Rating: A-
Few anime series can pull off drastic tonal shifts as smoothly as this one can, and the episode “Sightseeing Tour” is just the latest proof on that. Even while engaging in elements of a light, playful foodie experience, the sense of the much more serious undertones is never far away, and the end of the episode (discounting the typical humorous epilogue) is far grimmer indeed.
Although gushing over food like the cast of The Forsaken Saintess and Her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World is a new level for this franchise, commentary on food has actually long been a regular feature. Food was the main focus of the OVA Operation Pasta, but the series has also made regular observations about the quality (or more typically, lack thereof) of food on both the front lines and the home front going as far back as the beginning of the first season, with the most stark example being a scene from episode 7 of this season that’s referenced here. Beyond giving Tanya ample chance to make all kinds of interesting faces and visual interpretations of her dining experience, the scene also serves as a stark contrast to the reality of the Empire, and that’s certainly not lost on Tanya. How deep the Ildoan motives run here is more in question. They’re certainly trying to make a good impression on their “guests” to show that they’re on peaceful terms with the Empire, and Colonel Gassman’s gushing over his country’s offerings could just be as simple as national pride. But are they trying to send a message as well? Something like “this is what peace can bring you” or “this is what we can offer if you stay on good terms with us” very well could be intended, and even the fresh bread isn’t making Tanya oblivious to that, either.
Other tidbits show the contrasting priorities the Ildoans have here: they are distrusting enough to have guns aimed at the submarine bringing Tanya and her subordinates into port, but they’re also generous in providing travel funds. That may be a big part of why the whole experience leaves Tanya uneasy. The possible cause for that unease gets suggested in her meeting with Rudersdorf when she’s back on home turf: as nice as everything looks in Ildoa, they’re also exceedingly vulnerable. The scenes with Rerugen doing an inspection a few episodes back show that they’re not being completely careless, but when Rudersdorf mentions that attacking Ildoa is at least a consideration, Tanya realizes that, based on what she saw, it’s actually quite feasible; Ildoa’s peace dividends also leave it soft. She also quite probably has no intention of mentioning that, since she wants this conflict to end sooner rather than later, but if Tanya noticed it, then someone reading the reports from her and Rerugen likely will as well, and she knows that, too.
But all of the scenes in the Empire – even the lighter-hearted ones – reinforce another truth, too: Tanya has always had an exit strategy for the war in the back of her mind, but now she’s trying to bring a personal exit strategy to the forefront. And as suggested by various encounters hers and in episode 7, she’s far from the only one. In fact, many of the military’s key players look like they’re seeking a way out, but that may not even be possible anymore. Since we’re nearly at the limit of what I have read in the novels, it makes me wonder where this story’s going to be at season’s end. But that’s not a bad thing, either.
I also have to mentioned the caliber of the background art, especially in the train scenes. Someone put quite a lot of effort into the meticulous detail of those fancy train cars. The visual shift in lighting as the train moved into Empire territory was also an effective touch.
As a final note, I am pleased to point out that the aforementioned OVA Operation Desert Pasta finally has an English dub as of 9/2/26. Some sources are claiming that the movie has been dubbed, too, but just not released yet, so look forward to upcoming announcements about that.
USA Anime 