How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 21

Rating: 3.5 Last week I made a number of suppositions about why Roroa appeared before Kazuya and offered to become his wife and why he would probably accept the offer. This episode proved virtually all of those suppositions to be correct, even the ones about how Roroa still planned to continue her mercantile practices asContinue reading “How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 21”

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 20

Rating: 3.5 Last episode, I surmised that bringing up the pilfered dragon bones was going to set up an arc where the dragon shown in the opener comes into play. The issuance of a diplomatic message to the Star Dragon Mountain Range about the bones (apparently originally unearthed during a construction project) still suggests thatContinue reading “How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 20”

Special: So I’m a Spider, So What? and Its Continuation in the Novels

Note: This commentary, which was inspired by the recent release of novel 13 in English, is designed to be accessible to those who have seen the entirety of the anime series and/or read the first five novels but are not familiar with the novel content beyond that. It deals with the structure of the storyContinue reading “Special: So I’m a Spider, So What? and Its Continuation in the Novels”

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 18

Rating: 3.5 (of 5) With this episode, the series ties up the final bit of loose ends from the Elfreiden revolt, while also making official that Kazuya has a harem. But before we get to the latter, let’s look at the final clean-up effort, as that had some minor surprises of its own. Last episodeContinue reading “How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 18”

Review: Interspecies Reviewers steelbox BD

Rating: 4 (of 5) Note: To see episode-by-episode commentary that I did as the series was airing, go here. This review offers more of an overview instead. Any adult who has ever played tabletop and/or electronic fantasy RPGs has probably wondered at some point where the sex is in the setting. After all, a diverseContinue reading “Review: Interspecies Reviewers steelbox BD”

Winter ’22 Preview: Salaryman’s Club

Note: Since this title is coming in so much later than the rest of the Winter 2022 Preview Guide, I am making it a separate entry. Streams: Crunchyroll on Saturdays Rating: 4 (of 5) The title on this one can be a little misleading, as while all of the main cast members are, indeed, salarymen,Continue reading “Winter ’22 Preview: Salaryman’s Club”

How a Realist Hero Rebuilds the Kingdom episode 17

Rating: 3.5 This episode is a tale of two parts: a part about death and a part about life going forward. For many reasons, it feels right to put them together in the same episode. The death part concerns the greatest lingering consequence of the internal strife within Elfreiden: the fate of the lionel, DukeContinue reading “How a Realist Hero Rebuilds the Kingdom episode 17”

How A Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 16

Rating: 3.5 With this episode, the final resolution of the conflict over Amidonia seems to be done – at least for now, anyway. Julius isn’t happy about it, but there was no reasonable outcome where he was going to be happy, as the negotiations between Jeanne and Kazuya completely boxed him in (as they wereContinue reading “How A Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 16”

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 15

Rating: 4 (of 5) Even for a series which is firmly focused on strategic thinking, devoting nearly an entire episode just to one long conversation is a bold move. It requires a special kind of dynamic to be able to pull that off without it getting boring, and few shows that have tried it inContinue reading “How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom episode 15”