In the land of-… whoa, three moons? Man, the tides must suck. Anyway, in this land, the noblewoman Serafina attempts to lead an army eastward in order to claim fertile territory from the barbarians. Thus begins the first episode of The Barbarian’s Bride. Basically, it’s an invasion; the barbarians have every right to defend their home. In Sera’s mind, however, this is her kingdom’s only solution to the famine that ails her people. To nobody’s surprise, the rest of the nobility are gleefully fattening their coinpurses, because war is profitable. It’s familiar if unoriginal world-building. The people starve while the fat cats party and feast (actual cats not invited). The people could probably survive this famine if the rich weren’t hoarding all the resources. Oh yeah, they’re also misogynistic! Have we painted a clear enough picture yet? Has this completely one-sided portrayal of the noblewoman’s kingdom convinced you that they deserve to be hated? Unfortunately, Sera’s hands aren’t exactly clean either. Look, I get the logic. Even if she knows that most of the spoils will end up in the ruling class’s coffers, the riches will surely “trickle down” and save the people. It will, right? It must! And thus she fights to maintain the status quo, because she sees no other option. But again, this is an invasion. She’s hoping to steal from others — others that she has deemed “barbaric.” Why is it okay in her mind to take from them? Because she’s racist.