{"id":591,"date":"2025-04-15T06:23:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/?p=591"},"modified":"2025-04-15T06:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:23:09","slug":"deep-analysis-of-chi-about-the-movement-of-the-earth-episode-16-let-the-operation-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/?p=591","title":{"rendered":"Deep Analysis of \u201cChi: About the Movement of the Earth\u201d Episode 16 \u201cLet the Operation Begin\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The anime Chi: On the Movements of the Earth<\/em> is based on Uoto\u2019s award-winning manga of the same name. It\u2019s a story about those who dared to question the geocentric worldview during an era when opposing the religious orthodoxy meant death. With each episode, the anime delves deeper into the tension between truth and belief, between reason and power. In this article, I will focus specifically on Episode 16, titled \u201cThe Operation Begins.\u201d<\/strong> This episode is packed with heavy dialogue, philosophical confrontations, and thrilling twists\u2014and I want to unpack all of that in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 16.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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What Happens in Episode 16<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Episode 16 opens 25 years after<\/strong> the events of Episode 15. A group of helmeted men escorts a blindfolded prisoner named Schmitt<\/strong> to the hands of the inquisitor Mazure<\/strong>. It\u2019s soon revealed that Schmitt is a member of the Heretical Liberation Front<\/strong>, a radical organization attacking Inquisition centers and freeing those accused of heresy. Schmitt\u2019s unit is especially notorious for its extreme initiation trials, even among their own faction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mazure accuses Schmitt of trying to \u201ckill God,\u201d to which Schmitt coolly replies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cNo, it is you who are killing God.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Schmitt declares that he believes in God<\/strong>, but not the God of the church. He says his mission is to revive a God tainted by human morality<\/strong> and weaken the orthodox church<\/strong>, which he claims is already losing its authority. He further shocks Mazure by saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t believe in any religion. I want to abolish all of them. I\u2019m a naturalist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mazure, disgusted, calls him delusional and condemns the deaths caused by Schmitt\u2019s actions. But Schmitt turns the accusation around, asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHow many people have you<\/em> killed over interpretations of scripture?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This exchange is razor-sharp. It not only captures the core conflict of the anime\u2014dogma vs. truth<\/strong>\u2014but also places Schmitt in an unusual ideological position: a radical who rejects both religion and atheism<\/strong> in favor of nature as divinity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Philosophy Behind Schmitt: Naturalism and Pantheism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Schmitt’s belief system is not mere anti-religion nihilism. He aligns himself with what appears to be pantheism<\/strong>, particularly the kind advanced by 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza<\/strong>, who famously said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGod is not a transcendent cause, but the immanent cause of all things. God is nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Spinoza, a Jew excommunicated for his radical ideas, was attacked as an atheist. But his concept of God-as-nature resonates strongly with Schmitt\u2019s line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGod resides not in what humans create, but in nature itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Unlike animism, which sees spirits in mountains, rivers, and trees, Schmitt\u2019s belief feels more monistic<\/strong>\u2014that all existence is divine not because it contains spirits, but because it is<\/em> God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Zodiac Interpretation (Yes, Really)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Schmitt says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI do not pray to God and expect answers. I accept my fate, whatever it may be.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u2014I couldn\u2019t help but feel a Pisces vibe<\/strong>. In Western astrology, organized religion is governed by the 9th house (Sagittarius), while mysticism and surrender are ruled by the 12th house (Pisces)<\/strong>. The Catholic Church, with its hierarchy and dogma, fits the former. But Schmitt\u2019s worldview\u2014letting go, merging with the unknowable\u2014feels very much like 12th house Pisces energy. Even early Christianity, and the symbol of the fish<\/strong> for Jesus, connects here. Just an astrological side note, but fascinating nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Twist: \u201cLet the Operation Begin\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Back to the plot. Mazure rips off Schmitt\u2019s blindfold\u2014and sees that Schmitt is wearing the same helmet as the escort soldiers. It was a setup. Schmitt says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThen, let the operation begin.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The two \u201cescorts\u201d are actually his allies, and chaos erupts. They plan to raid the vault beneath the interrogation chamber<\/strong>, retrieve a mysterious object, and escape. Schmitt then calmly drops this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019d like to propose a brilliant and elegant solution: Do you know about explosives?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Boom. Literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explains that \u201cexplosives\u201d (likely gunpowder) are rumored to have come from the East. Historically, this tracks\u2014the Chinese invented gunpowder during the Tang dynasty, and it spread westward via the Mongols. Its presence here marks the technological and ideological revolution<\/strong> bubbling beneath the surface of this anime’s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Voice Acting Brilliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By the way, I couldn\u2019t ignore how amazing the voice acting<\/strong> was in this episode. Mazure<\/strong> is voiced by Miyu Irino<\/strong>, and Schmitt<\/strong> by Satoshi Hino<\/strong>. Fans might recognize them as the sibling duo from Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai<\/em>. Irino\u2019s performance felt close to his usual tone, but Hino\u2019s portrayal of Schmitt was completely<\/em> different from his usual soft-spoken roles, like Lan Wangji in Mo Dao Zu Shi<\/em>. This Schmitt has zero sweetness<\/strong>\u2014just cool conviction. And it works perfectly<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Episode 16 of Chi<\/em> is nothing short of spectacular. It combines philosophical weight<\/strong>, plot twists<\/strong>, and intense performances<\/strong>, all within its first few minutes. The episode sets up major shifts, not just for the plot, but for the show\u2019s themes: What is truth? Who defines God? And what happens when people begin to see the world through their own eyes, not through the dogma fed to them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schmitt\u2019s declaration\u2014\u201cLet the operation begin\u201d<\/strong>\u2014isn\u2019t just the start of a rebellion. It\u2019s the symbolic ignition of a new worldview<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been watching Chi<\/em>, don\u2019t miss this episode. And if you haven\u2019t started the anime yet\u2014now\u2019s the time<\/em>. This story doesn\u2019t just teach us about planetary motion. It teaches us about the cost of truth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The anime Chi: On the Movements of the Earth is based on Uoto\u2019s award-winning manga of the same name. It\u2019s a s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jinr_url_youtube":"","_jinr_pip_youtube":false,"_jinr_time_youtube":"","_jinr_thumb_youtube":"","_jinr_media_youtube":"","_jinr_category_edit":false,"_jinr_category":"","_jinr_title_display":false,"_jinr_snsbutton_display":false,"_jinr_ads_display":false,"_jinr_thumbnail_display":false,"_jinr_profile_display":false,"_jinr_representations_display":false,"_jinr_relatedpost_display":false,"_jinr_sidebar1col_display":false,"_jinr_sidebar2col_display":false,"_jinr_seotitle_display":"","_jinr_description_display":"","_jinr_keyword_display":"","_jinr_hastag_display":"","_jinr_canonical_display":"","_jinr_noindex_display":false,"_jinr_paidpost":false,"_jinr_paidpost_product_id":"","_jinr_headtag_article":"","_jinr_ogp_image_url":"","_jinr_last_featured_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime-insights"],"views":"13","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=591"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":592,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591\/revisions\/592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/have-fun-with-anything.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}