From the New World, Episodes 22-23: Inui, We Hardly Knew Ye

Tokyo & The Face of the Boy

Summary

The thing Saki’s parents left for her is a Minoshiro. A real one – it’s mechanical. A letter from Saki’s mom explains that there’s an ancient weapon called the Psycho Buster. It was originally developed to kill Power users, and since it lets the user kill without using their own abilities, it won’t trigger the Death of Shame. To retrieve it, however, they have to go to a polluted wasteland even the Monster Rats consider cursed – Tokyo.

After leaving Thatchring village, Inui collapsed from exhaustion, but was saved by none other than Kiroumaru. Saki and Satoru ask to see him, and are horrified to find him chained in a dank prison cell. They ask for his help, since he is an enemy of Yakomaru as well. More importantly, he’s been to Tokyo before. He assures them it’s not as polluted as the rumors make it out to be, but still dangerous – he lost a third of his men during the expedition.

In a submarine, Saki, Satoru, Inui, and Kiroumaru manage to outrun the Monster Rats and Ogre and arrive in Tokyo Bay. Kiroumaru advises them not to land until daybreak – at nighttime there’s a monster that lurks near the shore.

The next day, amidst the desert pocked by ruined buildings Tokyo’s become, they activate the Minoshiro. As soon as it locates the Psycho Buster they spot a bird out at sea and realize they’ve been followed. With no choice, they head into the underground.

It’s stiflingly hot, the floor a mass of bugs and their feces. As they travel they wonder about the nature of the weapon. The Minoshiro helpfully chimes in. Created in America during the last days of the old civilization, it’s a modified form of anthrax, highly contagious but engineered to be rendered inert a year or two after use. The trick, therefore, will be getting the Ogre to breathe the powder.

Kiroumaru realizes they’re being followed, the breeze from openings in the roof carrying their scent behind them. There are seven pursuers – five soldiers, the Ogre, and Yakomaru himself. As they hurry on, Saki wonders how Maria and Mamoru’s daughter became an Ogre. The cause is an extremely rare random mutation, but this is too convenient to be luck. She wonders if it’s even an Ogre at all, a proposition Satoru firmly dismisses. Then he’s attacked from above by a giant slug, identified by the Minoshiro as a bloodsucker. They kill it, Inui dispatching those still clinging to the roof above them.  

Hearing a bell through the walls, Kiroumaru deduces that their pursuers have split up. Inui finds an underground river, and Kiroumaru confirms they’ll need to travel up it to get to their destination. He suggests they split up themselves, him and Satoru going to lead the pursuers on a false trail while Inui and Saki retrieve the submarine.

Inui has suspicions. The Kiroumaru he knows would’ve bailed after a single casualty, so if he stayed until a third of his men were dead he must’ve had a good reason, but he won’t say what it is. As they retrieve the submarine, Inui reminds Saki that Kiroumaru warned them about a monster lurking at the coast. The Minoshiro says the most dangerous creature in the area is the Devil Worm, and they wonder why Kiroumaru didn’t tell them the specifics. Sure enough, a Devil Worm attacks the submarine, but Inui kills it.

As they travel up the river, Saki starts to hear Shun’s voice. She still doesn’t remember his name or what happened to him, but he assures her they’re always together. She wonders if she can defeat the Ogre. He says she’s mistaken – it’s not an Ogre. Then Inui shakes her back to awareness.

They reach the opening where they spotted the river, but Satoru and Kiroumaru aren’t there. Inui insists they can’t waste any more time and have to hope the others are just hiding and unable to move. They reach a wall in the passage and have to continue on foot, using their Power to create air pockets. Another Devil Worm attacks, and Inui sacrifices himself to kill it.

Saki finds an opening and wanders through the root and moss infested remains of a research facility, finally finding the phial containing the Psycho Buster in a wall safe. Daylight filtering through a crack in the wall leads her outside. Her memories suddenly return just before she runs into Shun. He no longer wears a mask.

Thoughts

This probably should’ve been tenser and/or more exciting than it was. A race against time through a hell on Earth of human making (literally, since it’s implied that the excess Power leaking out through the Sacred Barrier is warping Tokyo according to the human perception of it). But this supposed hell on Earth just has a bunch of vaguely weird monsters, none so dangerous a little fire doesn’t handle them one way or another. I mean, yeah, I’d be pretty grossed out at having to walk on a carpet of bug shit too, especially if I was like Saki and co. and lacked some heavy-duty rubber boots, and some of the bigger monsters like the Devil Worm would be pretty freaky in reality, but as a viewer there’s nothing especially strange or scary about them. As for Inui, we didn’t exactly know him enough to care, and if you haven’t noticed that people who are close to or just spend some time around Saki tend to die, you haven’t been paying attention. She’s even lost her parents (well, we don’t know that for sure, but really, what are the odds they’re still alive?), and since I’m still not holding my breath for Satoru’s survival, it looks like she’s literally going to end up losing everyone who was close to her. Ouch. Yeah, whatever else can be said, that still sucks.

Basically, these two episodes had the same concern behind as last time, in that the plot has gone in a very typical direction. Then, it was ‘the bad guy has an evil plan to take over the world,’ now it’s ‘race to beat the bad guys to the McGuffin.’ Assuming that letting the good guys lead them to it wasn’t part of the plan all along, because really, does anyone watching this still trust Kiroumaru by now? It’s very standard stuff that isn’t essential to the series’ more interesting ideas about human nature, the costs of creating safe, stable societies, and the dangers of superhuman powers. Like I said last time, Yakomaru’s plan has still has at least some applicability, given the universality of these themes, but the search for the Psycho Buster feels a bit less so, apart from the dangers it poses to all Power users. It’s one of those cases the solution could just as easily destroy those it’s supposed to save.

Granted, it’s not like I’m about to stop watching. There’re two episodes left, so there’s plenty of time to bring things together and wrap them up satisfactorily. Also, Shun’s back, which should hopefully prove interesting. At the very least, that’s definitely an unusual revelation about the Ogre. It’s clearly not a Karmic Demon, since it never causes anything that makes it look like the characters had some bad acid, so if it’s not an Ogre, then what is it?

For a while there, back when we first realized just how much of a villain Yakomaru was, I was wondering why I ever thought Shun was going to be the villain (probably because he was the most powerful character we’d come across up to then). Now that he’s back, however, I’ve been starting to wonder whether he might actually be somehow responsible for what’s going on. I suppose it remains to be seen whether he’s Saki’s guardian angel or the real mastermind behind everything.

Maoyu, Episode 9: I am Impressed

I am Human

Summary

With the White Night King, their leading ally in the south, in disgrace and the Winter Country on the ascendance thanks to the Crimson Scholar, the Church’s influence is waning. They intend to launch a Third Crusade in the hopes of bolstering it again. Young Merchant plots to avoid the Alliance taking any action until he and his closest colleagues can reform its governing body, the Council of Ten. One of Queen’s students, a young man from the Bard Country and now a diplomat for the Winter Country, is recruited into their cause to help delay whatever the current Council is doing.

In the town square of the Winter capital, it’s clear the Church’s actions don’t have popular support. Elder Sister Maid, wearing the ring, is brought before the Church’s Messenger, and his second-in-command ascertains this is indeed Crimson Scholar after looking her over. She’s put in chains, and whipped and beaten by the Messenger’s men. The people are horrified, and the Winter King almost intervenes until Old Man warns him against it. But Elder Sister remains defiant, and the Messenger can think of no better proof of ‘her’ heresy. Now she has something to say, but what does he need to fear from a heretic’s words?

Elder Sister tells her story, without mentioning that she isn’t, in fact, Crimson Scholar. Born a serf, she lost all but one of her six siblings to accidents, illness, the winter cold, and the cruelty of the land owner. But fate gave her a second chance, and others looked out for her. For so long she’d been told her birth status made her nothing more than an insect. But the kindness she’s been shown has convinced her otherwise. She’s human, and believes anyone who wants to be must first recognize that they already are. When the Light Spirit created humanity, she gave them souls so that they could have freedom. She didn’t make them perfectly good either, but their freedom allows them to strive to do better and know the joy that brings. These are holy treasures, not to be relinquished just to make things easier. No one can take that from you, not kings, not even the Church.

Enraged, the Messenger orders the crowd to stone her. Surprisingly, Elder Sister says she won’t resent it. Sometimes people must do such things to protect themselves and their families, even if it means obeying cruel people. Freedom also means they have the freedom to choose their own actions, and no one can blame them for doing what they must. But to do something simply because they were ordered to, for no other reason, that makes you an insect, one who has surrendered the Light Spirit’s holy gifts to another and has no will of their own.

The crowd starts to throw stones – at the Messenger. He orders the Winter King to stop them, but the latter remains silent. That does it – off with her head! The Winter King intervenes and stands up to the Messenger. For too long he’s been under the yoke of the Central Nations and the Church, but only now does he realize what that really meant. He’s ashamed it took him so long to act. Lady Knight speaks up as well. As a servant of the Light Spirit, she’s ashamed of the Church’s actions. Freedom also means the freedom to sin – it’s one’s personal responsibility to overcome your own sinful nature. The King grants Crimson Scholar asylum, and Knight, as prioress of Lakeside Convent, recognizes her as a saint. The King orders the Messenger to leave. The latter warns them they won’t get away with this.

A demon lord has just had a vision of Elder Sister. It’s made him less confident in his plans to take over the world.

This has all happened before. Through many ages she who tore the world asunder has strived to make things right, and across the span of time many like Hero have risen to help her. All she wants is salvation for all, and the chance to see him again.

Thoughts

Damn, this just might be the best episode of the series so far! Elder Sister Maid was only a secondary character up ‘till now, but man did she steal the show here. The rescue plan gave her a very passive role, but she managed to upset that and take her fate into her own hands. I never really thought much of it, but she’s spent the last six episodes wondering about the opportunities she’s been given and generally being unsure of her newfound place in life. Seeing her embrace it, and at great personal risk no less, was great to watch and took a lot of guts on her part. She deserves some major kudos for that.

It also put Head Maid’s comments about ‘insects’ in a new light. I didn’t like it because it was kind of absurd – yeah, no shit a serf doesn’t have the power to improve their situation that easily. That really wasn’t the case. What Head Maid actually did was teach her that she needs to stand up for herself and take control of her own fate, rather than relying on others. By ‘can’t decide their own fate,’ it looks like Head Maid meant people who can’t in the sense that they won’t, because they lack the courage to do so. Between that and the mentions last episode of how helpful she’s been to the villagers, she’s not as bad as I thought she’d be. OK, there’s still the ‘useless flesh’ comments directed at Queen, but that’s an annoyance that isn’t exclusive to her.

Not too much to worry about here re: the portrayal of the Church either. This episode made it clear the Light Spirit’s teaching are a bit more complex and open to interpretation. It’s not a monolithic, domineering organization. OK, it wants to be monolithic, and it’s being very forceful in asserting its power, but that’s because it’s an organization run by flawed people, not something inherent to the faith itself. And since they’re as imperfect as the people they want to reach out to, their struggle to have their moral authority recognized can sometimes go too far.  

And then there’s the stuff that raises questions. Like, what’s up with that demon lord, who apparently wants to rule the world? This is a bit late to introduce a potential antagonist, especially right after it looks like the stage is set for the final conflict in the actual run of the show. And apart from, presumably, Queen and Head Maid duking it out, it doesn’t look like it’ll involve the demons at all.

Then there’s the Light Spirit, and how what’s happening the with Hero and Demon Queen is the latest in a cycle, their goal one the Light Spirit has been trying to achieve for centuries. At least, I assume it’s the Light Spirit, since she wants salvation for everyone. What bothers me is that she only sees Hero as the latest in a cycle of companions she’s worked with. I hope this doesn’t mean Queen’s been possessed by her this whole time, because yeah, way to undermine everything that makes her a great character. I suppose it might explain the restlessness of the souls of past Demon Kings, since the Light Spirit, whom the demons don’t worship as far as I can tell, is interfering with one of their own. If Queen is, say, the one identified as a worthy worldly representative because of her goals and compassionate nature, that’s totally fine, since it means the Light Spirit is just acting through an earthly agent. Granted, it’s possible the Light Spirit is still influencing Queen in at least some way. It could possibly explain why Queen has such an advanced understanding of the nature of conflict and society when no one else, human or demon, appears to.

The thing about stuff like that, though, is that this is a twelve-episode adaptation of a light novel series currently eight volumes long, and I somehow doubt the anime is covering more than a few volumes. Stuff like that demon lord and the Light Spirit feels like stuff that was included because this is the point in the story where they first show up, but who don’t actually come into play until later. It’s starting to feel like Mage may be the same way too. If there’s more seasons that not necessarily an issue, depending on how far they get, and I definitely won’t object if more gets made, but I’m not holding my breath.

Maoyu, Episode 8: And Don't Even Ask What the Light Spirit Has to Say About Corn...

- Take This Sword, My Lord

Summary

Elder Sister Maid uses the ring during a meeting with Young Merchant, but he sees through it right away. Hero takes over and teleports him to Gate City, and reveals Demon Queen’s identity, though not her title. As far as most humans know, Gate City was re-occupied by the demons, but that isn’t the case. Rather, Queen has recognized it as neutral territory. Human merchants – including some from the Alliance, are doing brisk business, and a third of the city council members are humans. Hero believes that merchants, those who think in terms of loss and gain, may be the first to see the things that can’t be expressed so. If Young Merchant will show him that, he can join their cause.

Queen visits Mage at the Outer Library of the Demon Realm. What transpires isn’t shown, but when she returns to the castle of the Demon Kings she tells Head Maid she left a message. They descend into the vaults, where the spirits of the past Demon Kings are growing restless. Before she enters, Queen has Head Maid repeat her promise – if Queen returns no longer herself, Head Maid will kill her.

Back at Winter’s Pass, Lady Knight offers her sword to Hero. She accepts the relationship between him and Queen, but she wants to be part of their cause. Offering herself to be his sworn sword is her way of helping. Hero accepts. Meanwhile, Elder and Younger Sister Maid learn how grateful the villagers are for everything Queen and Head Maid have done for them.

The Winter King receives an envoy from the Holy Capital. The Crimson Scholar has been declared a heretic and must be handed over a once! The potato is a demon crop, her new agricultural methods are against the Light Spirit’s teachings, and her efforts don’t sufficiently involve the church.

The Winter King and Old Man personally visit Winter’s Pass. Together with Hero and Knight, they devise a plan. Elder Sister, reluctantly, agrees to wear the ring and be ‘arrested’ by the Winter King. Once she’s out of the country, Hero will rescue her.

Thoughts

This is the sort of thing I was worried about when I first started watching the show. So, um, crop rotation on a four-year instead of three-year cycle is evil? Really? Episode 3 did things nicely, showing the Church as a leading institution for learning and the dissemination of knowledge. This time it’s the more stereotypical view of the medieval church as ultra-dogmatic moral guardians who don’t like anything that strays from their own dogma. But this’s the same thing as before – I don’t want to leap to conclusions because things usually turn out to be not so simplistic. After all, despite supposedly having the moral authority of being their god’s earthly representatives, the Church still has to struggle to maintain its’ influence. Knight’s reaction when she hears the news hints that this isn’t so much standard procedure as a heavy-handed use of their power against someone whose actions might undermine its’ position. Of course they’d try to act against something like that.

And if the Church knows the potato is from the demon realm, why does nobody else? Or even all members of the Church, since none of the nuns at the Lakeside Convent had any idea about it. No one’s ever said where it comes from, so how did the Church find out? Then again, I suppose if it’s unknown in human lands, it’s not much of a leap to assume it must come from there.

My constant concerns against this show becoming simplistic in ways it never has aside, more and more bits from the opening and ending sequences are starting to make sense. A lot of what’s about to happen is hinted at there, albeit in a way that isn’t clear until right before it’s about to happen. Between a glimpse of Queen sitting up on a pedestal surrounded by a red aura, then a shot of Head Maid with an injured arm right after, I think we can safely assume Queen’s trip into the catacombs isn’t to going to end well. But then, of course it won’t – are you really gonna have Head Maid make a promise like that and then not force her to face a situation where she has to carry out such an unpleasant duty? This show isn’t ironic in that way. As long as Queen is saved before she actually has to be killed it’s bound to be more interesting that way anyway.

And what’s up with those two invisible girls with Mage? Are they split personalities or something? Is anything ever gonna be done with Mage at all?

Maoyu, Episode 7: Isn't She a Nun?

- I'll be back soon, we'll see each other soon

Summary

Hero continues to have women trouble. Lady Knight comes on to him after they spar, and while visiting Gate City as Black Knight, the Demon King’s representative, he has a run-in with the Dragon Princess. She’s decided Hero’s her husband.

There’s an earthquake in Winter’s Pass village. It’s the second in a month, a shorter interval than last time. Queen and Head Maid obviously know something about it and decide they may have to step up their plan. Beforehand, Queen takes Hero and Elder Sister Maid to the Iron Country to see something she commissioned. On the way to the workshop Elder Sister ruminates on the value of knowledge and education, and how they can help people understand there’s a better way. It’s a good thing that’s on her mind, because the piece Queen commissioned is a printing press.

The night before she leaves, Queen tries to sneak into Hero’s room. He got a declaration of love from the Dragon Princess. Not knowing what to do with it, he left it as an offering at the church, where Knight swiped it. Now she has the same idea as Queen. Neither will budge, but Head Maid has a solution – in with the both of you! Queen’s suggests a number of one-sided ‘compromises’ before they find a solution – get in his bed at the same time. Queen tells Knight she’s going back to the demon lands. Apparently being the Demon King requires a licence. She also needs to try and smooth the political situation, since some of the demon tribes still want a war. She asks Knight to watch over Hero. The next day she leaves with Head Maid, and gives Elder Sister a magic ring. It lets her change appearance, allowing her to take Queen’s place while the latter is away.

The former garrison commander of Gate City is put on trial. He tries the ‘possessed by demons’ defense. It doesn’t work. He points out his role in winning the battle for Bright Light Island. Nope. Many of his men died, and they allowed the demons to retreat. Sorry – you deserted your post, so it’s the death penalty for you! Rather, for an unfortunate body double after the White Night King sneaks him out, minus a rat-eaten eye. Both of them vow revenge.

Thoughts

Well. Right after I say that the harem bits aren’t very prevalent, this happens. Granted, the scene in Hero’s bedroom wasn’t harem antics, more like Betty and Veronica fighting over Archie. Heck, I even got a bit of a laugh out of it. But did we really need Knight’s topless scene?

It’s not that I’m necessarily against stuff like, say, unrequited love on Knight’s part, which is exactly what her actions are. The thing is, it isn’t really explored or handled in an interesting way. Things like love triangles or almost every woman in a series throwing themselves at the male lead happens all the time in anime, even series that aren’t specifically harem or romantic comedies. We even have both this time, thanks to that bit with the Dragon Princess.  That’s what this feels like – something that was done because it’s part of the standard. Sure, some of it might have made me chuckle a bit, but it still isn’t all doesn’t really add anything to the show.

Not that this was a particularly amazing episode anyway, since it was mostly set-up for what’s going to happen next. Some of it was good, like Queen’s plans to return to the demon lands. She spent the first half of the series working to turn the humans away from war, but that’s only possible if both sides can be convinced to stop fighting, so the story would be remiss not to address this. Not to mention, she’s king/queen/whatever of the demons, so I’d hope she wants to help her own people as well. Other things, I won’t jump to conclusions about, but they seem like they could end up not so good. Such as the White Night King, who’s come off as a bit of a one-dimensional self-interested villain, with how he keeps trying to get people to do things that suit his interests but then refuses to accept any responsibility when something goes wrong. Given all the advantages he has by supporting the war and the party line of the Central Nations and the Church, it makes sense he’d have a problem with the way things are going, though, so yeah, saying it’s bad would be premature. It’s more definite with the former Garrison Commander, or whatever his name-title is supposed to be now, who’s been portrayed as a self-absorbed coward and stereotypical sniveling henchman. The issue, especially with the White Night King, is more that he’s still being set-up, as of now, as a straight-up bad guy by holding the position he does, whereas the major theme in this series is that war isn’t so straightforward and doesn’t have good guys and bad guys (Nazis and Cobra notwithstanding).

Not the best episode, but far from bad. I had similar worries when I first started watching and it turned out to be much better than that. I don’t have any reason to stop watching as of now.