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[series:4810#628] | ||||||
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(All episode watched): I had heard several weeks ago that another season of MT had been released, but could only find something with Portuguese subtitles which made me conclude that it hadn't. But it turns out that it had. Rudy asks for advice about getting married and learns that no self-respecting man in this country will do so if he can't provide a decent house for his new wife. He learns of a large but run-down place that can be gotten cheaply because there is supposedly a curse on it. Along with a couple of magician friends he investigates and they discover the strange explanation behind the story, which may in fact be a golden opportunity. I was looking forward to more of the same and was not disappointed. In their new home Rudy and Sylphie hold a party in episode two which has some surprising results, like the discovery that Sylphie is related to another ongoing character and Rudy being challenged to a duel. Another surprise comes in episode three when we learn that Nanahoshi (I think), the black-haired girl who Rudy has been cooperating with in magical research, had actually been attempting to find a way to magically transport herself back to Japan. She is deeply demoralized when her attempt fails, but Rudy and friends demonstrate that her plan might still have a chance at success. Rudy gets a letter from Paul, his father, revealing that Norn and Aisha, his sister and half-sister, are being sent to him for safekeeping. Most isekai series are thoroughly predictable and we get few genuine surprises (even though we are dealing with people being transferred to another world), but here you never know what's going to happen next yet events make perfect sense when they do. As I had guessed, Rudy's old friend Ruijerd is the man escorting the girls. In episode four he pays a brief visit then is gone. Norn is not on good terms with Rudy and he doesn't know how to handle her. On the other hand, you could almost say that Aisha is on too good of terms with him and only wants to serve as his maid even though she clearly has great potential as a magician. An ill-advised prank by the fox girls that serve Rudy almost lands him in hot water. In episode five Rudy fears that Norn, who is now living in the dorm of the academy, might be sinking into the same shut-in, socially phobic behavior that he once knew all too well in Japan. He assumes it must be for the same reason (bullying, etc), but it turns out that she resents being continually compared to the brother who she does not like and expected to achieve similar things. It wasn't entirely clear to me why this would cause her to stop attending classes and hole up in her room. But seldom does any isekai series even acknowledge that psychology exists, so I won't complain too much. The thought did occur to me that Rudy pretty much shook off all of his past life emotional issues the moment he was reborn in this world. Let's hope that if reincarnation exists, it really does work that way. Afterwards all of Norn's problems seem to be fixed, almost magically. In episode 18 Rudy gets some good news and some bad. Sylphie is pregnant, but he gets a letter saying that the attempt to rescue his mother, Zenith, is in trouble and needs help. The Man-God, a mysterious figure who occasionally appears to Rudy, has advised him against going to the continent of Begaritt, which is where Zenith is believed to be. He must choose between remaining where he is and protecting his pregnant wife and two sisters, and going to help search for his mother. He decides to go to Begaritt. In episode 19 he makes his preparations. Elinalize volunteers to accompany him. It turns out that Nanahoshi has a way of using portals to greatly speed up a journey which ought to take around eight months each way. Rudy and Elinalize teleport and set out across the desert to the city of Ragan (I think). Something is clearly building here and I remained intrigued as things which make perfect sense (given that magic is involved) but which are complex enough to be unpredictable take place. On arrival Rudy tracks down Paul and is brought up to date on the situation: before Zenith can be rescued, Rudy's old tutor Roxy is missing within a vast labyrinth, and a rescue operation for her is organized. I saw at least one character that I think appeared in the artwork for the very first season of MT but had not actually shown up for any length of time until now. In episode nine Roxy is recovered; she seems to have become attracted to Rudy, who played the prime role in saving her. Rudy needs to tell her that he's now a married man, but so far hasn't. Rescuing Zenith demands defeating a major monster, and the fight does not go entirely in favor of Rudy and his companions. A major character is killed, Rudy is seriously injured and it turns out that Zenith is not in good shape. While distraught Rudy has sex with Roxy. Rudy fears that the prophecy the Man-God offered him might be fulfilled by some sort of misfortune for Sylphie or his sisters, and rushes home. But Sylphie is OK and bears him a healthy daughter. Now comes fixing Rudy's tattered marriage; things look like a disaster but Sylphie saves everything by forgiving Rudy. This was a strikingly powerful and moving conclusion, possible only because the characters in this show are much, much deeper and more interesting than those in most isekai series. I heard somewhere that we humans sense that stories with shallow characters are of little use to us since we won't learn much from them, and it makes sense. Last updated Monday, July 29 2024. Created Tuesday, April 30 2024. | ||||||||
