Sometimes Nobunaga can be used for good, unknowingly.
What They Say:
No episode summary provided.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the uneven nature of the series due to introducing a new focal character every episode or other episode, you never know what you’re going to get. With this episode, entitled Sunshine Ruler, we’re introduced to the bright and bubbly yet not quite annoying Liu Bei. She’s a young woman with near orange hair that has on a good bit of skimpy green and some peach colors that gives her a distinctive look, especially since her headband is done up like a water leaf. Because of circumstances, the Maiden Empress of Shu has taken to being a maid in this modern world. But while she is doing the maid side of things, she’s not one to be very meek and will stand up for what she says needs to be said.
As Lie Bei goes about her work from place to place, trying to help where she can so she can fulfill the promise she made to herself in the past about helping people, we see the situations she ends up in. The one that dominates is an older woman who wants no help at all and doesn’t need a maid, but Liu Bei sees the need in the yard and just sits down and starts to help. The two do eventually form a rather cute relationship, something that really only happens once we see Liu Bei adopt a pig form, but it’s what’s really needed to get her in the house and to see just how much help the old woman needs. With her fears of being put in an old folks home, she won’t show anyone that she needs any kind of help and will even live in a growing mess because of it.
As the episode goes on, we get a good look at the pair as they do things together, more with Liu Bei stepping in with her human form to do what needs to be done. It’s really pleasing to see the relationship that develops between them. With Liu Bei working in two forms to try and help the woman’s spirit, we see a lot of progress in terms of the changes in the house but also in what happens with the woman’s personality. She gains some new life and sparkle to her eyes and becomes more connected to the world .Of course, things do come down eventually to Nobunaga making her appearance and the old woman plays her role in it, but the episode as a whole has a real, soft charm that really draws me in very well.
In Summary:
With Liu Bei being involved with a curse here that affects how she interacts with the modern world, the end result is that we get a show that hits a lot of very good notes. The characters are solid, they change and grow within the short time and it left me smiling for the majority of it. I really liked Liu Bei’s personality and how she was dealt with when it came to her personality and character design, both in human and utterly adorable piglet form. Seeing Liu Bei’s growth here is spot on and the episode left me really liking it and wishing she had more than just one episode to shine. Definitely fun, light and enjoyable without being too silly.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
