People connect and feel more at home in the virtual world. Social media and multiplayer games are where the real interactions take place and this is the case in Good Night World (Season 1). A family of four struggles to have meaningful connections, with siblings being polar opposites and the one common thing being the lack of respect for their father. The mother seems distant as well and not even present. Barring the mother, their name and residence bind them together. Far from being on the same page or even book, they are on different planets altogether. What unites the Arima family, unknowingly, is PLANET – an online game where they are the Akabane family.
They do not know that the ones they get along with so well on PLANET are the ones they do not cast a second look at in real life. When virtual and reality merge, though, it sees a blurring of the lines where family, identities, AI, the new world, pandemics, and addiction come to the fore. It is these extremely relatable topics that come forward over the course of 12 episodes. Do we use games as escapes? Or is the real world the escape from the ideal virtual life?
Good Night World (Season 1) Netflix Series Recap:
Episode 1 – LOG IN
The episode begins in PLANET with the video game session in full flow, heading to Twilight Hill. The group wanted to avoid a bunch of crazy gamers called the Akabane family. Ichi slays their red dragon and calls for the spoils of the dragon. As there is a dispute, he calls them to chat with a boss. At the Akabane house, the group meets May and AAAAA. May heals their injuries, and Shiro walks in. Ichi spills the beans about the two individuals, and Shiro instructs him to give them the Red Dragon materials. May teleport them to a nearby town. It is revealed that Ichi, Shiro, May, and AAAAA own 5% of all the territory on PLANET. Back to the real world, Taichiro Arima (Ichi) talks about the real world. He introduces his younger, taller, and high-achieving brother, Asuma (AAAAA), to the audience. Taichiro has issues with his father, Kojiro (Shiro). He feels his father pretends to care about him and mutters curses under his breath. Kojiro is furious at being called “old man” and lashes out. This prompts Taichiro to return to PLANET.
Ichi meets May and talks about his plan. She asks him to engage in gardening. May says she is a video game novice but loves spending time with everyone in PLANET. Her garden is her pride and joy. AAAAA alerts May and Ichi about the Pirate’s attack. They wish to wait for Shiro, who is hospitalized. The Pirates attack the Akabane house, and May’s garden is destroyed. Ichi retaliates and takes them out. The group talks about how they do not know each other and Ichi returns to the real world. He learns about his father’s hospitalization. Asuma visits his father in the hospital, where he just replies, “I see.” The Pirates’ Shigatera disciplined the independent attackers and expelled them. Captain Pico saves the group as they had sent a Declaration of War notice. Pico and Shigatera discuss the purpose of the declaration of war. He reveals the end goal is the Black Bird, which appears in the vicinity of Twilight Hill. Asuma informs Taichiro of their father’s ailment. He heads to his own desk and talks about not knowing the meaning of family, well, apart from it being temporary. They all log in, including Kojiro, from his hospital bed. Shiro is welcomed back. The narrator says somehow, they don’t know anything about each other at all.
Episode 2 – ERROR
The Akabane family says there are 3,000 Pirates, and Shiro suggests a meeting with the faction. Ichi has a reason for avoiding the group. Shigatera and Shiro have a meeting, where the latter requests a meeting with Captain Pico. He demands a withdrawal of the Declaration of War in exchange for two of their dungeons. Pico talks about the Black Bird. AAAAA tries to negotiate, and Captain Pico asks for Ichi. Ichi storms in and says he would rather delete his character than become Pico’s underling. Shiro, in response to Pico’s demand, uses ‘Macro on Explosive Fist’ to destroy the Pirates’ ship. He refuses the Ichi offer and accepts the Declaration of War. Pico talks to Ichi about the past when they were buddies. She speaks about how she started the guild, but Shiro steps in and promises to eliminate the Pirate troops. Ichi and AAAAA speak about him not living his life in the game, prompting the narrator to return to Earth.
Upon returning to real life, Taichiro shares he has not eaten in three days. He keeps reiterating that everything is “shit” and finds there is no food. Asuma advises Taichiro to get a job to not be broke and hungry. The younger brother preps a snack for the elder one, who devours it. Asuma advises Taichiro to go outdoors for a bit. Shiro and May deal with an attack from the Pirates, but the former brushes aside the easy win. Shiro calls for equipment to build a barrier and gets it, allowing him to successfully construct a defense for two months. AAAAA and Ichi discuss the yen and the reason to locate the Black Bird. They return to the Akabane home, or rather, the ruins of the Akabane home. Pico is informed of the barrier. Captain Pico receives a reasoning from Leon that she is dealing with people behind real screens. This is to negate her stance on PLANET being just a game. She cuts the speaker’s neck and vows to give it her all to stop the Akabane family. Outside their house, Ichi spots a feather that turns into a flock of birds. The Black Bird emerges from this to end the episode.
Episode 3 – INSTALL
AAAAA identifies the Black Bird as the Red Dragon. Shiro understands that the Black Bird is using a vessel. May shields her virtual family, but none of their attacks work. Even Shiro’s explosive fist does not work. Captain Pico and the ships appear in the sky, and they launch an offensive on the Akabane family. She is irritated at seeing the barrier. The Dragon approaches the Akabane family. Shiro instructs Ichi to use his sword and focus on one spot. The dragon stomps on AAAAA, resulting in all members of the Arina family having a moment in their rooms. May decides to heal AAAAA, but his body is missing. Shiro commands May and Ichi to log out before it is too late. He vows to kill all of them before exiting himself. Kojiro, in his bed, makes a call to send an ambulance for AAAAA and tells the speaker the Black Bird’s return causes him to initiate a pre-determined plan. He calls the program Operation Good Night World. Taichiro wishes to log back in himself without waiting for Shiro. He changes his mind and steps into the corridor of his house. Taichiro sees Asuma slumped on the floor but wonders whether Asuma is fooling him. He sees the reality and heads to call an ambulance.
Taichiro glances at Asuma’s screen and gets the shocker – Asuma is AAAAA. Taichiro asks his hospitalized brother if he is playing the game but does not get a straight reply. Asuma, who first calls games good for nothing and the worst way to escape from reality, claims he has an account and logs in but is not having fun. He just plays because he is looking for a friend he wants to bring back to reality. Taichiro grapples with telling Asuma the truth about Ichi. Asuma tells the doctor his father may have helped develop the FEG gear as he created PLANET. Ichi runs out of the hospital and has an internal monologue about how the Akabane family will be weakened if A quits. He decides to forget about his reality and Taichiro. This sees him proclaim himself as Ichi of the Akabane family. He cannot login due to error code 8039, as he got hacked. Taichiro sets out to discover his virtual attacker. A flashback shows Aya, i.e., Taichiro and Asuma’s sister. Kojiro teaches Taichiro how to code, and he remembers those lessons, which allows him to break in.
Episode 4 – UPGRADE
Ichi returns to PLANET and finds a Black Bird feather. The Pirates are still outside the shield and unsuccessfully trying to break through. Pico and Shigatera discuss how important the Black Bird is. The latter is a student in the real world and the Pirates’ treasurer. Pico hands authority to Shigatera as she wants Ichi. The Pirates talk about how the squad allows them to have an outlet from their daily lives. As they speak, President Leon appears in a blimp with Sasumata. Sasumata provides the Pirates with a product (Magic Reducer) from Granada to eliminate the Akabane family barrier. Pico gets furious and breaks the barrier with a strike from her staff to satisfy people’s desire for entertainment. She lands right in front of Ichi.
Pico and Ichi have a fight, with neither side giving an inch. She says if she wins, he will have to join the Pirate Guild. He agrees, as he is confident. Both Ichi and Pico showcase their powers since parting ways with each other, surprising the opponent. A mysterious person drops in to see Asuma and tells him not to tell anything to his father. The figure bids him goodbye for now. Audiences delve into Pico’s real-life motivation in PLANET and her first meeting with Ichi. He cuts her head off when she asks him to add her to his friend list. Something changes though, as a sequence shows them team up. In the present-day virtual world, Ichi beats Pico. She asks him why he chose the Akabane family over the Pirates. Ichi offers to let Pico team with him and find the Black Bird. However, this will require the Pirates stopping their attack. Ichi and Pico find a Black Bird feather. Ichi explains why he kept leaving Pico. She counters by pointing out his obsession with the real world and wants him to join the Pirates.
This is because the Pirates use the game to face the real world with a smile, but the Akabane family lives in the game. Ichi asks her to join the Akabane family if she really wants to be with him. Ichi realizes he is using Pico as a substitute for his sister. Pico continues to pitch her guild but Ichi continues his verbal attacks. She remains steadfast in trying to recruit him but accepts the virtual reality and promises to stop recruiting him. Ichi says he did not join as Pico kept wanting to meet him in real life. Shiga speaks about Pico’s hypocrisy of wanting to see people smile but trampling on others as part of the same guild. He removes the Pirate association, and Leon swoops in to help fend off retaliatory attacks. He officially disbands the Pirates. Granada HQ employees reveal they stopped Ichi and May’s characters from logging in Kojiro.
Episode 5 – VIRUS
Ichi learns Pico has been kicked out of the Pirates. Shigatera says it has swelled too much as a result of accepting anyone who wishes to join. Shigatera and Leon explain themselves. Pico drops in and demands a response from Shigatera for his actions. He admits that the Akabane family Declaration of War was his plan to get Pico to relinquish power. It embarrasses him of how easy it was. Shigatera wants to find the Black Bird and leave the virtual world. He chastises all those who believe virtual world accomplishments mean anything. When Pirate members talk about Pico’s feelings for them being real, he hits back, claiming no reality in virtual relationships that exist via a headgear. Ichi arrives to argue with Shigatera and blasts the Pirate ship. In a flashback, he reveals she created the Pirate Guild for him. Back in the present day, Ichi decides to join the Pirates. His condition is that he becomes guild master and keeps his Akabane family membership.
Ichi also says that they just need 3-4 people that they trust to rebuild the Pirates from scratch. Shigatera has the power of 3,000 pirates and brushes aside Ichi’s sword attack with one hand. He proceeds to cut off Ichi’s arm. Ichi uses a shadow sword technique, but Leon and Sasumata do not step in, as fighting Ichi is a no-go for them. Flashbacks show Pico speaking about her deepset feeling that it’s just a game and her still having hope in reality. She speaks about trying to show Ichi a positive side of the real world. Pico promises to do something about Shiga. She also says games are fun because there is a real-world to come back to. She says one can’t throw away reality if they wish to live in the game. The key to beating Shiga is to destroy the guild’s flag. Pico runs to destroy the flag. Leon steps in to stop her, but she cuts his head. In the cabin, Shiro welcomes Captain Pico. At Granada HQ, Kojiro reveals he did not create the game for fun. He asks his subordinate to cancel the lucrative prize. Kojiro asks Kamuro why Ichi is logged in. Kojiro refuses to punish her as the Black Bird is more important.
Episode 6 – REMOVE
The episode begins in the real world. Pico’s real character is warned of a dangerous world where she needs to study hard. She sits alone and eats while telling the world about how her mother micromanages her. Pico says her mother does not want her to be happy. This is what motivates Pico to be on PLANET. She craves to see Ichi. Pico’s real name is Hinako, but she also does not go out with her friends. On her walk home, she runs into her classmates. They take Hinako to their secret spot, but she just thinks about Ichi. Hinako reaches home late, where her mother glares at her tardiness. She manhandles her daughter with reasoning, saying she cares. Hinako responds that it is her mother’s personal ambition and takes a slap. She then apologizes and says she will not be quiet just to please her. Hinako is willing to face the consequences if they come from her choice. Shiro Akabane hacks off Pico’s right arm. He explains he is here as the Pirate ship is in Akabane airspace. She tells Shiro about Ichi’s stance regarding the real and virtual world. Her claim is that Ichi is not alive until he can live in reality.
Shiro tells her she is nothing but a core of the Black Bird and an AI. She refuses to buy the stance, but Shiro continues with his stance. Pico tries to attack Shiro, who just defends himself. Shiro says Pico serves the Black Bird well with 3,000 people’s emotions (these emotions serve as material for the Black Bird). The Akabane patriarch cuts off Pico’s leg and reveals Hinako’s backstory. She is so shocked, going as far as to accuse Shiro of being a stalker. He explains the story of Pico being the digitized memory of his subordinate’s younger sister. She is unable to log out now but the reality is that she could never log out. The real world is another artificial world for Pico. Sasumata wishes he had a chance to say goodbye to Pico. At Granada HQ, Kamuro begins the process of taking Pico offline. Kojiro presents his own emotions to Pico’s disintegrating AI corpse and asks for her final words. She says, “Ichi, I love you.” Shigatera and Ichi resume their battle, with the latter waiting for Pico to appear. She does not.
Episode 7 – BAN
Leon and Sasumata approach Shigatera to be allies. Shiro falls to his knees, which is a side effect of the Synchro. Kamuro asks him about Pico’s emotional moments and his experience of talking to an AI. Shigatera goes to find Pico near the flag and is confused about her absence. He decides to focus on Shiro. Audiences see that he beat Ichi. However, the boy is still determined and promises to get 10,000 guild members with Pico. Leon and Sasumata promise to summon the Black Bird to give Shigatera his shot at the 300 million yen prize money. Kamuro urges Shiro to get some rest. Shigatera, an anti-gamer, shows signs of being a hardcore gamer who is chasing something in the virtual world. He believes he is losing it as he sees things that are not there. Shigatera enters a dream phase where Black Birds kill him. Leon says anyone directly infected by Black Bird dies on the spot.
When that happens, their mind gets ripped from their body and becomes data. Shiro knows the Black Bird is just accumulating power to take over. Leon claims Shigatera will not be seen again. PLANET players discuss the absence of Pico. They believe things will be better and Ichi slices them in half. Taichiro cries in his house corridor, and his mother returns to be with him. He wants his mother to divorce Kojiro and asks if she is leaving home again. It is established that she lives in different places quite often. As she leaves, Taichiro tells her Asuma and Kojiro are hospitalized. She decides to meet Asuma but admonishes her son for using a derogatory term for his father. Asuna seems to be consumed, and there are white feathers flying around his hospital bed. Mother is startled by the sight and runs away.
Episode 8 – RELOAD
Asuma is alive with a situation resulting from blunt trauma or hypertension. The white feathers are from the pillow Asuma tore in boredom. He tells Taichiro the truth about PLANET being his “home.” Taichiro tells him that he is Ichi, which shocks his younger brother. Taichiro is creeped out by Asuma’s reaction. The mysterious woman returns and asks Asuma not to log in to PLANET anymore. The Black Bird takes Taichiro away, or so it seems, but audiences learn Asuma is finished. The mysterious woman walks in and says she warned Asuma. Her name is Hana Kamuro. She reveals Black Bird is not a game villain. It’s a virus that transcends the game and kills players in real life. These players’ minds go to the Birdcage where there is no saving it. As for their bodies, all functionalities come to a standstill. Hana is stunned to learn Asuma is still breathing. Meanwhile, he struggles to survive the Birdcage torment. Taichiro weeps, and Hana wonders how she is Kojiro’s son. She asks if he will die for his brother. Ichi stops the bus from hitting Asuma in the Birdcage. Ichi strikes the Black Birds, one of whom impales him. He shatters the Black Bird, who makes his eyes bleed. Ichi screams out the code to knock out the Black Bird. This sees Taichiro and Asuma buy some time. The latter instructs the former to exit the Birdcage. Asuma awakens in hospital, seemingly becoming the first the escape the Black Bird.
Episode 9 – AR
Leon and Sasumata are surprised to see someone find a way to attack the Black Bird and cause its power to diminish. Taichiro is at Asuma’s bedside, where he learns his brother is suffering from temporary paralysis. Hana created an AI of Taichiro (Ichi) to save Asuma. She reveals that Kojiro devoted himself to hunting AIs that power the Black Bird. Taichiro remains firm on his stance and refuses to forgive Kojiro. Taichiro reveals Aya and Assume were twins. The girl could not make Kojiro happy but made one mistake. Aya forgot a notebook and was sent back to fetch it from school. She did not return, and Kojiro showed no remorse. Kojiro sees Taichiro and Hana speaking at his front gate. He wants to take Asuma for a brain scan, but Taichiro stops him. After an argument, Taichiro makes as to strikes Kojiro. However, he is beaten to the punch by Asuma.
The younger brother did not want the older one to be the one to hit his father. Taichiro runs away when Kojiro implies that he should leave. His legs are chopped off by Kamaitaichi, and Taichiro stares in shock. Leon and Sasumata show up to the Granada board meeting with one agenda, i.e., the boring real world and AI. Sasumata is an AI that proved beneficial to the entire group. Leon vows to make Sasumata a human and redefine the definition of a human. He wishes to make the world a place where Sasumata and he can breathe the same air and share the same reality. The Black Birds attack and consume the people at the Granada Board meeting. Black feathers rain from the sky in an ending very like Fight Club as two characters stare at the cityscape from a height.
Episode 10 – REGISTRY
Kamaitaichi flees quickly after dropping his sickle. Hana Kamuro mutters a code and allows Kojiro to regain the use of his legs. The patriarch tells his sons and one employee that they are in PLANET. PLANET monsters are all over the world, i.e., the cyberspace world where everyone is forced to log in. This is because the Black Bird has evolved and infected anyone with a connection to the internet near them. Kojiro takes the blame for bringing this upon the world. Meanwhile, Taichiro and Asuma save their mother. They are about to get trampled when Shiro sends in an explosive fist to the monster. He is sent into a building. Taichiro learns that PLANET stats don’t reflect within this cyberspace reality, and his spell is rudimentary. Shiro saves them for now and hacks the world from the inside, but Taichiro wants him to bring the world back to normal. Kajiro says they need to find the Black Bird and destroy it entirely. Kajiro begins manhandling his wife, who sees Aya and reacts. This results in Taichiro shoving a sword through him. Hana comments that the group is even a family in real life, i.e., what they are as the Akabane family. Taichiro is shaken by the realization, and Sasumata consumes him. Kojiro strangles him but he escapes easily and asks Shiro to stay calm. Asuma deduces Sasumata is the Black Bird. Leon offers Shiro an offer to be in cyberspace as part of the Akabane family as fair penance. Sasumata kills Hana moments after Leon tells Taichiro that Shiro is the reason Pico isn’t around.
Episode 11 – DEBUG
Shiro tries to resurrect his fallen comrade to no avail. He proceeds to attack Sasumata but is effortlessly blasted back. People learn they are in the Granada Kingdom. Asuma kills two kids in the street and visits his father. He refuses to let Asuma in, instructing him to protect Taichiro and his mother. Audiences learn the characters have been in cyberspace for a while. Asuma wonders whether their real bodies have withered away due to a lack of food. Asuma tells Kojiro that Taichiro is an emotional wreck, advising his father not to meet the elder son. This is because of Pico and his belief that the Akabane family is created with a specific intention. Kojiro denies it and says they met by chance on PLANET. He gives Asuma a device for Taichiro with an instruction – Taichiro is to activate it if he ever sees Kojiro/Shiro again.
At the shelter, Taichiro slaps it aside. The boys’ mother explains Shiro is a reflection of what Kojiro wishes he was. Shiro walks to where Leon is recruiting people to the Kingdom. He shoos them away and decides to kill Leon (actually a kid playing the game). Sasumata arrives to save Leon from Shiro. He asks Shiro who he is as he is. This is because he is an AI without any original source material. Shiro says he is no one and narrows down on one point. Sasumata collected the data of people on Twilight Hill, infecting PLANET players way before the pandemic. Sasumata remains silent, with Shiro saying the AI needs to be deleted. Shiro employs a failsafe to defeat Black Bird, but Sasumata thwarts him. He claims to be the God of the world and the operating system. The device activates again.
Episode 12 – Hello, World
Faces emerge from the walls, and the Black Bird gets infected. Shiro becomes a character that looks like a White Bird. Taichiro gets a message and has a choice to make. Does he wish to uninstall Kojiro Arima?
The cyberspace world is crumbling. Taichiro believes Shiro became a virus to result in a system error and cause a glitch in the virtual world. This requires Taichiro to end Kojiro to rid the game of the virus.
Good Night World (Season 1) Netflix Series, Episode 12 Ending Explained:
Why doesn’t Taichiro not end Kojiro Arima?
Taichiro does not end Kojiro Arima as he wants to ensure his father’s wish is not fulfilled. He also is of the opinion that Kojiro should not get to meet Aya before the rest of the family.
Why did Kojiro create the AI?
Kojiro creates the AI to cope with the death of his child. He did not consider risks, and no one knew his true motivation.
What is Sasumata’s true name?
Sasumata’s true name is Aya. It is Kojiro’s miserable ego that gave way to the AI’s creation. He only wants Sasumata to let him know how he feels upon hearing the name Aya.
What happens to Kojiro?
Kojiro sees Aya emerge and decides to head to extinction with the AI itself. This results in the world resetting itself, but is this the real world?
Are the humans living in Taichiro’s world?
This is a possibility as Taichiro meets Pico on the bridge. Also, it is quite surprising that the humans’ bodies remain unharmed after 13 days of no food or activity. The few exceptions remain the standard, and PLANET destinations serving as tourist locations seem quite surprising. The real clincher is this, though. Taichiro and Asuma head to see the location of the Akabane family household. In the end, a dragon soars through the sky. This seems quite a startling phenomenon, but Taichiro did not alert his younger brother to it. Did he know it was there? Well, it is his reality. That is the only option. He does have the power to create a world, or the button allows it, with Kojiro knowing Taichiro would do the opposite of the perceived ask.
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