. As he and one of the Pods take off to assess the damage, Lily tells 2B where she came from.
Recalling her dialogue in episode 2, where she recognizes 2B, they seemingly have a history with each other. Or at least 2B’s prototype did.
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Do Androids Dream?
There is a hint of classism between the two factions, as the YoRHa androids are adorned in fancy lolita-esque attire, while The Resistance are wearing actual gear. Though at this point, they have long since been abandoned by the higher ups. And little do the YoRHa androids know, they would be facing the same fate soon enough. This episode tackles a certain segment of the originalNieR: Automata: the in-game novel. The stage play and manga ofYoRHa: Pearl Harbor Descent Recordis also somewhat incorporated, for an extra touch. But this puts things into perspective for 2B, and by extension, the viewer - that is Lily’s trauma.
No. 2, 2B’s prototypeacted as the voice of reason to collaborate with each other in order to finish their mission. However, her upbeat attitude doesn’t sit right with them. After all, they’re hardened war veterans and the YoRHa androids are just new recruits. Thinking that your commander is there to support you, when in reality, they’re the ones who made you fight on their behalf, just so they wouldn’t have to. And because this is a “maiden” mission, it didn’t occur to you that you were being used as a disposable test subject. None of it did. That is the idealism that all androids start off with.
Stress Is Contagious
We’ve already learned about the logic virus - but whatisit? When Lily sees her newfound comrades fighting amongst each other, she’s suddenly overcome with the virus and goes insane. Moreover, Lily laments about how helpless she feels,because she wasn’t made for battleand ultimately the stress of being abandoned began to weigh on her. Her comrades have to hold her down to prevent any more damage, and No. 21 gets to work on extracting the virus. But this doesn’t come without a price, and she bears witness to Lily’s past as a “Lover” model. Later on, she too becomes infected and has to stay behind. In the end, Lily is the only one who survives.
Going by the theme of this episode, we see how trauma is not just exclusive to humans. One significant symptom of PTSD is violent outbursts; sometimes at random, but it’s most often when the victim is placed in an environment that reminds them of their experience. In Lily’s case, it was a skirmish betweenher comrades. Those who read the manga will be familiar with what her life and “purpose” was before Rose rescued her, and going by her model designation, “Lover”, there was a lot of violence towards Lily involved. What’s more, when she was rescued, all of her attackers were brutally murdered in front of her. No wonder the sight of any kind of argument stresses her out. And when No. 21 bears witness to this, the knowledge takes its toll on her as well. Empathy and trauma, two major factors of the human experience.
Cruel Irony
We’ve seen 9S and 2B distance themselves from having emotions in the present towards machines. Yet in the past when the first YoRHa androids arrived on Earth, it took The Council of Humanity abandoning them, and meeting war torn veterans for them to truly become what they were modeled after: humans. This goes back to the theme of war. When the commander has a use for you and tells you what to do, you’re blinded by your own perception of the enemy. But when you find yourself exposed to the truth and faced with hardship, that’s when you truly realize what it means to be human, or alive for that matter. You either develop compassion and share the burden, like The Resistance, or you seek vengeance and live a life of resentment,like A2, the true designation of 2B’s prototype model.
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