First Impressions / Utawarerumono

Summary:
Many years ago, Katumau led Karura and Derihourai to a passage out of the castle during an assault. In order to protect her little brother, Karura had Katumau take Derihourai ahead while she held off the soldiers. Back in the present, Derihourai leads his troops in an assault on another Na Tunku camp. He’s backed up by all of Hakuoro’s girls who kill a lot of the soldiers and send the rest on the run. Derihourai wants to give chase, but Karura stops him. On Hakuoro’s advice, Derihourai and company withdrawal, having won the battle. They setting up camp that night by the river, and Hakuoro, Derihourai, Karura, and the others have a strategy session. Derihourai wants to keep fighting, but Karura and Urutorii remind him that his men are tired and wounded. After Derihourai agrees to move the injured, the women, and the children, a commotion starts up outside. It seems that white flowers are flowing downstream from the enemy castle. After picking one up, Karura announces that she knows a secret route into the castle through a waterway. When Derihourai wants to know why she knows of such a path, Karura claims that it’s because she was a slave, so she knows the secret paths very well. He’s still not sure if he can believe her, so she tells him that that judgment is something he has to make as a leader.
Derihourai does decide to trust her, but there’s still a problem. The passage can only accommodate a small amount of people and then they’ll be right in the middle of the enemy. In the end, Derihourai’s men volunteer to be decoys to draw out the enemy away from Derihourai and Hakuoro’s small force. Later that night, Derihourai asks a favor of Hakuoro: when the fighting is over, he’d like Hakuoro to hand over Karura. Of course, Hakuoro isn’t about to treat Karura like some thing to be traded. Derihourai admits that Karura reminds him of his sister even though he feels that the two of them are exactly opposite. He describes his sister as gentle, graceful, and lovely, saying that he’s never met a woman better than her. Later that night, Hakuoro finds Karura staring into the distance. He asks her what she’s going to do after the battle tomorrow, and her reply is that she’s going to return to Tousukuru. Karura says that as long a person has food, can rest, and can listen to the insects, that is enough. Hakuoro asks her if it’s alright for her to throw away her past, but she doesn’t answer, instead reminding him that he doesn’t know his own past. Hakuoro recalls that someone once told him that not knowing his past doesn’t change the fact that he’s here – that’s why he lives. Karura decides that she’s the same way.
The decoy assault on the castle begins early morning as Derihourai’s troops charge. Karura leads Derihourai, Hakuoro, and the others through the passage and into the castle. They reach the throne room and find it filled with white flowers, the same type that was floating down the river earlier. However, Eruru notices that there are human bodies in the water under the flowers. At the front of the room are Suonkasu and a horde of his guards. Suonkasu seems to know Karura and says that he cultivated these flowers for her sake. Derihourai leaves the talking for later and attacks the enemy soldiers. And while Hakuoro’s group is quite powerful, Suonkasu’s guards keep coming. Suonkasu seemed to have only had one goal, and that was to get Karura to come back to him. He created this garden for that purpose. To Derihourai’s surprise, Suonkasu addresses Karura by her full name Karurauatsuurei. Karura figures out that in this rebellion, it must have been Suonkasu’s plan in the beginning to lure her out. Suonkasu says that if she returns to him, she can live an even more luxurious life than when she was a princess. Karura replies that the life of royalty is too formal and boring. Everyone else meanwhile had heard the word princess and Derihourai now finally realizes who Karura really is. Suonkasu decides to take Karura back by force with his troops, but they are not match for Hakuoro or his girls.
Derihourai charges at Suonkasu, but Suonkasu stops him with a dart to the leg. Karura defends her brother and gets him to stand back up. Suonkasu comments on how this is just like that time – Derihourai is useless. Karura breaks his illusions by raising her weapon and smacking aside all the men directly guarding Suonkasu. Derihourai then goes and punches Suonkasu several times, throwing him into the water. With the fight now over, Derihourai turns to his sister who’s he’s wanted to see again for such a long time. Karura tells him that he’s mistaken her for someone else, and instead reminds him of all his comrades outside who are still fighting. If he has things to say, they can talk about them later. Derihourai makes her promise not to go anywhere and then runs out of the throne room. But as soon as Derihourai is gone, Karura prepares to go home. Eruru objects because of the promise Karura just made and because that would make everything too sad. She calls Karura an idiot, and Karura just agrees with her. After Karura thanks Eruru, the group leaves. Outside, Derihourai announces to everyone the defeat of Suonkasu and the founding of the country of Karurauatsuurei.
With everyone back at Tousukuru, life returns to normal. With Oboro watching them from nearby while he cuts wood, Kamyu comments on how Oboro hasn’t left Yuzuha’s side since she came back. Yuzuha whispers something to Aruru and Kamyu and the girls decide to go somewhere together. Oboro tries to follow them, but then becomes embarrassed when they reveal they’re going to the bath. Meanwhile, in the castle’s throne room, Derihourai and an entourage have arrived to give thanks to Tousukuru’s leader. It is not until Hakuoro steps out that Derihourai realizes who that leader truly is. Hakuoro refuses their gratitude because he had originally planned to abandon them, but there had been a woman who had requested that he save them. Derihourai realizes who this person is and asks if she’s doing well. Hakuoro says that she’s so energetic that she’s causing him worries. It is after Derihourai leaves that Hakuoro finds Karura staring off at the distance again. He tells her that there’s still time for her to go with Derihourai, her only family. Karura tells Hakuoro that he’s mistaken. The person in front of him serves her master – she is just a woman named Karura. As her gaze returns to the sunset, Karura says goodbye.

Preview:

I was rather disappointed with Suonkasu this episode. He was basically had no special powers and was just obsessed with Karura. She should have just used her weapon and cleaved him in half, but I guess she had to let her little brother prove himself and fight his own battles. Still, it was fun watching Hakuoro’s harem defeat the Na Tunku troops so easily. Heck, even Aruru (on Mukkuru) and Kamyu got into this one. And then Oboro got shafted at the end yet again; such a hapless fellow, but at least his scenes are pretty funny.
So I admit that it took every ounce of restraint I had not to name this entry “Shadow Warrior Chronicles – 19.” 😉
I still think it’s a horrible name (and hopefully it won’t stay). But rest assured, Shadow Warrior Chronicles not only has shadows and warriors, it also has giant robots! (that’s from the preview for next week).

55 Comments

  12. I freakin’ fail to see how they came from such artistic name as Utawarerumono to a crappy third-class Lego-ish name as “Shadow Warrior Chronicles”. And frankly, I don’t find it funny. Sorry for the lack of sense of humor, but I can’t help but think that old Japanese just got dirt thrown at it.

    Rasmiel
    Reply

  19. “Maybe I’m in a weird mood or something, but the giant robot in the preview looks like Al from FMA on crack.”

    Al…?

    *slap hands together* Human transmutation! Bring back grandma! Hmm… didn’t work… maybe I need to sacrifice a couple of the “shadow warriors” as equivalent trade…

    XXX
    Reply

  24. Btw, I’m just wondering – if Tuskuru is going around killing Emperors, such as Yue and this guy and not to mention Orikakan, are all the other countries being united?

    KiraTakuto
    Reply

  25. For those who’d like to know, those mechanic thingies (without telling what they are exactly) are the first hint of what the final arc is all about (*rubs hands together in expectant glee*). Remember end of ep17 and the thing making tracks in the forest? That was it.

    Renegade334
    Reply

  30. God, the more time passes the more I love Karura.

    She’s so kind. She really seems sad when she says that she wants to go back to Hakuoro’s side but she still hides it. Always holding back her emotions.

    It seems that she only speaks to Hakuoro and most likely to Urutorii of her problems. Most of them have been solved now though.

    gammaoh
    Reply

  34. that so called robot does remind me of Al from FMA, but i think it resembles more of a heartless soldiers from kingdom hearts and KH2 now that i look closely, notice the dark skin and somewhat round eyes under the helmet, not to mention that they are shadows themselves
    but i dunno it could something like that

    TeNight
    Reply

  36. Ah! This last two episodes were so Awesome! Karura is just so awesome. I can’t believe that she was supposed to be a Lawful evil character in the game by what I read. She is just my favorite character in this show. I loved the reasons she gave Hakuoro for staying with him.

    golthin
    Reply

  37. How come she’s a lawful evil character? She seems more chaotic good to me.

    Anyway, it doesn’t mean anything. We’d better judge acts instead of some writings on a paper 😉

    gammaoh
    Reply

  38. characters personalities are the same as in the game, so in the other word, karura is not a lawful evil character! she is a hot chick with a very gental heart inside.

    anyone wants to play the chinese translated version of the utawarerumono game? the beta is out, just incase someone knows chinese here also wants to play the game.

    jj
    Reply

  43. Karura? Lawful?!? EVIL?!? *laughs himself to death*

    Lets see…

    Toukadono: Lawful Good, and absolutely great nonetheless
    Karura: Chaotic Good
    Kamyu: Chaotic? Good
    Urutorii: Neutral? Good
    Eruruu: Neutral Good
    Arururu: Cute good
    Oboro: Chaotic Good
    Benawi: Lawful Good
    Kuro: Neutral? Good
    The Twins: Annoying Good
    Yuzuha: Cute Good
    Genjimaru: Neutral? Good
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Gloranor
    Reply

  46. Karura is lawful evil because she is voiced by Caster’s voice actress (who is also lawful evil) ../jk

    but Karura is lawful evil. She’s not some rebelious do gooder; she’s a loyal gladiator with a genuine taste for carnage.

    It’s not a bad thing

    why do you care about D&D alignments anyway?

    T_I
    Reply

  47. True, she does enjoy carnage. However, she does not actually harm innocents – a good person CAN enjoy carnage – as long as its the carnage of evil people. At least in D&D – wouldn’t have many good dwarves and barbarians else, wouldn’t we? Her conversations in the game also point at a good alignment.
    As for lawful… you got to be kidding. Yes, she is loyal to Hakuoro, and she holds her promise dear. A CG can be bozth without any problems, and her personality/othe rbehaviour cries chaotic.

    And assigning D&D alignment to animecharacters is an old joke/tradition 😉

    Gloranor
    Reply

  48. she does have the blood of innocents of her hand actually… but the anime chose not to gloss over it. it was a “mercy” kill, but morally it wasn’t right

    but officially her alignment is fire, the same as oboro and derihourai

    touka and benawi is water

    kurou and eruru is earth

    aruru and archers are wind

    urutori is light

    kamyu is darkness

    hakuoro is unknown

    T_I
    Reply

  49. I think Karura is not evil, she is just a veteran soldier who is no longer naive enough to believe there are absolute good and absolute evil, even at her young age.
    She just does what she believes is right. Even if that means killing no evil people.
    Overall, I see she is more of a chaotic good.

    Ail
    Reply

  50. Well, important distiction to keep in mind there Gloranor, it’s not evil to enjoy the carnage of being of obvious evil creatures like undead, demons, devils, various evil subhumanoids (gnolls, kobolds), Necromancers, or unintelligent things like slimes, oozes, plants. That’s not really the case in SWC (Soo much faster to type) here.

    Obeying orders for combat (Lawful) can still leave you and Good in a war scenario, but beyond that you’re getting into murder, even in the pseduo-self-defensive setting of war. Unless you’re considering it as a relative alignment system, overlooking the requisite acts of war and just comparing in a vacuum setting of personal characteristics, probably wiser given the setting

    That said, the overall hotness of most of them can forgive murderous sins, relative alignment system or not.

    Colin
    Reply

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