We kick things off with a glimpse into Diana’s past when she was only known as Sanya, a plain ol’ village girl from the country. We even get to see the exact moment she got her saintly powers. But why did the goddess pick her of all people? Was Diana an exceptional child? All we get to see is that she had a fight with her childhood friend Mary. Beyond that, there’s too little to say whether or not Diana was even a good or bad child. If the goddess operates on meritocracy, we sure as hell ain’t seeing it. And maybe this is a sign of things to come. Maybe we’ll get to see just how human Diana really is, i.e. flawed. I mean, she has a crush on Leo, so that’s already a major flaw. I kid, I kid… maybe. But more importantly, we’ll get to see that the motivations of gods and goddesses are often quite inscrutable.
We get the usual mishap to kick off the episode. It’s the day of the big collaboration event at a local cafe, but Kamegawa naively relied on the merchandise not just being delivered on time, but also on the day of the event. Yeah, that’s kinda silly of him. Why would you not hedge your bets and schedule it a couple days earlier? Naturally, Kannawa scolds him, but she then also blames herself for not double-checking his work. Apparently, she didn’t want to come across as a nag. Girl, you’re his superior, not his wife. Besides, this is hardly the end of the world. The collab hasn’t started yet, so you’re not technically late. Oh yeah, Hotta is also here for some reason. Just to be a third wheel, I guess?
When real Konoha returns to the party, she finds Menoa’s her half-sister berating the poor girl in front of everyone. This seems rather gauche for a noblewoman, but no one around them seems to care. I guess it’s okay to act like a petulant brat if you’re bullying a child born from a sordid dalliance with a mistress. Well, thanks to Reddit, I’m so over step or half-sibling drama. As an only child, I simply can’t understand wasting so much time and energy hating on someone like this. Perhaps real Konoha seems to agree, because Iana suddenly steps in and takes the “blow,” i.e. a glass of red wine to the face. The choice to make it look like she’s bleeding from her eyes must have been deliberate. I guess this makes her look like a villainess? Well, she certainly still has that reputation, so now everyone thinks Iana is out to get the mean half-sibling.
The episode starts with visions of Athanasia’s disastrous past life still haunting her dreams. The next day, she redoubles her effort to practice her dancing even harder than ever. She’s still desperately seeking her father’s love and approval, which is mostly Claude’s fault for being such a deadbeat. Nevertheless, a line of thought occurred to me as I watch the poor girl trip over her feet in practice. It’s funny when you compare this coming-of-age stories with Western ones. When I think about those harrowing teenage years, I’m reminded of grotesque transformations, physically and mentally. I’m reminded of ostracization. Alienation. Experimentation. Struggling to find one’s identity among peers. But none of these are concerns for Athanasia even though she’s about to debut herself at the age of fourteen (still such a baby). Grotesque transformation? Puh-leeze. She’s the spitting image of her mother through and through, so physically, she’s absolutely flawless. No awkwardness. All grace. Athanasia doesn’t trip in dance practice because she’s getting used to her rapidly growing body. She trips because she’s trying too hard. Does Athanasia feel rebellious? Or forlorn? Or like a stranger in her own body? Like someone who doesn’t know what she wants to become when she grows up? Nope. She has a one-track mind and it’s all about father’s love and approval since the day her young self stopped being scared of him. Her raison d’être hasn’t changed one bit over the years. Granted, she’s not a modern teen girl, so we’re comparing apples to oranges a bit here, but are you seeing the picture I’m painting? Growth and change are often interlinked, but does it feel like Athanasia has changed at all? She can cast basic spells now. And she’s taller. But honestly that’s about it. Where’s the growth?
