lack of action this season The most evil last boss queen: from villain to saviorwhich I very much welcome. It’s just twelve consecutive episodes of melodrama, in which physical violence is replaced by emotional violence, the former always lurking around the corner but never quite rearing its ugly head. Well, the battle animations season one gave us were okay at best. We don’t have to raise any swords for conflict this season, right? I’m looking forward to this season engaging us in politics and behind-the-scenes drama. I said to myself, I wonder if I’m going to break my promise when this is all over.
The first few episodes start off very promisingly, with another prince from the otome game, the azure-skinned Leon of the Anemone Kingdom, entering Pride’s life on her sixteenth birthday. Unfounded rumors surrounded Leon, portraying him as a woman who flirted excessively for her own good. Pride also knows that her evil alter ego abused and tortured him in previous timelines. Of course, the current Pride organization wants things to turn 180 degrees. And they did. She got engaged to Leon, and since then it’s been discovered that Leon is actually a very nice guy. He is the next to ascend the throne of the country and he wants to be the king his people long for. His true love is for his people, not for any random woman, and certainly not for himself. It’s a noble pursuit, and it makes Leon a likeable character. Leon’s jealous brothers, eyeing their own throne, goad Leon into believing that his desires are actually banal and narcissistic, while doing their best behind the scenes to further tarnish his reputation. Their gaslighting worked, and the fact that Leon was questioning his own worth made him seem more human.
All the ingredients for internal conflict are there. We see Pride’s desire to undo the evil she caused in her previous life, as well as a prince facing his own personal moral dilemma, and his two brothers pushing for that moral dilemma to usurp the throne. Even Stale and Arthur, who are more eager than ever to protect Pride at all costs, are suspicious of Leon’s relationship with her (more on that later). There’s no need for big bangs and booms here. It all ends with Pride standing up for Leon under scrutiny and then giving him a heart-to-heart talk about his wishes, which gives the story a beautiful, non-violent, cathartic ending.
The problem is the execution of it all. The biggest threat to Leon’s coronation was the unfounded rumor that he was a lecherous flirt, which was apparently enough to make people lose trust in him. On one hand, I get it. You’d rather your leader spend his time serving the people than his selfishness and carnal desires (as an American, now wouldn’t you?). On the other hand, these rumors, while untrue, still don’t make much sense. They didn’t mention if Leon was toxic, abusive or had issues. There is a flashback to a previous timeline in which villain Pride hints that Leon may or may not have cheated on her, but note that this a) was undone in the timeline and b) may have been another baseless rumor she intentionally used to torture Leon. It feels weak. This plotline reads like high school gossip designed to bring down the prom king. That’s not to say this cannot It’s an interesting plot point, but it doesn’t pose a significant threat on its own. This logic comes back to life when Leon is drugged and wakes up in a bar, looking very ominous. Instead of knocking him unconscious, why not up the ante and make Leon the victim of an assassination attempt? You don’t even need to take much action to do this. A little less mean girlsa little more Julius Caesarthat’s what I’m talking about.
The second half of the show goes in the opposite direction. Another prince, this time the arrogant Cedric of the kingdom of Thesis, joins the fray, an egoist that Leon is not. Cedric’s arrogance puts Pride in trouble, and he reveals to her that he wants her kingdom to ally with him to save it from the destruction of invading kingdoms. Leon’s conflict makes him somewhat relatable, while Cedric’s arrogance makes him bland and unlikable. What’s the point? In addition to a huge aversion to pride, Cedric lacks Leon’s humility, and although he claims loyalty to his kingdom and family, I don’t feel the same way as Leon’s loyalty to his people. Even Pride couldn’t stand the sight of Cedric. Of course, Pride forms an alliance with Cedric, but it’s to reverse the sins of her past life. In other words, because the plot says so. Man, does it do that with all the exposition it gives up.
So the characters talk about alliances and invasions. Then Pride gave a little brave heart Speech to rally the troops. Cedric then tries to apologize to Pride for being an asshole. Flashing back to a previous timeline, Pride forces Cedric to kiss her feet (um, why?). Then discuss war plans. Then Cedric’s brother got sick. Then more buildup happens, more and more, until the first battle of the war… doesn’t happen. It’s just a series of “thens” with no twists or interesting drama. The anime keeps distracting us with fluff and filler to run out of time, so the big fight could be the start of a third season if it happens. It’s like watching all the construction The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers But there was no return from Helm’s Abyss. It’s like every distracting moment in the anime is the equivalent of the most annoying version of Columbo you can imagine: one more thing, and then actually one more thing, and then well, I mean it’s just one more thing, yes, but really, though just one more thing… over and over again.
I would say this. Like last season, this one’s soundtrack sounds full of symphonic joy. It swells, pierces, moves. It really worked wonders in making certain scenes The final boss queen It looks more attractive and dramatic than it actually is. The best tracks here are reserved for Stale and Arthur’s scenes together, which of course cover all the usual talking points about their love of pride. Again, they had their initial suspicions about Leon, but it didn’t lead to the drama I was hoping to see. I wrote in the preview guide entry The final boss queenIn the season 2 premiere, I hope to see a love triangle between Leon, Arthur, and Pride. Perhaps it could also drive a rift between Arthur and Stair, digging into their own desires and insecurities. Something like that? Unfortunately, it never goes that far. The music is still great, so I guess that helps.
although The most evil final boss queenSeason 2 may not be as consistent as season 1, I think it’s at least trying to be different. Swapping the usual thrills and spills for conversations about romance, politics, and desire could make for a great character drama. It would be nice if there was a real sense of conflict.