Tsubasa Chronicle – 36 – Suddenly, Everything Makes Sense

by psgels, posted in Tsubasa Chronicle



…

…

Duh!

Okay, let’s recap:
– When Ashura and Yasha fought in Sakura’s flashback, Ashura killed Yasha because the latter caught an illness.
– The next day, Yasha showed up like nothing happened, while in fact it was a feather which replaced him.
– Kurogane pretended not to know Syaoran because the latter would not take his training seriously if he did.
– Fye pretended not to know Syaoran because he pretended to be a silent warrior, because he couldn’t understand anyone in the Yasha-country, because Mokona was too far away.
– Something in the Yasha-country changes the eye-color of its inhabitants to black.
– Ashura and Yasha became gods because Ashura asked Yuuko for it.

Okay, everything makes sense now. Everything felt so incredibly obvious when all was revealed. Maybe a bit too obvious. Still, I’m happy with this arc. Everything was nicely told, not to mention the story was great. Kurogane was awesome once more as well.

Oh, by the way, I’m back again, and I have a lot of catching up to do. I started with Tsubasa Chronicle, as I heard that the next episode will become an awesome one. Apart from that, I’m also very interested in The Third and Simoun, so these ones will come in first, after the rest. Also, as there’ll be a lot to blog, be sure to expect a lot of short posts.

I’ve also discovered that Blogspot stopped allowing hotlinks. That doesn’t make me too happy, as it’ll make my first posts without any images. Fixing this will be a hell, though I’m at least planning to make Mahou Shoujotai to look good. After all, one of the best series ever deserves that.

Popolocrois 2003 – 05 – And I’ll Be In A Temporary Hiatus

by psgels, posted in Popolocrois 2003



Before I continue, I have some announcements to make. This will probably be the last post I’ll make, as tomorrow, I’ll be entering a short hiatus. I’ll be off to Britain, in order to enjoy some vacation. I’m not planning to make use of internet, so I’ll be gone for the next week. I should be back at July 24. By then, I’ll probably face a huge ordeal in trying to catch up with the week of anime that I lost. Ah well, back to the episode, and it was a great one. 🙂

Another character gets introduced: the Fire Seirei. Pinon, Luna and Marco head back to Popolocrois Castle. Marco tagged along, as he’d like to see some royal sweets. In any case, things are incredibly hot, which probably means that the fire-seirei has been captured. Then, they notice a shop on fire. Pinon messes up, and has to be saved by others, while Luna and Marco save the shopkeeper, who was trapped inside with the fire.

This really keeps gnawing in Pietoro. He really can’t see the great things that he’s done, as he keeps focusing on his own failures. This episode, was mainly meant for Pinon to realize that he’s got friends who can help him. It’s interesting that the episode wasn’t focused at Marco at all, while he did get his own Seirei. The Fire Seirei, by the way, is just too cute. It’s a strange combination between a chicken and a red pengiun, who can breathe fire. It seems that he took a liking in Marco.

I still don’t know what’s up with Papu. It seems that all of the Seirei are scared of him, though he quickly tells them not to be. In any case the episode itself featured events which succeeded each other in high pace. Especialy Marco was great. (*note to self: when writing an entry, write it right after seeing the episode, do not take a break. Ohterwise, you get garbage posts like this one*)

Memorable Moment: Pietoro mistaking a headless mannequin for the real shopkeeper.

Popolocrois 2003 – 04 – Dried Fish

by psgels, posted in Popolocrois 2003



Yup, the third and final main character gets introduced this episode: Marco. He’s a pretty interesting and funny guy. His voice-acting also works really well. His mother (Leona) also seems to be a good friend of Pietoro, and he could be the son of Shirokishi as well, though that’s not sure yet. Still, I like the way that he’s got no sense of direction at all. ^^

Anyway, a lot of interesting things happened. The most important one was Pinon, who still struggles with the fact that everyone sees him as Pietoro’s son, and always expects things of him. Marco really helps him see this, as Pinon is in his eyes just a weak little wimp. After all, at their first meeting, Pinon hides behind Luna. While this is extremely cute, it does show that Pinon lacks any form of confidence. He even gets to the point at whishing he never made friends with Luna, as making friends is just the same as fighting with each other. This really shows that Pinon is horribly shy and locked up. I like these sorts of main characters. They’re so much better than the impulsive little brats.

Punpun and Kotoro also were quite interesting. While they didn’t contribute to the main story at all, I just couldn’t help but love the situations they get thrown in. While they aren’t as awesome as their father, these situations did make them very enjoyable. The mushroom also was awesome. Even though their inventions lack a visual trademark, it still was hilarious to see a huge mushroom in the middle of a forest like that. I also liked the running gag of the dried fish which was included. Marco was on an errand to bring his mother some dried fish. He loses them, and they drop in the river, near Punpun and Kotaro. While Kotaro’s fishing, he gets extremely surprised when he catches a bunch of dried fish, of all things. Later, it seems that the creators haven’t forgotten this fish, as Kotaro actually attempts to roast the fish. The fish eventually end up as the lunch for a hungry griffin. (^^) It was interesting to see Kotaro running around with these dried fish on a stick.

Overall, this was a very nice episode. I’m beginning to like this anime more and more. I’ve still got two issues: Pinon’s voice-actor and the three little kids that keep bugging Pinon. Though the latter do make Pinon depressed, so I guess they’re okay. I’m also wondering what happened to Ulala. We haven’t seen a clue from her ever since the first episode. In any case, I’m liking Pietoro and Luna. The two of them look really cute together. ^^

Memorable Moment: Seeing Punpun and Kotoro emerge from the giant mushroom.

Some quick first impressions: NHK ni Youkoso, Le Chevalier d’Eon and Kirarin Revolution

by psgels, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

We now turn to some more heavily anticipated anime, and one show which seems to have been lost in the shadows. I was fairly surprised when I saw the latter of the three appear on Tokyo Toshokan. In any case, all of the main characters in these shows are interested in some way in a character who stands or stood high above them.

NHK ni Youkoso

This show is about a NEET, or Not in Employment, Education or Training. Ever since his first day at college, he ran to his apartment, and stayed there for more than three years. When you stay for three years inside a single apartment, it does very strange things to you. And indeed, the main character gets some very interesting theories. About how the NHK (actually a Japanese broadcast company) is actually the source of all evil. Another major plus of this series is the music. It really works along with all of the scenes. Overall, this seems like a very interesting series. I like the main character and his theories, though the girl has to have some very good reason to come to him.

Le Chevalier d’Eon

Another very anticipated show. I have to say, that so far, it lived up to its hype. The most notable aspect of this anime is the incredibly fast pacing. You really can’t afford to miss even five seconds, otherwise you’ll have no idea what’s going on. Though if you do manage to follow it, the effect it gives is great. Still, I wonder where this anime is going. It’s only been the first episode, and they already killed off half of the cast before the end of it. Still, this anime will probably become very interesting.

Kirarin Revolution

This still is from the spring season. Yes, spring season. It actually took more than three months before this show got its first subs. It’s a shoujo-anime. It’s got a lot of annoying elements, though I have to say that I enjoyed it in the end. We have this incredibly energetic young girl (Kirarin), who falls in love with an idol while she doesn’t know that the guy is an idol. In the eyes of the idol, Kirarin, is just one of his many fans. I think the anime will follow Kirarin, trying to win the idol’s respect. her first step: becoming an idol herself. Even though she knows nothing about singing. This anime reminded me a lot of Full Moon wa Sagashite, so I decided to give it another chance. Kirarin’s voice-actor is incredibly annoying, and she may be a bit too energetic at times. The idol’s costume looks totally ridiculous. But the few serious moments in the first episode were really convincing. Let’s hope that this anime doesn’t ruin itself.

Simoun – 15 – Paraietta

by psgels, posted in Simoun



OMG Paraietta! She really was incredible in this episode. The episode wasn’t really focused on a select number of characters, but Paraietta’s case was amazing. Apart from that, Furoe, Neviriru, Aaeru, Limone, Dominüra, Morinasu, Waporifu and Yun also received a healthy dose of character development.

We start the episode with Limone and Yun, outside of the Messis. Yun is collecting a few branches in order to make a cradle. Yun’s a tough nut to crack. The fact that she’s serious, and exactly knows her goal give her a very strong and level-headed personality. Though she’s still hiding something, I believe. It’s also very interesting to see Limone opening up more and more to others beside Aaeru, as we see her later in the episode trying to make a cradle of her own.

Yun also suggests Limone to stay by Dominüra’s side, as she’s the closest to her. Meanwhile, Aaeru and Neviriru get back from their day-long journey. Neviriru leaves immediately, along with Paraietta. We switch to Morinasu and Waporifu, who seem to have gotten into a fight. Last episode totally destroyed Waporifu as well, as she indeed sees the Simoun as sacred crafts, who shouldn’t be touched by anyone.

Later, the Alarm goes off, as an enemy has been spotted. Dominüra still is in shock, so somebody else has to take control. Aaeru still tries to go with Neviriru, though Paraietta stops her. Paraietta feels that with Dominüra gone and Neviriru tired, she has to yet again act as a leader. Still, there’s one major difference with the beginning of the series, when she had to do this as well: at the beginning of the series, it was only natural for her to take the lead. This time, she forces herself in the lead. Most of the Sybilla don’t really like this. Although Aaeru’s the only one who listens to her.

Still, Paraietta’s so occupied with being in the lead, that she forgets the most important thing: determining who gets to be sent out. All she does is forbid Aaeru to go with Neviriru, nothing more. She keeps clinging to protect Neviriru so that she can’t see the big picture anymore. Yun corrects her mistake by taking the initiative, to go along with Kaimu.

Back in the dorms, Mamiina, Rödoreamon and Aruti wonder why Aaeru was so obedient. Furoe gets pissed off by this. It seems that she kind of enjoyed Aaeru’s cool and direct personality, and it must be annoying to see Aaeru different like that. Furoe then gets too cute when she tries to hide her jealousy of Aaeru to the others. ^^

Furoe then notices Aaeru walking outside, and goes after her. It seems that Aaeru headed to Neviriru, in order to apologize for making her feel horrible. Neviriru, however, simply walks away from Aaeru. Quite cowardly, and Furoe indeed scolds her for that. This finally makes Neviriru see that both Aaeru and Amuria were using her as a tool to get them higher. I don’t think Neviriru will be flying with Aaeru anymore. It was also nice to see Neviriru break down when she realizes this.

Then, another enemy shows up. Furoe, Aruti, Mamiina and Rödoreamon get sent out, even though Yun and Kaimu still haven’t returned. Aaeru begins to wonder about the enemy’s plans, and wonders whether Paraietta, who sent them out, made the right decision. Paraietta takes this way to highly, and thinks of it as an insult. Though Aaeru does make sense. The enemy has only been spotted, it hasn’t attacked. All Paraietta’s been doing is sending out troupes, without using some kind of plan.

Meanwhile, it starts to rain, and Aaeru, Morinasu and Limone are left alone in the dormitories. Quite bored. Morinasu then suggests a play of hide-and-seek. It’s quite interesting that such a thing can be included. It seems interesting to play hide-and-seek in such a huge ship. It’s got lots of opportunities to hide. ^^

In any case, Limone runs into Dominüra’s room. For some reason, Dominüra is singing the song of Aaeru’s wind machine. Could it be a coincidence that she was singing this, or was there some kind of meaning behind it we still don’t know? In any case, Dominüra has a strange look in her eyes. She’s like a zombie, though she does recognize Limone, and talks to her.

It’s still raining, though Paraietta’s still standing on the same spot since we left her before. It seems that she’s in deep thoughts after what Aaeru said. She decides to check up on Dominüra, though when Limone emerges from her room, she gets doubts. She’s incredibly indecisive, and she knows it. What follows is an amusing scene in which she relieves her anger on a wall, not noticing Aaeru, who still is hiding, near her.

What follows is an amazing scene. Even if it was just because one of the most awesome background tunes being played. Another enemy has been spotted, and Paraietta forces herself to send another pair after them. She chooses Aaeru as her pair, though Neviriru, of all people corrects her. Neviriru then decides to go for herself, and take Morinasu, of all people, as her pair. Paraietta tries to stop her, in order to protect her, though Neviriru refuses to listen to her. This is what breaks Paraietta. An amazing scene. Probably the best scene of Simoun yet.

Another thing I love is the fact that something is going on with the other Sybilla. Something is keeping them occupied, but we never know what. Right now, they’re just plot devices in order to remove some characters so that some character development can be more focused without other people unnecessarily arriving. While that in itself is amazing, there has to be something happening with the other Sybilla. But what?

We have to wait for that answer till the next episode, as the story focuses on Dominüra. Limone tells Aaeru that Dominüra’s eyes looked like the eyes of a dying person (interesting note: how does she know what the eyes of a dying person look like?). Limone was wrong about this, as they see Dominüra walking in one of the corridors. After eating A LOT, Dominüra seems to recover. When Paraietta sees this, she asks for advice, though the former quickly blows the latter down with a snide remark. That’s the last we see of Paraietta in this episode.

Meanwhile, Dominüra and Limone agree to do the Emerald Ri Maajon some day. Limone wants to make the most perfect Ri Maajons, while Dominüra is the former member of a Chor whose sole existence was to make the Emerald Ri Maajon. We’re in for an amazing sixteenth episode. 🙂

Overall, Simoun is just getting better and better. Paraietta was amazing this episode, and Furoe also had a very nice role.

Memorable Moment: Neviriru choosing Morinasu.

.Hack//Roots – Kuhn Will Be An Interesting New Character

by psgels, posted in .Hack//Roots



This was a very enjoyable episode. Even though it was just a filler, it had some great moments. Almost all of the main characters, Haseo, Ovan, Shino, Tri-Edge, Yata, Naobi, Pai, Ender and Savuro are all cast aside, and stay out of the entire episode, in order to make it focus around Tabby, with Phyllo, a new main character called Kuhn and two newbies as side-characters as support.

Tabby’s still struggling with everything that happened, though she does decide to remain in The World. Unlike others. Then, she runs into a couple of newbies, and decides to help them. It’s a shame, however, that Tabby herself is a complete newbie as well, so the three of them end up dying. Phyllo, meanwhile gets visited by what seems like an old friend. I immediately was reminded of Kurim from .Hack//Sign, though Kuhn (the name of the guy) seems a bit more playful than Kurim.

Still, I like Kuhn. He’s pretty funny. Especially when he tried to beat some sense into one of the newbies. (^^;) The two newbies also have their own story, which was pretty interesting to watch. The two of them are brothers, and the youngest one is currently in the middle of studying for his high-school entrance exam. The older one failed that same exam. This made their mother turn a bit desperate, and she now absolutely wants the younger brother to succeed in the exam, which results in lots of studying. The older brother felt sorry for the younger brother, as he didn’t have any free time at all. That’s why he decided to take the younger brother to The World, while their parents were away. In the beginning, the younger brother doesn’t like this. Though Tabby and Kuhn make him glad in the end.

Another thing which made me glad is that finally some moral issues were introduced. Finally, some issues which forced the viewer to think appeared. I’ve been waiting for that. Now that I’ve seen this episode, I indeed realize that that is what .Hack//Roots has been lacking all this time, and why .Hack//Sign always was the better one. If the show can keep this up, I’ll be very happy.

Tabby also revealed something about herself in real life, inspired by the two brothers. It seems that she has an older sister. While Tabby isn’t really great at studying, her sister is really smart. I think that she can relate to the younger brother in a way.

Overall, this may have been a filler, though it does remain a very enjoyable filler. It also finally made me realize the thing which .Hack//Roots has been lacking. If the creators also realized this, the results can become awesome.

Memorable moment: Kuhn chasing the younger brother.

Howl’s Moving Castle Review – 67/100

by psgels, posted in Anime Reviews



I decided to check out this anime, which aired in 2004, as it’s another one of Ghibli’s works. I have to say, it was pretty interesting and unique. Though, unfortunately, not memorable.

The movie is mostly a love story, between an ordinary young woman who makes hats as her profession and a strange, evil wizard. While this may sound cheesy, about ten minutes in the movie a twist happens you so wouldn’t expect. Starting from that point, the “woman” gets to live with the evil wizard, she gets to know him, she gets to know his dark secret and in the end, she attempts to save him.

This movie is a massive two hours long, and manages to fill this time perfectly. There are almost no chances to get bored, as there’s always something happening on the screen. Each of the characters also acts very naturally, nothing seems to feel rushed. The world in which the movie plays also looks amazing and full of imagination.

Still, despite its originality, the movie does remain cheesy in the end. The minor plot sequences are very imaginative, though the major plotline has a lot of bugs. A lot of things also don’t make any sense at all. The two main characters’ cases also don’t get explained at all. Especially the ending left me with a bad feeling.

The graphics also are an interesting issue. While they do look amazing, Spirited Away, which was produced three years earlier, looked much better for some reason. You would expect the opposite, as both movies come from the same studio. The music, while not memorable, remains very fitting and enjoyable.

Overall, I’ve always wanted to watch Howl’s Moving Castle, though I never knew what to expect. I’m pretty happy with the outcome, though it could have been done much better. If you want to see a good movie, I’d suggest to check out Nausicaa or Spirited Away first.

Mushishi – 23 – Voice

by psgels, posted in Mushishi



The series had normal episodes, and it had awesome episodes. It’s the same with the OVA. Episode 21 was perfect in every
single way. Episode 22 was amazing, despite its flaws. Episode 23 shows us a standard Mushishi-story again. It’s about a disease, which causes limbs and body-parts to become stiff and unmovable. It’s being spread through the voice of one girl. Ever since the girl found out that her voice spread the disease, she’s stopped talking. Though the disease remained. The girl has stopped talking for ten years now. It’s also one of the stories with a more happy end.

Still, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t love the episode. It’s still as calm as always, and the situation gets explained very quietly. It seems that the woman had been screaming at the top of her lungs inside a deserted cave, in order to ruin her voice. By the time this episode plays, she hasn’t quite lost it, though her voice does sound very creepy and sad. It’s probably one of the first times in anime that such a voice was added.

The great thing about this episode was the ending, though it does leave a few bugs. The girl had been isolated, as everyone thought of her as the culprit. There was one man, from another village who didn’t treat her that way. This man then fall off a cliff in the mountains, and she had no other choice than to cry for help, with her already distorted voice. That sounded too sad. It seems that to cure the disease, the woman had to scream towards the village, with the see straight behind her. She’ll probably have to scream for years in order to fully remove the disease, and her voice will most likely die before the disease does. It’s so awesome to see someone willing to give up her own voice in order to save others. Still, the way Ginko came to this conclusion bugs me. We get no clues to his plans until he reveals them. And the things that made him realize the solution don’t make any sense at all. And how come, in fourteen years, nobody has even bothered to go to the see and check what happens?!

Overall, another great Mushishi-episode. Not the best, but definitely enjoyable.

Simoun – 14 – Awesomeness

by psgels, posted in Simoun



Okay. That was an AMAZING episode! It’s centered around Waporifu, with Morinasu as an important side-character with a healthy dose of Dominüra. The results are just incredibly awesome!

We start with Aaeru and Neviriru flying around a bit, in search of the enemy carrier. They can’t find it anywhere. The enemy either moved it in order to retreat, or in order to use it for a nasty little plan. In any case, we won’t be seeing a lot from them, as they keep flying around for the entire episode, which equals about a day. It’s very interesting to see that even though Neviriru’s scared about Aaeru, she still managed to fly for more than 24 hours with her, inside a Simoun.

We then switch to Dominüra and Wauf, who conclude that the enemy has been forming alliances. Dominüra wonders about what the “Center” might be doing. I think she means her employers by this. Wauf also tells her that the Messis has to be stationed at the ground for a small while, in order to conduct some small maintenance. Dominüra reckons that there’ll be lots of sad things happening. And how she’s right. Haha! But not in the way she thinks.

Meanwhile, we turn to Waporifu and Morinasu. Morinasu reveals that she’s planning to become a man. Morinasu also is still surprised about the fact that the Simoun Gems can read the Sybila’s heart. It also seems that Morinasu and Furoe had a relationship once. ^^ They broke up, though. Waporifu couldn’t bear the fact that he (she?) was defiling a holy image. What follows is a scene which might be the start of the first actual couple in this series, as it seems that Waporifu starts to get feelings for Morinasu. Morinasu also wonders if the Sybilla really are the big-wigs they’re rumoured to be.

We then switch to the other Sybilla, having fun catching fish in a local stream. Furoe, Limone and Kaimu really are enthusiastic about a fish-trap that Mamiina managed to set up. Paraietta also smiles for the first time since ever. Yun is reading a book as usual. ^^ Dominüra, meanwhile has a little conversation with Waporifu. Dominüra wants Waporifu to dismantle one of the Simoun. Something which has never been done before. After all, if the Simoun were God’s holy image, how come they were shot down? Waporifu also reckons that the Simoun are just machines. Dominüra wants to find out about the secrets the Simoun have been keeping for so long. Waporifu, however, refuses. Like she refused Furoe and tries not to get too close to Morinasu. (On a side-note: Kyuukoku seems to be Simulacrum. At least, I think it does).

We then switch to later, that evening. Waporifu gets some interesting thoughts. When Amuria disappeared, the Simoun was not distorted in a way which did not suggest that she was dragged out. If that was the case, then where did Amuria go? That’s thus far, the only evidence pointing towards the fact that the Simoun indeed are godly. Dominüra, meanwhile, tries to put even more pressure on Waporifu. Morinasu catches the two of them on this, and she finds out that Waporifu’s a terrible liar.

Paraietta and Yun then have an interesting conversation. Paraietta’s getting worried about Aaeru and Neviriru, and she asks Yun to be her pair in case they needed to save the two of them. Yun then holds a cryptic speech. I’ve no idea what she meant, though it seems that she wanted to subtly make something clear to Paraietta.

Things really get awesome when we switch back to Waporifu and Morinasu. Waporifu reveals that she got the request to dismantle a Simoun. Morinasu then comes with quite an interesting opinion. Getting in the Simoun has made her realize something: the Simoun are indeed God’s crafts. I wonder what made her think that way.

We then switch to the evening. The Sybilla all go to sleep, except for Dominüra, and of course Aaeru and Neviriru, who still haven’t returned. Dominüra meanwhile has a conversation with Wauf. He has discovered that she belonged to the Chor Dextra (wait a minute… wasn’t she in the Chor Kaputo?) In any case, the Chor Dextra was only formed in order to complete the Emerald’s Ri Maajon. She’s now member of a certain “Audid Organization”. Wauf then comes with the interesting revelation that somebody’s watching the thing she’s trying to do. This only gets her cornered more and more.

Waporifu, meanwhile, has been thinking. She then heads to Morinasu, in the dormitory. What follows is the first kiss which actually feels like a kiss, if we ignore Limone in the previous episode. That was a great scene. Waporifu exits with her own conclusion: the Simoun are just machines. She spends the rest of the night dismantling one of the Helical Motores of one of the Simoun. Dominüra then returns to her the next morning, for some amazing results.

The Helical Motores were just empty! They just had one big spiral in them, and that’s all. Waporifu is quite astonished when she finds out, though when Dominüra sees this, the breaks down. The other Sybilla are woken up by this, and they see a mentally destroyed Dominüra getting carried away by some staff of the Messis.

Overall, that was just amazing. It’s probably the best episode of Simoun yet. Dominüra, Morinasu and Waporifu were just awesome. I wonder if it’s got something to do with Aaeru and Neviriru being absent. In any case, that was a nice touch.

Memorable Moments: Dominüra seeing the dismantled Simoun. Waporifu and Morinasu at night. Everything was just perfectly built up.

Good Witch of the West – Astraea Testament – 10 – Quite Original “Dragon”-Design

by psgels, posted in Good Witch of the West - Astraea Testament



Eusis heads to defeat the dragon. In the world of Good Witch of the West, there are two types of dragons: carnivorous and herbivorous. Eusis first heads for the herbivorous ones, only to stand face to face with a ferocious herbivorous dragon. Firiel is watching him from a safe distance as Eusis grabs all his courage and slays the dragon with great honor. But wait, another carnivorous dragon approaches Firiel. She now has to run for her life in order to stay away from the angry teeth of this ferocious beast. But then, Rouxbow runs off on his own and Firiel rushes in to save the little guy. Then, the dragon closes her in. Firiel prepares for the inevitable. She’s only seconds away from death…

Only to be saved by Roux, who just happened to be in the neighbourhood. I didn’t like that scene. Talk about Deus ex Machinae

In any case, this episode illustrated once more the major flaw of Good Witch of the West: it doesn’t build up. At all. That’s the pity of only having thirteen episodes. This show would SO have profited from thirteen extra episodes. After all, the story is just amazing. If the first thirteen episodes could have been spent at building up and introducing the characters, countries and concepts while the last thirteen episodes would focus at the story, this anime could have been totally incredible. Right now, there were just too many moments at which I kept wondering about certain names which were used (Hermes? Vildo? Cheviat?) The Mahiru-star also has been left without any explanations so far. Does it also function as the major light source in that world, or is it just a pretty statue, which floats around in the air?

And I’m also having a bit of trouble concerning the “big bird’s feather”. According to r3dking, it’s actually called the “firebird’s feather”. Why did Ureshii choose for “big bird’s feather”? I would also have loved for this series to explain a bit more about each of the cities and strongholds visited. I still don’t know the real meaning of Hyragurion. And why did Marie become a maid at the castle?

Okay, that’s enough ranting for now, on to the good stuff. As there were quite some juicy things revealed this episode, which made the story take another turn for the best. 🙂

First of all, the big firebird’s feather mentioned two ways to become queen. Either hunt dragons or protect the country Torubato from the country Brigeonte. This was incredibly direct, so there’s got to be some kind of catch to it. I have a hunch that Firiel will be the one to figure it out, but that’s not the point. At the beginning of the episode, Leandra figures out why Torubato has to be protected. It seems that Brigeonte’s been rather hostile lately, and it aims to attack Gulair. As Torubato lies between the two countries, it would be troublesome if it were to fall.

Another interesting fact which gets revealed is that Duke Riez is actually alive. The only ones who know this are probably the ones who were present at the night in which he was supposedly killed, so that means Roux, the mysterious guy with the hat and Riez himself. It also means that Riez used some kind of doppleganger, who killed him off, which would explain the body that Eusis found the day after. Or it could be that the real Riez died that night, but the blue guy from the OP managed to survive.

Roux also reveals a major part of the storyline: The Wall. It seems that the Ephemeris-research was really close related to this. It seems that the entire world is surrounded by an invisible wall. What’s behind this wall, nobody knows. It just seems that a lot of dragons come from there. In any case, the Mahiru Star and this Wall seem to be competing with each other, or something like that. Whenever the star gets close to the wall, the wall opens. That’s what the doctor has found out. The Ephemeris will help Roux to prove that the star and the wall are interfering with each other. But what this has got to do with the darkness isn’t clear yet.

The final interesting thing happens when Firiel touches The Wall. Roux promised her to take her to the wall, in order to disappear forever afterwards. Roux’ plans change when a great light appears which swallows Firiel up, leaving no trace at all. This probably has a lot to do with the big firebird’s feather, though we need to wait till the next episode to find out. Nevertheless, it’s a very interesting development indeed.

Overall, despite its flaws, I’m still enjoying Good Witch of the West. It’s got an awesome story, after all.