It was so obvious it could have been seen from space….

Kuro: Well, Ep 18 eliminated the possibility it was a natural infections. The whole “You spent a long time in the hospital after I found you” bit combined with the earlier reports that Klein found kinda gave away the game. It’s just you and a few others got a different idea from the statement, and Ep 22 was what was required to say ‘hey, you got infected ten years ago, Sheryl. You’re doomed’.

Well, now I’m pretty darned clear on what has happened, thank you.

See how that chain of clues comes together? Episode 22 just spelled it all out fir those who weren’t sure. Between episodes 15-18 we got all the data we needed about how Sheryl got to this point but the exact date of infection which was supplied by 22.

>>And you only now figured that out? I would’ve thought Klein’s revelations about the test subject with a V-type infection in Episode 15 or so would’ve clued you in about Sheryl, especially with that photo of a Sheryl-alike… or the Luca briefing last ep, which said that Sheryl had been infected ten years ago.

That was because the way it was presented made it seem that it could have been a natural infection, not intentionally done by some one with an ulterior purpose. I assumed Sheryl had contracted the infection naturally, even of her being one of the rare survivors on the 111th Expeditionary Fleet, but it seems I was wrong.

It just makes any death of Sheryl a bit unfair, but then, if it wasn’t for all that, she would’ve been still in the slums of Galaxy, so I guess life is fair one way or another.

>>but wanting to protect someone doesn’t make a relationship

How wonderfullly true. Well, the ending is still out in the open. Some have mentioned this episode is somewhat like how true tears episode 12 was, so let’s not count our eggs before it hatches, although one can wager on the number of eggs before hand :).

@Crusader: Not before they make a Klan Klan OVA!

@manga: I was guessing more on the lines of “childhood friend who’s like a brother to me” rather than her real brother, as they were trying to kind of create a love triangle between Brera, Ranka and Alto as well. As i said, “the only surprise to me”.

@Ithekro:

>>Instant communications across the galaxy using the crystals….with both Sheryl and Ranka having crystals. I’m still seeing both in one body at the end of this for some reason. Who’s body is the question.

That’s actually quite a weird image/suggestion there.

And zero-time communication over space is a huge, I mean, REALLY HUGE leap forward for us as a terrestial race to a space-faring one. Can you imagine “lagless” Internet… OVER GALAXIES? Try thinking on the lines of downloading a Blu-Ray ISO from Alpha Centauri nearly immediately. That’s what it means.

Of course, like what Haesslich adds, it also means whoever can utilise this technology will be able to control the galaxy. It’s a frightening but fun idea to be ruled by Belldandy Grace, surprisingly, lol.

Of course, Ranka’s probably not going to go along with any of those plans, but heaven knows how she’ll react when she sees Brera-nii trying to kill Alto and then when she greets Alto with “You came to rescue me” gets told that he’s come to kill her instead because she’s joined the Vajra… or something like that.

The biggest actual puzzle is what Grace is doing. What is her goal? Instant communications across all space….okay, for what? A Sharon Apple thing to control all the human colonies? A less evil thing (evil to get there by the ultimate goal is good) and use the system to setup a song that pacifies the galaxy..humans, Zentrati…everyone…any species. Galactic Peace, though superior communications and the power of song?…bought wth the blood of many, many people and aliens? Use the instant communcations network so that she is everywhere (and thus at least in some respects a god of the galaxy?). But what will that do even (unless she sings..please have her sing).

Or we get the hard leason type ending. Alto dies, Sheryl dies, Ranka dies. It would seem like a pointless ending, unless they pull it off as tragic somehow….so many possibilities…only “two” episodes left.