The D-pilots finally learn their mission as "White Lovers," and though it's a difficult task, a predecessor is here to help them trust their dragons.
As the girls eat, Hisone takes notice of Nao staring at her, but the latter refuses to say why as they head outside and run into Hinomoto.
As they decide what yogurt they want, a group of men surrounds them, and after Iiboshi joins them as all the men drop to one knee. Mayumi assumes it's a mass proposal, but Iiboshi declares it's his honor to meet Hinomoto. Later, the women learn who Iiboshi is, including that he's from the Imperial Household Agency, and he says he's there to finish their work as "White Lovers." He explains they'll be part of a ritual that takes place every 74 years, when the greatest OTF, Lord Mitatsu, awakens and moves to his new "fushido," or resting place. It is the job of the "White Lovers" and their OTFs to direct Mitatsu so he doesn't get lost. The girls don't understand, and as Mayumi wonders if Mitatsu could be bigger than Futomomo, Remi says they'll be working with all the branches of the SDF. She and Sosoda explain their training was part of this; the island is actually Mitatsu, and the trip woke him. Sosoda says they've never done a flight so complex, and Remi assures them the training was for real and the OTFs do need to release heat. Serious for what seems the first moment, Iiboshi tells them that while this could easily be seen as a fantasy, their job is real and important.
Later, Hisone is still in shock, but admits she can't be fully surprised since she's inside Masotan, and Haruto says they need to do a thorough check before the true training.
She wonders why he isn't more surprised, and he replies he is, but they still have a job to do. Hisone commends him for this attitude, and he is shocked and embarrassed when she predicts what to check next. They finish the check, so she exits Masotan excitedly, explaining she decided to make a noise from the zombie movie they saw to signal to her OTF to barf her up. He grows embarrassed as she says she found the original version of the movie and wants to watch it with him. Nao watches from afar, disgusted. Remi later gathers all the groups to meet a special guest, and to Hisone's surprise, it's Hinomoto, who marches in and gives a firm greeting. Iiboshi enters and explains Hinomoto flew an OTF in the Pacific War 74 years prior, and is the only remaining D-pilot from the previous generation. Sosoda claims he and Remi are just as surprised as them, and Iiboshi continues that Hinomoto flew several secret missions, even saving her comrades' lives in Rabaul. Hinomoto says that while the task of guiding Mitatsu isn't easy, it's their duty. Ririko starts to worry about the difficulty, and Mayumi wonders how fast Mitatsu flies. The old woman replies that he actually goes so slow it will take three days and nights to finish the mission, and they have to fly alongside and guide him the whole time.
Zaito approaches Elle as she prepares in the hangar, and rather than hit on her, he says that, as they can't follow the D-pilots the whole time, they'll be taking shifts. She watches as he walks away, then gives herself a wake-up slap as her OTF looks on.
Haruto again helps Hisone check Masotan as she gushes about Hinomoto and how Remi said the old pilot will train them for the flight, which will be in three months. Hisone had asked what would happen if they fall asleep during the flight, and Hinomoto replied Mitatsu would get lost and wreak havoc wherever he landed. Though Elle was sure the OTFs can't fly that long, Remi assured them the entire thing would rely on their skills as pilots, as the dragons are sturdier than they think. To their surprise, Hinomoto says she couldn't possibly have stayed awake the whole time, and tells them they'll have to learn to fly in their dreams, as they're not alone. Hisone is worried, so Haruto assures her Masotan can fly alone for a time. Some pilots are amazed at their synchronicity with the check, but the two argue after a slip-up. Nao worries for the D-pilots as they go for a test flight, and a submarine with the higher-ups releases a balloon to simulate Mitatsu. The OTFs return to their normal states upon reaching the balloon, and Zaito comments that enemies would have no idea what hit them if the OTFs fought. Hisone is frustrated with how slow they have to fly, but Remi reminds them of Hinomoto's instructions that they're flying with the dragons, not alone. One of the male pilots worries about the D-pilots, who have to go so slow for so long, and Iiboshi says Mitatsu's size and speed will form a typhoon. Sosoda continues that, as rain and wind follow wherever he goes, only an OTF can stay close enough to him. Getting to the second day, all the D-pilots are exhausted, and to their surprise Remi tells them to rest after telling their OTFs to take over. Hisone is unsure what Hinomoto means with her advice, so the woman says this is what it means to fly together. Zaito and Onaga cycle back in for the third day, and as exhaustion sets in for both the pilots and their OTFs, Hinomoto decides its time for her to step in.
For the first time, the D-pilots are learning a lot that has been going on behind the scenes, and it's pretty eye-opening for us, too.
There was a bit of dramatic irony before, as we knew Iiboshi was doing something behind the scenes, but not what it was, and the girls knew nothing. Now, we're on the same level as the girls: they know about being "White Lotuses," and learn along with us what they'll be doing in a few months. However, we're now along with them in not knowing the full story yet, as based on the ending, there's more to this ritual then anyone but Iiboshi and Hinomoto knows. Learning what little we did about Hinomoto was intriguing for this episode, and I like how, like I've said before, Hinomoto was there throughout the series and now is revealed as actually being more important to the story. It's surprising to see her go from being the sweet little yogurt lady to a stern, tough military pilot, especially when we learn she became known for a heroic moment. With a moment at the episode's end, there's a clear sign that whatever Hinomoto has experienced left a dark mark on her, and she might be covering it with her warmth. As this episode focuses on the girls becoming at one with their OTFs, we get to see some of the character progression from this season. Elle is a pretty blatant one, as she openly refers to her dragon as Norma in a meeting, and the OTF actually spends time in its true form now. Hisone gets a moment during the training once Hinomoto steps in, where she shows how determined she is to succeed, unlike her original meek persona. Nao appears very little in this episode, but as she has before, the occasional returns to her show us how she has started caring for the others. At the start of the season, she was just a bully with a chip on her shoulder about Hisone being chosen instead of her, but now she's more of a gruff friend. Along with showing us this, for the girls the point of the episode is to learn how to be more in sync with their dragons and fly while sleeping. It seems strange, but an important aspect to flying in general thus far has been the girls matching their dragons, especially since Iiboshi made a big deal about keeping their focus solely on this by destroying any chance of romance for them. Hisone being in sync with Masotan has been a light focus occasionally, like the characters bringing up how special it is she seemed to find his true name. Now, however, they have to actually listen to their dragons, and while all but Elle have always at least cared for the OTFs' feelings, hearing what they want is quite different. Thinking now about Iiboshi destroying relationships for them, I'm only now considering how this has to have been done for Hinomoto as well. When Iiboshi is introducing her, he refers to her as "madam," or in the Japanese subtitles, as "Ms," suggesting she never married. As mentioned before, Hinomoto has a moment that suggests something dark, and thinking about her having been manipulated like the girls makes me wonder more. With knowledge of their mission and undergoing this intense training, the D-pilots are on the way to helping Mitatsu, and some new characters are introduced along with a coming revelation about Haruto.
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