Why is it that after only four episodes (and two reviews) of this series, I already feel like I’m a dead horse?
In this episode only we:
- Introduced to Kilika
- Introduced to Amelia and Killika’s father
- Learn about the entire elf culture
- Learn that Killika has brainwashed everyone she knows (except her father, Amelia, and Liam)
- An exciting showdown between Kilika and Akira
- Learn about Killika’s tragic backstory (as the scapegoat while Amelia was the golden child)
- Learn about Kilika’s forgotten and tragic backstory (she was tricked by a third party into Liam’s murder)
- Learning that her father was actually the culprit of everything as he erased Kilika’s memory
- Watching everyone reconcile and forgive…you know…mind wipes, mind control, and trying to kill each other
- Romantic scene between Amelia and Akira
- Quickly understand the dynamics of the “Hero Party”
That’s a full, twisty storyline told in a total of 20 minutes – which is just too much.
If it weren’t for the fact that there’s so much potential here, I wouldn’t care too much about the poor pacing – especially on Kilika’s part, as long as there’s a chance to breathe. Here we have a girl who is shunned and isolated by her friends and family, all (apparently) because her sister has a gift she can’t match. Then this girl with a severe inferiority complex gains the ability to mind control those around her – making herself the golden child and making her sister feel what she once felt. And, as these things develop in the anime, it snowballs into outright attempted murder and exile – and Killika has always felt vindicated as the original victim. These are some complex and powerful emotions that need to be addressed – events worth dealing with, to be precise.
The next twist is that Killika’s own mind was tampered with and her father erased parts of her memory instead of helping her through the most traumatic moments of her life. Everyone keeps their distance, not because Amelia’s newfound powers make her special, but because everyone is walking on eggshells lest Killika discover her changed mind—and the trauma behind it. How do you deal with the fact that not only did your actions kill a dear friend, but you are also living a lie because of your own father?
The biggest problem, however, is that this complex emotional drama is left unexplored – everyone is satisfied with what happened. Amelia immediately forgives Killika for trying to kill her on more than one occasion. The elves 100% agree to be mind controlled for weeks or even years because they love their princess That’s all. And what’s the real culprit behind this? The man who resorted to expediency and erased the memory of one daughter without letting the other know what he had done? No one was even angry with him – not his daughter nor his people. This is pure insanity, and no one whose psyche has been violated is even remotely angry – oh, but I guess throwing a party would sort out any lingering emotions.
There was so much potential drama in this episode, with characters, conflicts, and twists—but nothing was done. We didn’t have time to stop and smell the roses – when we could just run over them and keep going at breakneck speed. This is one of those series where there’s an urgent need to understand that the journey is just as important – if not more – than the destination.
grade:
My status as an assassin is obviously higher than that of a hero Currently live broadcast
Crunchy roll.
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