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「消せない記憶」 (Kesenai Kioku)
“Everlasting Memory”
You know what they say – some Myne just want to watch the world burn.
After the Shield Hero’s party escaped her clutches, Myne lost no time in ordering the entire forest set ablaze to smoke them out, and then blaming Naofumi for the act. Meanwhile, the king mutters to himself about how the Devil of the Shield is going to take his family from him again. I’m sure there are those who feel sorry for the king, and they do so with good reason. No one should ever have to experience the trauma of losing their loved ones, and yet, one gets the impression that if the king stubbed his toe, he would somehow find a way to blame Naofumi for it.
We as an audience know that the king is holding a grudge against an innocent man. We also know that there isn’t a single person in the king’s court that doesn’t want to manipulate him to their own ends. There’s more to the story of the former Shield Hero, who seems to command much respect outside of Melromarc’s borders, and King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII. Mentally, the king is weak enough to be puppeted around without resistance, and that’s why I believe he is deserving of pity. Not because of the trauma he allows to define him, but because of what allowing his past to dictate his actions has done to his rule, his kingdom, and his family.
A major theme of Tate no Yuusha is accepting your past without letting it take control of you. Naofumi’s Shield of Rage was the perfect example of this. If Naofumi let his rage take over, then he received power, yes, but at the price of hurting those he loved. Once he accepted it, he was arguably even more powerful since then he could turn that anger into the strength to protect those he cares about. To protect his future.
Now, it’s Raphtalia’s turn to face her past head-on. While escaping Melromarc, an endeavor made all the more difficult by heightened border security, the party happened to run into the Lord of the Domain, who also happened to be a friend to Melty and a potential ally for the Shield. Unfortunately, while at his manor, a noble arrived with several of his soldiers to arrest the lord for treason and take custody of Melty. Due to a twist of fate, this noble was the same man who imprisoned Raphtalia and sold her into slavery after Melromarc soldiers invaded her village, bringing us to when Naofumi found her dying alone in a cage at the beginning of the series.
Whether or not she can overcome what was done to her, and with a weapon in hand just like Naofumi taught her, or chooses to take revenge on the man who mistreated her and others like her, is something Raphtalia needs to decide for herself.
Preview
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I can’t remember if the episode just wasn’t clear enough or what, but fatty is the lord of an adjacent domain, and those were his soldiers. I hear slaver and think you mean someone who captures and sells slaves for money, so that’s not him. It’d almost have been better for Raphtalia’s village if he was, but that’s why Melty thought going with him was even remotely a good idea, since a noble that wants to be on the kingdom’s good side probably wouldn’t hurt her. Sadly, he’s just another zealot. More on the specifics of why Raphtalia hates him and how she wound up at the slave merchant’s place next episode.
So being the lord of this land doesn’t protect you from being guilty until proven innocent. Seeing this I fail to see how speaking with the queen and working with the second princess heir to the throne will clear Naofumi’s fake crimes. Malty will just call her queen a traitor of the kingdom or say the queen has been brainwashed and interrogation (torture) is needed.
https://randomc.net/image/Tate%20no%20Yuusha%20no%20Nariagari/Tate%20no%20Yuusha%20no%20Nariagari%20-%2014%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
That’s only while the church’s idiocy is giving Myne enough power to even consider going against the queen, who is traveling with a large force of her own and has a very loyal and very lengthy spy network. Capturing a lower lord that gave himself up really can’t be compared to trying to rally the country against its ruler.
even better, if something “unexpected” were to happen to said church when the queen arrives and she’s allowed to make it to the capital… *whistles innocently*
Plus you have to think, if both daughters are already pretty good with magic, what’s mama capable of?
That’s like saying if my younger brother are good at speaking English that means my parents are great at speaking English.
Sure, if you replace “speaking English” with “learning a language” it’s possible.
I was referring more to inherent family talent(common with magic in most stories) and that she’s had a lot longer to master the craft than her teen-and-twenty-something-year-old daughters.
Agree.
Yeah as much as I like the concept of the Shield Hero’s story,
too many things are presented in a very juvenile approach –
dunno what the original target audience was but these seem to
be targeted at early high school viewers.
Having said all of that, I enjoy these parts of the story over
the battles because at least there’s an attempt to surprise the
audience.
You know Raphtalia isn’t going to take out the trash, so why
even bother showing the conflict? Sometimes growth and doing
the “right thing” requires the maturity to do unpleasant things –
justice and revenge are two sides of the same coin and I would
think less of Raphtalia if she lets that trash walk away unharmed.
There are alternative ways to dealing with someone than killing them, though. Naofumi’s a creative thinker. Even if she chooses to let him go, which she likely won’t, he doesn’t exactly take anyone harming his friends lightly.
I think that given how dysfunctional the kingdom is — in pretty much every respect — relying on hope to solve problems won’t get them far.
Rabier is an unregenerate brute and sadist for whom demi-human = subhuman. Unless Naofumi has a new trick or potion that will give Rabier a new personality, then doing nothing will only end in tears. And for me, any likely actions taken that aren’t permanent would be the same as doing nothing. Depending upon Rabier changing after getting a good talking to is too naive to call childish. He keeps a whip on his belt just for when he wants to talk to demi-humans, and I think he said that Torture was his middle name.
So I already think less of Raphtalia for not dealing with Rabier this week. I will cut her some slack because she’s supposedly traumatized but she should have just finished him off here and now. I can’t imagine that Naofumi would hold it against her in any way. And of course there’s drama, but I can’t blame Raphtalia for that.
If Rabier is let off, what will he do tomorrow? He’ll probably feel compelled to move against those dirty demi-humans picketing at his gate. Given how much of a problem just one demi-human has caused him, he isn’t going to want a whole mob of them running amok. And this is just the nastiest thing he’ll do within the next 24 hours.
Two constant themes of this show are how everything Naofumi does is twisted into evil, and everything evil done by others is twisted into good. We know that the News at 11 would reveal how the accursed Shield Hero has turned the warm and fuzzy demi-humans into militant and violent criminals, leaving but one way to deal with them now.
FWIW, I find this show tends to like the idea of difficult issues but in its execution, ends up reducing them until they’re not interesting at all. ‘Juvenile’ is an apt term.
Eh, this week was obviously setup for next week. Don’t blame Raphtalia for that, when it’s blatantly obvious that whatever she’s going to do will only be shown in the next episode.
@David
I accept that although I don’t really like it. That’s why I included the line about not blaming her for drama. FWIW, I would consider it lame if they decide to have her do nothing next week after leaving it the way they did (and thus compounding the issue). Maybe they can find a way to justify it but if it comes down to, “Well, she’s nice so she should just let it go.” then I will be disappointed. Not surprised though. We’ll see.
well it seems queen is not without own troops and loyal lords, so this might just trigger civil war…
and if the queen ever gets word of Myne trying to kill Melty, I feel those “ninjas” of her will find a new task, to terminate her other daughter, with extreme prejudice
That will never happen. Princesses still have their uses even if they are homicidal maniacs.
where the f is the other 3 heroes and why aren’t they witnessing the arson
Distracted by something shiny, probably.
Out of curiosity, is Melromarc’s queen aware of what’s happening with the Shield Hero and her country? Some viewers have been questioning why she hasn’t put a stop to it if she’s the de facto ruler.
She was at some sort of conference when all this started, and has since been held there. She knows everything thanks to her spies, but since she only sent Melty back to try and fix things I’d have to assume it’s one hell of an important conference.
I think she mentioned that it had something to do with combating the waves and the Heroes’ Summoning? Can’t exactly remember.
The queen is aware of most of what is happening there, even though her hands are kinda tied up.
And since she is rather busy outside of the country, she had to send melty as she is next in line to the throne.
Show Spoiler ▼
But considering all the things the queen is juggling, it will be an impressive sight if they can show her skills in all fields properly…
I’m curious in spin-off in Spear hero manga and novel, will we ever see Raphtalia in the action?
Me too, I read the manga version of the spin off and nothing. Nothing but small flash backs! 🙁
Despite the little cute princess see cold darkness of humanity, this episode about Raphitlia’s revenge against the single noble..,,
I wonder their is a secret faction that manipulate the events from the start of the series to reach to goal…
Also will the Shield Hero will make that call to kill anyone wrong him including Raphitlia, I wonder in end of the series or some serious life or death choose, will he push to red button to destroy the world/kingdom the very people that made him this way?
I wonder we ever see any light side of the normal guy become TRUE hero in the fantasy world in the kingdom? My idea hero is like Batman persona like with Flash Barry Allen with full of hope and good within people even if that person is a jerk…
What do u think?
I think what you’re talking about here is something like a White Knight. One of the most popular examples of that character-type would be Superman (though the Flash has aspects it, too). It’s the kind of character Motoyasu thinks he is. The thing about a White Knight in a fantasy world, especially an isekai, is that it usually goes one of three ways:
1. The world is similarly idealistic so the hero’s methods and ideals are effective
2. The hero has a lancer, like Batman in any media where he’s paired with Superman, who will do the dirty work for the hero so that they can stay true to their ideals
3. The hero becomes progressively more cynical when faced with a reality that doesn’t mesh with their beliefs.
With Naofumi, he came into Melromarc with the ideals of a traditional hero, and was hardened into an anti-hero by mistreatment. If the hero’s ideals don’t work in the fantasy world, it’s generally because continuing to believe the best of people doesn’t work in a setting where people behave in a realistic fashion, and in this example, most of these people are either corrupt, manipulative, or both. What he is getting the hang of, though, is moving from a “Trust No One” mentality to trusting the right people.
The hero of “Reincarnated as Slime” was essentially this, he was always trying to be friendliest to all encountered people (“I am not a bad slime!”) and only resorted to violence if there was no other way… And he was always magnanimous to defeated enemies trying to convert them into friends whenever possible.
I don’t think that that Batman doing he dirty work for the other hero, all the heroes have their own methods as long they don’t cross the red line in the DC universe or Marvel Heroes and Motoyasu is an single minded idiot…
Exactly a White Knight, but in green of willpower. Motoyasu think that we all agree, but we all know he’s an single minded lady obsessed idiot. I don’t about reality fashion, its about make the right chooses in life or in fantasy world adventure. All the chooses of the heroes life makes up in character. Despite all darkness in the world, its good to keep the idea white knight alive and making the character mind & will stronger never give in to darkness that the people cast upon.
Naofumi failed his test as well the other heroes, but hey they can’t see the future unless one of them has and reveals it
Ok that interesting comment, but there few thing I agree and disagree. Their some anime fantasy world that can be both in some nations and lands are idealistic and realistic. What wrong with the white knight? It good have hope in the world and show instead of pure madness and despair, otherwise we see the worlds as crappy as the fictional ones.
I’m not sure I’d call Naofumi an anti-hero. An anti-social hero… sure.
Part of what’s interesting about this show is how they’ve flipped some stuff around. At times, Naofumi is the most cynical person on the planet and ostensibly does whatever it takes to drag his sorry ass onward… e.g. forcing slave labour to fight for him (or end a slave’s game of hide & seek prematurely), rage mode, poisoning Rabier’s soldier to loosen his tongue. Meanwhile, the other three heroes are often presented as being naive and painfully credulous. So they do their thing and blow stuff up and feel great about themselves as does the rest of the kingdom, while he walks the hard path (because no easy one is open to him).
But then, it’s him healing the sick, and actually protecting the weak and the just. And he didn’t really intend for the soldier to die from the poison. And his slaves actually love him more than anyone loves anyone else on the planet. And, once he got the hang of this rage-thing, well maybe it’s not that meaningful when he uses it. So when push comes to shove, they’re half-hearted about it.
I think the show would become a lot more interesting if he went further down the path of his dark side. If, for example, Raphtalia had to incorporate really negative actions into her feelings for him, how would she respond?
Idealism? Pragmatism? They keep putting a toe in the water but while they say the water’s fine, nobody dives in.
I don’t like this shows going especial the main character and paths he’s going. I’m a Light Hero guy against the dark world or villains, in fact it will be interesting if they fight against Shield Hero and others against the light heroes. Like the DC Metal “Dark Knights”.
I want see the spinoff of the light hero of the serie.
Dude so far this episode gone dark…the way I see its more chance to get your revenge seen of the Raphtlia on the noble. Also when Raphta appear in the spin off of the spear hero. Why don’t they just make a true light hero fighting against the evil and evil within of mankind, becoming a true example of the hero in the forsaken fantasy world.
Also Batman is not a “hitman” for the hero aka Superman. He’s doing this out his own will and curiosity.