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「人心変転」 (Jinshin Henten)
“”Change of Heart”
I can’t help but express my disappointment with the central moment of this episode. When Shera gets obviously mind controlled, and leaves with her brother—contradicting everything she was saying seconds beforehand, and with Diablo in full knowledge of the possibility of a mind control spell—I was pretty peeved. You see, the best stories surprise you. I’m not saying anything crazy here, right? It can start from a familiar base, but when it comes down to a crucial moment, it’ll do something you don’t expect, throw in a twist, or simply reveal itself as more than you expected. That elevates the material. Isekai Maou did that in some ways, but when the crucial moment came, it opted for cliche. Diablo got mopey and went inside to bed. Where’s that genre savvy from earlier!? Gah!
Not that everything was done poorly. I very much like that he showed real vulnerability, he even cried, because that (along with how he’s never ordered the girls to do anything after that first time, and now when it benefits them) continues to humanize and insulate him from becoming an overpowered ass. I don’t even hate that he has this past trauma, which serves a similar function. It’s just a hamfisted way to link two events that aren’t all alike! The first one was kids being dicks, of their own free will, while this time it’s a blasted abduction! A third party, Keera, is being shitty, instead of the friends in question. Totally different! They’re not the same! And trying to link the two like this is a cringe-worthy affair. It just doesn’t work.
You know what other anime this series reminds me of sometimes? Nisekoi. They’re both okay series executed relatively well by an author who has the skills to do much better and is only half trying. Here, the premise is better than with Nisekoi (that one was shite), but the character/moment-to-moment execution was better over there. Here it can become absolutely middling when Murasaki-sensei leans fully into the cliches. It can still be fun, in a trashy way, but I do expect it to try. Keera using the letter of the agreement while violating the spirit of it was a good moment, as was the call back to Diablo never ordering Shera. It’s just the missteps take away from the fun stuff, in an arc that feels like it should have ended this episode, rather than dragging on to another (look forward to Keera’s death and/or defeat by his own petard next time).
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Full-length images: 17, 18, 21, 23.
Preview
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https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
Want to see more anime where low-lives get a very angry face because the MC disgraced them. Anyway, I am assuming elves don’t suffer from genetic disorders from inbreeding, fantasy logic.
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
Feel sorry for these dudes. While they are probably not evil, they have to follow the orders of an idiot prince. I hope the king or queen isn’t corrupt.
I seriously question the parenting skills of the Queen and King. One “kid” is a self-centred spoiled sadist, the other one it a complete airhead…
That’s your “genetic disorders from inbreeding” right there.
If the whole series had been as sour as the last 2 episodes,
you could understand that it’s nothing more than a trashy Anime.
But after seeing the artistic choreography that was done in
this series in its earlier episodes makes these latter developments
a complete let down.
I wonder – did the director change or something?
Honestly, while I wish this entire sequence had been changed to Diablo saying “no mind-control in my house!” before anyone even left the inn, the anime actually did this plot-line a lot better than the manga or LN. There Keera never put on his friendly-face and was an outright condescending dick to everyone, made no secret what he thinks of Sheera and what he’s going to do to her right in front of Diablo, the mind-control is still obvious to everyone, and yet Diablo still lets Sheera leave. It’s one of the stupidest scenes I’ve ever had to experience. At least here they tried to put a little more effort in, but the whole thing is still just a horribly shoe-horned excuse for Diablo to “grow” and for Sheera to trust him even more. Because it’s not like she’s already just one step shy of screwing him or anything… *sigh*
If they were willing to change things they should have gone farther and just fixed the whole problem.
Have the first meeting at the inn go the way they showed then have the whole group meet the prince at his encampment for the final answer. Diablo uses the collar to break the obvious mind control then curb stomps the prince, his men, and his blue eyed flash hydra.
Good to know they at least improved on the LN, though, yeah, I wished they’d gone all the way.
Where have we heard this before?
‘This crystal is our ultimate weapon! It summons a mighty monster that cannot be defeeeeee…’
Let’s see if Diablo can break Ainz’s record for blowing the big bad away.
And didn’t Shera witness Diablo blow away an army of Fallen not long ago? We saw just how strong ONE Fallen was when it came to ordinary people, but Diablo effortlessly destroyed 100 and also easily defeated Edelgard yet Shera STILL cries and is uncertain that he can win?
I am fully expecting for Diablo to kill that supposed “ultima ratio Elves” with one spell and then soundly trash Keera himself…
Frankly, I really hope the hydra will put more of a fight. At the very least, we’ll get the cliche heads re-growing.
This shit is just getting worse and worse as time goes on I’m hate watching this just so i can feel good of how right i was about this being trash isekai giving back name to isekai genre.
I wonder why Diablo didn’t just cast some spell protecting from enchantments on Shera?
Or, failing that just ordered her via Collar “resist any ayyempts at brainwashing and tell your true intent”, just without waiting whole episode to do that while wallowing in self-inflicted despair…
I’m not as hash on Diablo as most of you. Yes, he suspected there was something off with her. But like he said, he had no way to prove it right there in front of the inn, and was dumbstruck by Shera’s words. Even if some part of him knew it could not be her will, another part of him felt the blow her words dealt. Emotion trumped reason, which is somewhat in character for someone who is socially a disaster and finally found friends dear to him. It was a bad decision, but not completely out of the left field for someone like Diablo.
I think the problem is the execution, rather than the idea.
When it wants, one of Isekai Maou’s strongest points is that his overpowered protagonist has personal limitations that can turn him into a butt moneky for comedy effect or be milked for drama. This was a good opportunity, and I’m actually really glad that Diablo knew that something was off and suspected mind control. Honestly, his doubts are also understandable: can you prove it’s really mind control? Don’t people in real life also show (apparently) inexplicable changes of mind from time to time? Shera’s voice being the same, even some of his gestures, also helped to make it more believable.
But the pace. The pace was bad. As Stilts has said in another comment, revealing that specific Diablo’s trauma right before it becomes plot relevant is cheap. I’d have introduced it earlier, perhaps at the beginning of the arc. That would have given more nuance to other details (like Diablo lampshading that Rem and him were the same at the beginning, and wondering why Rem changed).
So far, the theme has been Slavery is bad, lets find a way to get these collars off.
Diablo hasn’t used his position of power to abuse the girls and is actively trying to help them out of their situation. Which would be an Ideal world action
However the Slave Trader/Slave Market scene depicted the ‘slaves’ to be in good spirits. While some may see this as somehow glorifying slavery, its not. Its actually a more modern depiction of ‘white slavery’ where the slaves are forced into prostitution and appearances affect price value. This is a more Realistic depiction.
But since the series hasn’t decided to go more in-depth on the subject I haven’t felt the need to do so as well. It is a Comedy so I’m willing to see where this Slave collar MacGuffin goes.
I didn’t know the Enslavement Collars have as much power as Command Spells, but yes it was believable for Diablo to cry and sulk in his room, seeing how socially inept people would rather hide and run away from a situation rather than confront it.
Agreed. people seem to forget a lot this is the same guy that can’t say a word unless is in character of his demon lord of another world cosplay. he has severe social anxiety, I have meet and helped people worse than him in real life and its sad how accurate this is. at least he doesn’t have the full combo. anxiety + depression + ADHD. trust me he could be a lot worse.
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%2008.jpg
Diablo just found the “auto set” for his world. Potion-making when he’s distracted. I wonder if the rest of the craft system works on a similar principle.
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%2036.jpg
Diablo = Level 100. Summoned Hydra = Level 40, tops? Diablo doesn’t even have to use a new spell to defeat this monster.
Diablo is level 150, which is the cap. The hydra is much higher than you’re estimating.
its said later that there isnt a level cap or rather, ppl can break through it
thus he may slowly get a higher lv
sry, forgot to add SPOILER above
and cant change it anymore
or.. to save money, they just need to show her boobs and “voila!” the magic trick with the green potion is done without any amount of animation and reduce even the cost.. because even the viewer are distracted of them…
The biggest diddopoinment from my perspective is the writers having to rely on sultry moments like this to keep the fans interested with Isekai. Depending on the viewer this could be a story about Diablo’s harem or the mission to release both Shera & Rem.
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
almost every episode now has been about Shura’s chest its kinda off-putting
I got Diablo letting the girl go because his mental illness kicked in and rendered him unable to act rationally. This was confirmed when Diablo stated he even knew mind control probably being used but that he still was compelled by his phobia to let her go. The story did fail to get this point clear to many though. It Diablo overcoming his phobia so fast that rang more untrue to me although I have to say it is possible.
I know what they were trying to say, it just wasn’t done well enough for it to work. Compare this to the codependence of Sora and Shiro in No Game No Life. By the time it’s plot important that they be separated, it’s illustrated well what would happen (which makes it glorious when they rise to the occasion). Here, not so much. His social phobias have been done well; introducing a trauma in the beginning of the episode where it becomes important isn’t done well at all.
The world needs more Sora – what a great Anime that was!
Strange.. in Episode 01 they did not had these chains around their necks, right?
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
now this chain on her has some magic!!… care to explain?
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
So how did the magic entered the chain in the meantime? is she more then she looks like?
https://randomc.net/image/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu/Isekai%20Maou%20to%20Shoukan%20Shoujo%20no%20Dorei%20Majutsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
But why i border.. Boobs is the main actor in this anime…