Talk:Episode 86 - Nothing but the Number of Tears/@comment-26426093-20171220135448

A lot of people are either talking about Elza's gain or Laura's loss, but here's one little but crucial detail in this episode that I would like to point out :

Rewatch the scene where Aria and Kirara are practicing their cheers, while Rei is observing them and then chatting with Elza via phone call.

Now, there is a significant piece of symbolism to be observed here: notice how both Kirara and Aria are out in the open, embraced by the warm sunlight. Their placement indicates that those two are genuinely and firmly on the side of good; Aria has always been on the side of the protagonists despite being part of Venus Ark, while thanks to Ako's influence, Kirara has learnt to develop a more kind-hearted nature, thus symbolizing her position as a member of the 'heroes' team.

Then we shift our focus to Rei, and take a look at the lighting and framing while she's on the phone with Elza. Half of her body is exposed to sunlight while the rest is cloaked by the dark shade. This indicates that Rei is torn between the yin/yang or good/evil sides; unlike Aria nor Kirara, she's still hesitant to fully commit to the light, as part of her still remains loyal to a dark and corrupt influence (Elza). Mahiru has still yet to convince Rei to look out for herself and not remain subservient to a tyrant idol pirate, hence this scene shows Rei torn between light and dark.

And now to Elza. She's all alone, and the sunlight that shines on her is only through the glass panels and not via natural exposure. This alone indicates that her radiance is merely a lie, forged through negative emotions and the like, which also symbolizes her inner frustration, as well as her closed off heart. At this moment, and despite being surrounded by a cult of loyal followers, Elza is truly alone.