Back from its extremely short hiatus, NieR Automata's wonderful concoction of psychological horror, action, and emotion that made the game such a surprise hit, perfectly translating the balance of tragic drama and self-awareness-laced irony that has granted this obscure franchise such staying power.
For “a mountain too [H]igh,” studio A-1 Pictures went the extra mile in bringing 2B and 9S’ foray into the abandoned amusement park to animated life, while still putting enough of a twist on the narrative to feel focused and fresh. The art of properly adapting a videogame boss battle, especially a multilayered one such as that of Simone in NieR: Automata, is a skill that many have tried at and few have succeeded in. The fight, which occurs early in the game, is also important in setting the tone as a forerunner to the even more epic and sophisticated tangles found later, serving as a template for the running themes of desolation and depression which shine during the endgame.
NieR Automata Ver1.1a Brings Simone's Boss Battle to Incredible Life
The battle in question, which lasts almost the entirety of the second half of the episode, follows the videogame sequence to a tee, taking place in a giant theater surrounded by the mutilated bodies of captured androids. Changing the boss' name to “Diva”, this confrontation follows the pattern of adaptation set previously, in which NieR Automata's original A and B routes, depicting the same events from the perspectives of 2B and 9S respectively, are combined into a single narrative. Through an extended hacking sequence, Diva’s battle reveals that this monster began her journey as a lonely robot who was unable to attract the attention of the machine lifeform she desired.
As a work of drama, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a follows the videogame's uncompromising tradition. Far from being a brutish battle for spectacle's sake, the sequence against Diva highlights the dangers of equating “beauty” with “desirability.” While an undeniable villain responsible for torturing countless androids, and beyond that a pitiless egotist who organizes nonsensical performances, Diva represents a very human condition. Her atrocities, far from a concerted authoritarian design, are most likely symptomatic of the tremendous pain she feels from romantic rejection. A pain that is felt so keenly that even witnessing a small moment of affection between 2B and 9S in the midst of the attack drives her into a senseless, suicidal rage, going so far as to lament that if she were more beautiful she might have received that unrelated token of kindness.
What gives this episode its real punch is the amazing blend of all of these elements together: the non-nonsense, exhilarating square-off, the psychedelic yet sad discovery of the villain’s desperate motivations under the surface, and the overall stark moralistic vein that runs underneath it all, equal parts terrifying and absurdist. If all episodes demonstrate such potential following the hiatus, then NieR: Automata Ver1.1a is already on its way to becoming one of the most innovative new anime of the decade.
