As The Legend of the Legendary Heroes ends, I guess that I’m still waiting for this series to still show me why it should be called Legendary. Twenty-Four episodes in and I can see that all of the elements for a great sequel/conclusion to this series are in place. Yet, the evidence already presented suggests that even if there is a sequel, it would not be able to adequately combine those elements into a polished final product for a variety of reasons. That said, LOLH does offer a fairly interesting cast of characters and it occasionally delivers interesting action sequences, which  makes it an above average show, if only barely.

Though he was only in like 3 episodes, Tiir was probably the best developed character in the whole series

First, the good. Some of the characters in this show are genuinely interesting, and furthermore, they actually develop over the course of the series. If you’ve been reading my posts on this series, than you probably know how much I love Ferris, and for good reason. Her development, while a little cliché, from a generally cold and sarcastic character who is scared sh*tless of her brother to a person who seemed to genuinely seemed to care for Ryner, as she continually sought to be by his side. Though the series failed to capture on some of the chemistry it generated between the two early on,  the promise they made later on in the series shows  how close they have become, and it also seemed like a pretty interesting plot point.

Both in comedy and drama, these two were top notch characters.

Unfortunately, every good interaction between these two seemed to be followed up by some side character of the week. In general, these weekly guests, if you will, seemed to take time away from the main story. If you’ve watched the show, do you remember who the hell Fiole, Toale, Salawell, or Arua are? While some of these characters, the ones still living at least, may play some sort of role in the future, do I care? No. Even some of the side characters I did care about and who received some development, like Tiir and Noa, seemed like they only showed up for one or two episodes and then disappeared for months at a time. This lack of continuity from week to week is never a good thing in my opinion.

Then there was Sion Astal. If you want to know how not to develop a character, I would suggest looking no further than this guy. Early on, the series made many interesting comparisons between him and Ryner or Riphal, by showing the differences in their moral character. Then, the series does a complete 180 by dropping what it spent 7 or 8 episodes building up to focus on Sion’s personality crisis. Though the show eventually combined the moral fiber thing with the explanation for his dual personality, this shift was far too sudden and poorly introduced for it to have any real basis in reason.

Sion's strange development almost ruined this show for me

However, the sudden jumps from one topic to another were not limited to the characters. I never really got a good idea about what the focus of this series was, or that matter I never really understood the logic behind the magic and the relics the characters used. Episode one gave the impression that the series would focus on Ryner and Ferris collecting relics and fighting monsters. Then the series seemed to shift to Ryner’s Alpha Stigma and Roland’s politics. Then there was that five or six episode stretch in the middle of the series where the show didn’t really do much at all. I will say that the last eight episodes were pretty entertaining, but the transitions from one episode to another were never handled well, and we only really got one cliffhanger.

Plus, the show never really explained to us what exactly the legendary relics were, how many of them there were, or what kind of past they had. Sure, you could infer some things from events after the fact or from the occasional flashback, but the critical information always seemed to be lacking in the moment.  Same thing applies to the magic used in this series, though to a lesser extent.

Though not mentioned anywhere else in this post, Luke is an awesome character

Perhaps the biggest issue I had with Legendary Heroes was with its pacing. From the material that was included in the series, did Legendary Heroes need to be 24 episodes long? The simple answer is no. Too much time was spent rehashing old points and flashbacks seemed like a common occurrence. During the second half of the series it seemed as though every week featured Sion trying to come to terms with his past decisions and Ferris somehow trying to reunite with Ryner. Since I assume this was a result of following the source material, I’m not really going to fault the show for including it, but did I need week after week of Ferris semi confessing to Ryner, or Sion moping for weeks on end? Again, no.

But on the flip side, this series could have easily been longer had they explained some of the unclear parts in more detail. I mean, how was Clough able to get his arm back after Tiir consumed it? How did Ryner and Ferris end back up in Roland at the beginning of episode 15? Who or what is controlling Sion? What exactly can a rule fragment do? To what lengths did Riphal go to when investigating Kiefer? Ok, that last one probably isn’t that important, but I still wanted to see it. The creators could have easily taken some of the time they devoted to the constant flashbacks and superfluous character development to flesh out these issues, but they didn’t. I’m not going to say they are lazy for doing this, but it does leave you wondering if they are crazy.

Knowing more about Gastark, Rule Fragments, etc. would have been appreciated.

One thing the show did do a better job of over the course of the series was improving its animation. Early on it seemed like Legendary Heroes utilized a lot of blank spaces and had difficulty with lighting. Whether this was on purpose or not I don’t know, but I found it pretty annoying. Over time though, it seemed like there were fewer occurrences of this, and the animation as whole looked a lot sharper, especially in the last eight episodes.

There was also just enough comedy to keep me interested in Legendary Heroes when I might have otherwise dropped the show. Obviously Ryner and Ferris were the source of most of this comedic relief, but a few other characters, like Sion, Noa, and Clough occasionally got in on the act. It did seem that the show pushed the Ryner X Sion jokes a bit too far, especially considering that Legendary Heroes doesn’t seem to be on the viewing list of people who like that sort of stuff, but I’ll let it go.

Best screen cap from this show.

As for the fighting scenes, they were a mixed bag in my opinion. Anything with Tiir was awesome, because let’s face it, he is awesome, but every other scene that featured a large number of combatants never really impressed me. It seemed like both Ryner and Ferris were powered down to meet level of their competition in these situations, and there were multiple occurrences in which the show had poor choreography for its fights, in that some characters disappeared for long stretches of time during fight scenes. That said, fights featuring few combatants were almost always interesting and well done.  Episode four’s fight between Ryner and Ferris, Episode 17′s Clough/Tiir fight, and Episode 24′s fight between Ryner and Sion are prime examples of this. Of course, almost any scene in which someone used a legendary relic was an instant win as well.

So even considering the possibility of a second season and that the source material is supposed to be much better, this anime series on its own didn’t really stand out to me. Sure, it is a far better waste of your time than some generic moe show, but when compared to some of the more “involved” shows that are out there, this one just isn’t up to par. To sum it up, this show is just too inconsistent, but it does have a lot of good points. I’ll probably rate this as an 8 on my MAL list, but in reality this show belongs in 7.5/10 territory.

You know I've never actually had Dango, but this show has made me want to try it. That's something.

Nice final episode, though I’m even more confused now than when the episode began as to what is wrong with Sion. Obviously, it looks like the plan is for there to be a sequel, and if there is one, it seems like it will have a faster pace than this series. While I’ll give my thoughts about the series as a whole in an upcoming post, there were a few notable things that happened in this episode.

While I’d like to say I knew how the legendary hero back story relates to what is going on in show, I pretty much only get that Lucile is the weaver of all equations and Ryner is the solver of all equations. I had thought at the beginning of the series the Ryner would be the present day legendary hero, but it seems like that role is more befitting of Sion, especially considering his relationship with Lucile and Ryner.

The fight scene from the episode’s opening half was interesting enough, but it was perplexing to see it just end. I mean for floating, possessed Sion just to give up because weird floating woman who came out of Ryner saying that it wasn’t time yet, was as weird as it was disappointing. I guess the point of this fight was so that we could finally know that Sion had finally been taking over by his evil double, but it seemed like that had been the case several times in the past few episodes. I suppose that it is possible that Sion is now cohabitating with his evil double, or whatever, given that Ferris said he was smiling and crying when he told her that he had killed Ryner. I just don’t know, so I’ll let it go for now.

We then got a reunion between Ryner and Ferris (it seems like they have had reunions every two or three episodes in this series), in which we got to see, again, that Ferris really does care for Ryner. However, it seems like there may be a cause for concern for Ferris, because she did look a bit worried when Kiefer helped them escape. Since it seems that Ryner and Ferris are going to be going up against Sion and Roland in the future, I would venture a guess that Ferris and Kiefer will inevitably cross paths again. Now whether Kiefer and Ryner would still have a thing for each other after all of these years is questionable, but it would still make for an interesting encounter.

The rest of the episode was really just one long ending montage scene featuring the various characters the series has introduced thus far, either fighting or standing around ominously. I will give this montage credit, in that I do want to watch more Legendary Heroes after watching it. One of the most interesting things from that montage was that Milk and company still seemed to be fighting on behalf of Roland, even after Milk learned the truth from a couple of episodes ago. Now, given that she would know that Sion’s undead soldiers were a result of human experiments, I wonder what could have possibly kept Milk from conspiring against Sion.

All things considered, this episode did move the series forward, but it seems like the ending montage was far more useful than the actual fight between Ryner and Sion, especially considering that we at least know the show didn’t forget characters like Tiir, Milk, and Miran.

Final Notes:

With this post, I’ve finally completed blogging my first full series, and while LOLH hasn’t been the most exciting series, it was pretty fun to blog. I’ve tried getting away from some of the longer, more analytical posts that I did earlier on, to making shorter, more to the point posts. That said, if you do read my posts with any regularity (I’m also blogging Star Driver), I would appreciate any feedback on my writing and ways that I can make my posts more appealing. Aside from that, I’d like to say thanks to the people who do read my posts, and more specifically foshizzel for commenting on such a regular basis.

That is the one thing I learned from my 10th grade English class. I had written an otherwise excellent (for a 10th grader), well sourced paper about Herbert Hoover’s life and she gives me a B- for no other reason than that the paper had no transitions. Suffice it to say, I’ve never made that mistake again in an academic paper. That’s one of the big issues with Legendary Heroes that has bothered me for some time; there are no transitions. Now, there has been the constant shifting from one story to another, and I’m cool with that. However, putting characters in unexplained situations, like the show did in episode 15, or the weird shift in tone from the last episode to this one are disappointing, to say the least.

Episode recap in four words: Sion goes crazy, finally.

Then there is the problem with the within show transitions. Having comedy intermixed with drama is a fine line to walk, and I pointed this out in my episode one post. LOLH has been doing a fine job with handling this concern of mine, but for some characters to act so out of turn, like Miran did in this episode, is perplexing to say the least. Now you might think that I hated the quick transition from the disconcertingly flirtatious and nice Sion to evil Sion, but that had been hinted at for some time, so while the transition was quick, it was understandable.

Aside from that last revelation, nothing really happened in this episode. It seems like the creators needed some reason to bring all of the characters together before Sion went bonkers, and they went with the birthday idea. Nothing too revolutionary or well imagined with that choice, but hopefully the show’s ending makes up for it. It was nice to see that the show hadn’t forgotten all of its side characters, like Miran and Noa (who was berating Clough for drinking too much in the background of the party scene, which was pretty funny). I really don’t think too much else needs to be said about this episode, so I’ll leave it at that.

I’ll end this post with some pictures of Ferris, but unfortunately there were no good ones of her blushing when it was revealed she was planning on opening her own Dango shop.

Even though it seemed like this episode pulled a whole bunch of things out of thin air, it still added a whole lot of clarity to past events, which is something that the series has done more of the past few weeks. Hopefully, this means we are in for a conclusion that ties up all of the show’s loose ends, though could you blame me if I still have doubts?

To start, I suppose it would be prudent to talk about the parts of this episode that actually made sense, and then gradually shift to the bat sh#t crazy. The flashback featuring Sion meeting Lucile, which expanded a scene from the beginning of the series, gave some insight as to what might have caused Sion to go crazy and lock himself in a poorly lit room for half of the show. It seems to have something to do with a splitting of Sion’s personality, which he had been able to contain up until this episode. But now it seems as though the darker side has now taken over completely, considering Lucile’s smirk and Riphal’s warning to Kiefer.

However, I think it would be a mistake just to assume that Sion just wants Ryner dead, as it would seem that both Sion and Lucile want to use him in some grander scheme. This really depends on how you view the conversation in the previous episode in which Sion made it clear to Miran that Ryner must live. I suppose you could assume that Sion was a different person back then, or you could say that he needs Ryner alive for something bigger (It would also be pretty bad writing if Sion just flip-flopped like that in one episode). Perhaps, those tests on Alpha Stigma users that Milk finally found out about this episode are meant as practice for Ryner. These tests, also lend credence to the theory that Ryner is a part of a larger plan, as Evil Sion must have ordered their continuation some time ago. Also, I know this is probably wrong of me to say, but did anyone else find that monster’s voice hilarious?

On another Roland note, it seems like everyone who used to be a part of Sion’s brain trust is getting tossed aside. I mean even Miran deferred to Sion, Clough doesn’t seem like he is going to be useful anytime soon, and where are the rest of his generals?

Then there was the part of this episode that was just plain crazy. I’ll admit, the scene in which Lucile confronted who I can only assume to be Ryner’s father, as I don’t think it was ever explicitly stated, was pretty awesome, and really showed, without really even showing, how powerful these two were. But then, what was up with that whole heaven/dream/revelation world Ryner was sent to. While this part of the episode did help explain (very poorly, I might add) the links Ryner shares with the past (which really hasn’t been mentioned since episode 2, though I guess implied through the title), what was with that emblem taking the form a monster. Even more messed up is that we were probably introduced to Ryner’s mother, only for her to die in a matter of seconds.

Even though there were plenty of crazy things going down in this episode that made no sense, all is forgiven as we got to see Ferris blush. Focusing on the plot though, it will be interesting to see how that tattoo is going to protect Ryner from Sion, as well as how Ryner will react to seeing Kiefer again in upcoming episode(s). Regardless of what happens, it seems to be inevitable that Ryner and Ferris are going to be stuck in the middle of the conflict between Roland and Gastark, no matter where it occurs.

Also, where in the h@ll is Tiir?

Since I am looking down the barrel of two hellish weeks of school before Thanksgiving break, I am going to combine the two shows I am reviewing into one post this week and next. Unfortunately, that means I am not going to be able to go as in depth as I would like to, which really sucks since Legendary Heroes is really starting to heat up again, and Star Driver continues to meet and exceed expectations.

To begin with, you have no idea how happy I am that Ryner finally decided to do something, instead of constantly complaining/moping about his situation. While his decision to join Tiir, and what looks like a group of outcast magical eye users, made sense when you consider the order Sion gave Luke, you have to wonder what the hell he was thinking in leaving behind Ferris. It seemed as though she thought she had gotten through to Ryner after his last outburst in episode 10, as the flashback reminded us, so it is hard to imagine how hard Ryner’s betrayal must have hit her. Though to empathize with Ryner, having what looks like thousands of people in the army shudder in fear from your presence, right before you decide whether to join Tiir would probably have a big impact on your decision.

It seems like Ryner regrets leaving, but has it in his mind he has no other choice

As for Sion, how freaking lucky is this guy? This guy was anointed a hero after the events in episode 3, in which he needed Ryner to save his ass, and now it was only because of Ryner’s s decision that Tiir disappeared. I mean how much does he have his army wrapped around his finger to declare that he sent away the monster, even though pretty much everyone there saw that wasn’t the case. I guess that also begs the question about how stupid his army is, but that’s a question for another day.

Anyway, it seems Ferris is going to go look for Ryner and try to knock some sense into him which is all well and good, but the really important development is that Ferris looks infinitely hotter in her new pink get up. On a side note, I kind of was disappointed that we didn’t get any resolution to the Miran/Luke encounter from the previous episode.

As for Star Driver, things weren’t quite as crazy as last week, but we finally got to learn a few things about Sugata. Apparently, he is the heir to the strongest Cybuddy there is, and also has the strongest First Phase in the form of the King’s Pillar. The only problem is that if he apprivoises, he will fall into a deep coma. There is also some added drama about how he learned of his abilities on his birthday five years ago, and ever since he needs to do some emo scene on said day. On a side note, the show seems to have made a special note about how both Wako and Sugata learned of their abilities, and in both instances it seems like it has filled them with regret and forced them to restraining themselves, with their inability to leave the island likely symbolizing something else.

Glasses, bunny ears, maid outfits, what's next?

With that said, you know Sugata was planning for the long run when he did apprivoise to save Wako. I mean he pretty much sacrificed himself to save her, so you know that when he inevitably wakes up (he is a main character) that Wako is going to want to get into his pants. More seriously, this episode made it more clear that Takuto wasn’t necessarily going to be the one to break Wako’s seal and that there will likely be some sort of love triangle between the three. I’d really like to see Sugata become an enemy to Takuto as that would be a pretty interesting story line.

A little uninteresting, but that may be due to the lack of fan service when compared to other characters

As for the show’s stand alone story, I wasn’t really that impressed with Undine’s character as she seemed to be a little bit too paranoid about Takuto and Wako being together. On the flip side, her first phase was pretty awesome, and was the catalyst for some pretty sweet fights between her Mermiadolls and the maids with the ever growing list of moe elements. Just as interesting was the increasing screen time that was devoted to the mentioning of the First Phases. The scene with Kanako, in which she said she was lucky to have a first phase that didn’t cause that much stress was really interesting, especially in comparison to the trouble Undine seemed to have with hers. If we were going to somehow try and relate this to adolescence, which this show seems to be about, it seems that some characters have a lot easier time adapting to their newfound first phase powers than others. This, in addition, to some other characters who have trouble dealing with finding out about their powers, certainly goes to show that while people may go through the same things in life, more or less, not everyone can handle them as well or as easily as others.

Do they really need to wear their costumes outside?

On a side note, this was the first time I could easily understand the nonsense coming from fish girl’s mouth, as it seemed to predict the events that would occur later in the show, and was the basis for my theory that Sugata and Takuto might become enemies.

After weeks of essentially having no plot movement, this week’s episode threw many things at us and in quick succession. While beggars (and I am) really can’t be choosers when it comes to timely plot development, this episode moved forward in a variety of different ways. Some of these choices were good, while others could have used the “dead air” from previous episodes to be better.

Awesome character. Why he was introduced so late is beyond me.

Though Ryner’s choice to leave Ferris behind was by no means the highlight of the episode, it was the one event in the episode that triggered its characters to act in a way that didn’t feel cheap. Ferris’ reaction to Ryner’s disappearance made sense and was able to elicit some reaction from me; because it seemed like past episodes had led up to this point. Seeing that even Sion’s comment about dango didn’t even register with Ferris, and we all know how much she loves dango, made this moment even more potent. Then you had Sion calling out to Lucile in vain to determine what he said to Ryner, suggesting that Sion might be losing some of Lucile’s favor.

I feel for Ferris

Unfortunately, the rest of the episode was unable to match that level of depth. The revelation that the black-haired, black clothed character had in the past killed Clough’s friends seemed like it was designed for us to care about that fight. Though the fight between the two was the most interesting since episode 3, I couldn’t get over how Clough’s past seemed like it was tacked on at the last-minute. Seventeen episodes are more than enough time for us to learn about some of these character’s pasts, but it seems like all we are getting is Alpha Stigma back story. Perhaps it’s a moot point given that it would seem the black-haired bad ass might be looking to find and defeat Ryner, just like it seems that every other major character in this show is destined to do, rendering Clough useless.

Then there was the scene with Kiefer and Riphal. While I love that Riphal is so direct about his intentions with Kiefer, I can’t help but think where he has been the past four episodes. For someone who seems like he will turn out to be a major character by the show’s end, he gets very little characterization. I have this bad feeling that we will only get his back story right before or after some pivotal event or death, which seems way too much like Bleach’s modus operandi.

Despite my complaints with the backdrop to some of these scenes, there were a lot of interesting things that suggest that the show is getting on the right track. The way the Roland and Estabul forces intermixed over the course of the fight shows that tensions between the two may be dying down, if only to defeat a common enemy. Kiefer learning about the different types of eyes and their respective powers suggests that there may be even more characters that have powers on par with the Alpha Stigma and the Iino Doue (so even if the plot goes to hell, we will at least have some good action scenes), and that Ryner is really unique, though I guess the viewer kind of already knew that. Plus, Miran Froaude finally looks like he has finally met his maker.

Luke finally showing his skills

Three fourths of the way through this episode, I was about ready to give up on this series and drop it. It has been some time since the perversion jokes between Ryner and Ferris were new and interesting, Sion’s inability to do anything of interest had been getting on my nerves, and the revelations regarding Ferris and Lucile’s past, though interesting, were not shocking and did little to move the plot forward. But thankfully, almost as if he had heard my pleas for some sort of plot movement, Luke made one decisive and somewhat risky move, that may have finally made this series interesting again.

I don’t know what it is about characters who keep their eyes closed in this series, but Luke and Lucile finally opened their eyes to the fact that this show wasn’t going anywhere. First, that was one risky move by Luke to pass off Sion’s order as a birthday party invitation when he gave it to Milk. I mean what would have went down if Milk had inadvertently opened the letter and seen that Sion had given the order to eliminate Ryner, should the worst come to pass (though I suppose it’s possible that Luke forged the letter). Obviously, he thought that he had no choice given the apparent importance of Milk and the information found in the book he was given earlier in the episode. Of course, Luke’s actions may prove to be all for naught, given that Miran looks to have his own agenda when it comes to Milk.

As old as the comedy bit is getting, this shot was pretty funny.

What does all this mean for Ryner? Obviously, Sion’s order has drawn the memories from his past that no one can truly get close to him, and that those who do will get hurt, but will this impact whether or not he accompanies Sion to Estabul. Perhaps more importantly is what will Ryner take away from his run in with Lucile? Honestly, there are a lot of things you could take from that conversation in regards to Ryner being a monster and that he shouldn’t lay a hand on Ferris, but at the very least we know Lucile is cut from the same cloth as Ryner. That said, it almost seemed as if Lucile was ordering Ryner to look after Ferris for the time being, so maybe she also holds some unseen importance in the grand scheme of things.

As for Lucile, I get it, he is creepy. However, I do give the guy some props for taking out his even creepier parents.

With only ten episodes left, I hope that this series can take these elements and create a sustainably exciting conclusion, because at this point I am almost past the point of no return in terms of dropping this series. But even if LOLH turns out to be a tour de force from this point on, there was no reason to have the lead up last as long as it did. For example, it was pretty obvious from about episode six that Ferris’ character was changing and that she was fortunate to have found someone to call her friend, even if she didn’t admit it to herself. But we didn’t need another 10 episodes to clarify this point, and then have it beaten over our heads in this episode, when it would have only taken five episodes to do. I suppose there is no crying over spilt milk, so let’s just hope the introduction and development of the main characters ends here…

or not.

You know a show is running on fumes when it employs a nonsensical time skip and uses the old strand our main characters on an island to force character interaction with the hope of moving the story forward routine. Unfortunately, that is where Legend of the Legendary Heroes has found itself after 15 episodes. Despite some new revelations about some characters and few minor plot twists, this episode highlights the glacial pace this series has taken on. To the creator’s credit, I think they know this, and they have tried their best to insert more humor into the series. However, when the best jokes they can muster involve stale Ryner sex fiend quips by Ferris, that increasingly question his sexuality, something needs to happen soon, especially considering the large amount of promising new shows.

This plot line would make the show far more interesting than it currently is.

The one big revelation from this episode is that it appears Milk is destined to marry Sion at some point in the future. There were some hints about her importance in Episode 11, in which I speculated the taboo breakers served no real purpose and that their true objective was to guard Milk, but this revelation seems like it has come a bit out of the blue, and had no real lead up. It also seems like Luke also is quite skilled. While there hasn’t been any hard battle evidence to prove this, he did go toe to toe with Ryner near the beginning of this episode and the first OP did feature him somewhat prominently.

Ferris' facial expressions this episode were a bright spot.

The most confusing aspect of this episode was the relationship between Ryner and Milk’s groups. From what I’ve gathered, it seems like Ryner and Luke are the only ones in the know, given that they didn’t continue fighting each other after they figured out who the other was. Regardless, it seems like all of that doesn’t even matter anymore, since Milk has now seen Ryner and Sion together and now must realize that Ryner isn’t trying to kill Sion, but is instead his (special) friend. While it is nice to see that these misunderstandings are now all cleared up, I have to question what their point was in the first place. For the show to just change this dynamic, without anything of note coming from the old status quo, I really question the need of having Milk in this series at all. Hopefully, the show will eventually prove me wrong.

All those somewhat interesting points aside, this episode also reiterated things we’ve known for weeks, or even months, now. We got more brooding from Sion about how hard leading a nation is and that Gastark poses a real threat, and also confirmation that Miran is going to try and kill Ryner. We were also reminded that consolidating power in Estabul is going to be necessary if Roland is going to have any chance of standing up to Gastark. My episode 13 post was basically about what the ramifications would be for Sion and Roland if he were to invade Estabul again so I won’t get into that again, but they keep delaying this seemingly inevitable conflict.

Ryner, think of Ferris.

Although most of the Sion centric portions of this episode just seemed to rehash old points, it was interesting to note, from Sion’s now weekly musings, that Roland was already collecting Legendary Relics. I say this is interesting because it is my understanding that Miran has not let it be known his ring is a legendary relic, and that he only left the Swordscale on Sion’s desk after reading Ryner’s report. So perhaps some other characters have secretly been gathering legendary relics, because the last time I checked Ryner and Ferris’ grand total is zilch.

For whatever reason, this series seems incapable of putting together two good episodes in a row. Unlike the last episode, which introduced a new character and moved the plot forward significantly, this episode focused on what we already knew and why they are doing what they are doing. With that said, this episode did open a few new interesting doors as Miran finally learned of Ryner’s connection to Sion, and it seems like the Rule Fragment will play some sort of pivotal role in the series.

It seems like everyone in this series loves to hear themselves talk, except for Kuu and that's what I love about her.

One interesting tidbit we got from both the opening scene and the lead up to this fight is that the power of the Alpha Stigma can be harnessed, perhaps in the form of a Rule Fragment. While I suppose you could have inferred this from a previous episode, I believe that this was the first time it was explicitly stated. This information opens the door to a lot of interesting plot twists in the future. While Ryner states that he would like to spare Arua from the life of an Alpha Stigma bearer if he could, there are other possible applications. The most notable possibility is some sort of FMA Brotherhood type of ending where Ryner gives up his powers at the end of the series for some higher purpose, but that would be pretty cheap in my opinion. Another possible scenario is that Miran, who has also witnessed the Rule Fragment’s power, will try to acquire the knowledge needed to use it, should he need to defeat Ryner. These are only guesses, but it is something to keep an eye on given the amount of screen time the concept has received.

One on One training with Ferris. One lucky kid.

As for the fight itself, this episode continued the long running trend of blank spaces, but I suppose this is just something I will have to learn to live with. Perhaps as a result, this “fight’s” focus was not on the action, but an unnecessarily long conversation between Sui and Ryner about their respective kings that didn’t offer anything new. For whatever reason, this series has to make absolutely clear we understand what the moral center/theme of this show is. But honestly, how could you not get it by now?  The actual 5 seconds of the fight with action was pretty good. Ferris using the ice wall as an elevator was actually pretty cool.

Miran interrupting the battle wasn’t that big of a surprise given he was already in Runa, but they way he did so was a bit of a surprise. Perhaps the devil actually has a heart, as I can’t think of any other reason for him to wait until Sui almost killed Kuku to attack, especially considering there were ample chances to catch the pink haired siblings off guard. Looking at the bigger picture though, Miran now knows that Roland and Ferris are working for Sion and vice versa. His reaction to this was a bit perplexing, as I don’t think he understands why Sion has up his sleeve, but to be honest I don’t think Sion actually had any big plan for the legendary relics as he was surprised they actually existed.

One confusing thing for me at least was the timeframe between the beginning of the episode and the fight at the manor. Perhaps the novel draws things out a bit more, but I thought it would take Ferris longer than a millisecond to train Arua to the point he would be able to help them in their fight, even if he was only used as a part of a specially conceived plan. Now that the dynamic duo have saved Kuku, it seems like they want to drop these two kids off ASAP, and I can only saw thank god. Since their introduction, nothing of interest has happened to Ferris and Ryner, which has really hurt the show given that they are its core. Hopefully, they two kids get placed in the care of Milk and her comrades as I can only see hilarity ensuing from that situation.

Leaving two kids with these fools. I smell a spin off.

While I would love to do a mid series review for this show, my focus on my midterms is going to limit this post to just the normal episode review, but this was by no means a normal episode. I would venture to say that more happened in this episode in the past two or three episodes. Though there were many things in this episode that caught my attention, the introduction of the Gastark King, Riphal Edea, and the similarities/differences between him and Sion will be the focus of this post.

You're in the wrong show.

Riphal’s appearance in the introduction demands that I compare him with Sion. In said introduction, it gives the appearance that the two are sending their forces into action via the same hand signal. Also, I’m sure some you likely noticed that Riphal stated that he always tried to reduce casualties, if only be a little. This is, more or less, the same thing Sion said way back in episode 8 and in regards to putting down the Estabul rebellion and episode 11 in regards to the anti king movement. This was right after Fiole was murdered and Sion was probably still reeling from the emotional aftermath of that event.

Now, it is difficult given the nature of the show to know how much time has passed since that point, but the next few episodes may shed light on to how much Sion has changed since that point. After sending Clough back to the Estabul region with Noa, he and Miran had a private discussion regarding Estabul. To be honest, I couldn’t quite make out what that conversation was about, but the picture below is a screen cap from the end of that discussion.  Putting on my Eric Finch hat, I would imagine that Sion is likely to order something that will force Estabul to immediately integrate with Roland, much like Riphal used his sword to force Stohl to surrender.

Regardless of whether my prediction turns out to be right or not, I’m sure many might want to compare Sion to Riphal. Unfortunately, I think Sion is going to have a much tougher time of integrating Estabul than Riphal will with Stohl. Going back to a comment made by Miran several episodes ago, in which he muttered to himself something to the effect of letting people off to easy now, will only make it harder in the future. Now that Sion, via Clough, is going back into Estabul after failing to fully integrate them in the first place might cause some sort of uprising. Now it is hard to blame Sion for acting like he did in the past, as he can’t solve all his problems with a some super awesome sword, but that might be his problem. Sion is, more or less, bringing a knife to gun fight in that many characters have a legendary relic, but Sion has nothing of note that has been shown so far, save a little magic. Since diplomacy has seemingly only gotten him so far, he may be forced to take draconian like measures in future episodes.

On another note entirely, does anyone else think Kiefer is kind of a sl*t. Stohl was the third nation she was fighting for in this series, and it seems like she has agreed to a booty call with Gastark in the future. All jokes aside, the flashbacks in this episode, while gruesome, seemed a bit too drawn out for what it revealed. I would have much rather seen some longer fight scenes, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Giving it up to the most powerful nation.

A few final notes: Ryner and Ferris are still dragging that kid, who has slept for three episodes, along and will likely fight Sui and Kuu, and perhaps Miran, seeing as how he is also heading towards Runa,  in the next episode.

I have to give Riphal credit for sacrificing a leg, an eye, and his sense of smell in his quest for peace. He has some hard ones. With that said, he doesn’t have limitless power, so I’d imagine that will probably bite him in the @ss.

I’m a fan of the new opening and ending, even though the first OP’s music was finally getting stuck in my head.

After reviewing my episode one post from a month and half ago, it seems my doubts regarding DenYuDen’s ability to walk the line between being a comedy and drama have been put to rest. Aside from a few overly cliché moments, I have enjoyed watching Ferris’ comedic charm and seeing Sion sell his soul to the devil. As luck would have it though, it seems that once I put one fear to rest another has come to take its place.

She reminds me of Yui.

Before getting into what that fear is, I must say that I love girls with fangs, and this episode really delivered on that front. Both Milk and Sui have fangs, and thus, have instantly become my two favorite characters in this show. Regrettably, my love for their dental issues doesn’t mean I think they have any place in the show. The pink haired Sui, and her older brother Kuu, only show up for two minutes, with their only discernable purpose being to alert Milk to Ryner and Ferris’ location. Though the siblings did offer a few laughs, they seemed somewhat out of place and seem to be, for the time being, exhibit A as to what this story’s problem is (which I cover later).

As for Milk, this episode clearly focused around her. With seven episodes under our belt, understanding what taboo breaker means and what her job is became a lot clearer than when introduced. A bit of shame though for Ryner and Ferris, as both Miran Froaude and Milk’s group are out to kill/capture them thanks to the secret nature of their mission. One interesting twist is that is doesn’t seem that the rest of Milk’s crew  knows of her past with Ryner and the affection she holds for him, as even in episode 1 she is always alone when she talks to him. However, the most interesting part of her story was found in the flashback where we saw a far more aggressive Ryner save Milk. Given that Ryner himself said he hadn’t used his Alpha Stigma for several years in a past episode I hope we will get to see why he gave up using his power and if it had anything to do with his personality change.

This one is just too easy.

Though introduced, in passing, during the first episode, I was a bit surprised with how important the defense of a nation’s magic is to its survival. Given that this is something Sion oversaw himself, it does seem to be a rather important plot point. Unfortunately, I don’t really care about the sanctity of Roland’s magic, or any other nation’s for that matter, as the series hasn’t done anything to acquaint us with it. I wasn’t looking for anything on par with FMA’s review on the finer points of Alchemy from episode 1 of that series, but at least try to make me care. Additionally, this potential plot point just adds to an ever increasing catalogue of things in this series that I need to keep an eye on. With an upcoming conflict in Estabul likely on the horizon, that list will likely continue to grow.

On that point, the episode concluded with Miran giving Sion a report about an uprising in Estabul. From the look on Sion’s face once he got that news, I wouldn’t want to be in Estabul anytime soon. Most of his screen time this (and last) episode was again devoted to him moaning about his inability to protect Fiole. Given that he also likely regrets his inability to protect his classmates from being slaughtered by the Estabul Knights in episode 3, he seems hell bent on revenge. After watching the Star Wars trilogy yesterday, I can’t help but think this is Sion’s first big step to the dark side.

I get it. Sion is evil.

Like its expanding plot, the show’s cast of characters continues to grow. Though I am fairly confident that most of the recent additions to the cast will be nothing more than bit players, and thus will not be critical to the overarching story, it seems like the show has not yet hit its stride. While this is a bit of an exaggeration (especially considering episode 3), more than one fourth of the series has aired and it feels as if I’ve only seen an endless convoy of character introductions. I would hate to see this series suffer the same fate as the third season of LOST, in that it continues adding new characters without really ever advancing the plot of the main characters, which in this case would be Ryner, Ferris, and Sion.

On a different issue, it was nice to finally get confirmation as to where episode one fit into the continuity of the series as a whole. While I’d imagine most people who watched this were able to surmise that it took place before episode 5, the open ended ending of the first episode had given me troubles. Fortunately, the show solved this problem by highlighting another. This episode’s ending was the second instance in which Ryner and Ferris apparently walked away from a fight with a monster that had something to do with the legendary relics (the dragon in this episode and the stone monster in the first).

For Ferris, I would be her S any day of the week

It seems as though there is some understanding between Ferris and Ryner as to what they are doing, but it would be nice if we were privy to their conversations. For example, is there a reason as to why they are letting these monsters roam free, are to assume they defeat the monster in between episodes, or is there someone else who comes along to deal with these beasts? Given that the show looked ahead in the first episode, it does seem reasonable to assume that we may not have the whole story and that there is some sort of missing episode that will clear everything up in the future, but then again, I really don’t have a clue. Let’s just hope we don’t get some sort of ending monologue that “solves” all the plot holes ala Angel Beats.

After spending the last week in L.A. for my vacation, I finally got around to watching episode 6 earlier today. Though this episode was a definite improvement over last week’s, thanks mainly to the fight scene, some parts seemed a bit too forced. While I understand and appreciate that the show is trying to flesh out its characters and plot, the actions they are taking to seem like they are coming a bit out of the blue.

DO NOT WANT! Ferris is mine!

Sion’s actions, in particular, seemed the most puzzling. His sudden acceptance of Miran’s suggestion to travel to Nelpha over the advice of his longer tenured generals was certainly strange, but his agreement to travel with Miran alone was even more so. Perhaps I misjudged Sion, but he didn’t seem like the type of ruler to condone, or maybe even order, the execution of the Nelphan nobles, or for that matter Toale. It would seem that Sion’s destiny is to walk down a darker path, as he alluded to in an earlier episode. It isn’t that I have a problem with Sion’s decisions, but this seems like a sudden change in his character. Obviously, Sion’s one scene of brooding over Fiole’s death was supposed to show why he is changing, but changes in character this dramatic are supposed to take more time if they are to be believable.

Idiot Test: If you didn't figure out the episode would feature his ring, you're an idiot.

Unfortunately, the character development wasn’t limited to Sion, but it also opened the door for Ryner/Ferris shipping. As I mentioned in my review of Episode 5, it did seem like Ryner and Ferris were getting closer to each other, but I thought the two of them would remain platonic for the series’ duration. However, after viewing the last few scenes in this episode it seems possible that these two may become more of an item as the series progresses. My feelings on this possibility are mixed. As I have mentioned many times, Ryner and Ferris’ banter is my favorite part of this series, and messing with that chemistry may hurt what has made this show good so far. On the other hand, taking the series in this direction could open up the door for a more intriguing story.

I couldn't help thinking about The Lord of the Rings when I saw this.

While the fight scene was fairly enjoyable, I do question the amount of down time during the fight. Ryner and Ferris should find some other time to flirt, as there usually isn’t that much time to talk during a fight. Likewise, Miran’s inaction while this was going on is equally upsetting and disappointingly cliché. But that wasn’t nearly as disappointing as when he ran away from the fight when he clearly could have taken Ryner and Ferris. One interesting bit of info from this fight was that Miran’s ring, which I never had even noticed, is actually one of the legendary relics. I was a bit surprised that Miran was able to give Ryner and Ferris a good fight, as I thought the series true focus would never be on the relics themselves, but more on what use they will serve in some master plan. This suggests that the acquiring the actual relics will not be an easy task.

It seems like every episode Ferris is wearing less and less clothing. Very nice.

Since episode 7 comes out in a few days, I’ll keep the theories to a minimum and end the post here.

I know many of you probably don’t follow sports, but I’m going to throw a sport’s analogy at you all anyway. When a legendary coach leaves a team, like when Steve Spurrier left the Florida Gators or when Phil Jackson eventually leaves the Lakers, the guy after him, no matter how good, is never going to get the respect he deserves. Likewise, as good as this week’s episode was, it was never really going to match last week’s episode. But then again, this episode never really tried to match the level of last week’s. Instead, we got more of a stage setting episode that finally bridged the different time periods introduced, but it was still pretty interesting.

The subs for this show really make it too easy for yaoi jokes, but that might just be the case with all shows

The first half of the episode focused on the two or three years Ryner spent locked up in a poorly secured dungeon. Truth be told, I thought that if the show spent any time covering Ryner’s stay in jail, that it would be no more exciting than watching grass grow. But given the way this scene was handled convinced me that this show will likely remain one of my favorites this season. The great back and forth between the prison guard and Ryner concerning the books Ryner was researching and the guard’s daughter over the course of his sentence was unexpected to say the least.  When the guard came to release Ryner, thinking he was to be executed, you could see that the two did seem like “Buddy’s”.

In the end though, my guess is that the only reason there was so much attention placed on this relationship was so that Ryner didn’t just run away upon his release was out of respect for the guard’s position (Considering what Lucile would have had done to that guard had he escaped). This is pretty emblematic of Ryner’s general outlook on life and it nice to see it rather than him just saying it.

Why they just can't use normal numbers is beyond me.

We later learn that Ryner spent his time in jail preparing a manifesto that detailed how to use the legendary relics as a deterrent to war (a little too Code Geass: Season 2 for me, but whatever). While the particulars about his research were not revealed, I would imagine that he used his Alpha Stigma to memorize the knowledge from all of those books he read. From what I’ve read and saw when Ryner activated his powers in the last episode, it seems the Alpha Stigma is some sort of power that little kids give themselves so they can do anything and everything under the sun.

While we were led to believe that Ryner was being leg to execution, he was instead led out of the prison compound to a waiting Ferris. After the two had a short fight, Ferris eventually strong-arms Ryner into accompanying her to meet the king.  Unlike the last episode, I really thought that this fight scene finally delivered some of the clean crisp action I had been waiting for. Though the previous episode obviously had a bunch of action, I didn’t enjoy it due to the overuse of shades that blocked a lot of the blood and the other gimmicks the animators used to cut costs. This fight used a few of those same gimmicks, but it looked much more polished. Now I know the fight in this episode was a lot shorter and only featured two characters, but if future fight scenes are able to meet this standard, it would be a big boost for this series’ long term prospects.

I would be willing to watch that show as well.

The last part of the episode introduced Sion as the new King of the Roland Empire, which might have been a surprise to some viewers if the first episode wouldn’t have given it away. After reading Ryner’s manifesto, Sion orders Ferris and Ryner on a quest to find the legendary relics. It is pretty easy to see that Lucile is controlling Sion behind the scenes and has other plans for the relics’ use, should they be found. Another interesting tidbit we got from this scene was that Kiefer is still alive and is traveling the world. Considering that our heroes are about to do the same thing you would imagine we have not seen the last of her. It was also pretty intriguing to see Ryner’s reaction to the news that Kiefer was still alive, as he seemed rather indifferent to her over the past few episodes.

Though it is clear that this series will have a fairly interesting plot, whatever happens, it is still unclear as to what that plot will be and what themes it will cover. A lot of people have seemed to wonder, myself included, as to why this show is taking its sweet time introducing plot points and explaining character back stories. While it is unfortunate a lot of people may have dropped this show after first episode or two, I am beginning to appreciate the slow build up. As much as I enjoy series that jump straight into explaining back stories and character’s abilities in the first few episodes, this show has taken a different route, and I commend it for taking that risk.

Cue dramatic cape flip.

Looking forward to next week, I am afraid that we may return to the dull comedy routine of the first episode, especially when considering that the past three episodes contained a lot of great story telling. One good thing about a return to the present day is that we now have a far better understanding of what is going on with the plot, so the transition may not be as bad as I think it might (plus we will get more Ferris). Now that the stage is set, it would seem that the series may take on more of an episodic format, but I wouldn’t really mind if the story jumped around a bit as it seems that is when it is at its best.

There is one final thing I want to note before ending this post. It seemed Ryner was pretty liberal with his Alpha Stigma powers in his fight against Ferris. This represents a fairly dramatic shift in his character from the previous episode, so I suppose that his outlook on life may have changed while he was in prison. But if this isn’t the case, then it certainly gives the impression of some sloppy writing considering how Ryner let his classmates die so easily last episode. Anyway, that is just something I am going to keep my eye on.

Though the scene was definitely overkill, that dead dog (mafia style) near the beginning of this episode certainly set a much darker tone for this series, which is certainly an improvement considering the lackluster opener. As this episode would later go on to explain, it appears that many of young Sion’s problems are due to him being the son of a noble father who married a commoner. This, in turn, gives Sion the motivation to want to overturn the current order of the world due its corruption, etc, etc. While I certainly understand Sion’s motivation to become king, he better not continue blabbing on about his past and the corrupt way of the world, otherwise he may start entering Suzaku Kururugi territory. That type of behavior would be enough for me to drop this show just out of principle.

A sunrise is a perfect time to flirt.

We flash forward some unknown number of years (though still before the start of episode 1) and Sion is attending a magic academy that trains social rejects to become sacrificial red shirts for the Roland Empire. He eventually befriends, through his irritable charm, a young recruit by the name of Kiefer Knolles and, through blackmail, Ryner so they will join his team for the upcoming exams. After they pass the exams with flying colors, Sion asks Ryner to help him overthrow the kingdom. Ryner, in his typical fashion, burns Sion, citing his laziness. Following a brief moment of male bonding, the two are attacked by NINJAs!

After Ryner unceremoniously leaves him to deal with the ninjas by himself, Ferris eventually comes out of nowhere to save Sion. Indebted to Ferris, Sion is obligated to bring her a special order of Dango and the two then discuss why people are trying to kill him. After he explains his past to Ferris, she tells him she will find out who was trying to kill him, as long as she gets more Dango for herself and her young sister, Iris. The episode ends on a pretty ominous note, as we learn that Sion’s team, Ryner and Kiefer included, are walking right into a trap. Additionally, it seems as though Kiefer is likely a spy, given how she tried to keep Ryner from going to fight. That and the pieces of knowledge Ferris and Iris obtained after interrogating whoever was trying to kill Sion.

Ryner is a pretty popular guy.

As previously mentioned, this episode was a definite improvement over the first, which makes you wonder why they didn’t decide to start with this episode. That aside, there are still a few things that I am wondering about going forward. It would seem that Ferris’ brother is a pretty important individual, but I am still wondering what his motives are for keeping Sion alive. On that same issue, it seems as though Ferris is fairly afraid of her brother as she does whatever he demands.

Peace and love.

One moment that caught really caught my attention was how Ferris referred to Sion as a dog right after she saved him. While the comedy that resulted from this was interesting enough, it seemed more than just a coincidence that she referred to him as a dog after the opening sequence prominently featured a dead one, but then again it’s probably nothing. Sion aside, it seems that Ryner and Ferris have both had troubled childhoods. While with Ferris this is nothing more than conjecture (though her appearance in the ED would seem to give this opinion some credibility), it is evident that Ryner clearly had a less than perfect childhood in a militaristic quasi-orphanage. As the series progresses, the main character’s similar pasts may be something that binds them together, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

She could torture me any day.

While this episode put its predecessor to shame, there are still a few things I don’t like about the series. First, Ryner’s character seems to be pretty one-dimensional at the current moment. I get that he is supposed to be lazy and that was his excuse for rejecting Sion’s offer, but there has to be more to this guy. Another possible mark against this series is the potential for overusing Ryner’s Alpha Stigma as the reason the world shuns him. While this is isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me in regards to this series, I’ve just sort of become numb to that kind of plot device. Thank you, Naruto.

Keeping the end of Episode 1 in mind, along with how this episode ended, it looks like the next episode will finally have the epic carnage I’ve been waiting for. Also looking forward to the first meeting between Ryner and Ferris, as it doesn’t seem the two of them have met yet.

or Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu

I hope you’re not lactose intolerant, because this is apparently going to be one legendary show. Obligatory How I Met Your Mother reference aside, I decided to give reviewing this show a shot after watching its surprisingly decent trailer that raised my expectations. Despite its pretty stupid name that still may grow on me, I have read good things about the original novels. Even after one episode, I’m still not sure what to expect from this series. The trailers gave the impression that they were attempting to mix comedy with drama, which is a fine line to walk and if not done properly could doom this series. While I haven’t made any definitive judgments on that issue as of yet, this episode certainly didn’t make the best first impression.

But where is the other hand?

Plot wise, there doesn’t seem to be too much going on in this episode. After a short prologue that showed how the power of the Alpha Stigma (stupid name) saved humanity years ago, we flash forward to the two main protagonists of the show, Ryner and Ferris. They’re basically on some sort of quest from the Roland Empire (stupider name) for the artifacts of the Legendary Heroes ala Katanagatari, but only with magic.

Anyway, after they take five minutes of my time so Ferris can express her love for Dango they eventually make their way into a temple of some significance. Once inside Ryner eventually meets his childhood friend who is a captain to a bunch of unnamed subordinates. After she confesses her love to Ryner, she accidently awakens a giant stone monster that is apparently an artifact Ryner is searching for, which then starts attacking our heroes. As much fun as I found this set of characters, there was another, far more exciting story that alternated back forth throughout the episode. But not really.

...

... I already hate this guy.

Now unless you are some yaoi obsessed fangirl who isn’t the master of their own domain, I highly doubt you will find the third of this episode devoted to Sion Astal and his generals the least bit interesting. These guys apparently have designs on taking over the world, but apparently going to a ball to satisfy their libido is more important to these guys. Not that there is anything wrong with that. There is some effort placed into making this thing feel as though it is going somewhere via a misdirected assassination plot, a shady character who stands in the shadows, and some political intrigue, but it all seems to fall flat. There were some other things that happened in this episode, but most of it seemed unimportant in the long run. Plus, with another 25 episodes, there is more than enough time to catch up on anything that I may have omitted from this post.

I don't want to know what the blonde guy is thinking.

The only redeeming part of this episode was the ending flash back scene featuring a bunch of bloody corpses set to the sobs of a character to be determined later. As this scene suggested, there is likely some history between Sion and Ryner, but we are still in the dark as to what their current relationship may be. The preview for the next episode suggests that they will address this sooner rather than later. That, and the possibility of seeing Ferris in school (or anywhere really) will likely be enough to keep me tuning in for a few more episodes.

Next episode: Ferris' day off

Going forward, the banter between Ryner and Ferris featured in the opening minutes of this episode seems like the only thing this series has going for it.  Besides that, I found many of the gags dull and the other characters were uninteresting, and I haven’t even got to the animation yet. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy a series if it has subpar animation, which this does, but LOLH really didn’t offer anything else for me to latch onto. That said, I hope this series will find its legs in the next couple of episodes as I do see some potential.