First Impressions / Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry

「皇女の休日」 (Koujyo no Kyuujitsu)
“Princess’ Vacation”

I think my thoughts about this episode could be concisely described as “Oh, my.”

Student Council

Before leaping into the topic I know we all want to talk about, let me dedicate some words to the epic student council who managed to arrive just in the nick of time to fish Ikki and Stella out of some hot water. For starters, isn’t it great that this show can a bunch of characters simultaneously show up in a previous episode, get wrecked by our main protagonists, and appear later in such spectacular fashion? In a sense, even with Ikki and Stella clearly beating the crap out of their opponents, there’s this light hearted feeling that seems to accompany everyone we’ve seen after a fight (minus asshat Shizuya). Something that perfectly accentuated the student council’s reintroduction since they literally got no time devoted to them. But even with the tiniest amount of time, seeing them interact with our couple and eventually come to bail them out just felt really satisfying. That and I’ll never decline getting to see someone as crazy as Toudou Touka. With boobs and power that rival Stella’s, seeing her work was a show in itself. Sucks that Shizuku has to face her though.

Relationship Level Up!

While some would say the whole thing was a little awkward, I think the interaction between Stella and Ikki during their short cabin stay was fan-tas-tic. Ignoring the long pans over some pretty sketchy areas, I can’t even begin to express how happy I am to see just how far the two have advanced their relationship. Compared to the guy who yelled out it’d be fair for him to strip after accidentally seeing a girl naked, Ikki has matured into a fine boyfriend. Keeping his mind and body from losing control, I think I died inside after watching him strip the wet clothes off of his girlfriend without acting like a scrub or doing something stupid that would warrant a smack to the face. Because as awesome as stockings and a blouse was, I never thought he’d be able to get Stella’s bra off.

However, I can’t give Ikki all the credit. Stella’s matured just as much, if not more, letting Ikki do all that while containing the raging tsundere within her. Something that I was afraid would rear its ugly head in at any moment. The biggest surprise though, had to be just how calmly and respectfully she commented on Ikki’s crotch area, and then taking the initiative and asking Ikki if he wanted to get it on! Something I never thought would happen in a serious context.

So yeah, I think this probably tops the confession scene, if only by a little bit.

Looking Ahead

Wow, I wasn’t expecting such an amazing episode. Hitting all the right notes and topics while mixing in some character introduction and development, it’s a damn shame that this series is only one-cour long. Luckily, with everything ending on a happy note, hopefully we’ll get to see some more of what we got this week, next week. In any case, I’ll catch you guys later after I re-watch that scene a few times and go “Did this really happen?”

See you later!

 

End Card

56 Comments

  3. An important foreshadowing was removed from the LN’s plot this episode.
    https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%2040.jpg

    The rock golems were NOT sent by the sinister fat man to harm Ikki.
    In the novel, the golems were sent by another person to test the strength of Touka’s powers. This other person’s appearance foreshadows the plot of Vol 4, which introduces the recurring villain group for the next arc covering the 7-Star Sword Games. The person is a member of said group.

    This episode otherwise adapted Chp 2 of Vol 3, but in a different context from the LN.
    -Stella and Ikki meet Touka much earlier, before Okutama. They get to see her sillier side. They go to Okutama at the behest of the Student Council who want help to investigate some strange disturbances happening there; which were caused by the golems.

    -Shizuku returning to the Kurogane mansion is anime-original. I think this was a smart move because it gives her more characterization, shows the real reason for her brother love, and foreshadows Kurogane family issues.

    zztop
    Reply

    2. it is nice to have some more background infos. but i think this could be called also as an Anime Spoiler. Perhaps they would gave us an explanation in the next episodes, what was behind this attack. perhaps someone was just impatience

      i do not blame you.

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%2030.jpg

    Ah, no matter how many years pass by, I always seem to recognize Aizen’s voice. Speaking of which, he seems to voice another father in this season! Last one was from Assassination Classroom, Gakuho Asano.

    https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%2042.jpg

    BTW, Kakashi from Naruto called. He wants his jutsu name back. XD

    MS
    Reply

    1. Hilarious that the copycat got copied… Then again, while her attack is named Raikiri, the effect reminded me more of Sasuke’s Kirin. Soooo Touka thumbed her nose at two infamous copycats simultaneously!
      Awesome indeed.

      Weird D
      Reply

    2. Raikiri is one of the most basic special move names you could possibly ever think up. It’s like calling something ‘fireball.’ Call me when someone copies something like “Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki.” THAT’S a technique name.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

    4. Raikiri was the legendary sword of Tachibana Dosetsu that famously cleave apart lightning. So it is really more appropriate here than in Naruto.

      It’s like…calling a sword that shoots beam excalibur.

      SMistrel
      Reply

  5. I don’t understand why some people said he wimps out when she asked him to have sex since the anime already did a good job at explaining why. It’s not the usual bullshit like pride as they said, it’s about his respect to her parents for giving birth to the amazing and perfect daughter that is Stella. He’s a more traditional guy in a sense and I respect that. Some people are either too stupid to read or too eager to see sex scenes in anime. *sign*

    BlazingFreeze
    Reply

    1. wtf people are actually saying that? I thought that his response was equivalent to “let’s wait until later” and not completely against doing it with her because it from what I’ve heard in the light novels, Stella is a princess and if she were to be caught with a foreign commoner, it would cause an international scandal due to her status. So Ikki’s trying to be a chivalrous knight who wants to make sure her parents are okay with them being together.

      At least we know from this episode that their thirst for each other is mutual ‎( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

      koala-tea
      Reply

    2. i dont really think it has anything to do with people wanting to see sex (the sex could have been implied in offscreen land and im sure many viewers would have been happy so i dont think that’s the point) , but more that it just feels like a cop out. Yay, ikki is being noble and all that jazz, but that’s just so the story doesnt have to play the “sex card”, but rather wait till later in the narrative to do so (like probably near the end of the series like most anime would do with the couple kissing). As i said somewhere, it’s almost as if the narrative was afraid to make them have sex soon because then it feels as if there’d be nothing interesting left for the viewer to anticipate, to which i disagree because their relationship can be ample amounts compelling even after the deed is done if the writing is strong enough.I dont know, looking at it one way, i can understand ikki’s chivalrous nature and i understand that angle; but when i look deeper into the circumstances, i just cant help but feel that it was an artificial way for the story to hold back. It didnt make the ep bad, but it was disappointing. Of course ill take this all back if it just so happens that a volume or two later, ikki and stella’s relationship does get approved by her family and they do happen to do the deed; then this ep would be justified as it would have felt more like a build-up rather than a tease to an eventuality near the end of the series

      sonicsenryaku
      Reply

    3. I didn’t like his cop-out because, as we see from Stella’s response, it’s not emotionally satisfying. And this isn’t just because there was no success. He basically used ‘society’s feelings’ as a cop-out. Stella is very clearly not the kind of girl who gives two craps about society’s feelings. It’s one of those very ‘Japan’ moments where they imply that underage sex is bad because on the surface they like to act like it’s 1950 despite the fact that underage sex happens here as well as anywhere.

      A much simpler, more satisfying, and less weirdly moralistic response would have been ‘you have a HORRIBLE fever to the point you can’t walk, now is not the time.”

      KaleRylan
      Reply

      1. “A much simpler, more satisfying, and less weirdly moralistic response would have been ‘you have a HORRIBLE fever to the point you can’t walk, now is not the time’.”

        Yes, my thoughts exactly. That’s what i would have expected as an appropriate excuse in that level of intimacy. Even better, if they wanted to convince the audience that these are two teenagers coming to terms with their hormones, they could have started kissing and getting intimate…then ikki could have noticed that stella was still burning up from her fever and a little weak before final saying “wait; i really love you stella, which is why i would rather wait until you’re feeling better because i want our moment to be special (plus all that chivalrous stuff if the story really feels the need to add that in). Stella would understand and we would kinda see both stella and ikki sorta beating themselves up for holding back, but then ultimately understanding that they rather would wait to be at their best and cease an attempt on another intimate moment. That’s better writing there; it feels natural to the circumstance (or at least more organic than ikki’s excuse)

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      2. If it makes you feel better…we will very soon see why ‘society feeling’ as you put it, is a very logical reason for ikki to cop-out.

        To put it simply, this is less about Stella not giving crap about the society, this is about someone out there wanted to destroy Ikki’s live at every single possible chance. Better not give them another excuse/exploit for doing so.

        SMinstrel
        Reply

      3. Couple of things:

        1. A story justifying its own plot developments can only go so far towards making them more satisfying. OF COURSE a writer is going to eventually explain the decisions made (or attack them if the point was that the character was wrong). The question is does it work externally. And the issue with that scene remains. The response wasn’t necessary because Stella was so sick that sex would have been stupid anyway, and society’s feelings are very much a Japanese cultural thing, not anything the writer thought up especially for Ikki’s development, no matter how it is eventually explained.

        2. ties back into the first one, but underage sex being an exploit only works if its CONSIDERED an exploit. This is why its all but gone from American and Western media; no one really cares. Japan is still rather down on it (superficially) and uses it to do fairly damaging things to a lot of young people, so I disapprove of it.

        KaleRylan
        Reply

    4. Can you imagine what would happen if they actually had sex? We’d have a hentai, right? :’^)

      Bad jokes aside, I was a little letdown by Ikki’s reasoning for not having sex. Not the fact he gave an excuse, just the excuse he gave (It was probably more so I didn’t get it at first so I had to rewind a couple times).

      But hey, take what you can get right? I think the scene overall was pretty fantastic (and kind of hot).

      Takaii
      Reply

      1. Well can’t you imagine if Ikki didn’t give that kind of an excuse and use her fever instead to avoid sex?

        Then off cam, whenever they are in their dorm room and Stella is healthy, it will be implied that they will always have sex when Stella or Ikki wants one.

        I think, that is something that the author is trying to avoid.

        Raiu
        Reply

      2. Frankly, this is an utter misrepresentation of how that first time works. Just because you get to the moment, and something drops, does not mean that the SECOND you get another shot you go for it. Building up that courage again, for most people, tends to require the correct moment all over again.

        It’s the same reason we don’t now assume they’re just making out every single time we don’t see them for a bit.

        KaleRylan
        Reply

    5. Honestly, I was going to call this unrealistic. That a guy should not be able to control himself in that situation, but I had been in the same situation as Ikki. My girlfriend of 3 years asked if I wanted to do it with her – and she’s one of those girls that has never had a boyfriend and scuh, I weighed my options and simply put said we couldn’t do it at that moment. She admitted that it hurt her pride as a girl, that maybe she wasn’t attractive enough but I assured her the reason was that I wanted to be able to be able to look her parents in the face without any doubts and fears eating away with me. I wanted to say that our relationship isn’t a shallow one built on lust, and frankly now that I’m older I think that was the right call.

      I gotta give Ikki the 2 thumbs up on this one. Was a good call and their development, while awkward is actually fairly realistic, far more realistic than I’ve seen in the anime I’ve been watching the last 10 years or so – minus a few gems.

      FlyingScrub
      Reply

  7. That was – once more – a pretty good conversion. This time the fanservice was actually _really_ sexy, and the very fact that the female MC seriously and consciously offers to sleep with the male MC in the 9th episode of an anime is fairly groundbreaking in itself. Know any other shows which went so far so quickly?

    The detail I’m unhappy with is that ONCE MORE they are cutting Stella action scenes. Instead of showing her as a weakened damsel in distress, in the LN it was actually _her_ who saved Ikki’s rear end with her mad DPS when he was having trouble with the regenerating golems. The student council only arrived afterwards.

    I wouldn’t mind so much about this change if it hadn’t happened like this all the time. It’s almost as if the scriptwriter cannot stomach giving Stella the room she deserves. Someone please tell him that Stella is no trophy wife attachment to Ikki, but a powerful player by her own right.

    Mentar
    Reply

    1. Your right, but i think they want to stick a bit with the old Traditions. Where the shining knight saves the damsel in distress. Well, she had an high fever, so this solution is not wrong either. Also he needed to act very fast to get her out… Btw, there where an back exit? 🙂 Well, do not sweep the little details. But do not forget what @Mentar wrote also. Stella is no weak Princess. She even learned from Ikki close combat with her Sword. Show us a last this kind of progression.

      Or they are saving the Budget, for the arena Fights. But then please at last there, what Ikki teaches her, sadly Ikki can not learn her kind of Magic. But perhaps he can foresee the actions of the same class of combats from Stella. Know your enemy. what saves Ikki so far against Long range attackers, is his insane Speed. But what if he lost this? Do we see here an Accel World whining MC? (and vice versa with Stella)

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

    2. “The detail I’m unhappy with is that ONCE MORE they are cutting Stella action scenes. Instead of showing her as a weakened damsel in distress,”…

      that’s the other detail in this anime that’s bugging me. It’s like the anime wants to create the illusion that stella’s tough and a worthy rival to ikki but then they always shine the glory on him and make stella seem helpless. What’s the point of trying to appear as if the damsel-in-distress card isnt being applied to stella’s character as a means to make the male protagonist appear more competent when it clearly is?

      sonicsenryaku
      Reply

    3. That is highly disappointing and at the same time I am not surprised. This show has been very good, but time and time again it seems like the adaptation staff are at war with the source material. Like they just CAN NOT UNDERSTAND how you could have a story without harem tropes and with a strong female protagonist and they just think that the fans really want that stuff.

      In order to ‘make it better’ they integrate more Shizuku and lolicon crap, they dial up Stella’s tsundere stuff (mostly via keeping shizuku around), and they dial down Stella’s badassitude. This way we’re much closer to a more standard harem show.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

    4. Me during the golem fight: No, no, no, that’s not how this unfolded. She joined the battle with Ikki, showing that she regenerates faster than most common folks. She’s not a damsel in distress, she’s a powerful combatant!

      Maybe they should cut off too much anime original showcasing Shizuku and start ramping up Stella’s scenes a bit more. IMO this is Ikki AND Stella’s story, not Ikki, Stella, and others.

      masterjaw
      Reply

    5. You guys bring up a good point that I usually don’t think about — Stella being removed from the action scenes.

      I mean, in context, I thought it made sense she was pretty worn out mentally and physically. Sure, there probably wasn’t any reason why she couldn’t have gotten away from the golems chasing her, but I thought it was kind of nice that Renren had an opportunity to show us she’s more than just a lovable derp who runs really fast.

      Anyways, glad to know that things work out a little differently in the source!

      Takaii
      Reply

  8. Really enjoyed this episode, especially all the Ikki and Stella scenes. Like Mentar said above, the fanservice worked here. It didn’t feel forced and also wasn’t against Stella’s own will. Speaking of, I like how forward Stella is. She’s the one that wants to take their relationship to the next level. A shame it didn’t happen, but that’s just how it goes.

    Also, lol @ “exploding.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

    Mormegil
    Reply

    1. I agree on Stella. I like that Shizuku calling her ‘nympho girl’ is actually semi-accurate, and that’s fine. It’s not played as if she’s a monster or a deviant. She’s just a normal young woman and she’s interested in sex.

      I wish Ikki was a bit less moralistic and the image of a perfect Japanese gentleman, but overall I think they handle him well.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

  9. Colds never cease to amaze me in Japanese culture. I live in Japan and I have had a cold for the last couple of days and I have to say, this is in no way an exaggeration. While I was not fortunate enough to have the attractive woman with me (wife is out of town) everyone I met behaved like I was on death’s door minute by minute. It’s a cold. I’ll be fine.

    KaleRylan
    Reply

      1. ?

        I’ve never heard anything about Japanese people having a worse immune system and I certainly haven’t noticed any evidence of it while living here (most race things being wrong to begin with). Where did you hear that?

        KaleRylan
        Reply

    1. Well, seeing the technological difference in the two shows. It’d be more believable if Rakudai is from a generation or two before Asterisk & Touka is either Kirin’s mom or grandmom.

      Ryuutobi
      Reply

  12. https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2008.jpg

    I just loved how there was just ended up being a bunch of random things shooting back and forth during this scene, lol.

    https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2028.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%20Large%20End%20Card.jpg

    I think the world’s ocean levels have risen a few feet due to the combined amount of male drool that took place during this.

    https://randomc.net/image/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry/Rakudai%20Kishi%20no%20Cavalry%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2042.jpg

    So this is where Haruka Amagiri disappeared to, huh?

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  14. I’ve been thinking about this war between the source and the adaption. and i came to the conclusion that if it’s something I have to deal with to get enough sales for a second season, I can overlook it

    nyanlol
    Reply

    1. I have 2 responses to that.

      1. Sure. I really like the show. Anything that gets a second season is a win.

      2. I don’t think this is what is going to tip the scales. I don’t think anyone is watching this show for Shizuka. They are watching for Ikki and Stella and romance and action. And a lot of the changes have taken away from those four keys. The ongoing Shizuka crap has undermined the romance, the weird refusal to let Stella look cool has meant that she has not as far as I remember had a single on-screen action sequence since her first fight with Ikki which is REALLY bad if you stop and analyze it, and the overall upping of the harem/tsundere stuff undermines pretty much everything.

      Again, it’s a great show, but most of the changes have been bad (minus some of the random timeline changing) and most of the good stuff has been stuff from the source.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

  15. So they rearrange the scene again…Well not that I mind but the I would prefer if they would stick to the source since Show Spoiler ▼

    I felt a little disappointed since they omitted Ikki’s Secret Sword Style (or technique?) and Stella’s monstrous recovery(She joined the fight though not at her usual stamina cause she had a freaking cold).Oh well, that aside, I can’t wait to watch Shizuku’s match against Touka! I wonder if they will throw in Shizuku’s game face when she went for a warm-up fight (in which 50 people ended up covered in ice).

    And…3 more eps to go until Show Spoiler ▼

    Ps: It’s really hard to watch the stripping scene with a straight face (LOL!I had to punch the wall while watching that scene.)Ikki,you damn lucky bastard…You better hold on tight onto that one.

    LNReaper
    Reply

    1. Not sure why the first of these is a spoiler, the show has made pretty clear from episode 1 that Stella is more forward sexually than Ikki and it’s fairly obvious that if he said ‘I want to have sex’ her clothes would simply evaporate in anticipation.

      The lack of Stella’s action scenes is really becoming a knock against this adaptation though. I mentioned above and maybe someone can correct me, but has Stella had a single on-screen BATTLE since her first one with Ikki? Am I forgetting one? I know she’s had some off-screen fights and she’s had some on-screen sparring and or angry sports matches (this episode) but I can’t remember her having a duel.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

      1. Just to be on the safe side since not all of us are LN readers. As for Stella’s fight, her fight with Saijou was brief in the LN and after that they just mentioned that she won all of her fights. She has more fights after volume 3 since volume 4-9 is the Seven Stars Sword Festival arc and Show Spoiler ▼

        LNReaper
        Reply

  17. Stella confessing that she is the naughty one… priceless!
    Ikki having the guts to say, pretty much “were too young for that yet” – priceless!
    Council, and especially president showing off their power – priceless!
    Can’t wait for shizuku vs president since both are powerhouses…

    ewok40k
    Reply

  18. I think I maybe one of the very few LN reader that doesn’t mind the director of the anime change/edit things, I honestly think they genuinely tried to convert a written story into an anime in the best way possible. We have to remember that these two medium have different characteristics, they don’t simply try to copy paste from novel to anime but also coping with the limitation brought by characteristics’ differences.

    While other LN readers complaining about the changes I think some of it only because of the subconscious notion of “the original sources that I have read are always better than the adaptation” without trying to see it from the POV of anime only viewers. I admit not all the changes are a good one, but they’re not changed randomly, most of the time if we give it some time to think there’s always a reason why they changed it that way. It maybe time constraint, a more coherent tone for the whole episode, cutting out questionable scenes etc. Moreover the main story still intact, major plot lines are still there unchanged.

    cryarc
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *