Hmm, hmm, hmm… what Qifrey’s saying makes sense. So has he invented a spell to keep an eye on his students yet? I mean, I’m just saying… after the latest incident with the Brimmed Caps, I hope everyone has learned their lesson. And of course, I don’t mean just Coco. Qifrey’s carelessness is a huge concern going forward. I feel as though I have to push back on this guy, because everyone else is just singing his praises nonstop. Y’know, this is despite the fact that, well, he’s downright irresponsible. “He is him,” “He’s so amazing,” “He’s so nice,” yadda yadda yadda. Needless to say, I wouldn’t trust the average anime fan to watch a kid if this is how they see Qifrey.
In this week’s episode, we meet Olruggio, and his facial hair makes him look bit ridiculous to me. I mean, take it away and he’s got a baby face, so he comes across as a kid trying to seem rugged and mature. Anyway, Olruggio’s job is to basically keep an eye on Qifrey’s atelier. Oh good, a responsible adult. Well, he doesn’t approve of Qifrey taking in a new apprentice. He also doesn’t want to deal with the Brimmed Caps, so he immediately grabs Coco’s arm and pulls her away. He intends to take her to the Knights Moralis, whom we’ve heard about in the previous episode. Initially, Qifrey just stands there. I’m sure he’s about to do something to stop Olruggio, but couldn’t he react a little faster to his likely frightened student being dragged off by a stranger?
So we get exposition on who the Knights Moralis are, and why Qifrey won’t allow Coco to go before them. Apparently, they won’t just erase her memories. They’ll erase her love for magic, and then they’ll erase his memories as well. Basically, the Knights Moralis take a heavy-handed approach. It’s like how we gotta regulate guns, but some people might even wanna ban slingshots. So no, Qifrey insists, Coco will not see the Knights Moralis! But she will. You just know she will. That’s just how the average story is predictably structured. She’s going to get into another incident — or at the very least, be involved in it — and because Qifrey does such a poor job of protecting his kids, someone will end up dragging Coco before the Knights Moralis.
Even now, Agott is off to her own devices. Does Qifrey know what she’s doing or what she’s up to? Does Qifrey know that Agott is desperate to leave the confines of his atelier in order to work outside? Hell, has this been a recent change due to Coco’s arrival? I mean, you have to consider that, don’t you? Maybe this has always been her plan from before Coco. Or maybe it’s not, and Agott is deeply unhappy about the situation. The point is, Qifrey needs to regularly have 1-on-1s with his students — god, that sounds like corpo speak — and I’m not sure that he does.
Speaking of the next incident, who wants to bet Agott will find herself having to team up with Coco again? And who wants to bet that the Knights Moralis will somehow show up and threaten Coco? See, why are you guys betting on war when you can bet on predictable anime instead?
Stray thoughts & observations:
— A simple yawn from Coco is enough to disrupt Agott while she’s trying to draw her spells. She thus goes outside to continue practicing. Yeah, I understand her frustration, but at the same time, she really needs to just get over it. In dire situations, you’re not going to have perfect peace and quiet. You might as well get used to distractions or learn how to tune them out. And in general, coexist with people is something everyone has to deal with. There’s simply no way around the fact that life is a group project.
— Seriously? Coco still hasn’t picked out a new pen? Did they just immediately head back home after the last incident?
— Well, she says she can draw straight lines with a pigment stone so use a pigment stone. Who says you gotta use a pen?
— In the kitchen, Qifrey grabs a pot on the highest shelf. According to him, it’s been sitting there for two freaking years. Nevertheless, the stew inside it is steaming hot and, well, not spoiled. What a handy spell. But imagine finding a fresh sandwich that’s been sleeping under your bed for years. Ooh, I don’t know if I would trust magic enough to have a bite.
— You waste so much paper when you practice magic in this world. Qifrey assigns Coco the task of roasting a yam, and it takes her forever just to get the spell just right. So imagine someone coming along and inventing a printer for sigils. Just leave an open space to keep the spell from going off, right? A witch still has to set the design, but you could completely revolutionize magic! On the other hand, printer ink and toner are already expensive enough. Imagine magic printer ink and toner.
— Also imagine if generative AI comes along, draws a spell that nukes the planet. Claude, why did you destroy all of civilization?!
— I thought the brush buddy would be glued to Coco, but it seems to split time with Richeh. Well, you can’t beat bacon (or whatever that fatty cut of meat is).
— The food does look legitimately appealing.
— I know Coco wants Agott to feel included, but she’s coming off a bit pushy.
— The kids didn’t expect it to rain even harder. Nature just trying to match the mood of story. On a more serious note, maybe someone should invent magic to see the weather forecast.
— Olruggio tells Coco to keep out of his chambers. Then close your door, asshole. Anyway, he can make stone tiles glow, which makes her feel nostalgic. Coco is a special child. But jokes aside, this encounter probably makes him feel bad if Coco’s love for magic was ever erased. So he leaves his door ajar, meaning he’s open to talking to her again. Sheesh, adults like him can never be upfront and honest about their feelings.
— Looking back at this post, I feel like a huge curmudgeon. I don’t like Qifrey, I don’t like Umi from that hit romance show this season, I think Minato from The Ramparts of Ice is a boundary-stomping creep, etc. But even after thinking on it, I still don’t see a strong reason to change any of my stances.
