What They Say:
At the masquerade ball, Silvia pursues her hunch about Milgauss’s true identity. Eco faces a hard truth that inadvertently gets her into hot water.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Bringing a few of the characters to the capital certainly makes sense, what with what’s been learned when it comes to Milgauss and Silvia’s obvious connection to it. But it was also nice to see that after all that’s been said and done, Ash got a bit of recognition for his efforts in dealing with some unwelcome problems that have come up. While it may be easy to think that it shouldn’t rise to the level it did, it’s nice “publicity” in a way and works well. But being in the capital also means we get to see a bit more of the big picture of what’s going on and some hints of the past, since Silvia is not one to shy away from finding out the truth of what’s going on when it comes to someone of the royal family that was supposedly long dead and gone.
With what Silvia has learned, she takes the time to confide in Ash which is good to see as it helps to reinforce their relationship a bit. Granted, she has a larger interest in him as a potential romantic partner if he can achieve enough rank and status in the world, but she’s also slowly come to see him as a friend. He’s a bit more indifferent in a way since he’s just trying to live his life and deal with what’s being thrown at him, but he’s also starting to realize how she feels at some of the best/worst moments. Of course, sometimes Silvia is her own worst enemy in a way, even if it leads to good results, because she ends up so scared at one point while talking to him that it’s a complete overreaction. It makes for a good scene, and some forced realizations to start coming up more, but it just feels too forced and typical. But you have to like the way both of them react throughout it.
Naturally, that closeness gets seen by Eco at the wrong time and that helps to bring to surface her own struggles since she definitely has affectionate feelings for Ash, but realizes that her own dragon aspects will keep it from really being possible. But that can be dealt with only so much as events in the capital are changing, especially as the group recognizes that Milgauss is there as part of the masquerade since he’s participating as a member of a foreign country. That has the group eager to do something since they know what he is, but there are obviously proper rules to follow. And even a bit of fun, which is nice to see, as Silvia feels far more relaxed around him after confiding in him. Letting that bit out and getting closer to him is a weight off of her and the changes in her movements and personality are pretty welcome.
There’s some decent movements across the episode, and the masquerade ball certainly has its own, as we see the way the elite move about a bit and how well Silvia handles it. But there’s also other movements afoot, particularly when Eco ends up being kidnapped and experimented on in order to see what really makes her tick. Her near unique nature is definitely an interesting part of the equation that leaves you wanting more of what’s going on with her. But there’s also the unfortunate side of her actively being experimented on to watch, which ends up sending Ash into motion in a big way to try and save her. There’s some good stuff to all of this, but I really disliked that they had to go the tentacle route with how Eco was being held because it goes for the tantalizing and provocative route when it’s absolutely not necessary.
In Summary:
Dragonar Academy is far from the academy but we’re getting some decent stuff at this stage as we get ready to end the season. The series is one that has developed decently overall, but once we got the reveal about Milgauss and the shift to the capital, it’s been firing a bit better for me. This episode has the big wins in seeing how both Silvia and Ash are getting along and the way it’s changing both of them, but we also get to see what Eco is rightly struggling with when it comes to everything. Add in the machinations under the surface with what Milgauss is up to and the kidnapping itself and there’s a lot to like outside of a misstep or two along the way.
Grade: B
Streamed By: FUNimation
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
Nice review Chris. I seldom have to time to stop and post comments on other sites but I just wanted to drop some positive feedback seeing as I enjoy your reviews, but I do take the time to read them. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Always welcome to hear!