“Chapter Four – Forests and Clay Tablets”
What They Say:
Avid bookworm and college student Motosu Urano ends up dying in an unforeseen accident. This came right after the news that she would finally be able to work as a librarian like she had always dreamed of. When she regains consciousness. She was reborn as Myne, the daughter of a poor soldier. She was in the town of Ehrenfest, which has a harsh class system. But as long as she had books, she really didn’t need anything else. However, books were scarce and belonged only to the nobles. But that doesn’t stop her, so she makes a decision … “If there aren’t any books, I’ll just create some.”
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As winter continues to drag on, it is Myne’s turn to cook dinner but Eva is unsure of the success of the meal after watching her daughter cook in such a strange manner. However, when Turi and Gunther try the first dish they are both surprised by how delicious it is, with her mother now stunned as to how she could achieve such taste without conventional techniques. With each course her parents are astonished by how everything is so scrumptious, so with that, they decided it was time to find someone who could train Myne to become a chef. But as their plans progressed, the little girl interrupted their conversation and announced she wanted to do something else, with Eva and Gunther unsure what she would want to pursue. After taking a deep breath, their youngest proclaimed she had a goal in mind: to go to the forest.
After everyone has a good laugh from what they thought was a preposterous idea, Myne states she was serious but Turi objects by clearly stating she does not have the strength walk that distance, so going farther past the castle gates did not seem possible. However her younger sister is determined to reach this lofty achievement, and so with hope in her eyes, she asks Gunther what she must do to be granted permission. After thinking for a while he sternly states she needs to gain stamina, which seems impossible due to her frail body and sickly condition, but she wants to do whatever it takes to reach the distance. Now disappointed there seemed nothing she could do realize her dream of making books, Myne is surprised when her father told Otto needed his child’s help to balance the gate books, and so was everyone else in the family. After explaining what she did on her last visit and skill of using numbers, Gunther stated it was illegal for a child who was not baptized to take a job so she would go under the pretense to learn how to read and write. While her path may have shifted, it now seems a new venue was opened with daily trips to meet with the kindly soldier, but can Myne’s determination to learn overcome the weakness of her own constitution?
In Summary:
With so many missteps in the journey to reunite with her beloved books, it finally seems Myne can take a leap forward in the adventure, but with such a frail body it seems out of the question. However, how can viewers not smile and laugh in watching Inner Myne kick aside any obstacles which may stand in her way, even as the joy and strength of her determination try to overcome a weak body. It is this resolute mindset that makes watching Urano such a pleasure as she thinks of new options to offset failures, always relying on her past life and the history of previous civilizations. One cannot but want to cheer her on as we see her prevail from every setback, plus the satisfaction of witnessing a new idea spring to life makes her struggles all the more rewarding once this amazing little girl does what seems as impossible.
Grade: A+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll