Thoughts on the ending of Fam: The Silver Wing

Discussion about the Fam, The Silver Wing series.
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Astral Kyouki
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Thoughts on the ending of Fam: The Silver Wing

Post by Astral Kyouki »

So last night I finished watching all of Fam, and I have to say I liked it a bit better than the original series (not saying I have any complaints about the original, though). The dynamics between Ades, Turan, Glacies, and Anatoray-Disith were very compelling, and there was some excellent character development. In addition, I think that the artwork is much improved compared to that of the first series, and the scenery especially is gorgeous. Fam: The Silver Wing also had many layers of deeper meaning, and I feel like so many important things happened in the last four or five episodes that I need to re-watch the series in order to pick up on things I missed the first time.

Putting my own opinion aside, I want to get some facts straight, as I'm still confused about one or two things. First of all, I didn't really understand the conversation between Liliana and Millia in Episode 18: Transposition. Throughout a good portion of the series, Millia resents her sister for siding with Luscinia, so her initial desire to end the life of a woman she truly believes has abandoned any virtuous intentions made sense to me. However, the reasons Liliana gave for what she's done are still unclear in my mind. I understand that she agreed with Luscinia's idea that uniting the world under the Ades Federation was necessary to save it, but I can't fathom why she so easily placed her trust in the man who indirectly killed her father and destroyed her homeland. Not to mention her words after the alliance between Turan and Anatoray, saying that she would strip Millia of her royal title and that she shouldn't bother calling her her sister anymore. And this was all for the sake of "saving the world," apparently. I remember she quoted her father in Episode 18, stressing the importance of making personal sacrifices for the greater good, but I don't understand why Millia decided to reconcile with her when the "greater good" in Liliana's eyes was something that resulted in constant warfare and oppression.

In addition to this, it is revealed that Liliana's motives also involved her desire to pass on her ability to control the Turan Exile to Millia. If this is the case, was Liliana aware from the beginning of her eventual death? If this was her primary motive, I can see how everything she did was actually noble, for she willingly sacrificed herself knowing that, if Millia became the new Exile key, whoever recited the Mysterion would use the Exile for justice instead of destruction. Still, it seemed like Liliana agreed with Luscinia's ambitions and wanted to help him accomplish his goals, despite the torment it would bring forth for other people.

It would be helpful if someone could clarify this for me, as I seem to have missed a point of sorts ^^'''

That being said, this thread can also be used for the discussion of some of the important information revealed in, as well as the events of, the conclusion of Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing

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Csilla Aria
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Post by Csilla Aria »

The more I think about Liliana and Luscinia the more I think it was Stockholm syndrome on Liliana's part. I think she came genuinely believe she had made a choice Luscinia had never offered her in the first place.

Luscinia was going to use her for his ambitions no matter what. Without the the aid of outside intervention she had no chance of escaping. As long as she was docile and did as he said that gave protection to the surviving people of Turan, and I think more personally importantly to Liliana, Millia.

I think she realized after Glaces there was no way she could ever go back to any kind of normal life. Her fate was either imprisonment or death. Maybe her guilt over what had happened left her with a death wish. I think she wanted to drive the people of Turan a way from her slowly, giving them time to see Millia become the strong leader she eventually did. This would not only keep the Turan people from being slaughtered by Luscinia, but if/when something did happen to Liliana and Millia inherited the power of Exile the people would see her not as a "witch" but as someone who would never allow the power to be used in the way Luscinia had used it, maybe giving Millia more protection from the people who feared Exile's power.

That said I'm still not sure exactly how much control an Exile Key has over their Exile. Alvis, and Sara didn't seem to know what was/had happened when the Mysterion were used on them while Liliana(at Glaces), and Millia both seemed more aware. Does the Key, or the Reciter have more control over Exile, or does Exile somehow act of its volition depending on the situation? I have no idea.

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-TK-
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Post by -TK- »

I have mixed feelings about Liliana and how her character was managed in the series.

I think it is implied through the series that she has a crush on Luscinia since she was nine years old. It is possible that Luscinia used this weak point to win her to his side.
For instance, after the destruction of Iglasia, Luscinia and Liliana landed on the ruins of the city and he asked her to help him to "save this world". Was this just a clever move of Luscinia to gain Liliana to his cause?

But I also wonder if the activation of Liliana as a "key" had some weight in her decision to join the Premier and help him in his wars. It seems like being a "key" brings some kind of deeper or higher awareness. Actually Millia had some sort of vision when she inherited the role of "key". Moreover she said she was now able to understand why Liliana had decided to become a "witch". So it is likely that Liliana came to see the world from another perspective after her "activation": this is apparent during the peace talks when she had an argument with Millia or when she met her sister at the Ruins of White.

Nevertheless, at times Liliana seems to just play this role while secretly supporting Millia. For example when Millia escaped from the Silvius during the attack of the Extermination Squad, Liliana was clearly relived even though she had used harsh words for her little sister a few minutes earlier. Or again, at the ruins of white when she gave Millia her own royal hairband.

So the true Liliana emerges as a mix of these two. Clearly after her kidnapping she is no more in control of the events and probably she chooses what she feels to be the lesser evil, but towards the end it appears that she has decided to trust Luscinia even though she does not fully understand his motivations. Probably she is also aware that there is no turning back from Luscinia's plan and that her death would be the only way out from all this because her hands "are already soiled with blood" (Glacies), yet she is ready to accept it.


As for the control that a "key" has on the Exile, I believe it is about zero.
It seems like the "key" is just a living activation code for the automatic Exile control system. After it was fully activated, the Exile of Prester did not need Alvis anymore to fly between Earth and Prester. I believe the only other way to use a "key" is to activate the Exile defense systems, whose function is to preserve the "key" and whoever "possess" the "key" from any attack. That's precisely how Luscinia - and also Dio in the last battle - used the Exile.

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Tara
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Post by Tara »

A lot of people overall prefer the first series to Fam, I'm surprised to hear that! I have no particular preference myself, because usually people prefer the first series because they went into Fam expecting a similar atmosphere. And I love both series and how different they are in that aspect, yet similar in many ways. They both have their pros and cons and hooks and points of specific interest, and I found myself grabbed by a little of everything from both ends. ♥ Of course, part of why I loved Fam was because of how Dio's story in the first series was dealt with and left at the end (even with the awkward explanation for it, lol), and imo they did it so right for him. 'w' I am unabashedly happy with what they did with him.

About the whole Liliana and Luscinia plotline, you're not the only one going ????? about it. Back when Fam was still airing, a lot of people seemed to be pretty underwhelmed and confused by the writing and execution of ... that whole thing.
Not to mention her words after the alliance between Turan and Anatoray, saying that she would strip Millia of her royal title and that she shouldn't bother calling her her sister anymore.
This part, though, I am pretty sure she did this purposely because she knew they were going to attack. Like in episode two she trusted Fam and Giselle to take care of Millia, so more than likely knew she would be safe so long as the impression they got about what was about to happen was WOH IT'S ABOUT TO GET REAL. The camera pan to her looking relieved when the three leave the Silvius backs that up a bit. The royal title thing thing I think was more her basically pulling her own power/title as eldest princess, but at the same time also putting all of the burden on her own shoulders no matter what happened. From Liliana's end, it's kind of a back and forth of hmmms because you talk about one point, and come up with another that potentially contradicts it. Luscinia was a little more straightforward if you look at it, like a lot of people did, as somewhat of a Lelouch goal. Cause the world to hate you and unite as one against you. But even then, it was sort of a final thing and not hinted at too much along the way.

Regarding the Exiles, it seems like it's more whoever activates the key, ie recites the Mysteria, has control over it. Luscinia recites it to Liliana, gains control of the Exile that hung out on Earth through the whole series. He DID have to recite it again when they attacked Glacies. And then Dio used the Mysteria to use the same Exile later to protect Iglasia.

lilyexile
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Post by lilyexile »

I think that liliana did In fact join luscinia's side because of her crush on him. It probably isn't the entire reason but I think it is one. I kind of felt that she was trying not to let her personal feelings come in the way, while feeling a sense of loyalty to millia.
I also have a theory/ thing on Luscinia. After the last episode and his gestures, I think he wanted the whole unity through a common enemy. But his last shout out to liliana made me think that even that kind of peace is volatile in his eyes. I think he must have also planned the last battle with sadri, and possibly guzell.
"I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up, kid"

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Post by lilyexile »

added note: the funimation dub has Millia saying in episode 21 that "perhaps you [luscinia] loved lily?" is that likely? were the feeling mutual? Or was luscinia manipulating lily?
"I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up, kid"

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Tara
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Post by Tara »

Oh, did they really dub it like that? Huh. (I ask as I OWN THE SET but lmao shh shhh)

But I think the feeling was mutual to an extent from Luscinia's side. Even despite what he became and what he did in the end, the Grand Race flashbacks did have Farahnaz and Alauda teasing him-- not necessarily about him ~being in love~, but they could tell she struck a particular chord in him even back then that had never been before.

So I think their past and their connection definitely had a lot to do with it, even if the execution in the series itself with better writing and explanations fell a little flat in getting any super solid points and reasonings across.

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