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| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
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| Unevaluated |
 Stretch
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[series:4913#628] | ||||||
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(Six episodes watched) I wasn't sure until well into episode one whether this was going to be a drama or a comedy (Atou sometimes has a very scary look on her face), but in the second half it became clear that it would be the latter. And it was fairly funny—lines like “It was a little embarrassing for me, too”. This is looking like a comedy which has a plot to it, which is generally a good idea just in case the jokes don't live up to expectations. There are some interesting touches: Atou understands that this world is based on a videogame that she is a character from, for one thing (sounds like she may have basically been the avatar that Takato employed while playing). They seek to re-create the Kingdom of Mynoghra, “a mild-mannered civilization that governs evil and ruin”, that Takato built in a previous play of Eternal Nations. They agree that for the time being they should hide from anyone else and collect information using the 'scout' creature that they purchase with a good share of their available mana points. The scout finds a group of refugee Dark Elves nearby, and Elf warrior Gia Nageeve finds Takato and Atou as well. Takato takes pity on the starving elves and uses some more of his points to purchase some food for them. Back at camp Gia and Elf elder Moltar wonder whether Takato (Gia could only see a black shillouette of him) represents a blessing or a threat. He might be the fabled 'King of Ruin', but he has been magnanimous so far. I found that I was enjoying myself and looking forward to episode two. It turns out that the elves are actually quite certain that Takato is the King of Ruin, and therefore wonder what the price of accepting his benevolence might be (episode two). But they have nowhere else to go, and Takato comes up with a solution: why not make them the first citizens of Mynoghra? "It's more fun than you'd expect on our side" Sludge tells them, and they accept. Takato learns that his land has a pretty lousy situation, with powerful nations devoted to good nearby and no significant natural resources to make use of. But he also learns that by employing 'Divine Privledge' and 'Emergency Production' he can make objects from modern-day Japan there. Meanwhile, a religious leader of one of the good nations senses that he has appeared in this world. Not brilliant, but amusing and interesting. Maybe this isn't primarily a comedy after all. Saint Soalina of the Holy Kingdom of Qualia demands that a mission be sent to the accursed realms to investigate her premonition that an 'apocalypse' is building. A modest one, led by the Paladins Lonius and Vendel, is dispatched. Meanwhile, Takato works at getting his nation organized. For all his devotion to 'evil', he vows to “lead everyone to the peak of happiness!”. In episode four Sir Lonius and Sir Vendel arrive at the forest and Atou is sent to meet them and try to persuade them to go home. When they refuse a fight breaks out and predictably many of the minor fighters—mercenaries--are killed instantly in a display of Atou's capabilities. In episode five Atou deals with the paladins but afterwards Takato is troubled by the information she retrieved about a 'witch' causing great trouble in the northern regions of Qualia—this does not square with Eternal Nations as he knows it. He wonders if someone like himself might be behind this, and considers forging an alliance with another (neutral) country. In episode six Atou decides that Takato needs some personal servants, but labor is in short supply. I got a laugh out of the tactless way she ordered the elves to provide whatever female children were available. In the end the job is given to Maria and Caria Elfuus, two orphans who we've been seeing in the OP sequence (they must have some special skills or else they wouldn't have the elaborate costumes they wear). We get an interesting explanation of Takato's philosophy of evil: he feels it actually means a person is free to do as they choose, for better or for worse, rather than adhering to some pre-set code of conduct. It is decided that a 'diplomat' (or two) should be sent to the remote city of Dragonar, which needs help in a conflict with 'barbarians' and has a precious mana-creating mineral in exchange. Last updated Thursday, August 21 2025. Created Sunday, July 13 2025. | ||||||||
