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[series:4701#628] | ||||||
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(Rent- or Watch+) (All episodes watched): Episode one is basically about how Luciel prepares for a career as a Healer, by registering with the appropriate Guild, practicing and studying in a 'Spartan' manner, and meeting a number of people. Luciel sometimes uses his previous life skills as a salesman, though I thought more could have been made of this than actually was. Again, the episode is largely about setting the stage for whatever will follow, and not many thoughts about whether this show was good or not came to mind as I watched. Nevertheless, we get to know Luciel a little and I was left curious about how his life as a healer would go. In episode two he decides that he needs at least a modest capability as a martial artist in order to be able to defend himself, and arranges for the birly guy above, 'Brod', to train him. It's the usual 'train me within an inch of my life and I'll emerge as an awesome fighter' bit. This show was kind of amusing at times, but I still had little idea where the plot was going and didn't learn anything about Luciel that would make me care about him any more. Being a healer, of all things, seemed kind of unusual and interesting in episode one, but I get the feeling that Luciel will wind up inflicting as many injuries as he heals. I watched episode three, and found it to be fairly amusing and entertaining. Luciel continues his training, aided by the disgusting but highly effective 'Substance X'. There didn't seem to be as much emphasis on getting stronger and stronger (as I had feared) as there was on comedy. Luciel will heal poor adventurers who previously had no option but to suffer when injured. And even Brod has some personality, rather than being someone whose fearsome strength effectively is his personality. Episode four was so-so. A year has passed since Luciel's resurrection, and he has completed his training with Brod. He decides to attend an academy to improve his healing skills, and we learn of a crooked leader of healers, Bottaculli, who Luciel will no doubt meet at some point. I'm glad Luciel didn't train forever with Brod, but nothing really intriguing happened during this episode. Oops, I spoke too soon--Luciel's plan to transfer from the Adventurers guild to the Healers one is quickly quashed in episode five. But it seems this is because he has made himself highly useful there, treating wounded Adventurers, and has gained some respect. Luciel encounters Bottaculli, the sleazy leader of the Healers who uses it as a racket to sell healing magic at exorbitant prices and who exploits those who are unable to pay. This all seemed rather superficial and unexciting to me. This guy is more of a caricature (he exhales some sort of vapor from his nose when angry) than a serious character (though Luciel senses that he was not always as corrupt as he is today). Bottaculli arranges to have Luciel called to the capital city of St. Shurule, presumably to get him out of the way of his own local racket. Episode six summoned a couple of sincere laughs from me but in general this is a pretty average quality show which I might not be watching if there were not a shortage of truly good anime in this Summer 2023 season (there are only three shows I am really enthusiastic about). In episode seven Luciel arrives in Shurule, deflects accusations made by Bottaculli, and is assigned to his surprising new job: exorcising the undead in a labyrinth beneath the city. This show does have a talent for visual jokes and I got a good laugh at one point in Luciel's first mission. Luciel finds dealing with the undead to be pretty easy what with all the combat training he has undergone and all the Substance X he has imbibed. Until, that is, he comes up against a 'boss' zombie. Again, I found myself laughing out loud during episode eight and am glad I didn't quit this show. Episode nine, in which Luciel undergoes training with Lumina's Valkyrie Knights, wasn't quite as fun; I don't recall any LOL moments and what purpose this could play within the overall plot escapes me. Episode ten is largely about the mysterious Substance X and a surprizing side effect of drinking it. Luciel takes up his old charity of tending to injured adventurers at a manageable price in St. Shurule. It begins to dawn on him that this labyrinth isn't some harmless simulation after all, and he had better be careful. After a close call with a level boss he is reluctant to press his luck and makes less rapid progress clearing the thing. Luciel goes missing in the labyrinth for six months, and is feared dead, but has in fact found himself in a situation where the only way out is to clear the entire thing. He fights a fearsome last boss, then finds a strange creature that enlightens him in a partly touching and partly confusing manner. And he finally finds out why he's still at 'Level 1'. This show had a feel good ending as some things have changed and some have remained the same. We have gotten to like Luciel and his acquaintances, and I was sort of sorry to see them go. Last updated Saturday, September 30 2023. Created Monday, July 31 2023. | ||||||||
