Beneath the waters lies a romantic story like none that has come before. So relax darling, it's time for some sweet dreams~ Fuli would highly recommend this. Probably.
***Spoiler warning*** for the final phase of Asat Pramad’s boss fight and everything else that follows until the mission ends. Only read further if you’ve completed the story.
Aahh, Himeko Nova is so cool. I used OG Himeko for quite some time when I first started playing and although I don’t remember exactly when I benched her, I still adored her tons, so being able to finally fight with her in battles again thanks to her Nova upgrade is greatly appreciated, especially when it comes to endgame modes.
My beloved Astral Express family! I think I panicked in a different post, wondering if Pom-Pom was okay after Asat Pramad slammed the train into the ground, but seems our conductor is just fine. I’m not exactly sure how after a crash like that, but thank god. I’m happy to see them in a cutscene alongside everyone else too.
Mother, you’re stealing Pom-Pom’s lines! Also.. because I’m not sure where else to mention this, but can we chat about the boss theme song for a second?? Beyond This Station? Good lord, it’s amazing! I love how Hoyo keeps giving us these lyrical bangers. I couldn’t quite understand the lyrics during the fight itself because of all the voicelines and sound effects going on, coupled with my excitement of using Himeko Nova, but after hearing it again this morning once HSR posted the official song, I’m completely in love with it! The chorus gives me chills and that single line of “So I won’t turn away, I won’t let go” gets me emotional because YES! FINALLY we didn’t have to say goodbye to a version of Himeko! This song is definitely up there with Wildfire and Proi Proi, though I fear it could very well end up as my favorite. I can’t wait to hear this live if there’s another Star Rail concert next year. Or if Nick and the other EN VAs are gonna cover it.
Speaking of other great songs, it fills me with so much joy that Sunday joins in when the whole crew recites the creed that iconically includes Interstellar Journey’s lyrics. (this is such an awesome shot btw, seeing Himeko proudly showing off the Trailblaze logo on her banner. this is a red flag everyone should enjoy.)
“One! Stop staying within the lines.” (random thought, but with all the cosmetic options the Trailblazer has now, I can’t find it in myself to switch off the deliverer’s wreath. it brings fond memories. and it just looks really good with the red jacket.)
“Two! We always align.” (can I be honest? with how fierce Welt looked in the 4.4 version promo image with the black hole forming in his hand, I was kinda expecting him to do more this patch.)
“Three! Even if we don't gain the upper hand, we'll fight for right.” (hey, was Dan Heng chosen for three because he has three forms…?)
“Four! Never care a rap for hindsight.” (bro that’s such an Evernight-esque pose. take away the light in March’s eyes and she’d be a perfect match.)
“Five! Let us light the night.” (Sunny!! I’m so insanely proud of you, sweetie!! He seemed to hesitate a tiny bit at first, but still managed to join in with a smile! HUZZAH!)
“Six! Even when there are wheels within wheels, go ahead!” (I kinda wish this moment was given to Pom-Pom instead of us and Himeko firing off a bunch of lasers from Starblazer.)
“Get it pulverized!” (I believe that bug that mutes everything affected me here too for this ending cutscene with them, which is a shame considering it was the big, epic moment where they defeat Asat Pramad.)
It’s kinda scary how good y’all are getting at taking down lord ravagers. It’s great that we managed to survive three of them already, but it stresses me out so much. What’s next on the list, taking down an Aeon? That resort in Astropolis is looking nicer with each passing minute. We need a real break.
Yeah March, say it louder! She looks fantastic! Himdko finally became the navigator she already dreamed she would be. I do wonder if she’s gonna permanently stay in this outfit now or if it’s just gonna be a special transformation thing like Dan Heng and March’s forms where they use them occasionally in fights.
Yup, there’s the mech nerd I was waiting for. He keeps it brief for now, but soon enough, he’ll bombard Himeko with questions and praise.
Istg, if Himeko was about to ask Sunday if he wants to officially join the Astral Express as a crew member only for Asat Pramad to cut her off mid-sentence, I’m gonna crash out and kick his stupid dice head off this tower! Y’all don’t understand how bad I want this handsome halovian to continue traveling with us.. I NEED IT TO HAPPEN! He’s grown SO MUCH during our travels and has proven to be such an amazing help with his abilities during Planarcadia (and what little screentime he had in Amphoreus). He’s definitely earned his own Astral Express ticket by now. I still have this theory that he might make his decision after we meet up with Robin in 4.5 (or whenever she’ll appear in Astropolis). I feel like he’s either gonna depart from the train to help his sister (help with what exactly? I dunno, but he’s still a Penacony fugitive, so he can’t return home.. right? unless Robin pulled some strings. oh no.) or she’s gonna encourage him to join us after she see how free he’s become without his old family head duties. Regardless of what Sunday eventually chooses, I’m gonna cry either way, but I’d very much prefer he joins. Maybe that’ll lead up to having even more characters eventually join us in the future. Like Serval. (I may fangirl hard over others but I’m forever faithful to my favorite!)
Anyways, whatever Asat Pramad is saying is concerning indeed. Unfortunately, my mind went other places seeing March and Sunday on screen. I simply want to see more of them together in the story. Sunday gets along with Trailblazer just fine and he shared some moments with Dan Heng in 4.0 when they both became Xianzhou’s Number One Assassin with Fugue (an unexpected trio that I’ve come to love very much btw!), but I feel like Sunday hasn’t spent too much time with March. I want that to change in the future. I crave calendar buddy moments. Her high energy and his reserved nature balance each other out perfectly.
Of course the demigod of earth is the one to realize something like that.
Excuse me.. what do you mean you’re ending it there?? Not only did Asat Pramad mention that this world is now in danger because of the Voracity’s husk stirring, but there’s just so many questions I have left, which is real concerning considering we’re apparently heading to Astropolis in 4.5! Is Evanescia okay? Whatever happened to Graphia? What was in that pouch Yao Guang gave us and is she ever gonna teleport back? What’s the deal with Kuchiba? Are the Phantasmoon Games still ongoing or did Blade join in for nothing? Is the Astral Express even functional after Asat Pramad crashed it? All this makes Planarcadia feels a bit unfinished to me, but I know Hoyo said that the story for this year was gonna be split into two, with Astropolis being the second half, so I guess we’ll just.. slowly make our way there next patch? Surely they can spare a few hours of gameplay to tie up lose ends of Planarcadia beforehand.
After all that, I eased myself away from all the drama by checking out all the new furbobo posts that updated because seeing the character’s comments is always fun. Poor Welt getting called out for being slow with technology and.. Graphia is here. I guess she’s okay then? Unless we’re taking these comments with a grain of salt and should be a bit skeptical about their strength of relation to recent canon events.
I know Fugue returned to the Xianzhou at the end of the 4.2 side quest, but I’m happy to see her still commenting in these posts. I miss her. Can we get her back for Astropolis? She deserves some vacation too.
Pfftt, I love Yao Guang so much. She’s giving Madam Herta vibes with the automatic replies that leaves Sunday stunned. Honestly though, is our General okay? I seriously don’t want that divination of “an Arbiter General will fall in this arcadia of Elation” to come true! Although, Hoyo has the opportunity to do the funniest thing and have that fortune just mean she falls down literally, like down a couple stairs or something non-life-threatening.
Stay all together! (and don’t annoy March!)
These comics by Nihilux really are adorable. And I’m beyond happy to see Sundove included.
March and I share one brain cell. I may read through the entire article but the amusing comments are my main source of entertainment. And look! I asked for calendar buddy moments and I got some! Adorable. Now it just needs to happen more in the main story.
Sparxie beating out Robin on music charts is quite a feat, if I’m to believe our masked fool actually achieved those rankings fairly.. which I don’t. But Sunny, how would you know what she would say? I thought you had to cut contact with her in 2.7? Do y’all still text each other or something? There’s always a possibility he could be messing with Sparxie with these replies. He knows his sister well enough, I’m sure he can pose as her if needed. Oh I can’t wait for our halovians to reunite in 4.5.. assuming Hoyo lets them.
Sunday has reached his daily limit when it comes dealing with fools. But mmm, toast.
Okay, now we finally reached the end. Obviously, Himeko/Motoko was the highlight of this patch and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with their backstory, voice acting, cutscenes and everything else. Along with my previous grievances about how the cliffhanger left some story beats unexplained, I also kinda wish certain scenes were expanded on a bit more.. stuff like how Ashveil, March and Sparxie managed to escape the tavern, Sunday helping people take shelter at the train station, how Blade managed to get himself into that space to successfully locate Dan Heng and Welt, and the crew’s reunion with Himeko before they all arrived on the battlefield via train to help us. But that’s just me. There’s also the issue with some of the big battle cutscenes being muted.. sigh. I did enjoy this patch though. I just dunno where exactly I’d placed it in my personal ranking of Planarcadia patches.
***Spoiler warning*** for our conversation with our other self, a whole bunch of memories and Himeko Nova finally making her grand entrance. There really was no decent place to cut this post off once all the action came in at full speed, but we’re stopping right as the third phase of Asat Pramad’s boss fight starts.
Dude, I just cried my heart out over my mother potentially sacrificing herself.. now really isn’t the best time for you to waltz in here, acting all menacing, just to give me anxiety about my future!
Why so many 8s? I think Asat Pramad mentioned the number sometime during his silly question game show too, specifically another 8 like Amphoreus. Apparently that’s where we first met him..? I know my memory is terrible but I’m certain that’s not the case. Unless he was like.. hiding somewhere, watching us defeat Irontomb from the sidelines or something. Anyways, the chatter about a paradise collapsing and a hungry beast has me thinking of Astropolis and the Voracity. Perhaps that’s how the end of 4.4 will tie into 4.5, with the Voracity somehow threatening the resort we’re apparently heading to.
I don’t think our other self is from our own exact future, but rather from just one of the many possible futures that we could’ve been had we followed a different script. It seems they lost the will to follow the path of the Trailblaze, so as long as we remain steady on it, we won’t end up like them.
How and why is our stellaron suddenly capable of granting wishes now? And does our other self represent Finality? But yeah, no Nameless is being left behind! We all need some kind of vacation at that resort in 4.5 after all this depressing drama! Also love that we name our previous paths like that.
Oohh many heartwarming feelings incoming, starting with them! Our forever faithful travel companions! Together with Trailblazer, they seriously make up one of my favorite trios ever.
As for favorite duos, I get them too! Huzzah!! I’ll love my precious Belobogians til the end of time!! I don’t care how many times I may repeat this wish, but please Hoyo, take us back to Jarilo-VI! I miss these girls so dang much and I wanna see all the progress they made with uniting both the above and below citizens of Belobog, all their improvements towards the freeze and just everyone living better lives.
I realized in each one of these memories, Trailblazer is holding the weapon that corresponds with the path they’ve awakened on each planet, so seeing us just holding onto the jade abacus for the Xianzhou Luofu memory is kinda hilarious since we didn’t tread on a new path here yet (both Dan Heng and March got that honor instead).. unless this is some kind of clever foreshadowing where the abacus will actually become part of that future path for us. Hmmm. Though I’d hope something for our eventual Hunt path would be more impressive looking than this tiny piece of jade.
Aw.. I still feel bad for Misha. And I kinda miss using Harmony Trailblazer. Their animations were fun.
Oh Cyrene, fate was so cruel to you.. you deserved so much better! I know it’ll be kinda impossible, but if/whenever we do return to Amphoreus, I hope we can meet up with her again somehow. In any of her three forms. I’m not picky. I just wanna know she’s okay.
Thank heavens this game had such a strong opening act that was capable of grabbing my attention and heart so easily. Belobog was a huge part of my obsession with game too, of course, but the Space Station was a very solid tutorial stage where it didn't even feel like a tutorial. The beginning story and its characters were just that captivating to me.
I can and would rave about Belobog for hours on end if I had the time and energy. Maybe I’m blinded by fond nostalgia and the fact that the story remains my favorite, but I still believe it to be perfect. The characters make the planet feel like our home away from the Express, their voice actors are insanely talented, the themes of the Overworld and Underground fits the vibe of each setting so well and the music is a pleasant mix of chill and heartwarming. I do wish a certain pair of siblings were featured in the blank space next to Natasha though. We got Underground representation but what about my Landaus in the Overworld? They helped out a bunch too! Not to mentions Serval’s history with Cocolia. Anyways, I know I just shared my desire for us to return to this planet, but who cares, maybe one day Hoyo will make my dream a reality. Or my wish granting stellaron. Hey.. do you think we can get a long awaited fake out for Cocolia’s death too or am I asking too much?
Oh look, the Xianzhou memory that was missing from the 4.4 trailer! I think it’s funny how it’s just all Dan Heng and no one else. I understand that was pretty much his arc but not even the Dozing General? Or Yanqing? HeII, what about Phantylia? I’m surprised, but can’t say I mind.. Dannie does look so handsome in this shot.
As I started in 1.4, Penacony holds a special place in my heart since it was the first new planet I experienced patches at a time and not all at once like everything previously. It was quite the wild ride, albeit not exactly perfect, but at least we did head back a couple times to expand on a couple things. Just like the Luofu, I’m sure we haven’t see the last of this place. I also still think Aventurine has one of the best boss themes to date.
Nooo, don’t get me started on all the pain Amphoreus brought us by showing us all our beloved Chrysos Heirs again! Aahhh.. they’ll return to us one day, I’m certain of that. Remember that Amphoreus calendar they once showed, where Thursday, November 12th was marked with an infinity symbol? Well, that exact day lines up with our 2026 calendar, so maybe something will happen later this year..? I’m hoping.
Memories aside, I’m so incredibly relieved that we jump in to protect Himeko. It was actually very reminiscent of the time we shielded March back at the Space Station from the Doomsday Beast. Our stellaron really is an insane plot armor device. And Trailblazer’s feelings are felt deep within my heart tenfold!
Seeing everyone else join to help Himeko makes me wanna cry. They care about her so much! Absolutely no one can handle the thought of experiencing yet another HI3 Chapter 9, especially not Welt!
Even Motoko makes a comeback to assist! I don’t care if the moment is fleeting, I’m so happy she got the chance to see the wonderful family Himeko is blessed to travel along the stars with. Motoko has to be so very proud of her.
OH MY AEONS HIMEKO! This is some “Witness the will of the weak” level type power, times a thousand. Now it makes me wanna believe that one glowing train we saw in the Penacony cutscene was a nod to Motoko.
Ohhh Himeko Nova, you truly are stunning!! I didn’t manage to snag the exact screenshot, but seeing Motoko wrap her arms around Himeko’s shoulders and have her become Nova’s new coat was such a peak idea. I spoke last post how sweet it was that Motoko passed her iconic coat down to Himeko and that I was a tiny bit bummed that Nova’s outfit didn’t keep the same one with how special and meaningful it was, but I’m more accepting now of the completely new outfit change with the belief that Motoko’s spirit is sorta formed Nova’s new jacket.
Kudos to Welt for staying focused throughout the entire boss battle and not geek out over the giant mech that’s been summoned to help us. I have no doubt he’s gonna ask several dozen questions to Himeko once this mission is over.
It takes an insane amount of strength (and maybe a bit of insanity) to stand up to a lord ravager who almost killed you and then mock him for making a mistake you deem unforgivable. My navigator knows no fear!
Okay, odd place to stop, I know, but next post will be the last. Gotta save some stuff for it at least.
***Spoiler warning*** for Himeko. And Motoko. And literally everything about them. Among with many tears. I dunno how to describe it all really.. just a bunch of emotions and pretty much everything I was so nervous for during this story. All that together in the same post. Because heartbreak. But I’ll stop the rambling and sobbing right before we meet our other self again. At this point I’ve already completed the story, so be wary if I mention anything that may happen after these scenes.
It was epic to see Pom-Pom not hesitating for a single second to have the Astral Express come blazing in at full speed.. until Asat Pramad caught it effortlessly and forcefully crashed it down to the ground. Real violent to witness and I can’t help but wonder how Pom-Pom managed to survive.. I think. They’re okay, right? Why do we never get to see our precious conductor in these cutscenes!
Mother, are you sure you’re not a Preservation pathstrider? You’re playing the role quite well, at least for a couple moments..
Bro what do you even do at this point, huh? Three giant attacks incoming from a lord ravager? Nah, I fear I’d accept my fate and burn to ashes.
MOM NO! Don’t look at me like that! I can accept death because of protagonist plot armor, but you certainly can’t with your deadly HI3 Chapter 9 curse!!
Actual fucking mood right here. I’m beyond panicked. We’re big time stressing over here!
Mother has several lasers of death aimed at her and yet she chooses to rush towards us instead to help calm down our stellaron from raging outta control.. oh Aeons. Doesn’t matter if we’ve already seen this moment during the 4.4 trailer, it’s bringing me close to tears. And Cia’s performance certainly isn’t helping me stay sane! Aahh, she’s so talented.. the emotion she conveys throughout this entire story mission is spot on.
No no no.. ma’am, as sweet as it is for you to protect me, I really don’t need to see that defeated look in your eyes! And hearing a soft, comforting “I’m here” when you’re five seconds way from collapsing doesn’t sooth me either!
Don’t say that. I’ll drag you back with me. I’m so serious right now, mom, I swear! This may just be a moment in my own head, but I’ll never let you go!
My memory is indeed the problem here, but when exactly did we learn Motoko’s name..? Or did I miss a readable somewhere perhaps? Regardless, I think it’s sweet how keeping Motoko’s name alive is like a way for her to continue her trailblaze journey alongside all of us. But um, I’m personally not fond of that last part there about traveling alone here, mom.. please say sike right now.
The noise I made when this moment popped up on screen is indescribable. I didn’t know whether to scream over how gorgeous Motoko is or cry because it seems to be her final moments. I’m in awe and my heart hurts.
Honestly, who or what is this moon shadow that granted Motoko the gift? Could it just be Aha disguised and that’s why Motoko didn’t recognize them? Or someone/something we haven’t met yet? We know Elation pathstriders, former and present, are no strangers to telling lies and disguising themselves. This shadow saying it was part compensation is still rattling around in my head too.
Ma’am, this gift of yours is granting her time. The one thing Himeko never had enough of because of the weathering curse.. that is by no means some “small” assistance! Especially at the cost of your own life, hello?? That’s everything!
I wanna lay on the floor and cry. Here I am, once thinking that our navigator (once believed to be an imagenae) wore this jacket all the time because that’s how Himeko drew her, but nope! Our navigator (the real one) wears it because it belonged to Motoko! Aahh.. I’m kinda upset that her Nova form doesn’t keep this exact one with how very special it is. Then again, I just know people would’ve complained Nova would’ve looked too similar to OG Himeko if Nova did have the jacket. Hell, people complain already the Nova form we have still looks too much like Himeko.. like, yeah, they’re the same character. Just like how there’s similarities between SW, Blade and their new forms. It’s kinda the whole point. Recognizable but improved.
Girl if you start crying, I’m gonna sob too. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m already there thanks to Cia. Hearing the switch between the comforting words of Motoko, still encouraging a heartbroken Himeko to continue both of their dreams while the former is seconds away from disappearing no matter how much the latter begs for her to stay is so darn good. Cis is beyond talented and we’re so lucky to have her.
The solution to Himeko surviving the weathering curse really was that simple, hm? To have Motoko take the burden away from her. I would’ve never thought of that.. I’m genuinely impressed. That bit about Destruction leaving permanent marks is true enough at least, such as Fugue’s flower scar on her right shoulder. Now that I think about.. is the sun tattoo on the side of Phainon’s neck a mark of Destruction too? I honestly can’t remember if we ever got lore about it. Anyways, it’s heartwarming to know that Himeko and Motoko both wanted each other to have a fulfilling life if the other couldn’t experience it. It’s just a real shame they couldn’t achieve their dreams together like they originally planned.
Ya wonder if these lines were the exact reason our Himeko was so ready to pass on her Trailblazing spirit to us when she was about to “die.”
Himeko really did her research about the Astral Express and Nameless when imagining Motoko, even including the official ticket on her outfit. I know it’s rare that we see different colors on the tickets, like Misha’s with the purple tip or Evernight’s inverted color scheme, but just for a moment, I’m gonna believe that Himeko chose red while drawing simply because it’s her color. I know majority of the tickets have red.. I’m just making myself more upset with these two women than I need to be okay?
My heart isn’t strong enough for this patch y’all.. getting the chance to live hour dream yet losing such a big part of yourself has gotta be completely devastating. I wanna hug her so badly! I was about to toss a stupid idea into the world, something along the lines of “oh, why doesn’t Himeko just recreate Motoko? we saw in 4.0 she still has the ability to control imagenesis,” til I remembered imagenae can’t survive outside Planarcadia. So nevermind.
Guys, Motoko didn’t even get to see the Express finally start up and depart after worming so hard to repair it.. oh no. At least, that’s how I think this is playing out in game.. because in the “Your Ending, My Beginning” trailer, Motoko is carrying Himeko onboard instead. I dunno which instance is more correct. Either way, I’m getting hella depressed over these two ladies. Also, that mention about becoming your own god? I dunno about that, but I swear, if Himeko Nova isn’t eventually confirmed a Trailblaze emanator at some point in time, I’ll genuinely be shocked. She’s the perfect candidate if one were to ever exist.. but I guess you can’t really become one if there’s no Aeon alive to gaze at you. I just crushed my hope in two seconds.
Nope. I’m gonna worry so very much. Do you really want to see me upset, mother? You should stay so I don’t become a puddle of tears on the ground.
Oh, too late, I really am crying right now. Awesome. The game is really going heavy on those tears too. Are they comically large because this is Planarcadia where everything is done for laughs? I remember March crying a bit during the 3.6 Trailblazer trio reunion but the tears themselves weren’t this obvious.
Alright, this is the moment that actually broke me. Himeko expressing her final wishes to all her fellow crew mates (it’s basically like her leaving a will! aaahh!) and the voice acting from both her and Stelle. Just.. oh my god. I gave myself emotional damage replaying the lines again because they were all delivered so well. I definitely shed a few tears here.
Thank heavens she actually included Sunday. After she went right from Welt to Pom-Pom, for a split second I feared she was gonna skip our halovian completely, but I should’ve know better. Our navigator truly cherishes all her companions. I’m still waiting for Sunny to get formally invited onto the Express as an official Nameless, Hoyo. I have many wild wishes for this game but this one seems the most practical to accomplish!
Noooo, not the depressing lines from the trailer! They hurt twice as much now after learning that Motoko left with similar words towards Himeko. Aaahhh I am NOT OKAY! Fake out death or not, Hoyo really knows how to tug at the heart strings. If anything, I love that Trailblazer seems just as upset as I feel and so unwilling to let Himeko go.
Please stooppp, oh my god, I can’t watch you cry too! I’m already an emotional wreck! Might as well just play Nightglow on full blast while you’re at it! Specifically Nick’s recent cover he did with Cia. Y’all should go watch it if you haven’t already. It was absolutely beautiful. I’m about to send them both my upcoming therapy bill.
Okay, I gotta stop here for a moment. Give ourselves time to wipe away all the tears before continuing.
***Spoiler warning*** for Asat Pramad’s insane question game up until the Astral Express crew arrives to assist us with the boss fight. As always, don’t read further if you haven’t completed the story as of yet incase I mention anything that happens after the aforementioned scenes. But if you wanna take a peak at some possible different questions that perhaps you decided not to ask Asat Pramad, then go ahead. I certainly can’t stop you. I apologize in advance for how text heavy this post may appear. Our silly lord ravager does love to yap.
I know we had to roll a die before this man answered anything to determine how truthful he wanted to be, but I can’t remember which questions received which result, nor do I wish to look it up at this moment, so I’m just gonna remain cautious about everything Asat Pramad says. Starting off with the Akivili question, I guess I wanted to make sure we weren’t like.. Akivili reborn or something and we just haven’t hit Aeon status yet. Makes sense that others would call us such if we resemble THEM to such a degree though. Whatever the shadow on the moon was called Himeko/Motoko that too.
I mean.. he’s not wrong. Our stellaron has come in handy a few times already, especially towards the end of this mission. All is well as long as we don’t actually blow up with it. Oh, also noticing how the questions change with every choice was a bit nerve wracking, like we’re limited to only eight questions, but a new one pops up after the one you chosen is asked, so it lead me to choose more carefully. Kind of a shame, I would’ve loved to know if Asat Pramad had been in love before.
We might not yell “hope” or “justice,” but the upcoming boss fight certainly felt like the power of friendship rushing in full stream ahead.
Defeating the evil no matter the cost huh.. feels a bit like how Motoko/Himeko acted before they left Himeko/Trailblazer. As long as their special people are safe, nothing else matters.
So the foolish ravager doesn’t know everything. Interesting, but in the end, the question did still count towards the total eight allowed. Maybe this question was here just to curse us because other us does make a surprise appearance later.
“Saving them” by “destroying them”… kinda gives me Evernight and March vibes. Just a little bit. Major difference is there’s no hate between our Remembrance emanators. Evernight actually cares for March, just to an extreme extent that she’d set a whole world to burn to keep her safe.
So, Asat Pramad is trying to prevent Aha from experiencing what he did? Being subjected to so much laughter that nothing becomes funny anymore, therefore creating chaos to get a feeling of literally anything else? Sure. Let’s go with that.
Sir do you ever stop yapping, oh my god. Not gonna lie, that one minute Aha doesn’t have any authority has gotta feel pretty peaceful. Everyone needs a little break. Asat Pramad just sorta kinda wants to make it permanent.
Here I thought the final path was Finality itself, unless that was just an Amphoreus thing. Or was it Remembrance..? Y’all, I can’t keep up anymore. It’s one or the other. Perhaps I’m feelings a bit biased, but I can’t believe the Trailblaze could do anything terrible. I second calling dice man a liar.
I’m starting to hate how anything this dude says can sound like it makes sense in someway.
Dang, not him throwing shade at the Stellaron Hunters! Surely he’s just bitter that Silver Wolf put up a decent fight against him in 4.2.
In retrospect, I dunno why I chose this question. It’s common knowledge THEY’RE dead, but maybe I was hoping we’d get new of a new Akivili appearing. However, is this the first time we’re hearing the reason for how THEY died? If so, perhaps this question wasn’t totally worthless. If not, then apologies. I’m not March. I don’t have the power of Remembrance to recall any memory I please.
Well thank goodness for that. At least she’s fine for now, from the sound of it..
Sorry, but with how much he apparently spoke about the Astral Express, the idea of Trailblazing and exploring the stars with Himeko when she was younger, how on earth are you surprised with how she turned out? Wasn’t that part of your plan?
Yeah, that really is cruel of him.. giving Himeko a chance to achieve everything she dreamed of, only to completely crush the perfect life she worked so hard for upon returning home to make all that effort worthless is diabolical.
Oh Trailblazer, there truly is never a dull moment with you. Asat Pramad might complain, but he pulls out his phone right after too. Thanks Silver Wolf for restoring connection to everyone’s phones.
At first, I thought the short video SW sent of the Express saving Himeko was a fake she created through hacks, just to annoy Asat Pramad.. but no. This is actually how the crew finds her. I dunno, I was kinda expecting a more grand reunion, not a little video clip texted to us.
I adore Silver Wolf being a total menace to society so much. This old man doesn’t deserve any kind of rest, make him work every day til he dies!
Oh my dearest Wolfie, you’re forever my third favorite Star Rail character. Ain’t no one taking your place sweetie!
Hey, can we chill for a moment please? We went from funny business to “Aeons save me I’m fighting a lord ravager alone” real quick! Help!!
I know I say this a ton whenever we see Trailblazer fighting with their various weapons, but we seriously need something a bit less goofy for our next path. It’s cool our light-sticks can take on different weapon types, but they’re still just a pair of light-sticks at the end of the day. At least they’re better than a hat or fluffy pen.
I’m kinda repeating myself again.. but I wish we saw more March using her Remembrance form. Seeing Dan Heng show up as Permansor Terrae doesn’t bother me too much, considering it’s just him deciding to transform on his own terms, but March has Evernight. I know she gave March permission to draw upon her power whenever she wanted, but do they need to do anything like agree upon it at a moment’s notice or simply just let Evernight know beforehand? March’s line in 4.2 about how the “friend in my head will protect me” leads me to believe they can still communicate with each other or Evernight is dormant inside her, always watching carefully. I’m not asking much, just a quick little something like “hey Eve, rise and shine!” or a “my dear March, let me handle this for you♭” That’s all. Also, were some of the cutscenes muted for anyone else? Not just for the voices, but the music too? I read there were possible bugs but I didn’t think it would be this bad, especially during some of the important ending cutscenes like this.
Okay, I know the Astral Express crew has such godly plot armor, but come on.. surely you have to agree that having six people defeat a lord ravager like this is insane right?? I know we all got pretty impressive abilities nowadays and we defeated two lord ravagers already, but good lord. I’m feeling mighty intimidated.
Yeah, this is an awkward stopping point, but there’s many emotional moments incoming. And I do fear this patch will take five posts. Help.
***Spoiler warning*** for everything from the start of the story quest, Himeko’s memories, meeting everyone at the train station, up until Yao Guang disappears on us. Also be wary if I just so happen to mention things that occur way later. I was lucky enough to snag a day off work after release to complete the story mission early, all at once because I knew everything about Himeko was gonna get me emotional and I couldn’t possibly imagine finishing this experience in pieces.
For how chaotic 4.3 left off, I’m quite surprised with how chill this patch started. Blade does take ownership of the octopus mask, and later on at the train station we do see that he does eventually make some changes on it, but why does the game just.. have it floating like that? Surely it can’t be that hard to just animate him actually holding it, right?
It hasn’t even been a full five minutes into the story and already Cia is putting in a stellar vocal performance with Himeko. I’m gonna praise you so much during this patch queen, be ready!
Oh Asat Pramad having a grand time.. sometimes it’s hard to believe this man is a lord ravager when compared to others like Phantylia or Irontomb, but I gotta say, he’s entertaining enough to be my favorite so far. Still absolutely despise the giant lie he told Himeko though.
I know this is Himeko’s patch and Evanescia is busy preserving this world’s life, but I still wish she had done more in Planarcadia. I dunno, maybe it’s just me, but when compared next to SW, Blade and Himeko, this poor girl didn’t receive as nearly as much love as she deserved. Also learning that she’s been separated from Graphia for a thousand years and they still couldn’t gather up enough time to just chat like old times because the world’s in danger is so sad.
Aw, Stellaron Hunter found family still hitting me in the feels even after 4.3. But yeah, of course Blade is the one offering to go find Dan Heng (& Welt.) Also love that he doesn’t comment about us calling him Bladie and just accepts it.
Okay, so.. I’m a bit disappointed, solely because of my own expectations. During the ending 4.3 cutscenes, we saw everyone fighting off Asat Pramad clones, which included Ashveil at the tavern, but March was nowhere to be seen despite being with him at the time. I foolishly hoped that Hoyo kept her out of said cutscene to surprise us later this patch with her successfully summoning her Remembrance form, either consciously or by having Evernight stepping in because she deemed the situation too dangerous for March.. so seeing March show up perfectly fine and normal was just a bit of a letdown. I’m glad she’s safe, alongside our galaxy ranger and favorite fool, but certainly not what I predicted from how chaotic 4.4 seemed to be from the trailers. I just miss Evernight y’all.
I missed Sunday very much too. After resting on the Express for the majority of 4.3, poor guy must’ve had quite the wakeup call when everything started going crazy outside. I love that he doesn’t seem to mind his nickname too.
To be fair, everyone in the crew has an extraordinary past. Dan Heng and March with their different selves, Welt with an abundance of HI3 history I’m not fully aware of, the Trailblazer with our mysterious past that we learn over time in pieces, and even our former antagonist Sunday. Us accepting Himeko regardless of what’s happened to her will be the easiest thing in the world.
Having Sunday who stayed behind really was beneficial in the long run, like I know he’s moved on passed his obsession with Order, but maintaining the peace at the train station when everyone is in a panic was helpful indeed, thanks to his previous experience with running Penacony and his tuning.
His redemption journey never fails to impress me. He still cares so much about not letting other people suffer but his approach on how to calm them is much more gentle and considerate now than his previous methods back when he was our enemy.
It’s true that imagenae can’t really leave Planarcadia, and that stumped me upon learning that Motoko was an imagenae, because how on earth did would our navigator manage to survive riding on Express all those years? I once believed Aha’s wish might’ve come into play to keep her alive, but nope. We eventually learn it was the real Himeko that left and who we’ve been traveling with, which makes this scene make so much more sense looking back at it now. I love that she kept this detail hidden until later, just to take Asat Pramad off guard.
I did often wonder why Motoko had the weathering curse.. like she’s just an imagenae, surely she can’t suffer the family’s curse, right? And seeing this scene here, I don’t think the curse was of any real risk to her specifically. It’s just that Himeko simply painted the marks on her. At least that’s what I’m choosing to believe. I know in some trailers/scenes Motoko doesn’t have any markings showing either, but dang.. our girl really couldn’t imagine a future where she’s free from that curse huh?
I will always appreciate whenever the game manages to sneak in lyrics of Interstellar Journey. This happens more noticeably later during the boss fight against Asat Pramad but also again in Himeko Nova’s character story part II.
Ma’am, you’re truly one of the most beautiful women in all of space! Quite literally a piece of art that I wouldn't mind gazing upon with much appreciation. Everyone thank young Himeko right now for creating such a baddie.
Mystery solved for what their wish ended up being. Well, Himeko’s wish anyways. Motoko’s surprise gift from the moon’s shadow had other plans.
Ooooh nooo, stahp. It’s too early for tears. You can’t show me our precious Astral Express family like this!
I easily accepted that our navigator was the imagenae once the theory/possibility came around, but slowly learning that she’s actually Himeko thanks to her wish/Motoko’s gift is so sweet, especially now that we get the chance to see both of them unite like this.
Pfftt, I love her making Asat Pramad look like a complete fool for once. Motoko’s certainly proud of her girl for that.
Bro Idc which version it is, real or imagenae, I don’t wanna lose either one of them! Yeah sure our navigator stays alive and well, but losing that special piece of her still hurts! Hearing our Himeko recite similar words to us later on deepens the wound even more.
So.. this gift of Motoko’s is all possible because Aha once blew up the train? and THEY still feel the need to make up for it? Because that’s what this whole compensation chatter is leading me to believe. Also, this promise of returning and sharing stories.. back when I thought our navigator was Motoko, I imagined she was gonna head to Himeko’s grave and ramble on about her adventures, but knowing now that it’s been Himeko’s promise to Motoko all this time.. ahh, my heart.
I wish I could be as confident and cunning as Himeko when faced with a lord ravager, even going so far as to taunting him. And unless this really is the first time we’re hearing about such a distress signal, I’m a horrible Nameless because I truly don’t remember learning it at all.
No, please don’t. I have enough concerns to deal with already.
For a split second, I thought March was gonna transform into Evernight right before my eyes. Behold! Disappointment sets in once more! Sigh.. this is honestly such a random memory to recall though. Ain’t no way I’d remember that very specific scene from Penacony. I need some Remembrance power like that for myself to help in daily life.
I will make certain Pom-Pom’s wish comes true because there’s no way we’re all gonna go to a resort next patch and not have Himeko with us! Can you imagine if something bad truly happened to her? We’d just be there chilling by the pool, sipping on umbrella drinks, while crying our eyes out.
Sundayyyyy, I’m forever proud of you! Someone give this man his own Astral Express ticket and make him an official crew member PLEASE! He’s so deserving of one, especially after this patch!
We, in fact, did not open said secret fortune pouch the General gave us. Just one of the many tiny mysteries left undone during this patch. I know we head to Astropolis in 4.5, but there’s just gotta be more Planarcadia stuff before then. I have too many questions with how this patch ended that I’ll mention much later in an upcoming post.
I like how she’s finally telling us about her temporal dislocation as if we didn’t already know about the condition and its effects back in 4.0. Of course, there’s always the chance people just skip over readables and never bothered to learn about it til now, I’m just surprised it took this long for her to finally tell us herself. Keeping eyes on her is an interesting way to keep the effects at bay though. No worries ma’am, I’ll gladly gaze upon your beauty if it means keeping you around!
Quite a different take on a cutscene. Kinda reminded me of the myriad celestia style a bit.
Oh Madam Yao, I’m sorry to have failed you. The fact she doesn’t appear at all after this is highly concerning, especially since she had a whole scene during the 4.4 trailer that just.. never happened in the story. I’ve been baited thinking she was gonna be okay after this.. HAA! Woe be upon me.
I think I’ll end this post here. There’s.. a lot of emotion towards the end of this patch. And it eventually takes up five posts so, yeah.
I heard that the radiance of the stars is something long past. Only after traversing across endless time can their bygone shine be delivered. And so, their past and future intertwine, eventually returning to the present.
