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[series:4879#628] | ||||||
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(Three episodes watched): What difference does smiling make if a Saint's job is to create 'barriers' that protect the people from monsters? Would you rather have a Saint who can call an end to a drought or one who is cheerful? The basic premise of this show made little sense to me--I thought at first that it was nothing but a joke, but maybe not. We never get a very in-depth or convincing explanation of Philia's lack of emotion. "It's because of my lack of charm that I sought to be perfect" she says. For all her remarkable powers she is actually very insecure and emotionally vulnerable. And the people are inexplicably and irrationally ungrateful to her despite all the amazing things she has done for them. Some seem to think she is ridiculing them by refusing to smile. Others are jealous and want her to slip up. How can Philia be 'arrogant' when she hardly displays any emotion at all? Some people even feel Philia is 'taking their jobs' by performing miracles. Everyone in any position of importance within Girtonia is a two-dimensional asshole who thinks they can do whatever they please to Philia without any undesirable repercussions. The affection of her younger sister Mia is what keeps her going. This is just stupid. For all her Goddess-like abilities Philia refuses to stand up for herself while everyone takes a dump on her. The message of this show seems to be that no good deed goes unpunished. But I don't want to watch a show about a girl who allows herself to be treated like shit even though she is actually very powerful. Philia annihilated a pack of werewolves but is so naive that she cannot comprehend that she might in fact be a powerful person who could be giving orders rather than obeying them. The new and radically different situation Philia finds herself in after being 'sold' to the neighboring (and Saint-less) Kingdom of Parnacorta perked up my interest a little, but trying to make sense of this show makes my head hurt and the plot seems so ham-fisted and simplistic that it's hard to believe this show will ever turn around. It demands too much of a suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless I watched episode two. In Parnacorta Philia is treated much better than in Girtonia, and has caught the attention of a Prince (who apparently was scouting her back in Girtonia). Philia's servants/bodyguards are amazed to find that her abilities are off the scales compared to the previous Saint Elizabeth (and they are no slouches themselves). Philia's sister Mia was told nothing about her basically vanishing and vows that if her sister was screwed over somehow she will take revenge on the people who were responsible (which might be interesting). Still not exactly novel and original, and Philia's naivete is painful to watch. Philia's previous master, the Prince of Girtonia, is a 2D asshole and thus not very interesting. In episode three Philia informs the Prince of her disturbing theory that a catastrophic surge of monsters from the underworld may be brewing. However, she has already worked out a defence for Parnacorta that ought to work. Meanwhile, the prince of Girtonia proposes to Mia, who pretends to accept though in fact she has figured out what this man did to her sister and intends to punish him. Mia just happened to overhear a couple of guys discussing the plot, which could happen I suppose, but could also be done better. This Prince and the Adenauer parents definitely deserve judgment which is one thing keeping me watching. In episode four a way is found to slip messages between Philia and Mia (using Philia's personal Ninja bodyguard, of course). Still, I was modestly intrigued and glad to see that Philia isn't so emotionally and intellectually impaired that she can't take the risky actions that are called for. Her precautions against the monster surge have been so effective that she basically has nothing to do, so it is suggested that she act as a tutor to some sort of backup Saint. In most shows we would just be fed a steady diet of monster fights (one little one does take place during this episode but it doesn't last long), but I would much rather learn more about how Philia and Mia are resolving the basic problem, i.e, Philia being betrayed as she was. Last updated Wednesday, May 07 2025. Created Tuesday, April 08 2025. | ||||||||
