“Meetings and Bonds Prayed For”
What They Say:
The world is rules by a diversity of inhuman beings, who persecuted humans and drove them to near-extinction. One day, the forest guardian Golem meets a human girl. This is a chronicle of a journey that would bind a member of the dying “human” clan to the forest guardian Golem, as father and daughter.
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After finally arriving at the witches’ village and learning about The Chronicle of Haraiso from Hazel and her wayward sister Praline, Father and Somali are disappointed as they watch their only lead become food for the haunting book-eating fish. But as the elder sibling glances through records to see how checked the book out last, she comes to a stunning realization it was Head Librarian Isolde Nebsolv, who is now not in the best of health due to advanced age, and yet she still lives but visitation is restricted. However as the poor child laments at the loss of precious information for their only clue in finding humans, the fickle sibling submits to the pleading look and surrenders a previous resource – her personal book that is key to finding this reclusive woman. But as the Golem reads through it and guides them through labyrinthine catacombs, he then recognizes this was Praline’s method for avoiding all the main routes into the Witches’ Crest Library, via secret tunnels hidden underground.
As they enter a massive connecting airshaft in the main area, Father studies various notes and maps to understand their destination, the Head Librarian is secluded in the lowest chamber of the deepest floor within this maze. However as they descend deeper, Somali notices several flying drones patrolling the area but it is too late to avoid their detection, sadly now learning these are an alarm system which alerts the main chamber there are intruders. Praline amusingly knows this annoying sound all too well, joking with her sister they must have been detected as they watch the suppression team depart to apprehend the thieves. Having no alternative than to run, the pair are soon cornered by a steep drop off over a massive waterfall, and with little choice Father tells Somali to hold her breath as he dives into the drop pool. As they swim underwater, they are surprised by a mysterious voice bidding them to enter a glowing entryway, only to find themselves swiftly surrounded by guards and told to surrender, but the same woman calmly contradicts this command. They are before the entrance of Isolde Nebsolv’s room, a withered form connected to several tubes and a breathing mask has been communicating via telepathy and now asks them to enter, suggesting their visit must have been preordained for her remaining time. It is now that she admits that The Chronicle of Haraiso is her creation, and perhaps due to her foolishness humans are now being hunted, but with her final moments she wishes to tell of her ancestor Feodora Nebsolv and how she met this race within a village called Haraiso, and why this visit devastatingly changed the fate for all of humankind.
In Summary:
It’s heartbreaking to finally understand how one mistake leads to a genesis for the future, by innocently recording her ancestor’s story Isolde may have also doomed mankind due to one group’s misunderstanding of the unknown. But at the same time, it is ironic to witness this same hatred has been passed down to others and due to this irrational jealousy, those who began the cycle of hatred are now doomed by their own race’s past hand. This example makes this show such a bittersweet pleasure to watch, allowing us to understand even children can learn such an ugly emotion when they can’t comprehend the basis of mistrust from those they once sadly considered friends.
Grade: A+
Streamed By: Crunchyrol
