Man, a bucket of fried chicken would certainly help make all of this slop go down easier.
Goodbye, Lara Ep. 9
Lara is in a hurry to find her prince, but Luca wants their relationship to develop naturally. Nothing epitomizes this more than the scene where he tries to pain her portrait: “It’s only natural to redo it over and over again if I want to make something really good.” And that’s a reasonable position to hold in most situations. Love takes time to develop. He’s trying to glimpse her true essence — understand who she really is — in order to capture her beauty, and this requires her to sit still and be vulnerable. She can’t afford to do that. Ultimately — despite his quirks and offbeat personality — Luca is just a normal boy with normal wants. He can’t love Lara if he doesn’t truly understand her: “I dunno, it’s just I feel like I’ve never seen Lara’s true face.” But Lara doesn’t have time to waste, because she will eventually die if she takes too long. So it makes you even wonder if this quest for true love wasn’t doomed from the start?
When Lara really thinks about Luca, she starts to notice his flaws: “Luca gets defensive instantly. He gets mopey at times and turns away to sulk. So calling him the prince doesn’t really feel right.” It’s all a matter of perspective, though. After all, we’re not talking about serious character flaws like infidelity. So Luca is a little whiny from time to time; that’s fixable. None of these problems are insurmountable, but again, they do take time, which Lara does not have. She’s demanding perfection when love isn’t about meeting your perfect person; it’s about caring for one another even when we aren’t perfect. ‘Cause let’s face it, this is what truly stands the test of time. If love has to be perfect, then the moment you slip up, does that mean the love is dead? No, love cannot hinge on something so fragile. And yet, this is something that someone can only understand through time.
Unfortunately, disaster strikes because Lara is in a hurry — because she has to hurry. Her confession pretty much says it all: “I want to be your lover.” Normally, you would say something like “I’m in love with you.” This indicates that you already feel strongly about the other person, because this is not actually a given. You have to let them know how you feel about them. But the reality is that Lara does not love Luca. Maybe she will one day, but not yet. Maybe never. At the moment, she only wants to be with him for the sake of finding true love. She then becomes frustrated with him for wanting to take things slow, but how can he understand her needs if she never opens up to him? In the end, Lara can only be frustrated with herself. She doesn’t really know what she wants. She’s being pulled in all directions: carryover feelings from her relationship with the prince in her previous life, her current desperate mission to save her people, her own personal need to be a normal girl who finds love, etc. So history repeats itself: her emotions nearly cause the giant fish dagger in the sky to plunge down and kill Luca, forcing Lara to push him away both literally and figuratively.
And yet, this is all very curious, because Mari exists. Maybe time or the lack thereof isn’t the problem. Maybe Lara doesn’t feel anything with Luca because her soul mate is actually Mari. I just feel like they share a far deeper, much more meaningful bond than the one between her and Luca. Then I came across this passage from an essay on female Japanese sci-fi writers:
“The attempt to hold onto heterosexual relations with men while having homosexual relationships with women — a theme we saw in Suzuki’s “Onna to onna no yo no naka” — is deeply embedded in the genre of women’s science fiction.
Women in these texts seek deep spiritual relationships with other women while living in a system constrained by the rules of a heterosexual society that expects them to marry and to take on the responsibilities of pregnancy, childbirth, and running a household. This is not unusual even in real life. While men in Japan disappear into their male space — a work space marked by politics and economics — women create a space designed solely for their own pleasures. They share the same fashions and food, along with other interests like tea ceremonies and flower arrangements. They engage in endless conversations, go to the theater, and discuss their opinions about plays and films. They strive to have their own creative space. If Suzuki chose to investigate the artificiality of a separatist all-female nation, one could say that Hikawa Reiko chose to depict a more realistic female space that exposes the blind spots that emerge from time to time within the patriarchal system.”
Well, that’s certainly food for thought…
There’s also a bunch of stuff with Grace, Lisa, and that angler fish boy. Grace is back to her original form, and she’s… going to do something. Lisa shows up outta nowhere to take Lara with her after the latter had saved Luca. All of this stuff is inscrutable to me. After nine weeks of episodes, I know what I enjoy and what I don’t. I think the exploration of Lara’s interiority is genuinely compelling; I couldn’t care less about the whole mermaid nonsense. In a way, my write-ups for this show is incomplete, because I’m ignoring a major chunk of the story. But that’s why I never elevated Goodbye, Lara out of the “Everything else” series of posts. I just knew from the start that this wasn’t and still isn’t really a show that I can fully tap into.
Iron Wok Jan Ep. 9
Kiriko and Jan get into yet another spat. This time, it leads to both of them falling into the fountain. Later that night, he actually whips up a dessert that is supposed to help prevent her from getting sick. Is… is that kindness, I see? Not really. Akiyama doesn’t want Kiriko to have an excuse if she loses in the finals. Fair enough, but why didn’t he apply this logic to his previous opponent? In any case, these two agree to put their jobs on the line. Whoever loses in the finals has to leave the restaurant. Obviously, I’m rooting for Kiriko. Jan just sucks.
The finals are here, and it’s a three-way competition between Jan, Kiriko, and Yang. We barely know anything about the other girl, so it’s flashback time. Basically, kids used to make fun of her father for not making authentic Chinese food, and I guess it’s kinda true. Y’see, he specializes in what the anime calls nouvelle chinois, i.e. New Chinese. He’s basically taking fine dining concepts and applying them to Chinese food. And sure, why not? I think the pursuit of authenticity is overblown. Yes, you should understand where things come from and why certain things are done a certain way, but it should never be used to gatekeep food. There’s a good chance that your grandmother’s recipe might not be traditional, because everyday people don’t have time to worry about that shit. They adapt to the environment and make the best out of their circumstances. It’s only tradition for you because that’s what you grew up with. Should Mexican food just be street tacos and burritos? Chef Cantu and his 3-Star restaurant Californios would disagree. Michelin stars are not the be-all and end-all of food criticism, but they do still count for something. The same logic applies here. Why can’t we see Chinese food through the lens of haute cuisine? It doesn’t make it inherently better or worse; it’s just a new version of it. And like any form or style of cooking, it can be thoughtful or pretentious. You would never know until you actually try it.
Speaking of “authenticity,” Jan will combat Yang’s new age Chinese cooking by doubling down even harder on tradition. For once, we see a flashback in which his grandfather did not abuse him, but that’s not because he was trying to be nice (a recurring theme for the Akiyama men). Jan is making danxiaomien, i.e. knife-cut noodles. Apparently, mastery of this dish can only be accomplished through muscle memory, which takes time and monotonous repetition. In other words, abusing the shit out of the kid wouldn’t have helped. The only thing he can do is put in the hard work. Back in the present, Jan flexes by being able to shave perfect, uniform strands of noodles into the ring of woks surrounding him (but who put them there?). Fine, fine, this part doesn’t bother me. Rather, what gets on my nerves is when the audience goes, “Wow, I’ve never seen a Japanese person know how to make danxiaomien before.” Dude, c’mon, shaving a fucking block of dough is not a racial trait. Maybe it’s because I grew up and continue to live in California, but some of the best food I’ve ever had has been made by Mexicans, regardless of the cuisine and whether or not it’s fine dining. Anyone can make anything, but sometimes, you get folks who bitch and moan about how only good X food can be made by X people. And that’s such a gross attitude to have in our modern world.
Anyway, the episode runs out of time, so it only teases what Kiriko is up to. Her fancy trick is apparently a dough the same color as her hair. Guess we’ll have to wait to see what her brilliant strategy is.
The Insipid Prince’s Furtive Grab for the Throne Ep. 9
I thought Arnold might flex his might against the sea dragon, but he’s currently impersonating Leonard. As such, he can’t start slinging ancient magic outta nowhere. Plus, the sea dragon might be too powerful even for him. The thing is, I’m not exactly sure what the Albatro royals were even doing out here. I guess they were investigating whether or not the creature had awoken from its hibernation? But their magic is exactly what woke it up! In the ensuing chaos, the Albatro ships capsize. When we next see them, survivors are desperately clinging to flotsam. This gives Arnold a golden opportunity to improve Leonard’s image even further by doing the politically expedient thing: rescuing Albatro’s royals even at the cost of their diplomatic mission. He doesn’t hesitate to throw non-essential cargo overboard to bring the Albatro survivors onboard, even if some of that cargo was intended for Rhondine (all these names). The funniest part was when he had to dive headfirst after the Albatro prince even though Arnold’s ship is presumably manned by countless experienced sailors. Any of them could’ve and should’ve rescued the kid before allowing their fucking prince to endanger himself.
Arnold then drags both the Albatro royals and their citizens back to the Duchy, but the navy ridiculously refuses to allow the empire’s ship to dock. He even pleads with them that they literally have Albatro citizens in critical condition on board, and those folks need treatment now. And yet, the navy continues to deny them access until some asshole in charge can finally make a decision. So once again, Arnold gets to look all badass by defying orders: he orders his ship to sail on through while waving a white flag. I guess this act makes him the Duchy’s political prisoner. Even so, everyone is singing Leonard’s praises because Arnold was so ballsy! But for me, it’s just one silly sequence of events after another. What the hell were the royals trying to do with the sea monster? Why would the Albatro navy be so unreasonable? I mean, I know why — to give Arnold all these easy wins — but it all feels so silly.
Back in the capital, that adventurer somehow foils all of Zendra’s dastardly plans. In fact, she manipulated Gordon into attacking Zendra, so the princess can’t get back at Leonard and Arnold by targeting Finne. Lynphia was just a throwaway extra until recently, but I guess she’s also a master tactician now? Okay, sure. Anyway, she and Finne plan on meeting with demi-human merchants next in order to help the brothers consolidate even more support. Ah well, at least the girlies still have important roles to play. To her credit, Finne isn’t just sitting around, looking pretty.
Oh yeah, pour one out for the director of the premiere, who recently passed away. Condolences to his family and friends.
LIAR GAME Ep. 22
My eyes glaze over whenever the show turns into a PowerPoint presentation, so here, have a Nao reaction face. All you really need to know is that Fukunaga was well on her way to a dominant victory, but Nao convinces her that she would profit even more by going for a tie. The former begrudgingly obeys her greedy impulse. When Fukunaga later demands an explanation from Nao, the latter reveals that it was all a trick to save the would-be losers from crippling debt! Aw, our girl is all grown up! She can now even lie to her own teammates!
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games Ep. 9
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention last week how Mio’s opponent hit himself in the head so hard that he started bleeding. That is so gross. I would not be willing to sit next to someone who is literally bleeding. And yet, by the end of the episode, this is the only match that is ongoing.
That means the other girls didn’t do well, right? Pretty much. We already saw Tamaki lose to her sister. In fact, where is Tamaki right about now? That’s what Yuu wants to know. Speaking of Yuu, she unfortunately loses to Arisa. The kid is such a brat — as if wanting to have a good time with your friends is a bad thing — I kinda hoped Yuu could humble her. But Yuu plays for fun. Even when she was young, that was her mindset. Her job was to mediate between her squabbling brothers, so… I suppose beating Arisa was never really in the cards to begin with. Playing to win isn’t a bad thing. I just don’t think you need to be an ass about it.
A lot of the episode is just the peanut gallery offering their commentary from behind the players. Maybe I’d enjoy this more if I was into fighting games, but… eh…
Finally, we get to Asa. She gets crushed by the pro player in the second round. So what does she do? She takes a page out of that other guy’s book by slamming her fighting stick against herself, spraying blood everywhere. What the fuck, you guys? People can get sick from that. This isn’t cool or badass. It’s just weird. In fact, fuck it, I would disqualify anyone who gets violent. Even if it’s only directed at themselves, I don’t care. It sends such a bad message. And that’s pretty much where Asa loses me. Previously, I wasn’t rooting for or against her. Mio was the only person I wanted to see win, because the other guy was such a jackass about her being a girl. But at this point, I think Asa needs to lose and chill the fuck out. Anyway, Gekido wins, but he’s impressed.
In the end, Asa rushes to see how Mio is doing. The girl is about to play her third and final round. I don’t think her prospects are great if only because we’re the end of the series, and I doubt they would introduce a new major character for Mio to play next.
Victoria of Many Faces Ep. 9
Huh, so this is the season finale. Yup, it ends with just nine episodes, and I’m fine with that… in theory. There’s no need to pad things out to twelve or thirteen episodes just to fit a normal broadcast schedule. But after watching this episode, maybe we could’ve used a little more padding to stick this landing.
Victoria has a new life with Nonna, but she’s unhappy. A part of her feels unfulfilled, and the implication is obvious: she’s in love and she yearns for Jeff’s company. But she can’t risk the new life she has built with Nonna, right? Well, there’s going to be a festival in Ashbury, and the mother-daughter pair can apparently return to the kingdom by simply taking a ferry. Essentially, they hadn’t gone very far. And in her hope of hopes, Victoria’s soul is practically begging for Jeff to remember some promise they had made about said festival. Well, I don’t even remember it, so I guess I wouldn’t get the girl.
The two seemingly star-crossed lovers walk past each other without Jeff realizing anything. But can you blame him when Victoria is in disguise? Still, Nonna accidentally drops a teeny, tiny button, which Jeff somehow manages to come across despite it being nighttime. This thus clues him in that Victoria and her daughter had been here. He then somehow manages to find them by the side of the river, where Victoria had been crying because she thinks she just lost her chance to reconnect with Jeff. Maybe when they made their promise, they had agreed on where to meet as well? I dunno, I’m not going back an episode or two to check.
So to make a long story short, Jeff is determined to go wherever Victoria and Nonna go. In fact, I guess I should be calling her Anna now, because that’s Victoria’s real name. She reveals it when she also tells Jeff everything about her past. In return, Jeff suddenly gives his painful backstory. No, not the one about his former fiancee committing suicide. Even worse, his father was an abusive asshole who would beat his family everyday. It only stopped when Jeff threatened to kill him. I dunno, I get that he and Victoria Anna are opening their hearts to each other in order to seal the deal — he wants her to marry him — it still feels like this is coming outta left field.
Jeff’s boss has been keeping tabs on him this entire time, but they actually want to help the new couple out. The new family has to leave the country, but everything will be paid for. As a result, Anna, Nonna, and Jeff leave on a boat for their real new life in a place called Shen. This is when Nonna — with the setting sun as a backdrop — suddenly delivers a mini-speech that feels really outta place:
“I actually knew I’d been abandoned. And you stayed with me in the square until evening, Mom. I haven’t thanked you for that. Back then, I didn’t know how to say much. Thank you for helping me, even when you were on the run yourself. Thank you for cooking me yummy lamb. Thank you for buying me my blue ribbon. Mom… Thank you for becoming my mom.”
Yeah, I dunno about that. Kids who have been through a lot will obviously mature a lot faster than normal ones. Plus, Anna has been schooling her this whole time. But it still feels like something than an adult would rehearse to themselves. It doesn’t sound like something that a child under ten would say (except for the yummy lamb part).
Still, that’s our overly sweet and happy ending. Literally everything worked out for all three major characters… lemme go check Bluesky… oh, they’ve already announced a second season. But for what? For their new lives in Shen? Is she going back to Victoria for her name? Is Hagl going to somehow learn that she’s still alive and keep going after her?
Ultimately, Victoria of Many Faces is… fine? It just never felt like it truly explored its full potential. For instance, I think Nonna is introduced way too early. Victoria/Anna should’ve gotten a taste of true freedom before encountering the child. This way, her choosing to be a mother at the risk of her new life as well as revealing herself would’ve been more meaningful. Even after Victoria/Anna was determined to raise Nonna on her own, she often took unnecessary actions. But she did them anyway, because she wanted to feel the thrill of being a spy again. This aspect of her character was never fully explored, though. We kinda just drop this thread only to briefly hint at it in the finale. As for the romance between her and Jeff, I think Jeff should’ve seriously reflected on whether or not he truly loved Victoria/Anna or if he was merely trying to replace his late fiancee. Oh, I believe he does truly love Victoria/Anna, but it’s the sort of thing you still have to mull over before you completely dedicate yourself to someone. He ditched his title and career for this woman! It merits a second thought! So yeah, this was an okay enough show, but it could’ve been so much more.
Red River Ep. 9
There’s a traitor in Kail’s legion. Otherwise, his plan to conquer the city from within would’ve worked perfectly. They still get the city anyway, but Yuri gets kidnapped again. Dude, how many times is it now? She got taken right in the first episode to kick off this story. She was captured again in the second episode when she tried to get her clothes back. Two episodes later, she was made to drink a concoction that made her appear dead. The bad guys proceeded to abduct her. Two episodes later again, Kail’s brother was made to drink a concoction, but this time, it made him go crazy and kidnap Yuri. And now we’re caught up to the present, where Yuri has once again fallen into the enemy’s hands because she couldn’t help herself. She just had to wander off on her own. So the answer to the question is five times. In just nine episodes, this girl has been abducted five freaking times. It’s fucking ridiculous. And lemme guess, the Prince of Darkness will now fall for her as well? Oh, you can bet on it.
The Villager of Level 999 Ep. 10
This episode is a fine example of what this show has always been: not a terrible story, but utterly clumsy in its execution. Koji and Menow are now back on the surface along with the Demon King. Alice, Takako, and Tina somehow manage to stumble upon them in the middle of the forest like it’s no big deal. What, do you guys have Life360 in this fantasy setting as well? The party then proceeds to knowledge share for like… two thirds of the episode. Just nothing but exposition after exposition. These characters literally do nothing but stand around and yap, or walk and yap. But that’s the thing: we just had an episode where Koji stood in a room and yapped with a dragon for the entire episode.
David eventually links up with them, so guess what? It’s time for even more exposition! Exposition about how the king would never agree to a ceasefire. Exposition about how Kurull was groomed to fight when she just wanted to be a normal kid, so she lost her smile. Even the king’s ability to brainwash people and alter their mood is revealed via exposition. This show is so unimaginative. And the end result is what? A whole lot of words just to say, “We gotta save Kurull and Rex!”
Clevatess S2 Ep. 8
We finally get Mary’s backstory, which boils down to her being stuck in the middle of a bunch of squabbling relatives. Her only oasis in this desert was her great aunt, who sadly and predictably wasn’t long for this world. When Mary finally lost her, her heart turned to stone. She swore she would do anything to achieve her peaceful, golden silence. So that’s why she’s here — that’s why she fell for Vordin’s manipulations, thereby acquiring a crest! And now she’s bleeding out from overusing said crest. I think I’m supposed to feel bad for her. Girl, I like my quiet too, so you know what I do? I cut off the people messing that up for me. Is this foolproof? No, but you don’t see me going on some weirdo rant about desiring forbidden power at all costs. I’m just sayin’, there are steps you can take before you have to choose the nuclear option. That’s why none of this resonates with me. It’s on par with selling your soul to the devil for a PB&J sandwich.
Now it’s time for Ray to spill his guts. He has a vendetta against Klen. Why? Because our friendly neighborhood demon lord just so happens to be wearing the same face as Shiro, someone who once saved Ray’s life. And just like that, Ray was in love. Ah, tragic yaoi… name a more iconic duo. As a result, seeing Klen with Shiro’s face enrages him. He demands to know why Klen chose this guise of all guises. Unfortunately for Ray, Klen has no satisfying answer to give the kid. Hell, he doesn’t even know how Shiro died. He’s only using Shiro’s appearance, because it was the first face that came to mind when he made himself “human.” Basically, for Klen, “[i]t was Tuesday.” Man, what an iconic line from such a shit movie… but I digress. Again, this backstory leaves me cold. You can’t dump this on me at the last second and expect to tug my heartstrings. Ray has had no character development whatsoever until this episode. You gotta carefully build towards these moments, but like with season one, Clevatess refuses to do its homework. It seems to think flashy battle scenes will make up for that, but they’re not enough.
In the end, Vordin just zaps in and steals the final Book of Toah without breaking a sweat. Kinda anticlimactic.
My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren’t Wicked Ep. 8
I got so bored watching this episode that I started absent-mindedly pulling for Summer Robin in Honkai Star Rail. Don’t worry, I only ever use free, saved-up jades. I didn’t get her, by the way. So what even happened in this week’s episode? Uh, there’s a Parent Observation Day, so the stepmother gets to hear Miya read an essay on how much she appreciates her new family. Speaking of which, has she gone back to visit her maternal grandmother at all since the first episode? Has she even been staying in contact? Also, why are there almost no dudes in this world? Where is the father? There’s also a subplot involving Koyuki, but at this point, I had pretty much tuned out completely.
Mebius Dust Ep. 8
The entire episode was a match between Araki’s old team and his new team, and you know how I feel about these silly games. Yes, I know these competitions are a way for the kids to work out their conflicts without directly fighting each other. It’s just like how we substitute war with sports. But when the plot has been so threadbare, these games are just as hollow. I don’t care who wins, because I don’t even know whom I should be rooting for and why. Obviously, Diavolic seems like the bad guys… but why? Give me a damn story other than creepy kid recruited Araki.
The only part I enjoyed was when Stella decked Araki, but that happened after Diavolic had already won. Meanwhile, the researcher kid fed us the usual nonsense: “Oooh, I got such good data! My research will progress greatly!” Why is the data good? What is he researching? What are their aims? Hell if I know, and that’s a bad thing to say after eight weeks of episodes.
Chainsmoker Cat
No new episode this week. They aired some recap special instead. I didn’t know this show had anything worth recapping. For funsies, I’ll just reuse my favorite Chainsmoker Cat screenshot.
Dara-san of Reiwa Ep. 9
In the past, Jurota reached out to the cursed arm for some reason. Maybe it’s because he had a soft spot for the younger priestess. Well, she certainly had a soft spot for him too, and that feeling still lingered within her cursed arm. Even worse, it had been twisted into an obsession. As a result, the cursed arm yanked Jurota’s right arm off and kept it as an offering. Still, this incident apparently turned Jurota into a third deity of sorts, so he could maintain the precarious balance on the mountain.
In the present, we kinda get two short stories about good and bad spirits. Well, more like indifferent and bad spirits. The first story is just about a female ghost who pretends to be a teacher at Hinata’s school. It doesn’t do anything else but blend into the environment. Well, okay then… I actually started reading a book on yokai, their history, their stories, and how important they are to Japanese culture. But I’m also only reading it before bed every night, so I haven’t gotten far. Maybe I’ll get to the “Magire” chapter one day.
As for the second story, Hinata and her friends explore a shuttered indoor amusement park, but it’s unfortunately haunted by malicious spirits. Thankfully, our resident snake god is here to defend them. In fact, the girls think the snake is awesome, which powers it up even more than it ever expected. So this is how you truly tame Yamatagi Madara. But like I said last week, spirits don’t really need to be “evil” anymore in modern-day Japan. There’s plenty of vitality to go around.
I Became a Legend After My 10 Year-Long Last Stand Ep. 9
Hijinks in the sewers — just think lots of big, nasty rats — eventually lead Lock to a mansion where he is greeted by a maid. Her eyes practically scream “I’m a vampire,” but our hero walks off like an idiot. We later see him and the rest of the gang try to piece together a broken demonic-looking statue. Somehow, none of the adults have any luck, but the orphan child Milca is able to get the job done. Guys, I think Lock might be an idiot. Anyway, this is just a setup episode. Not much else to say here.
The Drops of God Ep. 21
Big racist Australian dude hates the Japanese because they buy paper! And where does the paper come from? Australian forests! I can’t… I can’t with this logic. Nevertheless, Shizuku earns the racist’s trust by preventing a bunch of assholes from starting a forest fire. And how does Shizuku accomplish this? By using his keen sense of smell, of course! Hmm, yes, dry cedar trees would burn best, so that’s where the arsonists would start their fire. Shizuku thus activates his power by holding up an imaginary wine glass. It then leads him to the patch of forest full of cedar trees. And what do you know, there’s a fire here! Amazing! It’s doubly hilarious, because I don’t think arsonists would put that much thought into it. Why? It’s a fucking forest. I can start my fire anywhere!
Meanwhile, Issei is watching a bunch of movies about Napa Valley vintners. As thanks for saving the forest, the racist lets Shizuku tour one of Australia’s oldest vineyards. Issei watches more movies. Shizuku even thinks he sees his father’s spirit wandering the vineyard as the sun is setting. Issei watches so many movies, Loulan has long since fallen asleep. It’s so painfully obvious who the main character is.
Finally, it’s judging time. Thanks to all those movies, Issei picks out a wine that immediately brings the Sagrada Familia to mind. Y’see, those movies showed him the true value of hard work and dedication! That perfectly exemplifies the Sagrada Familia! On the other hand, Shizuku submits a wine that shows him a different architectural marvel instead: the Angkor Wat. He suddenly realizes his error: his wine is too dependent on its terroir. Ah, of course! This is the late Kanzaki’s message to his two sons! Like the Australian wine, Shizuku is too dependent on his natural talents! He needs to work harder and truly dedicate himself to wine if he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps! It’s so plainly obvious! The Angkor Wat reveals all, duh!
In the end, Shizuku spirals a bit from this loss. When he finally returns to work, he suddenly announces that he’ll no longer compete for his father’s estate and wine collection. Sure… sure you won’t. But fine, we’ll play along for now.