Tales of Zestiria the X Review Notes (Season 1)

Episode 1: “Age of Chaos”

• Okay the animation is amazing. God bless Ufotable.
• I like the intro showing a ruined town from all the chaos, as well as Alisha being a total fucking nerd.
• I like that they used the music from the game. The music was fantastic.
• OH MY GOD LADYLAKE IS FUCKING GORGEOUS I LOVE IT.
• Oh hi, Maltran. I’d be suspicious of you, but the anime threw that plot away.
• I love Alisha’s more casual outfit.
• Ooh, a new town (Griel).
• Wow, that Celestial Record thing was kinda random. Okay then.
• YES, ALISHA, FIGHT BARTLOW. I do like the anime trying to show Alisha taking an active stand against the ministry.
  • Also, I like that they added this political tension to the Sacred Blade Festival. Makes more sense than the “riot” the game tried to show us, which still makes no sense to me.
• OOH, SCATTERED BONES. YES.
• Okay, the action is top-notch I must say. KICK HIS ASS ALISHA.
• Oh shit, human Lunarre. That’s awesome to see.
  • I don’t get Alisha seeing Lunarre as a Hellion. I do kinda get the intent, but… actually, maybe Alisha can see Hellions. It’s established in Tales of Berseria that it doesn’t take as much resonance (Ability to perceive the supernatural) for humans to perceive Daemons / Hellions as Malakhim / Seraphim, so maybe Alisha can see Hellions but not Seraphim. That would’ve been cool to see in the game.
  • Also, love Lunarre’s voice here. Way better than the voice he has in the game.
  • I actually at one point thought maybe Lunarre’s name was originally Renard (Which legit means “fox,” since Sorey and Mikleo call him the “fox man.”), but his madness led to the corruption of his name into Lunarre.
• Nice showing the little conflict between Alisha and Rose early on, but it still kills the mystery of who the Scattered Bones are (Even if it was a crappy mystery to begin with.).
• I remember being really paranoid about Maltran. I wish they kept her being a Hellion here.
  • Also, love Maltran’s voice in the anime versus the game. I’m happy they kept most of the voices from the game, but the ones they replace so far are improvements to me.
• Damn. They really wanna flesh out this new locale. I’m happy to see the anime is keeping the strong atmosphere like the game.
• Ooh, I like Alisha’s cloak. Love the little touches they add onto the existing designs. I’m still wondering why Alisha’s colors aren’t blue like her kingdom. Maybe specifically because she’s a princess?
• I’m assuming this place is Glaivend Basin, or at least part of it. Trying to gauge where it could be geographically.
• Ooh, Earthpulse energy. The Earthpulse was a huge part of Berseria’s plot but was almost nonexistent in Zestiria.
• Oh that is a terrifying tornado.
• Ley Lines? Oh, that would be a cool way for the humans to interpret the Earthpulse.
• Actually, maybe Heldalf and Symonne planned all this ahead of time so Alisha would run into Sorey, make him the Shepherd, and then seal the deal for the Age of Chaos. Or maybe they were just trying to kill her so Bartlow and the others could run Hyland into the ground. Either works for me.
• I love that the anime is actually showing us what Malevolence manifests as.
• THE ANIMATION IS SERIOUSLY GORGEOUS MY LORD. I especially love the colors. The budget for this episode must’ve been astronomical.
• Oh shit, a fucking dragon.
• Okay, I get Clemm and Drake theorizing about the seraphim, but it’s kinda hitting us a little over the head. Also, what does this have to do with saving the town? This lecture ain’t gonna save the village, Clemm.
• Aaaand goodbye Alisha’s friends. You indeed existed.
• OH SHIT SYMONNE. THIS WAS PART OF THEIR PLAN.
  • Also thank you, anime, for introducing Symonne into the plot early.
  • “Ride on. I will open the gate of chaos with you.” Is it me, or does that sound like the lyrics of a really edgy rock song?
  • And nice way to show the seraphim and how they can’t be perceived or interacted with by humans.
• AND EXCUSE FOR EVEN MORE VISUAL AWESOMENESS. EVEN LUNARRE IS HERE, BECAUSE POTATOES.
  • I still don’t get the point of Lunarre in either the game or the anime. At all.
• OH SHIT SYMONNE VERSUS LUNARRE. More of these fights please.
• R.I.P. Clemm and horsey.
• “I’m done with this.”
• And of course we ain’t done traumatizing Alisha. Nope. The whole village is fucking gone, and Tao is dead, AND THE FUCKING CHILD GETS PULLED INTO THE TORNADO.
  • Okay but that was kinda lowkey funny. I’m a horrible fucking person. IT’S HOW ZESTIRIA HAS TREATED ALISHA IN A NUTSHELL.
• AND ALISHA SEES A FUCKING DRAGON. Really good ending, I’ll say.
• I do like the little Alisha prologue here. Adds more weight to what she tells Sorey later in Elysia. My main problem is that it takes away the impact of seeing the human world for the first time with Sorey’s perspective.
  • Maybe we could have Alisha flashing back to this while she’s in Elysia, like PTSD flashbacks, and then when we talk to her after the Sacred Blade Festival she tells us the whole story.
• I kinda wish Tao, Ganette, etc. got more personality. At least we gave Alisha some time to shine with trying to protect them and then mourning them.
• Okay, love the opening, and I gotta appreciate them putting Velvet in the opening, even if she’s got fuck all to do with this story. The visuals are stunning, and I love the song (“Song of the Wind” / “Kaze no Uta” by FLOW.). It’s a great alternative to the game’s opening “White Light.”

Episode 2: “Capital of Seraphim”

• Poor Alisha needs a hug. Maybe the dragon just decided she wasn’t worth the effort. I do like showing how exactly she wound up in the Mabinogio Ruins.
• OH MY GOD A LITTLE NORMIN IT’S SO CUTE.
  • But it also looks kinda terrifying out of context.
• I don’t think the legend is referring to a specific Shepherd, just the general idea of a Shepherd. It for sure isn’t Artorius or Michael the book is talking about, even though Michael wrote the Celestial Record (Assuming he got it published as an “academic” novel.).
• Oh lord NOT BUGS. DISGUSTING.
  • I’m assuming these bugs are Hellions.
• YES NORMIN PROTECT ALISHA.
  • I like that the anime is showing the power of the Normin. They weren’t that big a deal in the game.
• Nice. Alisha using her smarts to try and escape.
• “Is that the floor?” Falls.
• Okay, but this is very cool aesthetically. I wonder if it’s part of the Mabinogio Ruins, branching out into the surrounding mountains.
• The secret passage is always behind a waterfall, without fail. Always.
• And suddenly we’re jumping to Sorey’s perspective. Okay, fine, that works.
• I do not know how that kid is able to do these jumps. I’d be scared shitless.
  • Okay, but that reveal of the ruins from the side of the mountain is fucking incredible.
• Mikleo is done with your shit, Sorey.
  • So, wait, does that mean Seraphim could survive the fall? Cuz I’m pretty sure they couldn’t.
• Okay, here’s where I’m confused. In the game, there’s this huge statue of Zenrus (Gramps) in the Mabinogio Ruins, meaning it was dedicated to him ages ago as the “God of Thunder.” Sorey and Mikleo then comment how they grew up playing in their Gramps’ shrine. Except here, and in the game, they act like they’ve only discovered the Mabinogio Ruins recently at the start of the story. So… what gives? Do they mean the little ruins spaced throughout the forests of Elysia?
• Ooh, Sorey breaking the illusion. Nice thinking.
• ZENRUS. HI, ZENRUS.
  • Again, new voice. I kinda like it so far, but I don’t know whether I prefer this voice or the game voice.
• These fucking nerds, my god.
• Take a shot everytime they say “Seraphim.”
  • Don’t, you will die. I don’t wanna go to jail.
• God, poor Alisha. The girl needs a fucking hug.
  • Okay that scream effect in the pitch black was terrifying.
• Ooh, nice way to incorporate the Shepherd glove, since in the game it was found in a random chest, and that wouldn’t be as good a reveal for the anime.
• “It’s not natural.” THANKS, SOREY, COULDN’T FIGURE THAT OUT ON MY OWN.
  • This is what I mean by anime exposition and inner monologues. This medium is visual, guys. We can figure shit out without you needing to write an essay about it.
• So the lightning was reacting to Alisha, not Sorey and Mikleo. Interesting.
• What exactly was Kyme going to do? And Seraphim can teleport? Since when?
• Aaaand the statue decided to attack Alisha cuz this story hates her. Nice explaining how she fell unconscious, though.
• Nice to see they wanted to incorporate specific moments from the game into the anime.
• Actually, there was this one-hour anime special - Dawn of the Shepherd - based on the game’s story, from Sorey and Mikleo’s introduction to them leaving Elysia (Essentially the end of next episode.).
• Sorey grabbing Mikleo’s waist and leaning in, and THE SHIPPERS GO WILD (Including me.).
• Ooh the ending song. I believe it’s called “Calling.” It’s cute, and I love the visuals they have for the outro. Everyone being all domestic.
• And the previews for the next episode are based on the skits from the game. LOVE. IT.
• Oh my lord Sorey and Mikleo being all domestic and playing couple roles. AND ALISHA JUST STANDING THERE UNSURE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING. I LOVE IT.
  • Sormik for life.

Episode 3: “Elysia”

• I like Alisha being desperate to find a Shepherd. It adds tension to the story that I feel the game’s beginning was lacking. It also makes her character much more interesting, along with this mystery of what pushed her to this extreme.
• “Why do birds fly?” “BECAUSE FUCK YOU ARTORIUS.”
• Okay, so… this moment works to show Alisha’s desperation, and I like that. But it does admittedly kill a legitimately cute and funny moment in the game.
  • How it went was that Sorey tried to introduce the Elysians to Alisha, only to realize she couldn’t see them like he could. Alisha humored him and found it funny and adorable. Both versions work well at least.
• I should note that the lighting in this anime is fantastic.
• Oh my god Mikleo’s pajamas are his usual outfit without all the ridiculous belts. That’s adorable.
  • Okay, nevermind, they’re just an alternate version of his casual outfit. He has separate pajamas.
• Sorey and Alisha prickleboar hunting with longbows. I like it.
• Poor Alisha having PTSD flashbacks.
  • Okay but she rocks having her hair let down. I wish they used that more for dramatic effect, like Korra’s hair being let down in the Books 2 and 3 finales.
• Alisha crying to herself on the mountainside… my heart.
  • AND ZENRUS AND THE OTHERS GAVE HER A BLANKET MY LORD.
• I like the addition of Sorey showing Alisha the mural in the ruins. At least Zenrus knows not to try and kill her this time.
• OH MY GOD SOREY YOU CLUMSY MORON.
  • And then immediately trying to come across as composed. My god.
• Alisha leaving hopeful thanks to Sorey. Now THAT is awesome.
• I will admit, I preferred in Dawn of the Shepherd where Lunarre attacked at night, before Alisha had left. It added to the tense and foreboding atmosphere, and I liked Alisha getting to see the Elysians putting on a little show for her (You have to see it to fully understand it.).
• Okay, this fight’s awesome, and it’s cool to see them change up the story so Mason gets to live. In the game and in Dawn of the Shepherd, Mason got eaten alive. #JusticeForMason worked after all. Though I kinda wish he still got eaten, cuz… well, it adds to the darker tone and raises the stakes.
• BUT SERIOUSLY THE FIGHTS SO FAR ARE SO GOOD.
  • Zenrus doesn’t even have to do anything to scare Lunarre off. He just shows up and is like “Fuck off, bitch. Leave my kids alone.”
• “I’m so glad I’m gonna have you with me!” SORMIK. FOR. FUCKING. LIFE.
• Nice ending mimicking one of the anime cutscenes.

Episode 4: “The Sacred Blade Festival”

• I feel the intro to Ladylake would be cooler if we hadn’t seen it in the very first episode. Then we’d get to see how Sorey feels.
• Nice intro of Rose. Way better than Sorey walking up to her and Rose going “HI WE’RE THE SPARROWFEATHERS HI.”
• Yes, Rose here to help. I love Rose.
  • That wink was adorable.
• Poor Sorey doesn’t know how capitalism works. My poor child.
• Rose rummaging through the backpack is so cute, and I like that she decided to call it even. Also, nice touch with her recognizing the knife as Alisha’s.
• I kinda prefer Lunarre’s intro in the game. The humans should see him as an ordinary human - a member of the Scattered Bones without his mask. I don’t know why this isn’t causing a bigger stir. The alley reveal honestly did a better job at building a tense atmosphere.
• “Elysium”? OH, HOW DID I MISS THAT. In the anime, they refer to Sorey’s home as Elysium, whereas in the game it’s Elysia. Ugh, that bothers me.
• I don’t get Lunarre’s motives here. I prefer Sorey running into the Scattered Bones in the alley and learning of them targeting Alisha that way.
  • I should note that I like the Scattered Bones still targeting Alisha here. Adds more conflict to the story.
• Aaand a graveyard. Alisha needs a hug. Seriously, though, Maltran’s plot could’ve been so interesting if they kept her as a villain. Here she just kinda seems… pointless.
• I know that it’s not a big shock Bartlow wanted Alisha dead and hired the Scattered Bones to assassinate her, but c’mon guys, keep some of the mystery please.
• Oooh, we get to meet Dezel early. I kinda like that.
• The sanctuary is way more spacious in the anime than it was in the game. Thank god.
• LAILAH. I’m still kinda bitter with how the anime handled her, and most of the other characters. She’s meant to be the fun group mom with a lot of guilt eating away at her, whereas here… eh. She’s just kinda there.
• Nice showing the Malevolence all around that the humans can’t see. I love that the Malevolence has a visual manifestation here.
• I’m not exactly sure what this Hellion is. It’s definitely not a dragon, because that requires a Seraph exposed to tons of Malevolence. I do like that there can be Hellions spawned from pure Malevolence, rather than just humans or animals transforming into Hellions.
  • But seriously, an explanation would be nice. It’s cool as fuck but I have no fucking clue what it even is. I’m also gonna guess the humans can’t see it, so… what exactly are the humans seeing that’s making them freak out, besides the fire?
• I like Rose attacking Alisha here. All in all great atmosphere for the drama this episode.
  • I still seriously feel Rose should be inquiring more about Alisha before trying to assassinate her. Maybe questioning Alisha’s motives as she attacks, while also gauging her combat skills?
• Ooh, nice having everything freeze when Sorey learns about the burdens of the Shepherd.
  • AND IMMEDIATELY ARMATUS. Definitely a much better intro than sticking to how it was introduced in the game. Also, SOREY FUCKING ROCKS HIGH HEELS.

Episode 5: “The Shepherd’s Destiny”

• I like Sorey being kept in Alisha’s manor as he recovers instead of the inn. Feels much more like something Alisha would do, and it means we immediately get to talk to her.
• “Oh look, the pig’s wearing lipstick.” God bless you, Mikleo.
• Poor Sorey having to block his senses so Alisha can hear Mikleo and Lailah… still hilarious every time.
• YES, ALISHA. FUCK THE COUNCIL.
• These ruins I assume are equivalent to the Vivia Subterranean Aqueduct in the game. I still wish they kept that, because that would’ve been cool to see.
  • So instead of an Echidna or a Giant Slime, we get a swarm of Hellion Bats. That is cool, and fucking horrifying.
• GOD DAMN, LAILAH. BLOW THEM THE FUCK UP.
• This is a much better reveal of the hidden torture chambers of the Hyland royal family than the game, where it was just a bunch of empty cages with no bodies, revealed in a skit.
  • Also, way better locale for us to learn about the Lord of Calamity in.
• Okay, so this cliffhanger… we were kept on this cliffhanger for two weeks I believe, since the next two episodes are focused on Velvet’s story, and the payoff SUCKS. I was expecting this huge battle in Ladylake but we got nothing of the sort. The buildup is perfect, but the payoff KILLS IT.
• Seriously, this makes Maltran come off as a villain, especially with how her voice actress is conveying her lines. Ugh.

Episode 6: “Dawn of Chaos”

• And so we begin the Velvet two-parter. So this isn’t the actual beginning of Berseria’s story. It instead only covers Velvet escaping from prison. This was meant to be a huge advertisement to boost sales for Tales of Berseria before it was released. That’s why Velvet has been tied so haphazardly into this storyline, even though there’s definitely a better way to do it.
  • But seriously, Tales of Berseria is Tales of BESTIRIA.
• I like the ambiance of Velvet’s introduction, and then IMMEDIATELY SHE GOES FOR THE KILL.
• This was also the first time we get to hear of Berseria’s English voice acting, and might I say THEY ALL DID A FUCKING PHENOMENAL JOB?
• Okay but Velvet’s claw is fucking awesome.
• Huh. They foreshadowed Berseria’s plot with Velvet collapsing and the blue light. Nice touch.
• Okay I know this confused a lot of people watching Zestiria the X, but for any Patrons reading this now who don’t really know all that much, here ya go: this is 1,000 years before Zestiria; Hellions are called Daemons; Seraphim are called Malakhim.
• God I love Velvet’s little speech here, especially with her wanting to tear off Artorius’ limbs and rend his flesh.
• Damn, nice intro of Seres and then Velvet attacking her out of nowhere.
• The translations also messed up the Exorcist ranks. Here, the foot soldiers are Centurions, whereas in the game they were Orderlies.
• Nice showing Velvet isn’t just about brute force. She has a strategy.
• Okay, so Seres is talking like Malakhim weren’t in this world before the Advent. That may be the story the Abbey pedals to the masses, but Seres should know the truth: Malakhim were always present, but humanity’s resonance as a whole was amplified enough to finally perceive Malakhim after the Advent.
• Ooh, love the intro of Rokurou here.
• I like these three discussing a proper strategy for escaping.
• Ooh, nice visuals with Seres opening all the prison cells.
• God damn Velvet is dedicated, and a fucking badass.
• VELVET’S THEME. YESSSSS.
• Okay, so in the Japanese version, Seres specifically said “Cross,” like how the paths of Velvet and Sorey cross (Even though they don’t.), to tie into the show’s title. Here in the dub, they didn’t have that. Yes that bothers me. Love the dub but I’m a fucking nitpicker.
• Not sure why they played the opening for Tales of Zestiria the game here, but… okay then.

Episode 7: “Velvet Crowe”

• Okay this is odd. Apparently Magilou can use her Guardian for flying and combat without Bienfu, which is odd, because without Bienfu, she can’t use her Artes. Actually, maybe the Guardian is the only thing of hers that works? But then how did she attack the dragon later in the episode? Oh fuck it I don’t care, I still love her.
• Okay, but I love Seres teleporting with fire.
• I will say the port with the rain makes for a much more atmospheric battle to escape Titania than what we got in the game.
• I like the term “Daemoneater.” I wish we got it in the game - a more casual way of referring to Therions.
• GOD DAMN, VELVET TAKING OUT A GUY WITH A ROCK.
  • Now, that is how you get a guy to shut the fuck up.
• YES, VELVET, KICK HIS AS. I love the fights in this anime, seriously, and OH MY GOD VELVET HAS A SHOE BLADE. SHE HAS A FUCKING SHOE BLADE.
• “AND I WILL BURN IT.” That made me very emotional. Props to Cristina Vee.
  • Also nice nod to the opening title “BURN.”
• Okay, so I kinda miss Oscar turning one of his Malakhim into a dragon, cuz it shows how far the Abbey is willing to go. But at the same time, I like it being a full sized dragon instead of a young one.
  • For the record, the games refer to young dragons as “Drakes,” but in the Japanese, they’re called “Dragon Puppies,” which I find fucking adorable.
• MAGILOU HAS ARRIVED, AS HAS HER CHARACTER THEME. GOD BLESS.
  • “I’m tired, this weather’s terrible, and there’s a dragon. I’m feeling quite fragile.” ME AS FUCK.
  • “THAT WOULD BE QUITE A PICKLE.”
• “Malak come forth.” What Malak? You have no Malakhim here, only Exorcists. That was very odd.
• Oh shit. I love the contrast of the blood with the overall use of blues. SO GOOD.
• ROKUROU IS HERE. WOO.
• Wow. Seres’ death is way more gruesome here than it was in the game… I LOVE IT. I’m willing to believe this would kill her, unlike the scratches she got in the game.
  • Also… is it me, or do the holes in Seres’ chest form a kind of heart?
• Kinda bitter they didn’t hint at Seres being Velvet’s reincarnated sister Celica (Who died during the Opening, and was Artorius’ wife.). They even cut away right before we saw her eye. Oh well.
• And cue “Ageless Moon.” SUCH A GOOD SONG.
  • Also at the beginning, I always hear “Fight me on my… MANATEE.”
• OH MY GOD BABY VELVET AND LAPHICET.
• How can people hate this dub with all the performances? Cristina Vee especially rocks as Velvet. Those fucking screams are incredible.
• Ooh, so they hint at what exactly happened to Velvet at the end. I forgot that.
  • Hi, Ray Chase. Now I know why I hate Noctis… well, part of why.
  • Also, yeah, they censored Laphicet’s death in the game’s English version. In the original Japanese, Artorius legit plunged his sword through Laphicet’s chest, then slid him off it into the pit. It was quite gruesome. They changed it to avoid giving the game an M rating, since it was done to a child (Hence why all the other stabs were fine, but Laphicet’s wasn’t.).
• And cue the Tales of Berseria opening. My god, IT’S SO GOOD.
  • Oh, how I wish we got a Tales of Berseria anime. I’d watch the shit out of that.
• “Except we won’t be appearing in the next episode.” Magilou and Rokurou’s reactions are literally everyone’s.
  • “They can’t be cooler than we are.” YOU’RE RIGHT. THEY AREN’T.

Episode 8: “Each One’s Feelings”

• First of all… what even is this title?
• Okay, fuck that cliffhanger. Nothing even happened. Ugh. This could’ve been an awesome episode with a full-on fight in Ladylake.
• Bartlow, get the fuck out.
• Mikleo testing the food for Sorey. Nice, and AWE MIKLEO WILLING TO RISK HIMSELF FOR SOREY.
• Okay, I don’t mind a slower episode, but… I feel the story is trying to drag itself out as long as it can. Though that makes sense if they’re trying to make “season 1” cover only the Hyland arc, even though the Rolance arc would need much more time.
• “Beloved friend.” Sure. One way of putting it.
• Trangelongs? Okay, this is kinda cool, I’ll give it that. Still, it’s weird humans could accept something fantastical like this, then go “Ha. Seraphim and Dragons. Bullshit.”
• Huh. So travelling on foot is quite dangerous, especially for a Seraph.
• Goddamn, both the Spiritcrest looks gorgeous.
• BABY SOREY AND MIKLEO MY GOD. AND MIKLEO’S CIRCLET.

Episode 9: “Rayfalke Spiritcrest”

• I like the fog effect they use for the mountains. Does well to set the mood.
• And Edna immediately slamming into Sorey. I love it. What an intro. Even if they put Edna’s personality, character, and relevance through the shredder.
• Huh. They used the music for the Morgause Shrine from the game. Then again, since they cut the Elemental Shrines from the anime - which is still bullshit - they prob wanted to put it somewhere. Might as well stick it here.
• ZAVEID. YAY, HE’LL BE MORE USEFUL HERE THAN HE WAS IN THE GAME.
  • I remember he showed up at the Spiritcrest in the game, then vanished til the Wind Trial. Don’t know why it took that damn long to see him again. The same thing happened with Lunarre… and Lucas… god it happened a lot in the game.
  • Actually him wanting to kill Eizen makes way more sense here than him randomly appearing here in the game.
• God bless Zaveid’s theme song.
• Goddamn dragon Eizen is fucking terrifying. Also this hurts my heart because I played Berseria.
  • THEY EVEN SHOW A PICTURE OF HIM. IT HURTS SO DEEP.
  • Okay, so the whole “Oh we can purify a dragon” thing bothers me. It was a huge plot in the game with Edna having to accept that her brother is gone forever, and was great for her character. The fact the anime just threw it away for a magical cure just pisses me off to the nth degree.
• Ooh. I’m guessing these are based on the Galahad Ruins. IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
• “Lailah, is he an idiot?” YES.
• Okay, this is how I wish the game had us meet Edna, Eizen, and Zaveid. The anime does make improvements, which makes it even more infuriating when it fucks up the rest of the story.
• Zaveid holding his own against the dragon, god damn. He’s gotta be hurting, especially considering Eizen is the one who helped him accepting that his lover Theodora had to die when she became a dragon.
• “Or the times we got so drunk we couldn’t stand.” Welp that hurts. Also, THE VOICE ACTING IS AMAZING.
• YES, ARMATIZATION. God the fights are so good.
• EIZEN FLASHBACK. BABY EDNA. IT HURTS SO DEEP.
• Sorey’s scream holy shit.
• That visual of the clouds in the distance during the sunset… holy fuck, this animation is gorgeous.

Episode 10: “The Plagued City”

• Ooh, time for the Ouroboros at Griflet River.
• Nice Alisha trying to find a way around. YES, GIRL, TAKE INITIATIVE.
• Oh, hi Atakk. I will say, I prefer him being a Hellion loose in the Dumnonia Museum in Marlind. Gave him a bit more character instead of “Cute Normin in the wild.”
• OH, Mikleo’s voice is different here, since this was a simulcast dub. OH MY GOD HE HAS OSCAR’S VOICE.
• Ooh, I like the way the anime shows the Ouroboros. I’m kinda disappointed we didn’t have the whole “Lord of the Land for Ladylake” thing, cuz the Ouroboros was turned back into a Seraph named Uno who became Ladylake’s Guardian Seraph, instead of being a one-off monster.
• YES, EARTH ARMATUS.
• OH SHIT RED LIGHTNING.
• Okay, that dragon looks cool.
  • Actually, it’s called a drake. In this universe, young dragons are drakes, but in the Japanese, they’re called “Dragon Puppies.” I feel I have said that before, but fuck it I’m writing it down anyway because I love that term.
• SERIOUSLY, Maltran kind of noticing Mikleo and Atakk could’ve been great foreshadowing for her being a villain. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO CUT THAT?
• It’s kind of weird how they show Marlind. Here, it looks like the forest village of the game, but in the next episode, it’s a regular old town. Ugh. If only it stayed this way, just with more cottages and buildings throughout the woods.
• I love Alisha with the ponytail. I LOVE ALL THE ALTERNATE LOOKS.
• OH MY GOD ALISHA CAN HEAR THE SERAPHIM ON HER OWN.
• Okay the drake is terrifying.
• YES, STRATEGY. YOU GOT THIS EDNA.
• C’MON, MIKLEO, YOU CAN DO THIS. Nice use of all the hellhounds I might say.
• Nice debut of the Water Armatus. Way more epic than its debut in the game.
• SOREY KNEW HIS TRUE NAME ALREADY. MY HEART.
• Okay but the music is fucking phenomenal.

Episode 11: “Alisha Diphda”

• I like the visual of Sorey and Mikleo purifying the water.
• YES, EDNA AND MIKLEO’S BANTER.
• ROSE HAS ARRIVED, AND SHE AND ALISHA GET TO BOND. YAY.
• Ooh, Alisha has more friends. Cool.
• The pronunciation of Glaivend Basin here bothers me. It’s different from the game, and it’s like… that’s not how “Glaive” is pronounced.
• It’s cool seeing how terrified Lailah is for Sorey. She knows from experience.
• Okay the human Hellion is fucking terrifying.
• I like the idea of Sorey having to experience the Malevolence he purifies. Adds more weight to it, and also YAY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
• Seriously, that spear looks like the mythril blade Asura wielded. UGH, SUCH WASTED POTENTIAL FOR MALTRAN.
• I’m surprised no one stepped out in the courtyard to see the Scattered Bones, let alone them removing their masks.
• YEAH ALISHA GETTING TO FIGHT ON HER OWN. Actually, I don’t think she ever learned about Rose being an assassin in the game.
  • AND ALISHA FIGURED IT OUT AND DID THE REVEAL ON HER OWN.
• “I will die first!” God damn. Go Alisha.
  • I get a little squeamish with the little drop of blood at the throat.

Episode 12: “The War”

• I am here for Ian fangirling over Sorey.
  • HER TOUCHING SOREY AND CRYING MY GOD.
• It bothers me they killed the personalities of the Sparrowfeathers here. I remember really liking Eguille, Rosh, Talfryn, and Felice.
• Ooh, we actually get to see Hyland’s fortress in the basin.
• Okay, good, Landon’s voice isn’t as grating as it was in the game. Bless.
• SERGEI. HI, SERGEI.
• Ooh, I love them showing the Malevolence on the battlefield, along with the wraiths flying around.
• NO, THEY KILLED THE HORSIES. HOW DARE THEY.
• Rose taking the wine. My god, I love Rose.
• Ooh, Alisha and Rose getting to fight together. YES.
• Rose dramatically breaking the wine glass. God she’s the best.
• Alisha not allowing Rose to kill, oh my god.
  • AND SHE GETS STABBED. OH FUCK. but seriously, that should’ve hit something really vital, like part of the spine or a kidney. How did she survive?
  • Actually, that could’ve been a great cliffhanger. Alisha running to Sorey on the battlefield, then stabbed in the back - literally - by Maltran, so we’re unsure of how she is until we return to Hyland much later.
• DEZEL TO THE RESCUE.
• Oh shit Heldalf is fucking terrifying here. That reveal with the cloud of Malevolence is fucking horrifying, and makes him look gigantic. The fact you can hear his footsteps especially helps the mood.

Episode 13: “The Lord of Calamity”

• YES, ROSE NOT FUCKING AROUND WHEN IT COMES TO ALISHA. I LOVE HER. And nice not showing her eyes at first.
• Ooh, I was wondering why Symonne wasn’t present here in the game. Nice to introduce her earlier.
• “This place is toxic.” Most YouTube comment sections.
• Greetings, Kittybeard.
  • OH GOD HE IS TERRIFYING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VOICE EFFECT THEY HAVE FOR HIM.
• Okay but I love Sorey’s sword burning blue. Don’t know why I haven’t mentioned that before.
• Ooh, nice glimpse of Heldalf’s human form.
• Wow, Heldalf crushes the Armati like bugs.
• Okay that little bit between Maltran and Alisha hurt me. Even though I still wish they kept Maltran as a villain.
• Why is Lunarre here? I mean, at least they tried to give him something to do, since he was absent in the game for so freaking long.
• Wow, Rose’s resonance really is strong. I like that she’s seen Dezel multiple times according to their banter.
  • I had a headcanon that Rose could see Dezel when she was younger, but he scared the shit out of her, and thus she supresse her resonance. I mean Dezel is kinda scary.
  • Still pissed they got rid of Dezel having a strong love for animals.
• ALISHA SEEING MIKLEO, LAILAH, AND EDNA FOR THE FIRST TIME HURTS ME DEEPLY.
• Seriously, how in the fuck did Alisha survive this? How can she still walk?
• And out of nowhere Hellion Landon has arrived. Lovely.
• ROSE AND DEZEL HAVE JOINED THE PARTY. WOO.
• God I love Dezel.