Ingress the Animation is based on the setting of the real-life game that inspired Pokémon Go. It's an extremely well-crafted story with 11 episodes in total, and the story, which interweaves fact and fiction, is particularly exciting in the last three episodes. I'd like to introduce you to Sarah, the heroine of Ingress.
【INGRESS】Before Introducing Sarah Coppola
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Ingress is a smartphone game that has been distributed in over 200 countries and regions worldwide since its official launch in 2012, achieving over 20 million downloads. It is a game linked to reality, where players compete for bases called Portals, located at real-world landmarks and historical objects. Some may think it's a rip-off of Pokémon GO, but it was also developed by Niantic.inc, and Pokémon GO was created using data from Ingress.
About the World and Setting
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
CERN, the nuclear research institute familiar from Steins;Gate, has discovered a substance called "Exotic Matter (XM)" that responds to human minds and abilities. XM sometimes exerts supernatural powers, and humanity is divided into two factions: the "Enlightened," who accept XM and seek to use it for human evolution, and the "Resistance," who view XM as a threat and seek to control it. This conflict is also the setting for the real-life Ingress.
Sensitives and How They Are Treated in Ingress
Characters like the protagonist Makoto and heroine Sara, who use XM and possess superhuman abilities, are called "Sensitives." Sensitive abilities are amplified within fields connected by portals acquired by the faction selected in Ingress, but are suppressed within fields owned by a different faction. Ingress, like the real world, is distributed worldwide as a game, and even ordinary players unaware of the existence of Sensitives and XM compete for territory as part of the game.
【INGRESS】Introduction to Sarah Coppola
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sara, the heroine of Ingress the Animation, was a researcher at Huron Transglobal. However, after learning of a certain Huron company plan, she was detained by Huron before she could report it. However, there she encountered the mysterious Christopher Brandt. However, Brandt commits suicide, leaving behind an even more cryptic message. Sarah loses her memory, but with Makoto's powers, she regains some of it and begins to take action to uncover the Huron Corporation's conspiracy.
【INGRESS】Sarah Coppola's powers allow her to see things differently than normal people!?
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sarah is just as sensitive as the protagonist Makoto and Jack, who could be considered the main character of the Resistance. Sarah's ability differs from that of ordinary people: she can visualize XM without the use of INGRESS or special equipment. However, this is only a small part of her powers, and Huron Corporation is desperately searching for her in order to harness them.
Sara's True Ability
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sara's ability to visualize XM was only a small part of her powers. In order to harness her powers, Sarah is held captive by Huron Corporation and subjected to human experimentation using Dark XM, a substance that significantly interferes with the human mind. During the experiment, Sarah's power awakens, allowing her to contact Makoto, who is supposedly far away, through a portal. Sarah's power is the ability to send information to others through the portal network.
Another hidden ability?
However, a certain person later reveals that this ability is also part of Sarah's powers. It seems certain that she, like Makoto, is extraordinarily sensitive.
【INGRESS】Sarah's chosen faction is Independent
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sarah's chosen faction is neither the Enlightened nor the Resistance. Although she was familiar with the Ingress app, she could see the world through it without it, so it's likely she never used it. This may also be due to her ideological inclination toward either faction. However, ultimately, her not belonging to either faction is significant.
【INGRESS】What kind of personality does Sarah Coppola have?
Sarah has a generally bright and kind personality. Her sensitive circumstances also led to her being looked at strangely and rejected by those around her. However, compared to other sensitive people, her circumstances were not as dire, and this is reflected in her personality.
Sarah Coppola is surprisingly militant
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sarah continues her escape with the protagonist Makoto, but she's far more militant than Makoto, knocking Jack, who has combat experience in conflict zones, unconscious from behind, and eliminating Jack with a fire extinguisher. Her judgment also suggests she's not a complete amateur, suggesting she may have received some training. Since there was no mention of this in the side story on the official website, she may be the type of person who is naturally able to act in an emergency. Z
【INGRESS】A Brief Introduction to Sarah Coppola's Story!
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
After being held captive by Huron Corporation and meeting Christopher Brandt, Sarah was hospitalized following a mysterious explosion and lost her memory. Guided by a mysterious figure, Makoto takes Sara away. After Makoto's powers restore some of her memories, Sara heads to the XM Laboratory in Kyoto, which was hidden within her memory.
Sara is Detained
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sara heads to the XM Laboratory in Kyoto, but her movements are clearly spotted by Liu Tianhua, a Huron Corporation executive. She allows herself to be detained in order to allow Makoto to escape from the invading forces. Huron's reason for detaining Sarah wasn't just to prevent her from whistleblowing.
Sarah is subjected to terrible treatment
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Sarah, held captive by Huron, looks anxious as Liu Tianhua takes her. Her fears are confirmed, as she is subjected to human experimentation with Dark XM, a more powerful form of psychological interference, similar to the inhumane experiments conducted on test subjects at a laboratory in Kyoto.
Sara Awakens
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Huron Corporation's plan was to awaken Sarah's hidden abilities. Huron Corporation discovered that Sarah had the ability to transmit information to others through the portal network. After human experimentation, Sarah awakened the ability to transmit a language called glyphs to others through the portal.
COLLABORATORS' Conspiracy
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Behind Huron Corporation lies a powerful, multinational organization known as the "COLLABORATORS," which controls businesses and even police forces around the world. The COLLABORATORS' true purpose was to use Sarah's ability to transmit information to others to sell AR goggles equipped with Dark XM that affects the human mind all over the world. They planned to analyze Sarah's abilities and transmit the glyphs they discovered to unconsciously manipulate people's wills, using them for dictatorship and profit.
An Unexpected Result
Source: Ingress © "Ingress" Production Committee
Makoto and Jack attempt to rescue Sara, but are thwarted by Liu Tianhua, a sensitive mind reader. Thanks to Sara's powers, Makoto and Jack escape danger and are rescued, but the AR goggles are released worldwide. However, even the COLLABORATORS' conspiracy is part of a certain man's plan.
【Ingress】Sarah Coppola Summary
This time, I'll be summarizing Ingress' true heroine, Sarah. Ingress makes excellent use of the setting of a real-life game, neatly tying up many of its plot threads. The final three episodes of the series unfold at a furious pace, building to a breathtaking climax. I believe Ingress the Animation is an anime that will change your opinion of you if you watch it to the end. It may have become a hidden gem, but it's undeniably a masterpiece, so I highly recommend watching it!
