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「章間」 (Shoukan)
“Interlude”
Well, Seijo no Maryoku may call it an interlude, but I dare say this week was far from it. Shifting from the relative comfiness of Sei we got the backstory of Aira to help flesh some things out, and while maybe lacking in some of expected feels-good moments, it shows this tale isn’t only skin deep.
Given the centrality of Aira to Seijo no Maryoku’s plot – i.e. the apparent false Saint at the heart of Sei’s current predicament – it was only a matter of time until we got more on her, however I was not expecting the nuances and complexity of Aira’s situation. At its core it’s your usual setup: Aira was also unexpectedly summoned, thrust into a role she was wholly unprepared for, and largely left to fend for herself. Prince Kyle, thanks to his egocentrism, effectively imprinted himself on her and made himself Aira’s lifeline in a world she most definitely (at least right now) doesn’t want to remain in. All told I quite like this premise; much like other aspects of Seijo no Maryoku it dispenses entirely with the typical isekai trappings of forgetting one’s old life and only caring about the current one. It doesn’t mean Aira won’t eventually move on and find happiness in this new world, but it’s a very nice touch to see emphasized that this process will take time.
Part of the satisfaction too comes from the character subtleties at work. Aira after all has very clear-cut ones in her shyness and introversion directly impacting her socializing and potential relationships, but Kyle’s really came out of left field. While I still dislike the guy, I can appreciate where he’s coming from; the prince is proud, stubborn, and forceful, but he also cares deeply for his people and is willing to take to take the brunt of the fallout for his errors, of which Aira and her wrongful summoning and his treatment of Sei are the main examples. It’s an incredibly surprising yet satisfying bit of character complexity, and a feature only made better by the flaws at work. His scheming for example is predicated on taking all the blame onto his shoulders, but his pride blocks any realization that Aira wouldn’t escape the consequences. If Kyle punished, there’s plenty who would see Aira as personally to blame for his downfall and waste little time in sticking it to her out of spite or to advance their own positions. And given Aira lacks the confidence to stand up for herself, it’s a fight she would lose.
Of course this isn’t to say Aira will actually get thrown to the wolves later on (I imagine she’ll garner support from unexpected locations), yet until Sei’s Saint status is properly – and officially – recognized it’s a situation which will be incredibly interesting to watch unfold. Who knew Tuesdays would be something to look eagerly forward to.
Preview
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Matsumo…I mean the crown prince isn‘t such a bad person after all, admitting that he made a huge mistake and caring about her well-being and not just because it could cost him the throne. Though from the bit seen this episode, his brother actually seems like a nice guy. Which might be even worse for Kyle.
It‘s interesting, in other stories, Aira might have been a real rival to the protagonist, while here she’s just a pitiful introvert that doesn’t experience the typical isekai life of finding plenty of friends and fitting in that Sei has.
There’s also a lot of naivete on Aira’s side as well.
The source novels mention that Aira was only a naive 16-year old schoolgirl, who’d been pampered and coddled by her parents all her life. To the point she just found it easier to follow her parents’ orders and desires because good things always happened in return.
It so happened “…the behaviour of Kyle and the others overlapped with her family’s (and) she got used to it. She accepted what was given to her by Kyle, and she moved as he told her to. It was something common for Aira.”
Which I think also contributes to her inability to properly tell off Kyle about how his actions affect her, because she’s never really had the need or experience to stand up for herself.
She definitely would’ve, the setup is clearly here for some form of major rivalry between Aira and Sei, but the author took it in a different direction. Personally I love the choice, it lets each character’s complexities shine and creates a much more nuanced story than this genre usually receives.
@zztop
Without a doubt, the episode was quite clear in showing Aira just going with things because she didn’t want to wipe the smiles off those close to her. She has no understanding of how to deal with conflict, and Kyle makes this worse by actively shielding her from it.
Looks good. I also can not wait for next Episode or where they resolve this with Sei and Aira
Having not read any of the source material in any form, all I can say is that there are clearly 2 Saints! Come on!
Also Kyle turned out to be much nicer than I anticipated, even if his base social skills suck.
That’s the thing, there could be two Saints – or there could not. All indications are that Sei received the Saint’s powers (given the radical difference between her and Aira), but it’s not impossible that Aira has some other aspect of the Saint not currently touched on (as this episode alluded to regarding Aira’s capabilities).
It is interesting. In the source material, it was clear almost from the beginning about the Saint, however, due to changes, which i feel where probably better for the overall story, until they directly say who is a Saint it isn’t clear which feels more interesting from a story telling point of view.
Episode needed more Sei and less Prince.
Kyle’s problem is really pride. He realizes it but is also blinded by it. Can’t openly admit to his mistakes and willing to take the fall is fine. But his overprotectiveness of Aria is turning her into collateral and hindering her development. Was seriously rooting for Aria to call out to Liz at the end there.
Both potential saints surrounded by men. Most of these guys are quite protective, but Sei’s group seem to encourage personal development. Of course, when comes to luck Aria got the short end of the stick. She’s surrounded by guys with fiancées, while Sei seem to be surrounded by bachelors and married men.
I’d say personalities are having a big impact on what happens too. Sei for example likely would’ve been fine if stuck with Kyle’s group because she has the maturity needed to make that situation work. Aira though might even have been pushed and controlled by Sei’s group given her lack of confidence and inability to push back.