“The baby has the mother’s hair and the father’s… animal skull…”
What They Say:
Chise is deep in thought as she watches the souls return to where they’d belonged all along. More than ten days have passed since the incident at Ulthar, but she is still in a deep sleep. Elias and Simon stand worriedly by her side, when they are met by two unexpected guests: Titania, Queen of Fairies, Lord of Tír na nÓg.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Chise did a lot for her first real use of magic. Accordingly, she needs a little nap to replenish her energy. As it turns out, such a nap takes about ten days. But before she begins her deep slumber, even before the final scene we saw from her perspective last episode, Elias exchanges a few final words with the sorcerers that kidnapped her. Clearly Elias doesn’t see eye to eye with them, but the more we see them, the clearer it becomes that they’re not explicitly villainous so much as different worldviews and circumstances have caused them to be at extreme odds with their opinions, and learning more about what has happened since their last encounter would help Elias understand them a bit more. As expected, the root of all the evil from last episode’s flashback is not far away, and he’ll almost certainly be integral to much of the true conflict in the coming episodes. Beyond even the scope of this fantasy world, there’s so much story to be told about the centuries that Elias and his acquaintances and enemies have lived that it’s easy to imagine how long the series could run without ever seeming like it’s just trying to drag itself out.
These episodes have a somewhat unusual structure, with the first few minutes wrapping up the matters from the previous episode and then the majority of the episode dedicated to something else. This time it’s even more extreme, as the only link between them is Chise’s sleep. While our little kitty adventure ended up being a harsh look at a brutal past and a major opportunity for Chise to show what she’s capable of, this encounter is entirely peaceful and uneventful. That doesn’t mean it’s uninteresting; the focus is on a new character known as Titania, and she’s presented in such an impactful manner that her importance is made abundantly apparent without her actually doing anything. The show’s pattern of using new insert songs in key moments continues to impress, and makes me want to believe that Crunchyroll and Funimation can work out a deal for some soundtrack CDs to go in the eventual collector’s editions, including not only the standard background music but these vocal tracks as well. That’s always a hope that’s easier said than done due to the pain of music rights, but this series would be a wonderful choice to strive for that kind of extra. After the initial introductions, much of the interactions are actually quite comical, especially when they involve Titania’s clownish husband Oberon. Nonetheless, their discussions have enough serious subjects to continue to build the intrigue of the story.
Both before and after Chise sleeps, she has several moments with Elias that start to imply that the prospect of them developing a relationship may not be as ridiculous as it might’ve seemed initially. For many reasons, it’s hard to get completely behind that idea, but the amount of development these interactions show for both parties is fascinating enough that I can’t help looking forward to seeing how this progresses. I can’t say I was expecting this level so early on.
In Summary:
While the structure of the episodes takes some getting used to, the content remains strong. The intrigue around the pasts of Elias and others continues to build, especially with a real villain lurking nearby, and the character of Titania comes across as majestically as one could imagine.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Roku 3, Sceptre X425BV-FHD 42″ Class LCD HDTV.
