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「Ring of tales②」
Who wouldn’t want a Queen like this one?
Things are still a bit rushed in this episode, but to a much better degree than last time. Again, the fault is less with Pierrot than with the mangaka, who did leave this arc a tiny bit vague (and it did move pretty much this fast anyway). The pacing felt much better this week though, and it was nice to see the relationship between Nike and Livi develop more. However, I’ve seen some people wondering why they seem to have fallen in love so quickly since last week, and there’s a few reasons for why that’s not so strange.
First of all, while this is an arranged marriage, it isn’t one Nike or Livi reject in any way. Livi proposed it in the first place (on a whim), but Nike never had any intention to call it off. Instead, she meant to accept it for her duchy’s sake and then learn to love her future husband. Secondly, once they’d met and decided they’d go forth with the marriage, it certainly wasn’t out of duty any longer. The relationship is definitely based on love, albeit a developing one, but it’s one with other facets attached. As Nike claimed in the second episode, Livi sometimes feels like a little brother to her; not in every respect, but certainly a child she wants to protect. She does love him romantically, as her developing feelings have shown, but she very much harbors some motherly instinct toward him. In return, Livi also sees a connection between her and his departed mother. He too is starting to love Nike, but it is the association he has made between her and Sheila that has terrified him so at the thought of losing her. Though a different person, she has become an irreplaceable presence in his life, the only person he can turn to for solace and for healing his broken heart. It is not so strange then that acceptance of the marriage and genuine concern and love for each other have grown to this point, even if it’s been unfortunately rushed just a tad.
However, there is obviously also a political part of this marriage. Livi goes to Nike’s aid when he figures that assassination is the real use of the ritual, but Nike is quite capable of defending herself in a tight situation. Not only does she escape by quick use of her wits, she also makes an opening for she and Livi to escape. Livi in turn shows his own plotting ability to use Nike’s powers during the ceremony, where he also ousts Rani Arestes for his attempted assassination. They’re quite the pair, Nike and Livius, and they prove themselves to be great partners in politics as well as in marriage. It also doesn’t hurt seeing a future-Queen punch the living daylights out of a scamming religious figure.
That being said, it’s interesting to me that Pierrot would choose to adapt the next episode after this arc. In the manga, Call my name was the second chapter, and took place earlier in the relationship. It’s certainly not my favorite chapter, but it does have its charm, so I look forward to that next week.
Preview
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https://randomc.net/image/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
The sybolism is strong with this one.
Also, between all drama and action, Nike is still a guarantee for comic relief:
https://randomc.net/image/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
The best moment of this episode is when the butler started to cry! Cracked me up xD
True. He strangely reminds me of Ashiya(Hataraku Maou-sama). I hope he stays this entertaining throughout, though.
Haha! I thought of the same thing too! The way they look are quite similar too!
Props to Tomokazu… Though all I remember whenever I hear his voice is Gintoki so it almost always automatically make me laugh.
I like the little details the animators put into this show, like how there are subtle changes in each of the four opening credits, and how Nike’s engagement gown looks. I remember not being that impressed by her dress in the manga, but here I like the Romanesque look with the black and gold border.
The characters are definitely what draws me into this show though. Nike is no damsel-in-distress and will put up a fight, but is clear headed enough to know when to get the heck out of a situation instead of trying to fight everyone. I was also impressed by how badass Livi was in this episode. This kid knows his way around a sword, and has no qualms about putting it to use. We also see a small hint of Livi’s dark side in that moment, when he was ready to finish off the assassin. I’m sure Livi, during the course of his world conquest, has blood on his hands. The question is, how much blood does he have on those small hands of his? And what will Nike’s response be when it comes to light.
As for the next episode…I have some conflicted feelings about Luna (I think that’s her name?). On the one hand it’s nice that they’re not skipping on content from the manga, but on the other hand the love-rival trope is really over-used in the shoujo genre. Show Spoiler ▼
Well,that’s good to know(about the moeblob girl I mean). That preview worried me. Few shows are safe from annoying moeblobs these days and that Luna or whatshername girl sure seemed like one…
https://randomc.net/image/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
That face….
“You give me shit, I make sure you get it back triple the amount”
Yeah, like the series but I don’t really expect too much seriousness from it,
even from their growing romantic relationship. Right now, it seems, Nike’s importance
to Livi is as a replacement for his mother that he lost when he was young. This
isn’t really a good foundation for a bond, as I’m sure, Nike doesn’t / can’t replace
his mother. But this may not change in the story line as I’m told that things like
this strike a cultural chord in Japan.
Like I’ve said many times over, people are too used to snail-paced romantic progress in most other shows that they’re quick to call anything like this “rushed” and “hamfisted”. Truth to be told, if they want to be hamfisted, they could’ve made the main couple all blushy-blushy and Nike would’ve gone for a kiss on the lips instead of on the forehead here. On another note, I can see why some people would take issue on Livius’s burgeoning Oedipus complex as the foundation of his feelings for Nike, however, it’s not really presented in a creepy way, so I can’t complain.
It’s still a shame that this kind of pacing turns a lot of people off from this show, which has, IMO, the most impressive leads(but most especially Nike, which is one of the best leads in shojo I’ve seen). You certainly wouldn’t want to mess with these two.
It’s not a deal with being to used to slow pacing. It’s more like that’s how it works in real life. It is pretty dang hard to get someone to genuinely love you as quickly as this anime portrays sometimes. People like slow pacing because they can probably relate to it more since that’s how it most likely was when they were going out with girls/boys.
It gives off a much better feeling of immersion when you could possibly put yourself in their shoes and see things working out similarly. At least that’s how I see it. Fast paced love is entertaining sure but it is not nearly as endearing as slower paced love imo.
I have a rule of dislike for most shoujos, but Nike actually doesn’t make me want to strangle anyone here
I was a little disappointed with the shoddy animation, stills and “shaft” scenes this week. Despite that it was a nice episode with a little character growth.
Also, Rena Maeda has a beautiful voice. I’ll never get tired of hearing Tender Rain.
she can be my Queen anytime…
Just too much /ss/
Nike is a miracle of the universe.
Well usually in Shoujo manga like this one if it’s a cute guy the girl will always fall for the guy immediately base on one or two things. It’s the genre itself, shoujo girls are shallow but now you get to see all the frustration nowt hat they solve the love part of the equation.
However I would love if someone can turn this imagine
https://randomc.net/image/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii/Soredemo%20Sekai%20wa%20Utsukushii%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
And replace all that rain with falling dollar bills. Making it rain so to speak. Dunno why that’s what came to mind when I saw it.
“They’re the most important 3 men in the kingdom’s history and any word from them needs to obeyed by all!”
“How big should her BEWBS be!?”
XD Slayed me. Slayed me!! The rest of this episode was really emotional too. This show never disappoints to be emotional.
the voice of four gods?? more like voice of four perverts!!
Correction: 3 old perverts and one really innocent boy who happens to command them… Livi was the only one ignoring the oppai discussion!
Such a great punishment – a hard right hook from the (future) queen!
Touma would be proud of her!
Well i guess i watch too much Game Of Thrones. If you tried to have me assassinated, punching you would be the last thing on my mind…
The manga author based Nike and her sisters on her own family,i.e. her mother and sisters.
Really good episode =03. It DOES kinda feel like Nike’s and Livi’s love came a bit too quick, but its not something that’s off-putting or anything.
And I was surprised that Livi could actually fight D0=! I mean, I know he’s a king whose been taught all sorts of things(and one has to wonder how and why exactly he is feared as depicted by Nike’s sisters in ep 1), but how quickly he defeated a grown man; color me impressed =03. I thought his talk of protecting her was only in a political sense.
I loved this episode so much. I want to read the manga too, but maybe I’ll wait till the show has ended, idk.