WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of SSSS.Dynazenon, "What's Your Reason for Fighting?," now streaming on Funimation.
Yume Minami is one of the most captivating characters in SSSS.Dynazenon so far. She was introduced in the previous episode as an ostracized, misunderstood girl with a rough home life and traumatic past. In Episode 2, she makes strides to open up more to the pilots of Dynazenon. Her efforts may have helped Yomogi reconcile his reluctance towards being a pilot, and she also provides more detail about her sister’s untimely death, which we only got a glimpse into in the series premiere.
Before the Kaiju fight in Episode 1, Yume invited Yomogi to meet with her at the floodgate, but Yume intentionally did not arrive on time and never planned on showing up later. This episode begins immediately after that kaiju fight. Guama gives a piece of Dynazenon to each of the four pilots and insists on holding training sessions. While Yume’s past would suggest she would be the one to flake on the team, she actually meets for training and is cooperative. It is Yomogi who decides to not attend.
The next day, Yume finally finds the courage to apologize to Yomogi for her absence. She takes Yomogi outside where she briefly instructs him to pilot his piece of Dynazenon, Dyna Soldier. They soon discover that the pieces combine to form the subset known as Dyna Wing Soldier, then travel to the site of the last kaiju battle to see ruins. During this adventure, Yume opens up about herself as she tries to convince Yomogi to accept the responsibility of piloting Dynazenon.
While showing him the wreckage, Yume asserts that the damage would have been way worse without them. Yomogi asks why not leave it to the government, to which Yume responds that there are some things they can’t protect by following the rules. On the train ride back home, Yume also tells Yomogi about her sister, who died when she was younger at the floodgate where Yume asked Yomogi to meet. Yume does clarify her death was accidental, but it seems to have left a very lasting impression on her.
This is the first time Yume has told any of her newfound co-pilots about her sister. From what is shown of her interactions outside of the Dynazenon crew, she only has one constant friend, and it is unclear if her friend also knows the truth. What is clear is that Yume is making very important steps towards building a solid foundation with her crew. Her extremely argumentative parents give her enough reason to feel apprehensive about connecting with other people. Yet, her experience with Dynazenon gives her a little more confidence and newfound power to protect what is dear to her. She’s going to need to rely on others, and a positive response from the crew will only help her character mature.
When this episode's Kaiju arrives to wreak havoc, Yomogi is forced to pilot his Dyna Soldier. However, he is stuck in place on the battlefield as a result of his lack of training. Yume again forms Dyna Wing Soldier with him, and the formation proves vital in defeating the kaiju. After the climax, Yume makes note of their role as protector. Yomogi asks Yume if she got along with her sister, to which Yume responds that she didn’t. But Yume also says that she’s not sure anymore. The line shows Yume is aware of how much she is impacted by death and the grief she has inside. A deeper dive into this relationship will surely have a positive impact on Yume.
