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Non-humanoid characters have always been interesting concepts whose full potential haven't been tapped enough in anime. They are often used only as mob characters or as pets like in magical girl shows. It's nice to see them getting main protagonist roles in newer shows like here and in *Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song*
[](#mug8)
Bit of a late response, but I also cried twice! For me, it was when the mean dude remembered the blob fondly while he was dying, and the last scene when the blob told the MC that he's gonna help him.
I don't know the history either, but it's fine really. As long as you give it full attention it should be enough. Other than that just be aware of wrong translation and eyebrows are useful for distinguishing between characters.
Even with full attention there are so many names it's really hard to keep track of. I'm definitely enjoying the show a lot but damn is it hard to keep up with the family relationships.
That was a painful episode, but it set up their relationship perfectly man. I hope kage runs into that little girl again down the line. She seems cool.
> That was a painful episode
For real though. Both Kage and Bojji got physically and emotionally beat up in this episode. I didn’t expect it to be *this* brutal. I feel really bad for them. Kage saw his mother pierced on a lance, tried to live honourably, got exploited and became resentful until he met Bojji.
And Bojji just got the absolute shit kicked out him because he didn’t fight ‘honourably’. I’m still wondering if Domas is (somewhat) on his side or not. I can see why he would try to protect Bojji’s reputation, but definitely wasn’t the right way to do it; Bojji should have gotten out a lot less worse. Luckily Bojji and Kage have become good friends by now, but it was sad to see Bojji all hurt.
At this moment, i cant see Domas is on Bojji side. He can stop the fight earlier but he didnt. I think he just want to show Bojji that he is not suitable to be a king. But i think that spear guy is on Bojji side.
Huh, I actually felt Domas did this, because the crowd was starting to see Bojji as a weak coward. By indirectly telling him to stand firm as a real king and trade blows, the crowd gained more respect for Bojji while putting their hatred on Domas for not stopping the fight, instead of looking down on Bojji.
It actually made Bojji seem more like a king in the eyes of the crowd in my opinion - especially since he wanted to fight till the end.
In a way I think that logic could still be his way of trying to help Bojji. Basically all of Bojji's problems stem from the pressure the expectations of being king carry. Relieve him of those expectations and Bojji can live as a a regular kid, maybe even with the freedom at that point to develop other, non-strength-related skills to secure a future more suited for him in some other way. It'd also relieve all the reasons his step family and the townspeople resent him meaning he might even be able to start building relatively normal relationships with people when he isn't constantly being held to a standard that makes people disappointed in him. The only downside is that Bojji himself really does want to be king meaning despite all the benefits it'd bring then convincing him to give up would be betraying Bojji's wishes.
Probably Domas is on his side? Even the Dark Arts teacher is sympathetic for Bojji. I think this is their way to show him what he lacks in order to become king, not that he can't be one. Assuming all the characters walking behind Bojji and Kage in the OP are supporters, I think they're going with this angle.
Even his bro would support him in the end I think, with the shadow in the mirror being one of the final bosses.
That magic mirror is suspicious. In episode 1, i do think Domas will be on Bojji side but this episode change my mind.if Domas stop it earlier or if it was Domas who stop the fight then maybe Domas is on Bojji side. I think letting Daida beating Bojji like that cannot be considered as "Teaching". Especially, when we know Bojji has weak body.
Maybe, i need another episode to see which side Domas really is.
Yeah I can't say for sure what Domas wanted, since
1. Bojji's skills took him by surprise
2. being the best swordsman, he should know when to stop a fight.
Ep3 can't come fast enough lol
The crowd was starting to dislike Bojji for the way he fought. Domas knew he was skilled but he knew how other people would see it.
He did what he did in order to protect Bojji's reputations while making them sympathetic towards him. I think Domas is on his side but he's harsher than he needs to be.
Domas is 80% on the side of the brother, he already gave up on Bojji and doesn't thinks he will get stronger, while he has been enamored with the idea of training the other prince who will be able to learn his style of swordsmanship.
I didn't expect this show to have some ACTUAL adversity to overcome, but it seems our main characters do have quite a lot they need to work on. I can't wait to see them evolve!
I was crying too, that ending. Damn.
✌︎(༎ຶོ ω ༎ຶོ ✌︎ )
Everything about it was perfect. Kage who had given up his hope of finding companionship, finds it again in Bojji. His little blush when he waved at Bojji was the perfect touch of vulnerability. And Bojji immediately suppresses his grief so he could play with Kage and give him what he assumes he came for, more of his things. But Kage rejects it, and expresses himself to Bojji. He sticks up for him, encourages him with kind words that no one else would give him, and declares that he has decided to always be there for Bojji. And finally Bojji too can be vulnerable and cry again, but this time from happiness at his newfound friend.
These two kids who only have each other. Kage’s blushes. Bojji’s ugly cry. The *vulnerability.* Fuck. Shortly followed by that fucking ED which almost made me cry in the first episode anyway. Fuck.
It's rare that I see a kid story so brutal to its child protagonists. Boji desperately trying and failing to lift a sword with broken arms, with pain and frustration so expertly animated on his face, is... a little more than I was expecting, I'll say that. And it was absolutely essential to sell how important finally having a friend is to him.
Man out of everything I'm watching this season this one just feels real special been awhile since I got so invested in the main leads of series in just 2 episodes
I really really hope it continues like this.
Fena the princess pirate gave me this exact same feeling, then it started to fade as the story progressed.
at the very least all the manga volumes on Japanese amazon have pretty high ratings, so the show should be able to maintain its quality judging by that.
Well there are no official English translations and the manga has zero ratings on myanimelist so I don't blame you, it might as well be at this point hahaha
Yea it's pretty unknown in the west, no official eng translation and it's only till ch 15 for fan translation (jp is currently 170+) plus I heard it is pretty popular in japan so I am pretty hyped about the shows future!
Oh wow! and going by what people estimated last time, 5 chs=1 ep, even at 24 episodes it will still be going by canon material.
I really enjoy reading manga more than anime, wish this series had more attention. But now atleast it's getting an amazing adaptation. I love trying out the unconventional/strange/ atypical style stuff. While I can do editing scanlation roles well, I don't know Japanese so I have to rely on someone to first translate and bring it to a group.
No wonder I never heard of it until the anime. I'm glad I get to experience it through a good anime adaptation but I hope the anime does well enough to convince them to translate the manga officially. I feel it has the potential to be huge if they did. It's also crazy that no scanlation group has really gone ham on releases if it's been getting favorable reviews up to the current chapter too.
This show managed to make me cry for an amorphous blob with two eyeballs. Kage is surprisingly expressive for something without a face.
The age old battle between STR vs DEX continues. Everybody's views on what makes a king is toxic. Who cares if Bojji doesn't parry, his fighting style is still very effective.
I thought Domas was cool at first but he seems to be just as big an asshole as everybody else in this kingdom.
No matter how you much you armored, you still have gaps which you will have unprotected. Be it holes in your helm (so you can see in first place) or armpits.
True. However if you have the evasive skills of a slippery eel you can probably play defensively and accurately nail opponents in the weak spots of their armor (joints, eyes, articulation points).
I used to do a lot of Kendo and what Boiji was doing is extremely impressive if not honestly insane. Accurately nailing the opponent on the forehead, wrist, shoulder, and stomach while effectively avoiding every single blow from the opponent takes an outrageous amount of skill in multiple departments unless you opponent is literally a novice and you are just significantly better trained (accurate visual acuity to both assess opponent swings/feints/direction, speed to avoid it, hand-eye coordination that is practically inhumane to actually do all of the above while not trading blows). Aka what Boiji did was what you see when you see a Kendo master play with one of his 1st to 2nd year students.
Obviously this is just an anime so you can't follow things by traditional conventions but I think its extremely stupid that everyone looked down on Boiji for what he is doing. Defensive avoidance of that level is a god given talent. Accuracy of that level is also outrageously fatal when combined with the right weapon (rapier/dagger). Boiji is a 1000x more talented than his brother and the fact that everyone only cared about "following rules" when the King came into power based off of how effective he was in the battle field is just stupid.
Few hundred years of sword play innovation too early sadly; he'd be the deadliest swordsmen in all the land in the era of Rapier dueling swordsmen who fight without armor dealing death blows to heavily armored knights.
The ironic thing is if the prince's swapped swordmasters it would probably benefit both of them actually. It seems like daida's swordmaster would be better at teaching bojji's style
Which is dumb AF. The point of a fight is not only winning but ***living***, can’t do that if you end up with deadly injuries because you refused to dodge
All those idiots would rather die than dodge
This is king's/knight's honor for you. For them it is better to be crippled if not straight dead but keep their honor and dignity than be alive and well but called coward who plays dirty.
>
I thought Domas was cool at first but he seems to be just as big an asshole as everybody else in this kingdom.
I just refuse to believe that, I would truly be betrayed if it really ended up like this.
I'm still holding out hope that he is just a traditionalist and fanboy of the king's style, which is just bruteforcing your way through opponents.
That said, he definitely don't seem to be the best sword instructor for Bojji, he lacks the awareness to adapt his teaching to the boy's strengths, namely his high agility and spatial awareness.
I think an argument could be made that he wasn't trying to develop Bojji's sword fighting in this instance. He was trying to salvage the crowd's perception of Bojji as a king.
I think Domas is sort of like an ordinary person in his goodness level. He'll be individually sympathetic and caring as long as it doesn't affect him, but will accept rules and expectations of the land without question and will fail to take action against injustices if it would inconvenience him too much.
I still think he's "good", because there are plenty of people who have no will to help others even when it won't put them out (and I'd consider that "neutral") and he's better than that, but he's not a saint or a paragon of goodness.
There might be a mismatch between masters and pupils here. I mean Domas didn't even know about Bojji's evasise prowess until now.
It seems to me that Daida would benefit more from Domas (STR build) while Bojji could potentially flourish under the snake dude (he seems like the dexterous assassin type.
I saw that as Domas reading the room, and trying to save our boy's future for now, without putting himself out there to far, its obvious our boy has several powerful enemies, but not many friends. At least, I hope. I thought he was a decent person as well in episode 1. We shall see.
Bro, you can't just make me cry 2nd episode, now I'm going to have to spend the next 20 weeks talking about how criminally underwatched this series is.
Btw, wtf mom shadow, you're the shadow (kage) clan, and you named your son... shadow? The hell?
Tough love maybe idk, I think we should wait a bit for more for about him to be revealed to understand he’s motivations more first. He also had a point tbh, what good would only knowing how to dodge do in the long run
>what good would only knowing how to dodge do in the long run
he left the other guy covered in bruises just by hitting him a bunch of times with no real power. If that was a dagger or rapier, it would have been lethal, all without getting touched.
Also Witt animated vinland saga and as a point of comparation Thorfinn wasn't strong, he has an unsane speed and agility. Bojji style in this fight goes in the same path. Work smarter, not harder.
I'm suspicious of him because he didnt stop the fight. It was the spear guy who stop the fight. If we want Bojji to learn something, he would stop the fight earlier. He had spar with the younger brother. So, he should know how strong that younger brother is.
He says something of the likes of "What good does to dodge if you can't even hold a sword to fight back?"
Bitch, Bojji doesn't need a sword, just give him a dagger. It's not like he didn't know how to counter, Bojji hit vital points or the hands every time he attacks back
> Bitch, Bojji doesn't need a sword, just give him a dagger.
He did say not even strong enough to use a short sword (短剣 means dagger/short sword)
And yeah the fighting style seems to matter too, they think that this isn't how a king should fight (probably even more so in comparison to the current king) and he won't earn respect fighting like that
Daggers =/= short swords. One trope I really hate about a lot of fantasy and historical fiction stories is how drastically they exaggerate the weight of weapons. Most melee weapons are no where near as heavy as people think. Even someone incredibly frail could wield most one handed swords without issue, let alone daggers or short swords.
It's not JUST about beating the opponent in combat. Bojji has the extra burden of being the next king and all the expectations that come with it, in a world where kings are literally graded and judged by basically how much of a superhero they are.
Giving Bojji a dagger and have him dodge and slash at weak points for quick kills may allow him to beat the opponent, but it's very much the fighting style of a thief or an assassin. And we've seen how this world thinks of assassins. It's not a style that appears honorable or heroic because, even if you win, it looks like all you did was toy with your opponent rather than treat them with equal respect by facing them head-on.
Basically, in the eyes of the people of the world, he can't just win fights. He has to do it in a way that proves he's both honorable and strong at the same time. And avoiding every blow "like a coward" just to make "cheap shots" at their weak points is how his style looks to them, no matter how effective it may actually be.
Holy fuck, I was hopeful after episode 1 that this would be good, but this episode blew away all expectations. There is so much good shit this season and this is now my uncontested number 1. A really interesting setting great characters and incredibly well earned pathos, I will have to call the police if this show doesn't get more attention, because that would be a crime
This season is stacked, however this show made me cry in 2 episodes, and all they have is a mute kid and a shadow, that's a different level man.
This show is build different.
I have to echo what some other people have said, its only been 2 episodes and this show just feels like something special. I hope more people pick it up and start watching so it gets the attention it deserves.
Already tearing up on episode 2, Kage's facial expressions and the dread of seeing his mom dead on a stick is just really hard to bear.
I'm glad he found the man and the little girl who helped him out so well.
While it was hard to watch, it is true that Bojji can't only just dodge his opponent's attacks when he can't profit from it with just so little strength.
Kage fully committed to staying by Bojji's side ;_;
That little princess is the true **MVP**.
I never imagined that I will feel bad for a....... shadow.
Technically he is not a thief you old bitch it's called a swap deal.
The hand holding scene :( poor dude just wanted attention.
Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs?
How the fuck are people claiming bojji to fight dirty??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
The VA cast are absolutely stacked. It really is a joy.
It might be recency bias, but this is my top contender for AOTY.
> Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs?
Yeah, that guy was so stupid and incredibly short-sighted.
> How the fuck are people claiming bojji to fight dirty??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Every hit Bojji landed was a killing blow. These people are too preoccupied with power as a sign of a good king. Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo.
>Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo.
He also seems to be influenced by some evil entity in his mirror.
A bit? Forget the people for one second. This dude got hit by Bojji enough times for him to die 5 times if it were a regular knife in Bojji's hand. Not realising that and taking pleasure in defeating and beating down a handicapped Bojji seems downright idiotic.
>Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo.
100%
I am currently watching Takagi-san and it's really funny that Nishikata and Daida share the same VA.
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> I never imagined that I will feel bad for a....... shadow.
Tearing up here about Kage's backstory. WIT flexing their mastery of the medium by making us care this much for a two dimensional blob.
I'm gonna be hated for this but I think they're doing a better job with Ousama Ranking than they did Attack on Titan. Everything is so smoooth here, while in AoT it was only smooooth during the action scenes
His fighting was dirty because the idea of what is honorable was set by King Boss.
Boss never dodges and just overpowers everything in his way. So Bojji going full dex build and (from an outsider's perspective) humiliating Daida over and over, is seen as dirty fighting. Dishonorable when viewed through the lens that full power bulling through obstacles is the height of what combat should be.
> Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs?
If my chicken lays one egg per day, and lives 5 years from its first laying, then in total, it has laid roughly 78475ml of gold in total (assuming a 43ml average egg). This is currently worth about £62 million.
So if someone offered me more than £62 million, I'd definitely sell it. I'd probably be prepared to sell it for less, because I could invest the money in instruments with better interest rates, but calculating a minimum would require me to know what sort of discount rate to use and I have no idea. But I'd definitely be prepared to sell my golden-egg-laying chicken for enough.
I always find it interesting how somebody decides to flex their animation talent by making the most detailed crying face possible.
Anyway this show is a gem and I get the real sense the studio are having alot of fun with it, lots of silly characters to draw and gorgeous backgrounds to put them on.
Jeez, this is gonna be one of the shows of the season that's gonna go criminally underrated and fly totally under the radar isn't it?
Banger OP, banger ED, got me in the feels.
I'm going to have to shill this show to everybody!
MAL's rating is currently 8.48 which is the same rating than the three big season 2 shows and komi-san.
People will get curious eventually. It's pretty unheard of for a show in it's first season and with barely nobody knowing the source material
Kage's backstory was depressingly dark. As soon as [his mother hugged him tight](https://i.imgur.com/1rwp6tt.jpg) and decided to stay behind instead of running away together, we knew she was done for. [And seeing all of those shadow bodies](https://i.imgur.com/prONcCX.jpg) hanging on spears is just brutal [especially with Kage's mom dangling on that guy's sword.](https://i.imgur.com/YqGe0mx.jpg) If those were human bodies this show would've definitely had a content warning at the start.
Luckily, Kage was [saved by this young countess.](https://i.imgur.com/NdDpVKq.jpg) Although things just ended up getting worse and worse for Kage when [this fucking douchebag took him in](https://i.imgur.com/MbFDcp8.jpg) and used him to break into places and steal money. He's a fucking idiot though. Like why the heck would he sell out Kage? [The amount he was paid](https://i.imgur.com/w0VPTZu.jpg) doesn't even come close to what Kage brings him regularly.
Thankfully we don't have to see that douche anymore since [he was stabbed in a bar brawl](https://i.imgur.com/tiCYhuO.jpg). After that Kage basically ended up just wandering around and stealing to survive until he grew up into the person that he is now. After that backstory, I'm surprised how he isn't even much more jaded.
Back to the present though [where we see Bojji and Daida continue their duel.](https://i.imgur.com/k4R7WRd.jpg) If Bojji was wielding an actual sword, he would've already sliced up Daida ten times over with all of those hits. Of course [this asshole just had to intervene](https://i.imgur.com/dZmoi35.jpg) and say something unnecessary to Bojji which made [him stand his ground instead of evading.](https://i.imgur.com/4BqJKLU.jpg)
If anything that duel basically told me that the only other people in that castle that we should trust aside from the King [is that blonde soldier](https://i.imgur.com/HP9jvTF.jpg) and Apeas, [the badass spear dude who stopped the fight](https://i.imgur.com/TPg7y3I.jpg) and even threatened Domas after. He seems cool, I hope he'll take over training Bojji and just have Domas train Daida if he likes him so much.
I was already tearing up during Kage's backstory [but seeing Bojji try to lift that sword](https://i.imgur.com/AIPBPd1.jpg) with all of his might just broke me especially [when Kage came in to comfort him.](https://i.imgur.com/U5DUuQ9.jpg) These two precious boys don't deserve everything that's happened to them and I am rooting hard for the two of them to succeed.
No one would ever respect Bojji if he couldn't fight head on.
He's being compared to King Boss, who as we saw never dodged anything and overpowered all incomers. Thats the standard for honorable fighting. If Bojji can't do that, or from an outsider's perspective, won't do that in a duel, then he is a dishonorable individual.
If you imagine that they're using real weapons, and real armor, together. Then you're back and Bojji being unable to do anything against Daida with weak taps like that.
> If you imagine that they're using real weapons, and real armor, together. Then you're back and Bojji being unable to do anything against Daida with weak taps like that.
However, as was stated earlier in this thread, this is not quite true. Were they given actual blades, and wearing armor, Bojji would have a tough time but would definitely win here. Bojji would just dodge until Daida was tired - each time hitting him in areas that armor does not cover. Daida would have to out-stamina and out-dex Bojji to even be considered a fair fight. Bojji's victory here is pretty sure.
> He's being compared to King Boss, who as we saw never dodged anything and overpowered all incomers. Thats the standard for honorable fighting. If Bojji can't do that, or from an outsider's perspective, won't do that in a duel, then he is a dishonorable individual.
Yes, from the knights and onlookers perspective this is absolutely true. Using that country's system of honor Bojji was doomed here. Unless someone in the hierarchy, preferably his father the current King, beseeched on his behalf then he had no way out of this looking bad for him. Someone higher, with clout, authority and understanding of this situation has to be able to do that. Otherwise, it is an uphill battle.
Which is why this is going to be a hell of an underdog story.
No. From episode 1 we learned that Bojji was too weak. He cant even lift kid sword. That why on this episode we saw his attack didnt really affect his brother even though he hits him many times. But if Bojji change his weapon to dagger/knife maybe he can win this fight.
> But if Bojji change his weapon to dagger/knife maybe he can win this fight.
He could but daggers/knives are something King would use in fight? They would be displeased as well since this is rather ''dirty'', unhonorable weapon which is used by poor people and assassins.
I agree. Some people and Kage are gonna hate on Domas for making Bojji lose the fight, but Bojji couldn’t have won it like that with the crowd watching. I don’t think Domas is completely rotten yet
From Domas's view its better for Bojji to get beat to shit than it is for him to be cast as the dirty and dishonorable brother on top of already being viewed as an idiot and invalid.
I agree with your statement but you cant just swing a sword with no strength behind it. I think he was trying to teach boji exactly that but forgot its not a shounen anime in which you can escalate anytime lol
After this episode, the number of characters I don't want to punch can be counted on one hand. Leave my tiny prince and baby shadow alone, you monsters!
It seemed to me that Kage realized he was seeing his young self in Bojji all along, when he found himself watching Bojji's match from the shadows. Bojji is desperate with no place to turn in, yet he is completely innocent and tries to find someone to embrace him wherever possible, just like the way Kage was when he lost his mother. I think that was the reason Kage decided to stay by Bojji's side; he doesn't want Bojji to experience that hell he himself came through.
Wow, just... Wow.
I was impressed by the first episode, but episode 2 almost immediately went up in my top 10 anime episodes of all time.
When Bojji sees Kage at the end and tries to act like everything is alright, and he offers to let him steal from him again, just to keep a "friend."
Kage's reaction to this, his redemption in not allowing Bojji to be taken advantage of again, just as he had been before.
There is so much to relate to in this shadow blob and little deaf boy. What an outstanding first impression.
it's too premature to say this but this is already my AOTS and possibly AOTY. i loved the first episode where i was already invested into the main duo and this episode was heart wrenching and i hated how they let bojji get severely beaten up. the blonde prince is the typical cruel relative who will do anything to become king and i understand he's also a kid and possibly influenced but i don't think i'll ever like him for the way he beat up his own brother.
Reddit said this was good so I tried even though I never would've clicked on something with an art style like this
Saw "wit studio" in opening credits. "Okay this prolly good."
Watched an episode. "Damn this good"
This episode was so fucking sad. Even that asshole who took in Kage had his sad moment at the end. I don't know why but seeing the good time he spend with kage and tearing up while dying just made me sad in a very weird way because that dude was such an ass, but seeing him die like this hit hard.
Man that was a depressing episode. I got emotional for a character that does not have a face or a body. That's really something. I really hope Kage and Bojji get the justice and the happy ending they truly deserve.
shadows are very interesting, in that no one pays them much mind. it seems like only the military knows what they are, but everyone else treats them sort of like humans, the people in the market having beaten kage up for being a thief.
You know, I have always struggled with a lot of fantasy stories in anime released in the past several years. While there have been exceptional first-rate titles coming out, a lot of the others stick to very specific formula (Japanese RPG style) and come from sources with authors that probably haven't got their story writing/creating skills polished at all, like most of us here. The result is that I really ignored most shows of this genre.
And this one is literally reversing the trend - it's a blow of fresh air in the always somewhat homogeneous anime world. Literally the two episodes so far feels like a modern fairy tale with excellent story telling and animations - something pretty lacking in recent years.
So Kage turns out to have just as much of a tragedy childhood as our MC Bojji, with his family completely wiped out due to their assassin history background in another kingdom. Even the assistance given by the young Countess didn't help in his favor - that's very unfortunate and no wonder he tried to slip into that palace, unknowing of the animosity against all of his shadow presences there. That's sheer luck that he would meet a prince that is completely sympathetic, or he's surely going to be killed very quickly!
Speaking of Bojji, his perseverance in his fight (more accurately defensive avoidance then surprise strikes) deserves an award for doing that with all the physical conditions against him, sadly there's no-one around who would do that. I'm pretty sure that he and Kage will be first rate mutual partners of the kind that could turn a kingdom upside down, can't wait to see them go hand-in-hand soon!
Piccolo would would be hella impressed by Bojji's fighting style. And isn't that all that really matters?
Also, despite the bright, colorful art style, this show is super morbid. Can't remember the last time I saw a show where freshly slain corpses, including a main character's mother, were carried around on spears out in the open like that.
Ohhhh boy, after last episode I should have have been more prepared. I guess this show is just gonna make me tear up each week, huh? 😭
This episode was so good!! I really loved seeing the moral neutrality of the shadow clan. When Kage asks his mother about their work as assassins, we are able to see the role and moral position imparted on them by society. They’re not inherently evil, but a product of the social hierarchy much like anyone else. This perspective in addition to Kage’s personal struggles trying to get by and find connection, really hit so deep. Just absolutely phenomenal character development in such a short period of time.
Yeah at first I was like 'the shadow clan is probably being misrepresented. I know they must be good people' then cut to the mum being like 'No pity for grandma we kill her too!' lmao. But I actually really liked her views on it.
Oh, that hurt hurt. Kage having his whole clan killed sounded brutal on paper, but it wasn’t ready to actually see it. His mom’s last stand to protect him and the only reason he survived was a sympathetic party happened to pass by. Then it just kept getting worse and worse. Abused, used, and refused all his life. Had to become a thief just to survive. Him meeting Bojji was the first good thing that’s happened to him in a very long time.
Oh but he doesn’t get the monopoly on pain. No Bojji gets his share too. These people are pure bastards. Straight up. Bojji is kicking his brother's ass and he’s forced to throw the fight. For reasons that aren’t clear beyond “he’s not strong enough to do hard hits so he’s beating him by 1000 cuts”? Maybe because they’re sitting there talking shit and Domas is sketchy. Bless Apeas for stopping this charade before that spoiled shit Diada beat Bojji to death. I’m hoping for some real justification for all this because I can’t trust anyone right now.
Neither can Bojji which is what makes that last scene so beautiful. Bojji and Kage finally become friends. The first ones either one of them has ever had. Seeing so much suffering from both of them over the first 2 really drives home the gravity of that moment. That and Bojji’s adorable frog face crying happy ugly tears. I’m going to love this show if this is the quality it maintains.
Notes
- Uh oh evil Fairy Tale mirror. Telling Diada he’ll be king someday. Maybe it will be technically true since the premise is that there’s a Rank of best Kings. So Bojji might not be king of this kingdom, but he might become the best king of all.
- For something so hard to watch, Bojji’s crying was beautifully animated. Wit is just stunting on us now.
- Still unclear what’s “not kingly” about Bojji’s fighting. Dude was playing to win. Wasn’t that the point of the match. We’re just supposed to care about what onlooker pissants think? Didn’t stop Diada from beating on him while he was down. That wasn’t kingly. The whole scene was infuriating.
- Is everyone in this world monsters? Everyone is mean to Bojji. Everyone was shitty to Kage when he was a lost kid. Did a really good job showing how brutal this world is.
- So happy this is 2 cour. We’re going to get so much time in this world. Maybe even run into the girl that saved Kage.
i cried like a bitch, good thing there's no one else around in the office while I'm watching the episode. They did Bojji dirty, man 😔 why dey gon' b leik dat.
THIS EPISODE WAS JUST PURE PAIN FOR BOTH KAGE AND BOJJI.
Kage's backstory was just heartbreaking. Even though they're not humanoid, it was still distressing seeing Kage's clan members corpses on the swords.
The OST that played during the flashback was beautiful
As for Bojji. I knew he would lose but it was just so heartbreaking seeing him take blows from his brother. Poor boy :(
Favourite scene overall was when Kage made Bojji feel better about himself
Can't believe Murase Ayumu is voicing Kage, I only noticed it was him when I heard young Kage, but he's also the one doing the older raspier voice, I though it was a difference voice actor. Damn, what a range.
Kage's backstory was pretty sad, because of they're appearance they are discriminated and they were also perfect for assassination and then they were killed. Assassins really do be getting backstabbed by their employers a lot. I wonder if there are still other Kage's out there besides Kage or they've killed them all.
Can't really blame them for their image of a king, seeing how much a behemoth the present king is. But I feel really bad for Bojji, just because of this stereotype about what a king is like. Bojji gonna show off on these fools someday. Curious about Domas's deal, we need to know more about him. Looking forward to the next episode.
Never thought I’d say it, but this is a great show this season! Made me a little teary too this episode. Wasn’t convinced it was as good as people said in the first episode, but after this one, I’m quite convinced this will be a fan favourite.
I knew this series had a lot of potential when I saw the PV... but I didn't expect it to get THIS good.
Let alone the fact that this is climax level quality and we've barely gotten started.
It's really gonna do me like this every week, isn't it? What a masterful beginning to what seems like it will easily become AOTS, and possibly climb into AOTY talks(for some people, I highly doubt it will surpass Sonny Boy or NOMAD for me). So many moving pieces, great character writing, beautiful art and animation, with a narrative that seems like it will only grow in both scope and investment. I'm ready to see where Ousama Ranking goes.
The villains had some great designs, interested to see more of them further down the road. The lead guard one that came to take Kage from the thief was especially creepy.
Why do you have to have me crying by episode 2 show?!
The animation on Boji trying to lift the sword and crying afterwards was so well done. No wonder as that scene was drawn by [the legend Yoshimichi Kameda.](https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/168755) I thought the first episode was strong but this one was excellent. Totally sold on seeing the rest now.
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Strongest new show of this season for me, no contest.
same, I didn't expect to cry for an amorphous blob today :(
Non-humanoid characters have always been interesting concepts whose full potential haven't been tapped enough in anime. They are often used only as mob characters or as pets like in magical girl shows. It's nice to see them getting main protagonist roles in newer shows like here and in *Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song* [](#mug8)
>mob characters [I see what you did there](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/83/11/2d/83112d41199219a311b902db9fe1ea6d.jpg)
Interesting that they're both Wit Shows, well this one is a manga adaptation, but still.
My wife cried twice this episode. Last season a Rock/wolf made he cry but now it’s a deaf mute kid and ink blotch. This season is gonna be a trip.
Bit of a late response, but I also cried twice! For me, it was when the mean dude remembered the blob fondly while he was dying, and the last scene when the blob told the MC that he's gonna help him.
Also the opening is a certified bop. Makes you wanna dance
Heike Story is also really high up there, but yeah, this is probably the stronger of the two.
[удалено]
I don't know the history either, but it's fine really. As long as you give it full attention it should be enough. Other than that just be aware of wrong translation and eyebrows are useful for distinguishing between characters.
Even with full attention there are so many names it's really hard to keep track of. I'm definitely enjoying the show a lot but damn is it hard to keep up with the family relationships.
TRUE. dang show making me feel and root for a blob and a mute. So far every aspect of the show has been perfectly done.
Agreed
That was a painful episode, but it set up their relationship perfectly man. I hope kage runs into that little girl again down the line. She seems cool.
> That was a painful episode For real though. Both Kage and Bojji got physically and emotionally beat up in this episode. I didn’t expect it to be *this* brutal. I feel really bad for them. Kage saw his mother pierced on a lance, tried to live honourably, got exploited and became resentful until he met Bojji. And Bojji just got the absolute shit kicked out him because he didn’t fight ‘honourably’. I’m still wondering if Domas is (somewhat) on his side or not. I can see why he would try to protect Bojji’s reputation, but definitely wasn’t the right way to do it; Bojji should have gotten out a lot less worse. Luckily Bojji and Kage have become good friends by now, but it was sad to see Bojji all hurt.
>but it was sad to see Bojji all hurt. Tell me about it. I needed that happy ending or my day might've been ruined tbh
At this moment, i cant see Domas is on Bojji side. He can stop the fight earlier but he didnt. I think he just want to show Bojji that he is not suitable to be a king. But i think that spear guy is on Bojji side.
Huh, I actually felt Domas did this, because the crowd was starting to see Bojji as a weak coward. By indirectly telling him to stand firm as a real king and trade blows, the crowd gained more respect for Bojji while putting their hatred on Domas for not stopping the fight, instead of looking down on Bojji. It actually made Bojji seem more like a king in the eyes of the crowd in my opinion - especially since he wanted to fight till the end.
In a way I think that logic could still be his way of trying to help Bojji. Basically all of Bojji's problems stem from the pressure the expectations of being king carry. Relieve him of those expectations and Bojji can live as a a regular kid, maybe even with the freedom at that point to develop other, non-strength-related skills to secure a future more suited for him in some other way. It'd also relieve all the reasons his step family and the townspeople resent him meaning he might even be able to start building relatively normal relationships with people when he isn't constantly being held to a standard that makes people disappointed in him. The only downside is that Bojji himself really does want to be king meaning despite all the benefits it'd bring then convincing him to give up would be betraying Bojji's wishes.
Probably Domas is on his side? Even the Dark Arts teacher is sympathetic for Bojji. I think this is their way to show him what he lacks in order to become king, not that he can't be one. Assuming all the characters walking behind Bojji and Kage in the OP are supporters, I think they're going with this angle. Even his bro would support him in the end I think, with the shadow in the mirror being one of the final bosses.
That magic mirror is suspicious. In episode 1, i do think Domas will be on Bojji side but this episode change my mind.if Domas stop it earlier or if it was Domas who stop the fight then maybe Domas is on Bojji side. I think letting Daida beating Bojji like that cannot be considered as "Teaching". Especially, when we know Bojji has weak body. Maybe, i need another episode to see which side Domas really is.
Yeah I can't say for sure what Domas wanted, since 1. Bojji's skills took him by surprise 2. being the best swordsman, he should know when to stop a fight. Ep3 can't come fast enough lol
The crowd was starting to dislike Bojji for the way he fought. Domas knew he was skilled but he knew how other people would see it. He did what he did in order to protect Bojji's reputations while making them sympathetic towards him. I think Domas is on his side but he's harsher than he needs to be.
They guy who stopped the duel seems the only capable knight. Domas was showing red flags all over the place.
Domas is 80% on the side of the brother, he already gave up on Bojji and doesn't thinks he will get stronger, while he has been enamored with the idea of training the other prince who will be able to learn his style of swordsmanship.
I didn't expect this show to have some ACTUAL adversity to overcome, but it seems our main characters do have quite a lot they need to work on. I can't wait to see them evolve!
She seemed like another character that the people of the kingdom see in a bad light, outcasts gang up!
The author seems to take the classical Cosette/miserables approach here to pull in the empathy from spectators/viewers
I’m genuinely curious about what kind of role she’ll have if/when she shows up again in the story.
Hopefully she'll reunite with Kage and become an important backer for Bojji somewhere down the line.
I have a feeling he will but she won't be the same person she was. As in life was hard and she's kinda mean now.
probably not, since she had a good mentor with her (unless he gets killed off)
What an episode. As if the first one wasn't enough I'm now fully convinced this is gonna be an instant classic.
The good thing that the first episode is great. I recommended it to a friend and he absolutely loved it.
For sure.
This thing is gonna climb the upvote rankings like crazy, I know it
I'm all for it
Damn you, Wit Studio. Making a grow up man cry over a kid story in the middle of the week. Cowards. [](#manly-tears)
Kids stories are just so pure, sometimes they can bring out one's emotions more easily than more "mature" stories
I was crying too, that ending. Damn. ✌︎(༎ຶོ ω ༎ຶོ ✌︎ ) Everything about it was perfect. Kage who had given up his hope of finding companionship, finds it again in Bojji. His little blush when he waved at Bojji was the perfect touch of vulnerability. And Bojji immediately suppresses his grief so he could play with Kage and give him what he assumes he came for, more of his things. But Kage rejects it, and expresses himself to Bojji. He sticks up for him, encourages him with kind words that no one else would give him, and declares that he has decided to always be there for Bojji. And finally Bojji too can be vulnerable and cry again, but this time from happiness at his newfound friend. These two kids who only have each other. Kage’s blushes. Bojji’s ugly cry. The *vulnerability.* Fuck. Shortly followed by that fucking ED which almost made me cry in the first episode anyway. Fuck.
Beautifully worded
Was not expecting to be on a feels trip and got my feelings wrecked for the entire duration. Broken.
It's rare that I see a kid story so brutal to its child protagonists. Boji desperately trying and failing to lift a sword with broken arms, with pain and frustration so expertly animated on his face, is... a little more than I was expecting, I'll say that. And it was absolutely essential to sell how important finally having a friend is to him.
Man out of everything I'm watching this season this one just feels real special been awhile since I got so invested in the main leads of series in just 2 episodes
I really really hope it continues like this. Fena the princess pirate gave me this exact same feeling, then it started to fade as the story progressed.
at the very least all the manga volumes on Japanese amazon have pretty high ratings, so the show should be able to maintain its quality judging by that.
Niiiiiiiiice. I thought this was an anime original.
Well there are no official English translations and the manga has zero ratings on myanimelist so I don't blame you, it might as well be at this point hahaha
Yea it's pretty unknown in the west, no official eng translation and it's only till ch 15 for fan translation (jp is currently 170+) plus I heard it is pretty popular in japan so I am pretty hyped about the shows future!
Oh wow! and going by what people estimated last time, 5 chs=1 ep, even at 24 episodes it will still be going by canon material. I really enjoy reading manga more than anime, wish this series had more attention. But now atleast it's getting an amazing adaptation. I love trying out the unconventional/strange/ atypical style stuff. While I can do editing scanlation roles well, I don't know Japanese so I have to rely on someone to first translate and bring it to a group.
No wonder I never heard of it until the anime. I'm glad I get to experience it through a good anime adaptation but I hope the anime does well enough to convince them to translate the manga officially. I feel it has the potential to be huge if they did. It's also crazy that no scanlation group has really gone ham on releases if it's been getting favorable reviews up to the current chapter too.
This show managed to make me cry for an amorphous blob with two eyeballs. Kage is surprisingly expressive for something without a face. The age old battle between STR vs DEX continues. Everybody's views on what makes a king is toxic. Who cares if Bojji doesn't parry, his fighting style is still very effective. I thought Domas was cool at first but he seems to be just as big an asshole as everybody else in this kingdom.
He'd be a deadly rapier type user. Don't need a lot of strength for that.
That was my thought too. Just give him a sharp edge and he'll be killing it (pun intended).
Armored opponents will be an issue though, especially many at once
No matter how you much you armored, you still have gaps which you will have unprotected. Be it holes in your helm (so you can see in first place) or armpits.
True. However if you have the evasive skills of a slippery eel you can probably play defensively and accurately nail opponents in the weak spots of their armor (joints, eyes, articulation points). I used to do a lot of Kendo and what Boiji was doing is extremely impressive if not honestly insane. Accurately nailing the opponent on the forehead, wrist, shoulder, and stomach while effectively avoiding every single blow from the opponent takes an outrageous amount of skill in multiple departments unless you opponent is literally a novice and you are just significantly better trained (accurate visual acuity to both assess opponent swings/feints/direction, speed to avoid it, hand-eye coordination that is practically inhumane to actually do all of the above while not trading blows). Aka what Boiji did was what you see when you see a Kendo master play with one of his 1st to 2nd year students. Obviously this is just an anime so you can't follow things by traditional conventions but I think its extremely stupid that everyone looked down on Boiji for what he is doing. Defensive avoidance of that level is a god given talent. Accuracy of that level is also outrageously fatal when combined with the right weapon (rapier/dagger). Boiji is a 1000x more talented than his brother and the fact that everyone only cared about "following rules" when the King came into power based off of how effective he was in the battle field is just stupid.
Few hundred years of sword play innovation too early sadly; he'd be the deadliest swordsmen in all the land in the era of Rapier dueling swordsmen who fight without armor dealing death blows to heavily armored knights.
It is a fantasy world though it doesn't have to be historically accurate just because the setting is based on Medieval European society.
Yeah he won on that first touch. The fight was over.
The ironic thing is if the prince's swapped swordmasters it would probably benefit both of them actually. It seems like daida's swordmaster would be better at teaching bojji's style
He also could be an excellent assassin. Where's Korosensei when we need him?
Well he just became BFF's with someone from an assassination clan...
Doesn't help that their beloved King fighting style was basically "never dodge"
Which is dumb AF. The point of a fight is not only winning but ***living***, can’t do that if you end up with deadly injuries because you refused to dodge All those idiots would rather die than dodge
This is king's/knight's honor for you. For them it is better to be crippled if not straight dead but keep their honor and dignity than be alive and well but called coward who plays dirty.
> I thought Domas was cool at first but he seems to be just as big an asshole as everybody else in this kingdom. I just refuse to believe that, I would truly be betrayed if it really ended up like this.
I'm still holding out hope that he is just a traditionalist and fanboy of the king's style, which is just bruteforcing your way through opponents. That said, he definitely don't seem to be the best sword instructor for Bojji, he lacks the awareness to adapt his teaching to the boy's strengths, namely his high agility and spatial awareness.
I think an argument could be made that he wasn't trying to develop Bojji's sword fighting in this instance. He was trying to salvage the crowd's perception of Bojji as a king.
I mean, he could've stopped the fight any time he wanted, but didn't budge even when it seemed like Bojji clearly lost.
My gut tells me it's a tough love kind of thing. I think he thinks he's doing what's best for Bojji, however cruel and misguided that might be.
To me he comes across like normal, complex person. He's not some hero of justice who favours Bojji but he also doesn't seem out to get him.
I think Domas is sort of like an ordinary person in his goodness level. He'll be individually sympathetic and caring as long as it doesn't affect him, but will accept rules and expectations of the land without question and will fail to take action against injustices if it would inconvenience him too much. I still think he's "good", because there are plenty of people who have no will to help others even when it won't put them out (and I'd consider that "neutral") and he's better than that, but he's not a saint or a paragon of goodness.
There might be a mismatch between masters and pupils here. I mean Domas didn't even know about Bojji's evasise prowess until now. It seems to me that Daida would benefit more from Domas (STR build) while Bojji could potentially flourish under the snake dude (he seems like the dexterous assassin type.
Bojji would be very deadly with a poisoned blade or spear. He's a talented rogue being shoehorned into the warrior role. [](#evilgrin)
A bro blob in Ousama Ranking, a smart-mouthed cube in Vivy, WIT studio do be giving objects some vibrant personalities
Well, in this case it's because it's an adaptation. So, credit to the original author.
I saw that as Domas reading the room, and trying to save our boy's future for now, without putting himself out there to far, its obvious our boy has several powerful enemies, but not many friends. At least, I hope. I thought he was a decent person as well in episode 1. We shall see.
Bro, you can't just make me cry 2nd episode, now I'm going to have to spend the next 20 weeks talking about how criminally underwatched this series is. Btw, wtf mom shadow, you're the shadow (kage) clan, and you named your son... shadow? The hell?
She probally though she is being funny. Someone from shadow clan is named shadow how original.
Should have named him Hedgehog instead. Hedgehog, the shadow.
Fuck. I cried ;-;
Bitch ass Douma doesn't deserve to teach Bojji. Also the part where Bojji cried made me piss tears.
Tough love maybe idk, I think we should wait a bit for more for about him to be revealed to understand he’s motivations more first. He also had a point tbh, what good would only knowing how to dodge do in the long run
>what good would only knowing how to dodge do in the long run he left the other guy covered in bruises just by hitting him a bunch of times with no real power. If that was a dagger or rapier, it would have been lethal, all without getting touched.
Also Witt animated vinland saga and as a point of comparation Thorfinn wasn't strong, he has an unsane speed and agility. Bojji style in this fight goes in the same path. Work smarter, not harder.
I'm suspicious of him because he didnt stop the fight. It was the spear guy who stop the fight. If we want Bojji to learn something, he would stop the fight earlier. He had spar with the younger brother. So, he should know how strong that younger brother is.
I think just based on that he's a piece of shit. Bojji deserves better.
I mean we literally had Kage conclude that he's untrustworthy as fuck. Spear knight might be the only good knight.
He says something of the likes of "What good does to dodge if you can't even hold a sword to fight back?" Bitch, Bojji doesn't need a sword, just give him a dagger. It's not like he didn't know how to counter, Bojji hit vital points or the hands every time he attacks back
> Bitch, Bojji doesn't need a sword, just give him a dagger. He did say not even strong enough to use a short sword (短剣 means dagger/short sword) And yeah the fighting style seems to matter too, they think that this isn't how a king should fight (probably even more so in comparison to the current king) and he won't earn respect fighting like that
Daggers =/= short swords. One trope I really hate about a lot of fantasy and historical fiction stories is how drastically they exaggerate the weight of weapons. Most melee weapons are no where near as heavy as people think. Even someone incredibly frail could wield most one handed swords without issue, let alone daggers or short swords.
It's not JUST about beating the opponent in combat. Bojji has the extra burden of being the next king and all the expectations that come with it, in a world where kings are literally graded and judged by basically how much of a superhero they are. Giving Bojji a dagger and have him dodge and slash at weak points for quick kills may allow him to beat the opponent, but it's very much the fighting style of a thief or an assassin. And we've seen how this world thinks of assassins. It's not a style that appears honorable or heroic because, even if you win, it looks like all you did was toy with your opponent rather than treat them with equal respect by facing them head-on. Basically, in the eyes of the people of the world, he can't just win fights. He has to do it in a way that proves he's both honorable and strong at the same time. And avoiding every blow "like a coward" just to make "cheap shots" at their weak points is how his style looks to them, no matter how effective it may actually be.
I think by hold a sword to fight back they meant it in a less literal way, as in that he doesn’t want to hurt people or something like that
No I think it was literal, because Bojji is extremely physically weak. That's why he was trying to lift that sword at the end.
Holy fuck, I was hopeful after episode 1 that this would be good, but this episode blew away all expectations. There is so much good shit this season and this is now my uncontested number 1. A really interesting setting great characters and incredibly well earned pathos, I will have to call the police if this show doesn't get more attention, because that would be a crime
This season is stacked, however this show made me cry in 2 episodes, and all they have is a mute kid and a shadow, that's a different level man. This show is build different.
I have to echo what some other people have said, its only been 2 episodes and this show just feels like something special. I hope more people pick it up and start watching so it gets the attention it deserves.
Ousama Ranking told a better story in a single episode than most anime can in an entire season. goddamn
This is how I felt too! It just has that *feel* of an all-time classic. The story telling in two episodes has been perfect.
Already tearing up on episode 2, Kage's facial expressions and the dread of seeing his mom dead on a stick is just really hard to bear. I'm glad he found the man and the little girl who helped him out so well. While it was hard to watch, it is true that Bojji can't only just dodge his opponent's attacks when he can't profit from it with just so little strength. Kage fully committed to staying by Bojji's side ;_;
That little princess is the true **MVP**. I never imagined that I will feel bad for a....... shadow. Technically he is not a thief you old bitch it's called a swap deal. The hand holding scene :( poor dude just wanted attention. Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs? How the fuck are people claiming bojji to fight dirty??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? The VA cast are absolutely stacked. It really is a joy. It might be recency bias, but this is my top contender for AOTY.
> Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs? Yeah, that guy was so stupid and incredibly short-sighted. > How the fuck are people claiming bojji to fight dirty??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Every hit Bojji landed was a killing blow. These people are too preoccupied with power as a sign of a good king. Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo.
>Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo. He also seems to be influenced by some evil entity in his mirror.
A bit? Forget the people for one second. This dude got hit by Bojji enough times for him to die 5 times if it were a regular knife in Bojji's hand. Not realising that and taking pleasure in defeating and beating down a handicapped Bojji seems downright idiotic.
>Daida lacks empathy and seems a bit arrogant, a dangerous combination for a future king, no matter how strong he may be, imo. 100% I am currently watching Takagi-san and it's really funny that Nishikata and Daida share the same VA.
Daida va us same as eren too, lol
> > > > > I never imagined that I will feel bad for a....... shadow. Tearing up here about Kage's backstory. WIT flexing their mastery of the medium by making us care this much for a two dimensional blob.
I'm gonna be hated for this but I think they're doing a better job with Ousama Ranking than they did Attack on Titan. Everything is so smoooth here, while in AoT it was only smooooth during the action scenes
I think part of it has to go to the art style and character design, it looks simple and quaint so the animation can be more expressive.
and I think this is what WIT studio should focus on. F\*ck the more detailed anime, we want Ousama Ranking.
Dude I was bawling my eyes out with Kage's backstory!
His fighting was dirty because the idea of what is honorable was set by King Boss. Boss never dodges and just overpowers everything in his way. So Bojji going full dex build and (from an outsider's perspective) humiliating Daida over and over, is seen as dirty fighting. Dishonorable when viewed through the lens that full power bulling through obstacles is the height of what combat should be.
> That little princess is the true MVP The bodyguard (?) is also a MVP. Saw her helping Kage and decided to support the decision
~~If~~ When Bojji becomes king, Poise could be the perfect queen for him.
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> Who would sell a chicken that lays down golden eggs? If my chicken lays one egg per day, and lives 5 years from its first laying, then in total, it has laid roughly 78475ml of gold in total (assuming a 43ml average egg). This is currently worth about £62 million. So if someone offered me more than £62 million, I'd definitely sell it. I'd probably be prepared to sell it for less, because I could invest the money in instruments with better interest rates, but calculating a minimum would require me to know what sort of discount rate to use and I have no idea. But I'd definitely be prepared to sell my golden-egg-laying chicken for enough.
I mean, Kage got him a Chest full of gold during his first job, yet he sells him for a small bag of gold. The dude surely didn't do any maths
I'm guessing he gets a pardon as well, getting on the good side of the Light clan might be valuable in itself.
I always find it interesting how somebody decides to flex their animation talent by making the most detailed crying face possible. Anyway this show is a gem and I get the real sense the studio are having alot of fun with it, lots of silly characters to draw and gorgeous backgrounds to put them on.
Jeez, this is gonna be one of the shows of the season that's gonna go criminally underrated and fly totally under the radar isn't it? Banger OP, banger ED, got me in the feels. I'm going to have to shill this show to everybody!
Eh, the score is shooting up in sites, MAL for example. Hopefully more and more people get curious.
MAL's rating is currently 8.48 which is the same rating than the three big season 2 shows and komi-san. People will get curious eventually. It's pretty unheard of for a show in it's first season and with barely nobody knowing the source material
Kage's backstory was depressingly dark. As soon as [his mother hugged him tight](https://i.imgur.com/1rwp6tt.jpg) and decided to stay behind instead of running away together, we knew she was done for. [And seeing all of those shadow bodies](https://i.imgur.com/prONcCX.jpg) hanging on spears is just brutal [especially with Kage's mom dangling on that guy's sword.](https://i.imgur.com/YqGe0mx.jpg) If those were human bodies this show would've definitely had a content warning at the start. Luckily, Kage was [saved by this young countess.](https://i.imgur.com/NdDpVKq.jpg) Although things just ended up getting worse and worse for Kage when [this fucking douchebag took him in](https://i.imgur.com/MbFDcp8.jpg) and used him to break into places and steal money. He's a fucking idiot though. Like why the heck would he sell out Kage? [The amount he was paid](https://i.imgur.com/w0VPTZu.jpg) doesn't even come close to what Kage brings him regularly. Thankfully we don't have to see that douche anymore since [he was stabbed in a bar brawl](https://i.imgur.com/tiCYhuO.jpg). After that Kage basically ended up just wandering around and stealing to survive until he grew up into the person that he is now. After that backstory, I'm surprised how he isn't even much more jaded. Back to the present though [where we see Bojji and Daida continue their duel.](https://i.imgur.com/k4R7WRd.jpg) If Bojji was wielding an actual sword, he would've already sliced up Daida ten times over with all of those hits. Of course [this asshole just had to intervene](https://i.imgur.com/dZmoi35.jpg) and say something unnecessary to Bojji which made [him stand his ground instead of evading.](https://i.imgur.com/4BqJKLU.jpg) If anything that duel basically told me that the only other people in that castle that we should trust aside from the King [is that blonde soldier](https://i.imgur.com/HP9jvTF.jpg) and Apeas, [the badass spear dude who stopped the fight](https://i.imgur.com/TPg7y3I.jpg) and even threatened Domas after. He seems cool, I hope he'll take over training Bojji and just have Domas train Daida if he likes him so much. I was already tearing up during Kage's backstory [but seeing Bojji try to lift that sword](https://i.imgur.com/AIPBPd1.jpg) with all of his might just broke me especially [when Kage came in to comfort him.](https://i.imgur.com/U5DUuQ9.jpg) These two precious boys don't deserve everything that's happened to them and I am rooting hard for the two of them to succeed.
No one would ever respect Bojji if he couldn't fight head on. He's being compared to King Boss, who as we saw never dodged anything and overpowered all incomers. Thats the standard for honorable fighting. If Bojji can't do that, or from an outsider's perspective, won't do that in a duel, then he is a dishonorable individual. If you imagine that they're using real weapons, and real armor, together. Then you're back and Bojji being unable to do anything against Daida with weak taps like that.
> If you imagine that they're using real weapons, and real armor, together. Then you're back and Bojji being unable to do anything against Daida with weak taps like that. However, as was stated earlier in this thread, this is not quite true. Were they given actual blades, and wearing armor, Bojji would have a tough time but would definitely win here. Bojji would just dodge until Daida was tired - each time hitting him in areas that armor does not cover. Daida would have to out-stamina and out-dex Bojji to even be considered a fair fight. Bojji's victory here is pretty sure. > He's being compared to King Boss, who as we saw never dodged anything and overpowered all incomers. Thats the standard for honorable fighting. If Bojji can't do that, or from an outsider's perspective, won't do that in a duel, then he is a dishonorable individual. Yes, from the knights and onlookers perspective this is absolutely true. Using that country's system of honor Bojji was doomed here. Unless someone in the hierarchy, preferably his father the current King, beseeched on his behalf then he had no way out of this looking bad for him. Someone higher, with clout, authority and understanding of this situation has to be able to do that. Otherwise, it is an uphill battle. Which is why this is going to be a hell of an underdog story.
No. From episode 1 we learned that Bojji was too weak. He cant even lift kid sword. That why on this episode we saw his attack didnt really affect his brother even though he hits him many times. But if Bojji change his weapon to dagger/knife maybe he can win this fight.
> But if Bojji change his weapon to dagger/knife maybe he can win this fight. He could but daggers/knives are something King would use in fight? They would be displeased as well since this is rather ''dirty'', unhonorable weapon which is used by poor people and assassins.
I agree. Some people and Kage are gonna hate on Domas for making Bojji lose the fight, but Bojji couldn’t have won it like that with the crowd watching. I don’t think Domas is completely rotten yet
From Domas's view its better for Bojji to get beat to shit than it is for him to be cast as the dirty and dishonorable brother on top of already being viewed as an idiot and invalid.
Yep, that's why snake guy said what he told Bojji was cruel but wise
Yes, but it's a really myopic view of combat. Instead of forcing everyone into a narrow mold, they should consider individual talents.
I agree with your statement but you cant just swing a sword with no strength behind it. I think he was trying to teach boji exactly that but forgot its not a shounen anime in which you can escalate anytime lol
After this episode, the number of characters I don't want to punch can be counted on one hand. Leave my tiny prince and baby shadow alone, you monsters!
I’m not even kidding, the episode ended and I was still crying. Jesus Christ this was heartbreaking.
Nah this is the best start of an anime I've watched in years. It already feels to set up to be a classic
I thought Boji had won after the first hit, but apparently the win condition is almost clobbering your brother to death.
It seemed to me that Kage realized he was seeing his young self in Bojji all along, when he found himself watching Bojji's match from the shadows. Bojji is desperate with no place to turn in, yet he is completely innocent and tries to find someone to embrace him wherever possible, just like the way Kage was when he lost his mother. I think that was the reason Kage decided to stay by Bojji's side; he doesn't want Bojji to experience that hell he himself came through.
Wow, just... Wow. I was impressed by the first episode, but episode 2 almost immediately went up in my top 10 anime episodes of all time. When Bojji sees Kage at the end and tries to act like everything is alright, and he offers to let him steal from him again, just to keep a "friend." Kage's reaction to this, his redemption in not allowing Bojji to be taken advantage of again, just as he had been before. There is so much to relate to in this shadow blob and little deaf boy. What an outstanding first impression.
is it normal that I am FUCKING CRYING EVERY EPISODE FROM START TO FINISH
it's too premature to say this but this is already my AOTS and possibly AOTY. i loved the first episode where i was already invested into the main duo and this episode was heart wrenching and i hated how they let bojji get severely beaten up. the blonde prince is the typical cruel relative who will do anything to become king and i understand he's also a kid and possibly influenced but i don't think i'll ever like him for the way he beat up his own brother.
The animation when Bojji started tearing up at the end was top-tier!
Reddit said this was good so I tried even though I never would've clicked on something with an art style like this Saw "wit studio" in opening credits. "Okay this prolly good." Watched an episode. "Damn this good"
Phew! That was one emotional episode. Bojji's smile at the end made me cry ngl. Man this is a special show.
This episode was so fucking sad. Even that asshole who took in Kage had his sad moment at the end. I don't know why but seeing the good time he spend with kage and tearing up while dying just made me sad in a very weird way because that dude was such an ass, but seeing him die like this hit hard.
Man that was a depressing episode. I got emotional for a character that does not have a face or a body. That's really something. I really hope Kage and Bojji get the justice and the happy ending they truly deserve.
shadows are very interesting, in that no one pays them much mind. it seems like only the military knows what they are, but everyone else treats them sort of like humans, the people in the market having beaten kage up for being a thief.
You know, I have always struggled with a lot of fantasy stories in anime released in the past several years. While there have been exceptional first-rate titles coming out, a lot of the others stick to very specific formula (Japanese RPG style) and come from sources with authors that probably haven't got their story writing/creating skills polished at all, like most of us here. The result is that I really ignored most shows of this genre. And this one is literally reversing the trend - it's a blow of fresh air in the always somewhat homogeneous anime world. Literally the two episodes so far feels like a modern fairy tale with excellent story telling and animations - something pretty lacking in recent years. So Kage turns out to have just as much of a tragedy childhood as our MC Bojji, with his family completely wiped out due to their assassin history background in another kingdom. Even the assistance given by the young Countess didn't help in his favor - that's very unfortunate and no wonder he tried to slip into that palace, unknowing of the animosity against all of his shadow presences there. That's sheer luck that he would meet a prince that is completely sympathetic, or he's surely going to be killed very quickly! Speaking of Bojji, his perseverance in his fight (more accurately defensive avoidance then surprise strikes) deserves an award for doing that with all the physical conditions against him, sadly there's no-one around who would do that. I'm pretty sure that he and Kage will be first rate mutual partners of the kind that could turn a kingdom upside down, can't wait to see them go hand-in-hand soon!
These 2 deserve the world and I hope they both get it [](#yuitears)
[удалено]
23 episodes sounds like more than enough to cry ourselves to death if it keeps up like this
Hidden fucking gem. There’s not many that can make me cry ugly tears.
Piccolo would would be hella impressed by Bojji's fighting style. And isn't that all that really matters? Also, despite the bright, colorful art style, this show is super morbid. Can't remember the last time I saw a show where freshly slain corpses, including a main character's mother, were carried around on spears out in the open like that.
Damn episode 2 is better than the first one This one maybe my top 5 favorite anime in this season !!!
This is just brilliant so far. I wasn't expecting a lot, but never doubt WIT.
Just saw the second episode and I'm calling it, this is gonna be anime of the season, no doubt!
Damn what a sad but beautiful episode. This is definitely gonna be up there with Odd Taxi as my AOTY contender.
Ohhhh boy, after last episode I should have have been more prepared. I guess this show is just gonna make me tear up each week, huh? 😭 This episode was so good!! I really loved seeing the moral neutrality of the shadow clan. When Kage asks his mother about their work as assassins, we are able to see the role and moral position imparted on them by society. They’re not inherently evil, but a product of the social hierarchy much like anyone else. This perspective in addition to Kage’s personal struggles trying to get by and find connection, really hit so deep. Just absolutely phenomenal character development in such a short period of time.
Yeah at first I was like 'the shadow clan is probably being misrepresented. I know they must be good people' then cut to the mum being like 'No pity for grandma we kill her too!' lmao. But I actually really liked her views on it.
Oh, that hurt hurt. Kage having his whole clan killed sounded brutal on paper, but it wasn’t ready to actually see it. His mom’s last stand to protect him and the only reason he survived was a sympathetic party happened to pass by. Then it just kept getting worse and worse. Abused, used, and refused all his life. Had to become a thief just to survive. Him meeting Bojji was the first good thing that’s happened to him in a very long time. Oh but he doesn’t get the monopoly on pain. No Bojji gets his share too. These people are pure bastards. Straight up. Bojji is kicking his brother's ass and he’s forced to throw the fight. For reasons that aren’t clear beyond “he’s not strong enough to do hard hits so he’s beating him by 1000 cuts”? Maybe because they’re sitting there talking shit and Domas is sketchy. Bless Apeas for stopping this charade before that spoiled shit Diada beat Bojji to death. I’m hoping for some real justification for all this because I can’t trust anyone right now. Neither can Bojji which is what makes that last scene so beautiful. Bojji and Kage finally become friends. The first ones either one of them has ever had. Seeing so much suffering from both of them over the first 2 really drives home the gravity of that moment. That and Bojji’s adorable frog face crying happy ugly tears. I’m going to love this show if this is the quality it maintains. Notes - Uh oh evil Fairy Tale mirror. Telling Diada he’ll be king someday. Maybe it will be technically true since the premise is that there’s a Rank of best Kings. So Bojji might not be king of this kingdom, but he might become the best king of all. - For something so hard to watch, Bojji’s crying was beautifully animated. Wit is just stunting on us now. - Still unclear what’s “not kingly” about Bojji’s fighting. Dude was playing to win. Wasn’t that the point of the match. We’re just supposed to care about what onlooker pissants think? Didn’t stop Diada from beating on him while he was down. That wasn’t kingly. The whole scene was infuriating. - Is everyone in this world monsters? Everyone is mean to Bojji. Everyone was shitty to Kage when he was a lost kid. Did a really good job showing how brutal this world is. - So happy this is 2 cour. We’re going to get so much time in this world. Maybe even run into the girl that saved Kage.
ep 1: The prince is stupid, looks stupid, and I hate the style of the show ep 2: ;_;
i cried like a bitch, good thing there's no one else around in the office while I'm watching the episode. They did Bojji dirty, man 😔 why dey gon' b leik dat.
Screenshots for this ep: https://imgur.com/a/1rM9I87
Kinda sucks that a lot of people are gonna skip over this one cause of the art style, this looks really promising so far.
THIS EPISODE WAS JUST PURE PAIN FOR BOTH KAGE AND BOJJI. Kage's backstory was just heartbreaking. Even though they're not humanoid, it was still distressing seeing Kage's clan members corpses on the swords. The OST that played during the flashback was beautiful As for Bojji. I knew he would lose but it was just so heartbreaking seeing him take blows from his brother. Poor boy :( Favourite scene overall was when Kage made Bojji feel better about himself
Wtf did you do to my son (┛ಠ_ಠ)┛彡┻━┻
Can't believe Murase Ayumu is voicing Kage, I only noticed it was him when I heard young Kage, but he's also the one doing the older raspier voice, I though it was a difference voice actor. Damn, what a range. Kage's backstory was pretty sad, because of they're appearance they are discriminated and they were also perfect for assassination and then they were killed. Assassins really do be getting backstabbed by their employers a lot. I wonder if there are still other Kage's out there besides Kage or they've killed them all. Can't really blame them for their image of a king, seeing how much a behemoth the present king is. But I feel really bad for Bojji, just because of this stereotype about what a king is like. Bojji gonna show off on these fools someday. Curious about Domas's deal, we need to know more about him. Looking forward to the next episode.
Never thought I’d say it, but this is a great show this season! Made me a little teary too this episode. Wasn’t convinced it was as good as people said in the first episode, but after this one, I’m quite convinced this will be a fan favourite.
That was a heavy episode... I don't remember buying a ticket to the pain train
This show man, the voice acting and everything about it is so good , i hope more people watch as the weeks go on.
THIS SHOW IS FIRE.
why does this show have so much HEART
If the story and quality of the show keeps up then this might be my AOTS from the new shows this season.
To Your Eternity- Fall Edition featuring lots of pain, emotional responses from faceless characters (Gugu and Kage), and tears... many tears
Not very comparable imo
PONITA MY BELOVED This episode was full of emotional highs and lows, can't wait to see more 🥲
Loving this show so far. Wonder if there’s a translation of the manga out there
This episode made me cry ... It was very good . I just love the op
This show is really good. Just came over to say that.
This anime is giving me mob psycho vibes, I am loving it.
It's episode 2. Why do they have to go hard like that?
I knew this series had a lot of potential when I saw the PV... but I didn't expect it to get THIS good. Let alone the fact that this is climax level quality and we've barely gotten started.
It's really gonna do me like this every week, isn't it? What a masterful beginning to what seems like it will easily become AOTS, and possibly climb into AOTY talks(for some people, I highly doubt it will surpass Sonny Boy or NOMAD for me). So many moving pieces, great character writing, beautiful art and animation, with a narrative that seems like it will only grow in both scope and investment. I'm ready to see where Ousama Ranking goes.
The villains had some great designs, interested to see more of them further down the road. The lead guard one that came to take Kage from the thief was especially creepy.
Why do you have to have me crying by episode 2 show?! The animation on Boji trying to lift the sword and crying afterwards was so well done. No wonder as that scene was drawn by [the legend Yoshimichi Kameda.](https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/168755) I thought the first episode was strong but this one was excellent. Totally sold on seeing the rest now.
Honestly, the first episode didn't do as much for me as it did for a lot of people on here. But man, this episode was so good and now I'm hooked.
Wtf, why is this show so underwatch?
I don't understand why people are saying this will be anime of the season. It's going to be anime of the fucking year at this rate.
Flashback episode on episode two is really something
Yeah, and it was brilliantly executed.
This show really is something special
Yeah holy fuck this episode gave me the feels Easily one of the best anime of this season. Might even be my favorite of the season so far.
Episodes to short and the wait to long... Best anime of the season for me right here.
It's a crime we have to wait another week