Bart the thief finally gets his grungy hands on the magical artifact, and not only does it immediately start talking to him, it’s also yandere. Well, it’s a good thing I don’t wear jewelry.1 I’m curious what the magical artifact must have said to Louis if this is how it reacts to the thief. Also, do I want to know why the magical artifact has a will of its own? Did some poor woman get turned into jewelry? Or perhaps her soul got trapped in one? This pretty much gets confirmed near the halfway point of the episode. It’s such a shame. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even my worst enemies.
Naturally, it’s up to our Silent Witch to save the day. Monica apparently has a weakness (other than her crippling shyness): she can’t fly very well. That doesn’t stop her from immediately jumping into action. Or rather, it doesn’t stop her from being yeeted into action (courtesy of our favorite deadpan maid). Yeah, sure, this bit is got a chuckle out of me. Then shortly afterwards, Monica figures out how to fly anyway. Sure, there’s a bit of turbulence, but there’s ultimately nothing that our heroine can’t do if she puts her mind to it. In fact, this is all thanks to her horseback riding lessons. I’m being a bit snarky, but this is why people always tell you to get out into the world and experience everything that life has to offer. It can only make you a better, more well-rounded person. Again, people always piss and moan about having to do anything other than what they’re interested in. Even my friends will complain to me about having to take gen ed classes in college. But having a broad range of perspective is a good thing. Staying cooped up in your home, on the other hand, is not quite so good.
It looks like Mary planned this incident from the very start. According to her, this is a turning point for the country, and it somehow involves a random nobody swiping the magical artifact. I wish the stakes were a little higher, though. We get a pretty light show out of the whole ordeal, but Monica saving a thief she just met last week isn’t exactly the most compelling way to conclude a season. To be fair, this isn’t the true climax of the episode, but it is the action climax. And like always, I wish we could’ve gotten the action without an internal monologue from the protagonist. Everything Monica explains to us could’ve been gleaned from the visuals and the visuals alone. Sometimes, you just gotta let it ride and have the action speak for itself. Less is more. Finally, Monica resolves this entire incident before we even reach the halfway point of the episode. What’s left? More of her date with Felix? Like I said, we still have the true climax.
It’s kinda weird how Felix starts getting all angsty with Monica. Insecure boys aren’t attractive. But sure, he has to wear a mask at all times due to who he is, and as a result, it’s easy to trigger his feelings of isolation and being abandoned. This is an extension of the same themes brought up in last week’s episode. But hey, Monica is also pretending to be someone she’s not, so these two kids have at least one thing in common. But I say that half in jest, because Monica Norton isn’t really all that different from Monica Everett. What you see is what you get. She’s only hiding the Silent Witch facet of herself. It’s a big facet, but it doesn’t completely define her. In contrast, I’m still not sure if we’ve ever seen a complete picture of the prince’s true face. He flashes his real personality from time to time, but he never opens up completely to anyone in the story or the audience. There’s a good chance he himself hasn’t truly found who he really is. In his own words, he’s still searching for something to be passionate about:
“My friend always used to say… ‘Find something you can be passionate about. Not for anyone else but for yourself.’ So, I’ve always been searching.”
Well, we already know one thing he’s passionate about: the Silent Witch. Ah, if only he knew. Plus, at least Monica now knows now that she has a fan — a very, very ardent fan. The guy practically confesses to her without knowing it. In all seriousness, however, until Felix can free himself from under the duke’s thumb, I doubt he can ever truly devote himself to his passions, Silent Witch or otherwise. He and Monica might both be ghosts in a sense, but he way moreso than her. But for the time being, these two fakesters — “Ike” and Ms. Norton — can enjoy a night to themselves. Monica even takes a few small step forward with her tiny feet by essentially asking him out.
Towards the end of the date, Felix (or “Ike”) offers to buy Monica a book of her choosing. Somehow, she fortuitously stumbles upon a magical tome penned by her late father. I suppose this is a fitting end to a festival dedicated to meeting with and celebrating the dead, but sheesh, what are the odds? Not only that, the shopkeeper is her father’s old friend. The guy, likely clueless to her true identity, charges a hefty sum for the book. I find this curious, because if it belongs to a dear friend, why would you sell it to begin with? Does he actually know who he’s talking to? For now, I’m leaning towards no. In any case, no price is too high for a prince, so Felix is more than happy to pay the exorbitant sum. Finally, if Monica ever works up the courage, she can pick the shopkeeper’s brain to learn more about her father. Talk about a fairy tale finish to the night.
Next, we get to see both kids hit up the brothel if only to geek over their books. I have to admit it’s quite endearing to see. Somehow, Monica still manages to get drunk and strip down to her nightwear. She and Felix then end up in bed together. Scandalous. What exactly was his thought process? “I’m gonna climb into bed and stare at her until she wakes up. It’s gonna be a riot!” Don’t do it, kids. Pranks don’t always end this well in real life. Obviously, nothing happens, but at the same time, is this what Mary meant by when she said tonight would be the turning point of the country? Hmm hmm hmm…
But that’s not all. Felix still gives Monica a keepsake to forever memorialize the time they spent together. I half-expected her to show up to school with the necklace, but she stashes it in a drawer with a bunch of other keepsakes. For safekeeping, I suppose, but that’s not very romantic. His necklace is about as important as a tea kettle. And what about the nuts? Y’know, the dank nuts he picked up! Nevertheless, I have to admit that I almost want a continuation of this series just so I can see how he reacts when he finally learns the truth about Monica. Am I changed man? Do I suddenly now want to see these two together? Eh, not exactly. Felix still needs to prove himself in my eyes. I just think he’s better than the alternative. Perhaps in the interest of being fair, Cyril gets a tiny, almost pointless scene with Monica as the credits roll. Sorry, but I still think he’s about as engaging as watching paint dry. There’s a certain fakeness to Felix, which comes with the territory of being a prince, but at least he has a personality. For now, I’d say he’s way ahead of Cyril in the Monica sweepstakes.
Final thoughts? I don’t dislike this show. I don’t think it does anything exceptionally well, but it’s competent through and through. More importantly, the show is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. It’s just a very decent anime. I wouldn’t mind a second season, because, again, you gotta at least show me Felix’s reaction to Monica being the Silent Witch of his dreams.
1Growing up, I was supposed to be Catholic (baptized and everything), so my mom gave me a necklace with a golden cross to wear at all times. I promptly lost it at school one day. I was maybe six or seven at the time. I like to think my mom learned two valuable lessons that day: 1) never give a child anything valuable unless you’re prepared to lose it, and 2) your kid is blasphemous. This is a reference to the hit indie games Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2. If you haven’t played them, you should! They’re not quite as good as Hollow Knight or Silksong, but few games are.
