Me when I realize how many isekai and generic fantasy anime I’m gonna have to watch next season.
The World’s Strongest Rearguard Ep. 11
Every time Atobe whips out his trusty slingshot, I instantly stop taking this show seriously. All I can imagine is Bart from The Simpsons getting isekai’d. Anyway, he and the girls defeat the evil, mind-controlling treant and save Polaris… or so he thinks. When Atobe visits the girl who was primarily puppeted by the treant, he discovers that it’s now trying to take over his mind. But somehow, a naked Theresia can enter his mind and protect him. Alright, sure. I guess that’s a thing now too. I thought we might finally get to hear the lizard girl speak for once, but nope, Aoi Koga is going to collect a paycheck where all she had to do was grunt for twelve episodes. In any case, she saves the day, so we have ourselves a happy ending: Atobe manages to save his friend’s party, help his own party pass the promotion exam, and they even manage to impress some important-looking people. What is there even left to do?
That’s when Ariadne, the robot girl (god thing?) they found in a labyrinth tells Atobe all about how one of her armaments can be found in the black chest they looted from the last dungeon. It’s so video gamey. The influence is all over this show, and that’s fine, but you gotta handle these elements with a little more finesse than this! Don’t just copy the last game you played wholesale. Tell me a cohesive story from start to finish. But instead, a very important item is just found in the exact same dungeon that Atobe’s party needed to hit up for their exam, where they also had to save Polaris. Yeah, this feels contrived as hell.
Skeleton Knight in Another World S2 Ep. 11
Tsubone has the ability to make people talk, but it ends up being pointless anyway because Palurumo is more than happy to exposition dump. Basically, Sasuke infiltrated the Holy Hilk Empire in an attempt to free his people, but he was no match for the evil pope. As for this attack on the human settlement, it’s a false flag operation. People get hurt, so they will turn to the Hilk religion for safety. The Hilk religion believes all non-humans are dirty, so there you go: racism goes on forever. Exposition done.
What follows is some boring 1v1 between Chiyome and zombie Sasuke. Naturally, he’s only a shell of his former self, so she manages to take him down via a simple ruse: making him think he won by sacrificing a ninjutsu clone of herself. In Sasuke’s final moments, he predictably regains consciousness, so he is able to say his goodbyes before his soul departs for good. Now that it’s all over, Chiyome cries with Ariane embracing her. I would feel bad, but it’s just too rote and mechanical. Nothing here is executed with any semblance of effort.
Elsewhere, the people have gathered around Cardinal Charros’ mansion, begging for his help. He, however, fears retaliation from the pope, because this city was supposed to be destroyed. As a result, he takes matters into his own hands… uh, quite literally. Yep, he now has giant arms. They are each equipped with equally giant mouths capable of gobbling people up whole. Arc luckily arrives just in time to prevent a child from becoming the cardinal’s next meal. Then he completes his transformation and turns into a purple lump with mouths all over its body. Like I said, this show doesn’t have a shred of originality to it, so even the big, bad monsters look uninspired. But I guess this boss fight will round out the second season. I don’t think this show should get another sequel. It just doesn’t care. Why should we waste our time with it if that’s the case?
Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs Season 2 Ep. 11
Olivia is out of saint juice, so she can’t just pray the latest big, bad guardian away. No, they have to destroy the flute that summoned it. As a result, they run into Hertrude, who wants to destroy the world because her country betrayed her, blah blah blah. Identifying with the girl, Marie jumps to Hertrude’s defense. What’s actually surprising, however, is that this works. Hertrude goes from wanting to wipe out the entire world to finally relenting because a bratty fake saint can empathize with her. Yeah, I don’t buy it. It feels cheap. But whatever gets us to the harem ending, right?
Vandel, however, keeps battling Leon. A flashback reveals that while he didn’t kill the sisters’ parents, he didn’t do anything to stop it either. This stupid need to fight to the death is nothing more than his guilt eating at him. But Vandel, haven’t you considered writing Hertrude a letter on social media? If you just say you’re not complicit, then you’re not complicit! That’s how it works!
Everything from this point on is the cheesy, happy ending you would expect from a show like this. Vandel dies after telling Hertrude to be happy. Leon redirects his attention to the guardian, which now seeks to kill Hertrude for breaking the contract. Empowered by the love of both Olivia and… goddamn, she has barely had a presence this season, so I’ve forgotten her name… right, Angelica! Powered by the love of those two, Leon fires a beam that completely destroys the lava-spewing monster, thereby saving the world. The end…
…except we have one episode left. So come back next week to see Leon take a major step in constructing his harem, I guess. Geez, an entire episode for a denouement. That’s rather self-indulgent.
The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System Ep. 12
I find it odd how this show always has to do a sweeping shot of the city whenever it starts. I think someone joked about it being FFXIV Dungeon: The Anime, because every dungeon does the same thing when you first enter one.
Anyway, Elymas was taking a beating, but he had to. Without his buffs, he’s just a sitting duck, and his new skill requires him to sit below 20% HP. As soon as he can use it, however, he quickly flips the script on Malice. He can match her attack and speed, but she has no means to boost her defense. Elymas’s HP is still dreadfully low, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t land a direct hit anymore. So Malice loses. In fact, he knocks her out. His father has to bitterly admit that he was wrong about the guild conspiring with Elymas.
As his father tries to leave, Elymas suddenly feels… grateful for his upbringing? I dunno, man, even the flashback we got made his father look like a jackass: “Never show any emotion. Maintaining our dignity… is how we protect our people and land.” Bro, you literally exiled your own son because he wasn’t born with the correct job class. Fuck outta here with that nonsense. Pfft, “protect our people.” His chosen heir is a bloodthirsty murderer. But Elymas bows and thanks his shit-ass father anyway. This might be some Confucian, “revere and respect your parents” bullshit thing, ’cause fuck that. I would never respect a father like that.
Clown waifu wants an apology in return. Not for herself, but for Elymas. Well, he doesn’t get one. But Elymas’s old man nevertheless asks her to look after his kid. I guess that’s the best you’re gonna get. Elymas tells Ruche that a man like his father could never apologize: “Nobles are finished once they’re not taken seriously.” But why would apologizing mean they aren’t being taken seriously? If anything, the ability to accept your faults makes you a more serious person!
But whatever. This family drama is done and over with… for now, anyway. I highly doubt Malice will take this defeat lightly. She’s going to wake up even more pissed than ever, then proceed to murder more prisoners. Elymas says that Malice wasn’t always like this, but of course, he’s not going to elaborate. We’re just going to have to put Malice out of our minds for now. After all, Elymas and his clown waifu are departing for another city… which looks just like the one they just left. Nevertheless, they’re excited! Uh-huh. Guess we’re starting the new arc out by diving into a new setting and a new dungeon.
Hell Mode S2 Ep. 11
The freakin’ numbers, man. Nothing but nonstop numbers. This war is nothing more than a poorly-animated spreadsheet. Once in a while, the show tries to remind you that there’s a serious human factor. The healing guy despairs, because he can’t save everyone. Even with everyone putting their best foot forward, thousands have died. But this is merely an aside in an episode full of numbers flying back and forth — numbers mostly there to help glaze Allen’s greatness. 4 million demon troops, hundreds of thousands of allied troops, thousands of elven elixirs, blah blah blah blah. I can’t take it. This is a serious conflict with actual losses of life, but those deaths are nothing more than a footnote. I can’t even remember the healer guy’s name anymore, because these characters aren’t important. None of Allen’s party members are as important as the numbers.
Anyway, some minor developments… the guy leading the demon army against the elves might be an elf himself. He’s a dark elf, to be exact. Allen’s Deputize ability allows him to promote one of his summons. I hate this sort of thing in games, though. They always take my cute summons and turn them into ugly rejects. Digimon is the worst about this, but Pokemon has the same problem as well — just to a lesser degree. Games like Digimon and Pokemon need some sort of glamour system but for the monsters. I want my Gyarados to still look like Magikarp. Finally, Allen needs help to truly beat the demons, so he negotiates to have the hero join them for ten or so days. Again, the numbers…
