(L) Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan)

[Yamada II]

Episode 15 + 16 + 17
So Narsus saw through Jaswant and got the better of him to prevent any damage to them. And Arslan is too soft so he can't see the guy die because he was doing all this for the man he owed his life to. Sparing his life only bettered Arslan's image as a kind ruler. It didn't cause them any damage and can't do them much damage at any point either since Jaswant can't spy anymore, which was the only thing he could do.

The war between Gadevi and the Rajendra-Arslan alliance was interesting. Rajendra kept his side of the alliance and didn't leave the Parsians to their death in front of Gadevi. The fooling part by Narsus has been used before too and was an interesting method. The way they made use of the elephants' size and their horses' speed was nice.

The duel part was a bit stupid. Why even allow a proxy? This is a problem between Rajendra and Gadevi. They should be the ones to settle it. Why should anyone else fight for them? The proxy part defeats the original purpose of the duel – to see who's the righteous one. If the fighters are too scared or not confident enough in their own abilities that they've need someone else to fight in their stead, then they might as well give up.

Anyway, the fight was cool. Daryun looked like he was in trouble but he pulled out at the last minute. Gadevi is a sore loser who rejected the result. Can't blame him though. Determining such things through fighting is stupid as is. Rajendra has Gadevi deemed a traitor and all his supporters traitors too which helps put everyone in place.

Now since Rajendra is king, the question arises, will he keep his promise? Most unlikely. What Narsus, Daryun and others but Arslan fear will happen because Rajendra was forced into this situation. Apart from that, we have the Sindhuran thing Jaswant said "why should he follow Pars". So, Arslan will be betrayed and we will get to see some more Narsus tactics.

[Harbinger]

Interesting episode. I was somewhat expecting the giant dude to rise up from behind and... you know the rest.

I'm glad it didn't happen!

[Dariush_Zolfaqari]

Originally Posted by cupumanager

Its Iranian-inspired actually

Yes.

I am Iranian and I can confirm this.

A lot of the names and words used in the series are old Iranian names. Arsalan, for example.

Words like marzban (which means frontier guard), shah (king). The capital city Ecbatana (there was an actual ancient city called Ekbatan). Azrael (which is the name of the angel of death). Tahmineh which is another Farsi name. "Peshawar" which is a city and region in Pakistan (the linguistic relationship between Iran and the Indian subcontinent runs very deep)

Also: the word Persia actually came to be because it was the Hellenized way of saying "Pars" which was the region of Iran which contained the capital city of the empire. (This is now the province of "Fars," this is because of some Arabic influences which came into our language many years ago; the Arabic language has no "P").

And of course a lot of names and words are drawn from other places, as this is a fantasy and not a history. But the influences are clear from the names. Even the architecture: it looks like a mix of ancient Iranian and Islamic Iranian architecture.

The clothing is much more of a mixed bag. There is some Arabic-inspired clothing and some European-inspired clothing. And some with very little clothing! haha



Either way, I like it. I am maybe 6 episodes in so I have not read the whole topic to spoil it for me. The only problem I have is the fan service but so far it is not too much to ruin the series. I did not know about the OVA, I will look into that now that many of you have mentioned.

[MgMaster]

Holy shit...I know I said that that hulk was a fool for going to a duel completely unarmored but didn't expect him to be so freaking huge - guess he looked smaller from the preview.

Great duel regardless, always good to carry a few spare weapons

But seriously though, Narsus takes too much tension out of the show. He's always there self-assured, never worried about anything because he knows that everything will go his way - on way or another. And apparently that can happen even in a fight he has no control over such as this duel. Him assuring Arslan and calling out "Now!" ruined some of the tension.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

The "duel by proxy" did not disappoint. I'm proud of you, Daryun.

Originally Posted by Dariush_Zolfaqari

Yes.

I am Iranian and I can confirm this.

A lot of the names and words used in the series are old Iranian names. Arsalan, for example.

Words like marzban (which means frontier guard), shah (king). The capital city Ecbatana (there was an actual ancient city called Ekbatan). Azrael (which is the name of the angel of death). Tahmineh which is another Farsi name. "Peshawar" which is a city and region in Pakistan (the linguistic relationship between Iran and the Indian subcontinent runs very deep)

*snip*

Oh, glad to have an actual Iranian joining our discussion. We don’t get very many of you around here iirc. And your insight is much appreciated.

Btw, I also prefer “Tahmineh”. I think it’s a more concise spelling and sound more in sync with the rest of the Persian/Iranian/Arabic names of the and I think that’s also what the author meant when writing her name in Japanese/katakana/kanji.

[Irenesharda]

Originally Posted by MgMaster

But seriously though, Narsus takes too much tension out of the show. He's always there self-assured, never worried about anything because he knows that everything will go his way - on way or another. And apparently that can happen even in a fight he has no control over such as this duel. Him assuring Arslan and calling out "Now!" ruined some of the tension.

Well, it was simple tactic, and Daryun IS his best friend. It stands to reason that he could figure out what Daryun was up to. In fact! Considering Narsus' prowess, it would actually be out of character if he didn't know what was going on!

I'm not as upset with Narsus as some others are. Sure he's OP, but again, I like OP characters. And it's not like he's been using some kind of out there feats. All the strategies he's used thus far have been been pretty average actually. It's his opponents who don't seem to know how to use strategy at all. To me the guy seems to know everything, because he basically thinks through every possible outcome to a situation, and so whatever happens, he pretty much has an idea (and a plan) or what's going to happen.

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by MgMaster

Him assuring Arslan and calling out "Now!" ruined some of the tension.

He shouldn't have yelled it out. Rather, have the music build to a crescendo as all appears to be lost for Daryun, then have Narsus say "Now", but low, and almost under his breath. Just make it apparent that Narsus sees how things are going to play out, like always. The way it was done here, it seemed more like Narsus and Daryun had worked out the plan beforehand, which we know wasn't the case from Narsus' later complimenting of Daryun's tactical prowess.

[Dariush_Zolfaqari]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Oh, glad to have an actual Iranian joining our discussion. We don’t get very many of you around here iirc. And your insight is much appreciated.

Btw, I also prefer “Tahmineh”. I think it’s a more concise spelling and sound more in sync with the rest of the Persian/Iranian/Arabic names of the and I think that’s also what the author meant when writing her name in Japanese/katakana/kanji.

You don't get many of us because Iranians don't know what "anime" is.

Even though we have watched anime since childhood -- in the form of Heidi or Captain Tsubasa (which in Iran is called futbalist-ha, "The Footballers" lol) and many other animes, mostly from the 80s, which are shown on TV. But as a cultural phenomenon, our people are not really acquainted with it.

I cannot read katakana and I do not understand Japanese, but from reading the subtitle I imagined that the author intended to use the name Tahmineh and either because of pronunciation difference or mistake in transliteration, it became slightly different.

Thank you for the welcome. I found this website by accident searching for artwork from the series, then I read some posts and thought to reply.

Looks like a good website. Although I am not familiar with many of the topics being discussed, sorry. When I get caught up in Arslan I hope I can talk more in this topic.

[BPD Renegade]

Oh my, that end card...

Tbh, when Daryun lured the other guy to the edge of the ring, I thought he was going to manipulate him into falling into the fire like we usually see, but the burning cloth + neck stab was so much better. As others stated though, Narsus shouldn't have shouted, "Now!" Just seeing his confidence was enough. I thought it was wholly inappropriate.

And that PV - I was wondering about the about-face Rajendra had these past couple episodes, but it looks like it'll be addressed next time. It's a shame Arslan went though all of that just to knowingly get backstabbed in the end. Wonder what the overall plan is for the Arslan gang getting involved. I doubt that establishing Daryun's name (and hence, Arslan's) is their sole purpose. Looks like they will be driven back to Pars, and after Rajendra's betrayal, Jaswant will go with them.

Originally Posted by PreSage

I feel so bad for those elephants. Poor animals got drugged and fought a war that was not their own, and ended up getting slaughtered for a half-wit Prince.

Definitely with you on this one. Every time a horse or elephant gets taken down in this show, I just have to brace myself a bit.

[Weils]

Ep 18:

Spoiler for Ep 18 summary:

Karikala II passes away, but not before telling Rajendra to forgive his brother.
Rajendra holds a banquet for Gadevi, signifying his impending execution.
Gadevi sees Arslan and blames him for all his troubles and tries to kill him, but is blinded by Arslan's falcon and summarily executed on the spot by Rajendra.
Rajendra provides Arslan with 3000 soldiers to aid him in retaking Pars, but the wily prince-turned-king has no intention to keep his promise and reveal his true intentions: to kill Arslan and his army while they are caught unaware.
Turns out Narsus already predicted his moves with help from Jaswant (who finally joins Arslan's merry band).
Rajendra's army is defeated and Arslan takes Rajendra hostage once again and threatens to keep him at Pars while leaving Sindhura open to invasion from other countries. Rajendra is forced to sign a non-aggresion pact of 3 years while Arslan and his forces use this time to retake Pars.

Rajendra is truly a wily fox, he is much scheming than Gadevi but is much calmer and less reckless than his brother. So I'm guessing he's a much capable leader for Sindhura? Despite his betrayal, I wonder why Arslan still spares him. And next week, the story returns to Pars, with Silver Mask lurking in the background and Sam back in action again! Is Sam going to be loyal to Hermes or Arslan?

[Stark700]

About time Gadevi paid and imo, his end was fitting at the claws of a falcon.

Jaswant is also becoming one of my favorite characters in the show for his courage and loyalty. Glad to see him join Arslan's group. Narsus also proves once again that he is a brilliant tactician by the way he reversed the ambush.

Next week should be interesting with Silvermask's return based on the PV.

[Kiavik]

Originally Posted by Dariush_Zolfaqari

I cannot read katakana and I do not understand Japanese, but from reading the subtitle I imagined that the author intended to use the name Tahmineh and either because of pronunciation difference or mistake in transliteration, it became slightly different.

You're right, the author of the novels loves history and middle eastern culture, so a lot of the names come from tradition and literature (like with Shahnameh)

It's just that funimation got 95% of the names wrong in transliteration. They didn't do even a little bit of research.

[Yamada II]

Episode 18
So Rajendra becomes king and Gadevi loses it when he sees Arslan because he's the reason Rajendra is king. So Rajendra has his brother beheaded and his head placed on a table outside for everyone to see.

As expected, Rajendra has no intention of keeping his side of the forced agreement. He is quick to have Arslan put in trouble but Narsus with some help from Jaswant, take precautionary measures. Everyone was right to suspect Rajendra. Arslan can't see him as a bad guy though. That was one hell of a threat Narsus gave.

Now things are going back to Pars. Cool.

[Flower]

Ep 18

If that is how Rajendra shows his affection for others then ... well ... he can stay over on that side of the border thank you very much.

Still though - Gadevi totally crossed the line there. Man. Bad move sir.

[PreSage]

Originally Posted by Flower

Still though - Gadevi totally crossed the line there. Man. Bad move sir.

He was desperate at this point, since it was literally his last meal. Although Gadevi was a cruel fool, he was probably an easier opponent to face than Rajendra.

Rajendra, in a way, is no better than Gadevi. He lied to his dying father by saying that he'll spare Gadevi's life - only to have him executed right after their father's funeral. He also used Arslan during the banquet as a means to get Gadevi to make the wrong move (which he did) and execute him there. This gives Rajendra a better reason and image for ordering the execution of his brother. The guy is very artful. At the moment, he doesn't seem to be as cruel as Gadevi but I wouldn't put it pass him to become that way later when power begins to get to his head.

[Wandering Soul]

Gadevi really was desperate. He pretty much lost it and was ready to do anything at that point.

I think Arslan can do without Rajenda's attempts to nurture him.

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by PreSage

He was desperate at this point, since it was literally his last meal. Although Gadevi was a cruel fool, he was probably an easier opponent to face than Rajendra.

Rajendra, in a way, is no better than Gadevi. He lied to his dying father by saying that he'll spare Gadevi's life - only to have him executed right after their father's funeral. He also used Arslan during the banquet as a means to get Gadevi to make the wrong move (which he did) and execute him there. This gives Rajendra a better reason and image for ordering the execution of his brother. The guy is very artful. At the moment, he doesn't seem to be as cruel as Gadevi but I wouldn't put it pass him to become that way later when power begins to get to his head.

I don't thing Rajendra set the situation up just to give him an excuse to execute Gadevi. I think he was actually giving Gadevi a chance to avoid that fate. The execution banquet was a test, to see if Gadevi could be brought to heel and act like a humbled, civilized human being. Needless to say, Gadevi failed that test. Horribly. And if he couldn't even go a few days without acting out of line, there was never going to be peace in Sindhura as long as he continued to draw breath. At least Rajendra tried to follow his father's will...

[PreSage]

Originally Posted by quigonkenny

I don't thing Rajendra set the situation up just to give him an excuse to execute Gadevi. I think he was actually giving Gadevi a chance to avoid that fate. The execution banquet was a test, to see if Gadevi could be brought to heel and act like a humbled, civilized human being. Needless to say, Gadevi failed that test. Horribly. And if he couldn't even go a few days without acting out of line, there was never going to be peace in Sindhura as long as he continued to draw breath. At least Rajendra tried to follow his father's will...

Hmm, I didn't think of it that way. Now that I think about it again, you're possibly right.

[Casshern]

Originally Posted by quigonkenny

I don't thing Rajendra set the situation up just to give him an excuse to execute Gadevi. I think he was actually giving Gadevi a chance to avoid that fate. The execution banquet was a test, to see if Gadevi could be brought to heel and act like a humbled, civilized human being. Needless to say, Gadevi failed that test. Horribly. And if he couldn't even go a few days without acting out of line, there was never going to be peace in Sindhura as long as he continued to draw breath. At least Rajendra tried to follow his father's will...

Hard to say without any insight into Rajendra's thought process. He might've been trolling Gadevi to think he's soon to be executed, or he might have really intended to execute him. Either way, Gadevi sealed his own fate at every possible turn.

[Harbinger]

I'm not surprised that he didn't keep his words... I'm surprised that he's such a terrible person though. I think that the worst brother is in power though. One is openly evil while the other one is hiding his evil behind a mask.