Episode 2
Not a bad second episode. Though not that much happened which is why I made this a double post. However, despite it being on the slow side, I can see it slowly building up to something and I’m honestly excited to see where this series goes. Seth finally made it to Caislean Merlin, Dragunov is headed off to search for him while his old crew are being summoned back to home base along with many of the other forces for some reason and the Merchant Barons are on the move. A lot is definitely being set up here.
And while it was mainly filler, we got to see possible new antagonists in those Merchant Barons. They definitely put up quite the fight against Seth, especially with that one woman who used a freaking hawk to pinpoint the enemy so she can snipe and also that one guy who got steroid powered legs. What that guy did in battle actually cracked me up so much by just how bizarre it was. Like, he freaking flying in midair using his buff legs, I just could not lol. It was just so stupidly hilarious that I had a good time watching that fight. I’m sure he’ll pose a threat in the future since he and the other Merchant Barons seemed to be quite wary of the Sorcerer Knights.
It was surprising to see Grimm appear and save Seth. Though if I would have remembered from the last ep of last season, he was following after him for some reason. I was hoping that he’d travel along with Seth since it kind of breaks my heart a little to see the boy finally make friends but choose to travel alone. Though it was quite interesting to see Grimm react to Seth’s question of whether he has the burden of having killed many people. I like that with Grimm, you can’t see his expression, but you can tell just how he feels by his body language. It’s pretty obvious that Grimm has killed a lot of people and feels the guilt for it. As to why has yet to be explained. Hopefully he’ll make more appearances so we can learn more about him.
Speaking of which, I was actually shocked to see Melie and Doc so soon after Seth left them behind. How did they get here before him?!
Episode 3
This was another slowish episode, however, as soon as I started believing this was filler, it proved me wrong in the next scene. I’m really glad that they’re not trying to stall things as badly as they did in the last season. Sure, they seem to be padding out the episode with a stupid fart joke some throwaway scenes, but at least they got to actual plot by 3/4ths in. Also, I just noticed that they flash the character who will be important in the first few seconds of the opening… I honestly really like that.
As I said before, I’m surprised to see Seth run into Melie and Doc so soon after he left. However, him leaving definitely took a toll on Melie as she sadly walked away as soon as she saw him. I was a little annoyed that he didn’t chase after them to talk things out. I actually went and looked at the manga to see what the differences were and he actually paused to think about Melie for a moment in the manga. While in the anime, he just wondered what was going on before immediately going to the library without a second thought. At least in the manga he told himself to focus on one mystery at a time rather than completely blowing it off. Seth really does feel a lot less mature in the anime than he is in the manga.
And while I’ve expressed my dislike towards Doc a lot during the first season, he definitely showed a better side of himself by how concerned he is about Mellie’s emotional state. If he blew her off expressing how she isn’t causing any more trouble for him, I think he’d be dead to me. However, he actually got up and followed after her, offering her words of encouragement and support, something we don’t usually see from him. It was a nice change of pace and made me appreciate his actions. While he was still tsundere about complimenting her, it was not his typical obnoxious response but it was more soft, which I greatly appreciated. So, points for him.
When Seth met that supposed “fairy” in the bushes, I totally thought this was going to be a filler episode and I was ready to be extremely exasperated. Especially since it started with that guy farting for “comedic effect.” I say that with quotes because I never found farting jokes funny. Anyways, I decided to go back and forth between the manga and the anime to note any big differences between the two and goodness do they take a lot of liberties. I can’t say they’re taking creative liberties because what happened in the manga was a lot more interesting than what transpired in the anime. Myr caused much more of a ruckus in the manga while in the anime it felt so tame and a little boring in comparison.
In any case, my worries were set aside when Seth ended up meeting the Sorcerer Knights thanks to Myr. I was mildly suspicious of Myr getting Seth into the stables while telling him a “password” he would need. Especially when Okoho reacted in exasperation upon hearing that “Lulu is sleeping.” That felt like a genuine reaction and not an act and wondered if Myr was just messing with Seth. Aaaand that feeling was correct because apparently he does cause mischief around those parts for everyone. However, I also get the feeling that he’s an important character considering he appears in the opening.
Speaking of Ocoha, she seems like an interesting character and I really like her design. She’s definitely a lot different than what I expected. I expected more of a no nonsense and serious character, but I’m happy to be wrong because she’s a lot more endearing. She’s so easily exasperated, especially by Myr, it’s great. However, I can definitely sense some mild resentment and jealousy towards her other apprentice knights since they seemed to be more distinguished and recognized. However, she’s still pretty friendly and I’m sure she’ll make good friends with Seth.
The Sorcerer Knights are definitely really interesting and I’m excited to see them in action. Especially since normal magic doesn’t seem to work on this new type of Nemesis called the Spectral Nemesis. The first ability they showed off was really cool with having their consciousnesses connected so they can hear orders without them being said. And also how they equip their armor. That was freaking awesome! Seth also looks pretty good donning it as well and it was hilarious how excited he got seeing it for the first time.
Also, can we just talk about how their dragons are all just freaking regular animals but with dragon wings. It’s adorably hilarious. Especially that racoon dragon, Dracoon… How freaking adorable is that name?!
This episode started off slow, but I’m glad plot actually happened instead of ending up as a cursed filler episode. I’m sorry if I’m so wary of fillers, but season one scarred me. The Sorcerer Knights are an interesting bunch and I’m eager to see more of them and what significance they have. We’ve been hearing about them, but I’m wondering what lies in that title. They’re certainly a force to be reckoned with and I hope at least some of them will team up with Seth on his mission.
