While A2 (Ayaka Suwa) slowly accepts that her view of machine life forms may not be correct, 9S (Natsuki Hanae) continues his plan to wipe out all these life forms. But first he must face former comrades in order to achieve his goals in NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 “Corruption”. In addition, an extended puppet show at the end of this episode provides another surprising callback to NieR:Automata‘s predecessor.

At the beginning of this episode, we follow 9S as he approaches the mysterious tower that recently emerged from the earth. Unable to enter the building by force or hacking, he may not be able to investigate the interior on his own. As he prepares to leave, YoRHa Unit 21O (Mary Hatsumi), his former operator, appears. Dressed in combat gear, she has volunteered to take part in the large-scale attack that recently ended with YoRHa’s collapse. Her glowing red eyes immediately reveal that she too is a carrier of the infection rampant among the androids.

The return of this familiar face brings a return to the old 9S, as we see his concern for his old comrade come to the fore. However, the virus causes 21O to awaken several previously defeated YoRHa units in the area, leaving 9S besieged with his back to the tower. As 9S tries to fend off this sudden attack, NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 focuses on 21O because it takes a moment to recontextualize a moment earlier in the season.

When 21O last spoke to 9S before the major attack began, she told him to stay away from the front lines. She reasoned that as a scanner unit, he would only get in the way of the attack models. However, we learn that she said these things to protect her former protégé. She did not want him to die on the battlefield. Now, seeing that her presence puts him at risk by inadvertently waking up the other infected YoRHa units, she decides to call off the battle before 9S is overwhelmed.

Just before 9S is killed, 21O takes his own life, cutting the attackers off from their source of control. This has the desired effect of saving 9S. As 21O sneaks away, she passes information about the tower to 9S’s pod so that he can potentially prevent whatever the machines are planning.

The final element, tied to the death of this minor character, heightens the emotional impact of the scene even further. As she dies, 21O asks 9S to do his best in the future. When 9S acknowledges this with a single “okay,” she calls him a good boy for only answering “yes” once. This little flashback to previous interactions between the two adds a layer of personal connection to what was previously a simple, recurring exchange.

From here NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 catches up with A2, who is struggling to supervise the children in Pascal’s village. While waiting for the supplies that Lily (Atsumi Tanezaki) guiltily made her bring, A2 tries to keep the children entertained while fighting to keep her sanity. It seems as though the children have learned what a bathroom is and are obsessed with the concept.

They keep demanding to be taken to you, even though they have no functional use for it. This feels like the most “childish” thing a machine child can do. While they giggle and squeal at A2, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) finally arrives to rescue the android. The moment of calm does not last long, however. A2’s capsule soon registers the approach of hostile machine lifeforms, prompting Pascal to prepare the village to repel the impending attack.

This setup seems to indicate another change in the sequence of events between this series and the original story. With Pascal brandishing two machine axes, it looks like his defining moment will occur in the village rather than the original location.

The last element of this scene worth mentioning is how well balanced it is visually. The largely comedic moment is portrayed in a way that emphasizes those elements without overdoing them. The absurdity never seems earth-shattering. A2’s frustration is fully portrayed without going to the extremes that many anime would exhibit.

The rest of this week’s narrative follows 9S. With the new information gifted to him by 21O, he learns that three support towers must be destroyed before the main tower can be entered. When 9S arrives at the first tower, he is greeted by a large room filled with machine lifeforms in sleep mode. Despite repeated declarations from his pod that no enemy units are present, 9S begins to strike at the machines.

Once the machines activate in response to his violence, they do nothing but flee and beg for their lives. Their pleas fall on deaf ears. Once all of them and the core of the structure are destroyed, 9S obtains a master key. Acquiring two more will allow him to access the main tower.

This sequence takes 9S back to the murderous room he was in at the end of the last episode. Instead of repeating his psychological state, NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 deepens his darkness even more. As we see 9S dismembering the machines, his pod informs him that his mobility systems are overloaded and recommends that he abandon the fight. His refusal to do so, despite no active threats, pushes 9S to the point of self-harm. He is now willing to actively harm himself in order to torture those he feels deserve such mistreatment.

The final puppet show in this episode is also particularly notable. While these final moments are usually just nice notes at the end of each episode, this one goes a bit further. It shows a meeting between 9S and Devola and Popla (both voiced by Ryôko Shiraishi). This moment is notable because they are not wearing their usual clothes. I won’t give away the full significance of their costume change, but fans of the series will be familiar with the sight. They also sing a bit from the fan-favorite “Song of the Ancients,” which is sure to bring some to tears.

NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 continues to balance skillfully between the two sides of its narrative. It switches between warmth and despair with grace and ease, allowing the two to coexist harmoniously. Finally, it sets up the continuation of the story in such a way that both new and old fans are left wondering what exactly will happen next.

NieR Automata Ver. 1.1a Episode 19 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.