WARNING: The following contains spoilers for takt op.Destiny Episode 2, "Music -Reincarnation-," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The relationship between Takt and Cosette raised a lot of questions in the premiere of the new action/sci-fi anime takt op.Destiny. Why is Cosette so expressionless? What's the deal with Takt's arm disappearing when Cosette transforms into a Musicart? What is a Musicart, anyway?
Episode 1 was much more action-packed with Takt and Cosette working together to defeat the D2s. This week, it's a much more emotionally-fraught episode with the focus on what their relationship was like before Cosette, who brought joy to Takt's music and his life, was changed forever.
After the D2s killed Takt's father at a concert, Symphonica announced that music would be banned. Years later, Takt continues to play on his piano, albeit within the confines of his garage. His music is heard only by Cosette and her sister Anna, who take care of him. It's hard to reconcile this Cosette from the past with the one in takt op.Destiny's present. The past Cosette in Episode 2 is warm and bubbly. Takt, on the other hand, is solely devoted to playing his piano and ignores pretty much everything that isn't music, but Cosette isn't deterred. He's the only person who can make her smile without a care in the world.
Saddened that nobody aside from her and her sister will ever hear Takt's playing, Cosette tries to entice him into participating in the Symphonica Party, a traveling festival. Although music is officially banned, the festival allows a few people to play Symphonica-approved music -- which for some reason does not include the piano. Why this festival is even allowed in the first place since D2s are still roaming around is a mystery. Although Takt says he has no interest, he does dream about playing in a concert where other people can hear his music. But his biggest fear is that his ability won't be enough to reach anyone in a world that has abandoned music.
What changes his mind is Cosette. He hears her playing a few lines of the deeply emotional second movement of Beethoven's "Pathetique Sonata" one day. Playing the piano is often a lonely venture and, for the most part, Takt prefers it like this. Cosette has always tried to reach out to him, even when Takt has shut himself away.
On the day of the Symphonica Party, Cosette takes Takt's piano after getting permission from the Symphonica. Time passes and Takt doesn't show up, but Cosette has faith in him. She sits down and starts playing the second movement again. Like before, she can't remember more than a few lines but Takt arrives, interrupting her with the famous four-note motive from Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5".
Takt starts playing Duke Ellington's jazzy number "Take the A Train." After glancing at her, Cosette understands and happily joins him. The piece transitions to Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" that the crowd starts clapping along to. Takt starts smiling -- the first time we've actually seen him smile while playing, as he's usually so serious. The scene is suffused with warmth and hope, and it's hard to remember that takt op.Destiny is supposed to be a world where music is dangerous.
But dangerous it is, as D2s arrive and destroy everything in their vicinity. Takt wakes up, his right arm crushed, and finds Cosette lying on top of him, clearly in the act of trying to protect him. With a weak voice, Cosette tells him she loves his piano playing just before she dies. Takt starts crying -- music is supposed to bring joy and comfort. He screams at her to open her eyes.
All of a sudden, Cosette's stone necklace starts glowing. A rose bursts out from her chest and thorny vines shoot everywhere, wrapping tightly around Takt's injured arm. A nymph-like creature who looks like she's made out of pure fire bites Takt's arm.
Takt screams as his arm gets torn off, all of his blood getting absorbed into Cosette's body. In a flash, she transforms into a Musicart with white hair and glowing blue eyes. In a flat voice, Cosette greets him as Maestro and offers him the baton that will allow him to command her to destroy the D2s. Takt flinches and turns away, grief and rage overwhelming him, knowing that the Cosette that he loved may never return. As takt op.Destiny continues, it will be fascinating to watch Cosette and Takt's relationship in the present after seeing their tragic backstory.