(CR) Niehime to Kemono no Ou (Sacrificial Princess & the King of Beasts)

[Frontier]

So if both of Leonhart's parents were Beast, where does his human side come from? Is it possible his mother had an affair ?

Ugh. As if Anubis hasn't caused Sariphi enough problems, suddenly he's springing a bunch of beast princesses on Leonhart so he can hook them up and leave Sariphi in the cold. And certainly a feline beauty like Vivian voiced by Shizuka Itou would be quite enticing for any man, beast or otherwise .

I don't know what's cuter, Sari and Leonhart's nose pressed against each other or that Sariphi pout .

I guess it makes sense that Sari doesn't put a lot of stock into being the queen so much as just being with Leonhart, not recognizing the meaning behind why Leonhart is insistent she be his queen or what her heart truly desires at any rate. Certainly she doesn't care for seeing Vivian putting the moves on her man !

Poor Amit. She's looked down on like the rest of the reptiles are in this society, she's treated badly compared to the rest of her sisters, and was basically cast off from home if she doesn't snag Leonhart. And she's a genuinely sweet, kind, soul compared to all the other princesses. It's no surprise that she and Sariphi strike up an immediate friendship. Not to mention she's voiced by Megumi Han, which is an instant win .

Heck, Amit already has her eyes on another man, Jormungand the captain of the Royal Guard and all around surprisingly cool guy. While he has his reservations about Sariphi he's probably been the most respectful and fair to her of anybody not named Leonhart or Amit. No wonder Amit fell so hard for him .

Amit is a great female friend for Sariphi! Someone who can give her genuine love advice as a fellow member of the League of Maidens in Love and help her realize her own feelings .

Classic bullying of ruining a girls' dress. Not that it'll stop Sari from stripping so she can give Amit her dress! And Amit looked amazing !

I guess there's something to be said for how princesses are used as a tool for their looks and body to be able to snag men for political gain, which Vivian has internalized into her desperation to make Leonhart hers, even though her rotten personality would be an immediate turnoff to Leonhart to begin with. And her going feral on Sariphi just makes it worse. Good thing Amit was there to protect her and Leonhart blasted Vivian into submission .

You know he's a keeper when he says you're the only woman for him and you feel the bells of love ringing in your heart .

[Frontier]

I don't know what's cuter, Sari wanting to make treats for Leo or Amit nibbling on her head .

I get where Jormungand is coming from in trying to make Sari understand where "Abi" is coming from...but Anubis is such a jerk that it's hard to stomach .

Our latest "Anubis plots to oust Sari as queen" story is trying to make her summon a magical beast to prove her worth as queen, which could very likely kill her. Stay classy Anubis .

I kind of get where Sari is coming from. She owes so much to Leo but feels she offers the least compared to his retainers, so she feels like she has to overachieve and do something of meaning to make it up to him, no matter how much pain she has to endure to do it .

What I wouldn't give to see Leo literally chew into Anubis !

Thanks to Leo Sari realizes that she shouldn't be throwing her life away, she should believe she can get through this, and with that hope in her heart she's able to successfully summon a Phoenix! Kind of !

Bennu is a pretty tough and trash-talking little birdie, which is all the funnier because Sari is the only one who can actually hear what he's saying, though he's no ones ideal of a true Phoenix. Seems like people using up his magic and restoration capabilities robbed him of a lot of his luster .

Sariphi's attempts to help him fly again were definitely cute, creative, and possibly dangerous. But you can't fault the girls' enthusiasm !

Just like Sariphi needed to believe in herself, Bennu needed to believe in Sariphi and her faith in him to restore him to his full majesty, even avoiding an assassination attempt in the process. Although it's kind of amusing to think that he would've probably survived otherwise even if Sari hadn't jumped after him and almost killed herself. But it's the thought that counts .

Nice wingman move Bennu, throwing Sari off just so she can land in Leo's arms .

Next week: Looks like we're going to meet the other human character !

[Alchemist007]

Well his plan seems likely to backfire if the denizens see her with a fancy phoenix summon.

[belatkuro]

Second half felt like a rush job for the phoenix's arc. Felt like it could have been more than that since they made it an important trial for her so his development is tantamount to the trial's success. I actually thought the summoning circle was rigged by the others to make her stop the chant halfway, making her receive the backlash. So much for Anubis' schemes.

[FlareKnight]

I do think saving the phoenix stuff for maybe the next episode would have been better. Was pretty rushed considering the guy clearly had a lot of pain and trauma to work through.

Would like to think that maybe he was mocking the phoenix in order to spur the character arc that would lead to it regaining its powers. But he was also gleeful at the idea of the ritual failing and Sariphi getting devoured by a demon so...yeah.

While there is loyalty to the throne and such, that guy really needs to watch himself. He keeps pulling stunts like this and the King will kill him long before he has to worry about the King's reputation.

[Frontier]

Anubis is already trying to get Sariphi to take another test to prove her worth as queen, which I'm assuming will probably kill her if they're not careful, though luckily Leo is in no rush to have her put through that again .

Hmm...is there a conspiracy going on here? Justice Set seems cool and all, but did those criminals just happen to kill themselves before they could expose the advisor who hired them? Did Set deliberately go too hard on them? Seems like everybody is working against the king when it comes to Sariphi .

Oh hey, Shoya Chiba as Sari's childhood friend Illya! He's an experienced warrior with a (fairly legitimate) beef against beasts and wants to bring Sariphi back with him so they can be together. Because they were the only ones who were really taking care of each other when they were young, isolated from everybody else. It's a sweet backstory even if it's the classic love rival background to complicate things for Sari and Leo as Sari can't give up on her childhood friend even though Leo is worried about another man stealing his queen .

Points for going straight for the neck with Anubis, but less points for hurting Cy and Clops. And of course Anubis sees yet another opportunity to try and get rid of Sariphi .

I get Illya has a lot of resentment towards beasts and can't believe Sariphi's situation or Leo's feelings for her...but that response to Amit just trying to give him some sweets was too harsh. And for how much he loves Sariphi, he was the one who left bruises on her arm, not Leo .

Ah, I guess this wouldn't be this kind of show if Sari didn't get kidnapped .

Anubis you piece of @#$%! Making Leo doubt Sariphi and acting like she intentionally went along with her kidnapping! Luckily Amit was there to set things straight and let Leo know that Sari would never leave him like that, and Jormungand even backed her up by showing up in the nick of time! Time for Leo to school Illya and bring his queen back !

[FlareKnight]

Illya really feels like a character that was only thought up right at this point of the writing of the story. It just makes Sariphi look kind of bad. She had no problem being sacrificed in episode 1 and never spared a thought for the childhood friend she knew was unaware of her being a sacrifice? Even though all of this not even a second thought? The romantic side of it doesn't even matter. She didn't think her friend would be saddened (at the very least) upon hearing that she was sacrificed? I know she's got a lot on her plate and sending messengers isn't exactly easy...but nothing at all? It just honestly feels like Illya wasn't even a thought in the author's mind until thinking "hey a human rival would be nice."

Doesn't help either that Illya just plays into some frustrating tropes. Kind of an idiot as well. Way too many people have to bend over backwards to keep this guy from getting himself killed. I'm kind of amazed he even made it to the palace in the first place.

Oh well. At least Leo's on the move and won't have any real problem getting Sariphi back. Just the real challenge will be avoiding killing this idiot.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Illya really feels like a character that was only thought up right at this point of the writing of the story. It just makes Sariphi look kind of bad. She had no problem being sacrificed in episode 1 and never spared a thought for the childhood friend she knew was unaware of her being a sacrifice? Even though all of this not even a second thought? The romantic side of it doesn't even matter. She didn't think her friend would be saddened (at the very least) upon hearing that she was sacrificed? I know she's got a lot on her plate and sending messengers isn't exactly easy...but nothing at all? It just honestly feels like Illya wasn't even a thought in the author's mind until thinking "hey a human rival would be nice."

Doesn't help either that Illya just plays into some frustrating tropes. Kind of an idiot as well. Way too many people have to bend over backwards to keep this guy from getting himself killed. I'm kind of amazed he even made it to the palace in the first place.

Oh well. At least Leo's on the move and won't have any real problem getting Sariphi back. Just the real challenge will be avoiding killing this idiot.

I mean, it seems like Sari had completely written off any connections or possibility of living when she went into being the sacrifice so I'm not surprised she wasn't constantly thinking about him when she's got so much going on right now with her life in the Beast Kingdom. Not that she would've had much opportunity to a get a word out to the Human Kingdom letting him know she was okay.

Maybe when she was living in that village but it seems like he was on the move sometimes so that might have been a no-go.

And what kept him alive was his own skills as a warrior and Leo going along with what Sari wanted.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I mean, it seems like Sari had completely written off any connections or possibility of living when she went into being the sacrifice so I'm not surprised she wasn't constantly thinking about him when she's got so much going on right now with her life in the Beast Kingdom. Not that she would've had much opportunity to a get a word out to the Human Kingdom letting him know she was okay.

Maybe when she was living in that village but it seems like he was on the move sometimes so that might have been a no-go.

And what kept him alive was his own skills as a warrior and Leo going along with what Sari wanted.

There are definitely plausible explanations. But honestly I can't imagine it's anything besides Illya only being thought up at this point in the story writing when a human rival was considered useful for dramatic tension.

Things just don't really line up with the start of the show. She was broken down by being treated like a sacrifice and had a huge emotional shift when the King didn't look at her in the same cold way. But that kind of huge moment only works if no one else treated her like a normal person. And yet she had someone like that before in Illya.

It's a minor issue. And also one that's somewhat unavoidable. Would take a lot more time to set up a human to get close to Sariphi considering the demonic lands are hostile to humans in terms of temperament and environment. Childhood friend is simple and can be thrown in there pretty easily. Doesn't work perfectly in this case, but it's a good bit of drama before the next trial to become Queen gets rolled out.

I'm not sure skills really explain him getting as far as he did. Not with his absolute lack of tact. How the heck did he actually traverse the miasma filled demonic lands with the kind of personality that would lead to picking a fight with everyone he would have come across? He seemingly had the sense to avoid populated areas while also not having the sense to try and sneak into the palace instead of walking through the front door.

Also kind of curious what kind of fight resulted in his capture but seemingly no casualties to the guards or serious injuries to Illya himself. His clothes but also be very skilled .

Obviously the latter stuff is mostly just lack of budget/attention to detail on the animation side. Easier for a show like this to skimp on any action and adding in details like injuries would be more work.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

There are definitely plausible explanations. But honestly I can't imagine it's anything besides Illya only being thought up at this point in the story writing when a human rival was considered useful for dramatic tension.

Things just don't really line up with the start of the show. She was broken down by being treated like a sacrifice and had a huge emotional shift when the King didn't look at her in the same cold way. But that kind of huge moment only works if no one else treated her like a normal person. And yet she had someone like that before in Illya.

It's a minor issue. And also one that's somewhat unavoidable. Would take a lot more time to set up a human to get close to Sariphi considering the demonic lands are hostile to humans in terms of temperament and environment. Childhood friend is simple and can be thrown in there pretty easily. Doesn't work perfectly in this case, but it's a good bit of drama before the next trial to become Queen gets rolled out.

I'm not sure skills really explain him getting as far as he did. Not with his absolute lack of tact. How the heck did he actually traverse the miasma filled demonic lands with the kind of personality that would lead to picking a fight with everyone he would have come across? He seemingly had the sense to avoid populated areas while also not having the sense to try and sneak into the palace instead of walking through the front door.

Also kind of curious what kind of fight resulted in his capture but seemingly no casualties to the guards or serious injuries to Illya himself. His clothes but also be very skilled .

Obviously the latter stuff is mostly just lack of budget/attention to detail on the animation side. Easier for a show like this to skimp on any action and adding in details like injuries would be more work.

I think it's believable that we didn't get the full picture of Sari's life in the human world before she went on to be the sacrifice. We only saw that one flashback of her with her parents so there might've been more that happened since then.

I also don't think having someone like Ilya in her life takes away from the depression she felt from her parents and the whole situation, especially since she still ended up being used as a sacrifice. If anything it might be part of why she was as well-adjusted as she was when she first met the King.

Ilya seems to have some kind of ninja skills so I can imagine he went stealth up until he wanted to get Leo's attention at the palace.

[Alchemist007]

More environmental appreciation.

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[Frontier]

It's pretty funny watching Bennu talk to Gwerbe who is the only one who can understand and translate his "colorful" lines for Leo to hear as they hunt for Sariphi .

Dang, Ilya out there being willing to kill children and advocating for complete Beast genocide! I mean, those hyena's are pretty bad, but still! It also clouds his love for Sariphi and just makes him act too aggressive and possessive of her because he's so consumed with hate .

Though, honestly, with his backstory I can kind of understand where he's coming from in terms of hating Beasts. I mean, having that happen to his village, losing his mother...watching his sister get eaten...there's no forgiving that. Although I can only imagine humans have probably committed the same atrocities to Beasts .

Man, Ilya is so consumed with rage that he's willing to throw himself at Leo knowing he'll probably die just to expose him as a monster to Sariphi. But Leo isn't going to give him what he wants, even tanking a hit, and Ilya just doesn't know how to process being wrong about a Beast and hurting Sariphi by attacking the man she loves .

Ah, the typical "I'm leaving for now, but if you hurt her..." response from a love rival who has obviously lost. Well, hey, Leo is probably the first Beast whom Ilya has bothered to acknowledge by name, so that's gotta mean something .

I'm glad Sari and Ilya were able to make peace in the end. Sari rejected him but she's glad to understand him and his feelings for her better and Ilya is just glad Sari is (more or less) okay and is willing to abide by where she wants to be right now, which is by Leo's side. I'm glad they were able to make up and leave off as friends again .

Anubis...really not happy Sari came back! Serves him right .

It might not be much, but Sari headlining a tea party with Beasts who actually want to be there with her could just be a first step between true peace between the races .

[Alchemist007]

Well with that kind of history I can totally understand his disposition against beasts. I'm interested in where his journey will lead.

[FlareKnight]

I think reality isn't as bleak as Sariphi saw at one point nor as optimistic as she saw it at the end. There are going to be people that hate the other side. That's a reality that especially won't fade while humanity is expected to offer human sacrifices to the demons to keep the "peace". Her being there represents how deteriorated the current situation is between the two races.

I can't imagine everyone will happily get along in her lifetime. But maybe with hard work they can find a way to have both sides not wanting to kill each other.

[Alchemist007]

That makes me want to rewatch Brand New Animal.

[Frontier]

I guess a queenly duty IS playing host to visiting dignitaries...though a powerful, dangerous, Duke who is anti-human seems like the perfect new plot for Anubis to get rid of Sari .

Seems like Leo, Anubis, and Jor date back to when they were kids. And Anubis might not settle for any wife for the king? Kind of a lot to unpack there .

So once again we see prejudice towards the fish races from the Beasts in the palace. Are they really so much better than humans ?

Oh hey, Kenta Miyake as Duke Galois! That's cool, even if he is a pretty rowdy, belligerent jerk. Although I started to get a feeling something was up the way they focused on him abusing his assistant voiced by Hochu Ohtsuka, and there's no way they'd have him play a minor character .

Sari looks amazing in that dress! And she can play quite the formal and proper queen when she needs to...or has a good script. Though it makes her sound like a completely different character .

Gotta love a man who looks out for his wife and bails on dinner when he knows she needs to eat...and licks her lips. What a stud .

Of course Sari would have no problem dancing with the scaly fish man! She's just trying to be considerate of whatever pain he feels. And of course she'd go out of her way to defend him from a bully even at the risk of her own happiness with Leo. Which just settles for the REAL Duke Galois that she's truly worthy to be a queen and Leo is a king worth pledging allegiance too .

Sari seems to be recognizing her feelings for Leo more and more each episode, and what better way to cap it off than by a private romantic dance for the two of them ?

[Alchemist007]

It's nice that there's people in leadership positions that are able to be less prejudiced. But I wonder if we'll ever see a series that tries to show how a societal change can be done. While you could say this show represents early and romantic means and setting to start with, I would think if you wanted more beast people to accept humans as equals, you would start there but then trickle down through schooling and education. Not sure how far this story will go in that regard.

[Frontier]

Ugh. Now Anubis is using a technicality to disqualify Sariphi. I want to say I'm surprised, but I'm not .

You can't just tell Sari that there's a forbidden library and not expect her to go there !

As surreal as it is to see Anubis' vision of Sari as a seductress (explains a lot), it gets more serious when he plots to kill her...until her clumsiness just ends up hitting him. And unlocking some flashbacks !

Before he was Anubis, he was Sirius, a young boy who chafed under the expectations he would succeed his father as Anubis of the Royal Family when he saw how much said job consumed his fathers' life to the point of sacrificing himself to stop an assassination and becoming just a footnote. Still as arrogant and as condescending as ever though .

Kid Leo is so adorable! And he was such a sweetheart, always carrying about others and not wanting to hurt anyone! Meanwhile Sirius is just stepping on ants because he's petty that way .

Did they really just have Rie Kugimiya's Anubis say "urusai, urusai, urusai" ?

Sirius is sick and of course Leo shows up to take care of him. Sirius thinks it's just because Leo owes so much to Sirius' dad, but we know the truth. Of course having them both together just makes them easier to kidnap .

Oof. I actually felt kind of bad for Sirius just getting used as a victim to show the kidnappers mean business. Luckily Leo takes a blow for his friend and unleashes his true power and in doing so cements Sirius' loyalty to him. No matter what he has to do, he'll help forge his highness into a strong and worthy king .

Well, yeah, figures Sariphi could tell something was off when Anubis is actually polite to her. Though her accepting that, his hatred of her, and her own sincerity seem to have thrown Anubis for a loop. Though he talks like he knows Leo so well and in all these years he's never found out about his human side .

I guess there was some progress. Anubis is willing to keep the tests going and genuinely give Sari a chance to prove herself rather than completely writing off her chances as queen .

[FlareKnight]

Anubis was a piece of work even as a kid . Well I guess there's the positive that he's remained remarkably consistent throughout his life. He didn't suddenly turn into a jerk when Sariphi showed up.

I suppose the interesting bit was how Leo has continued to grow over time. He always had a really good heart. And has worked to pick up the sternness needed to get his points across. But no question that he's just purely good at his core. No wonder he was all over secretly letting those sacrificed girls get away. Just sad that he really had to do so much on his own since no chance Anubis would have helped him with that.

Good on Sariphi for resolving the problem that she didn't even know existed . Getting her trials back on track. Even though honestly the whole thing is just pointless. She could pass 1,000 trials and some wouldn't accept her. Leo will have to impose his will eventually.

Originally Posted by Frontier

Did they really just have Rie Kugimiya's Anubis say "urusai, urusai, urusai" ?

Gotta let her say her classic line .

[Frontier]

An ancient ritual meant to honor the founder of their untied civilization is cool and all...but Sariphi just wants to see Leo dressed up! And he cuts such a dashing figure, especially when he gets all bashful and cozy around Sariphi over it .

We haven't seen Leo's human form in a while! And with it's return we get to see that Leo is less anxious with Sari around and they even get to cuddle a little, which is very sweet .

Well, Leo getting stuck in human form was an unexpected revelation! Especially with the castle all scrambling to find him. I'm not sure anyone is ready for their king turning out to be half-human .

I still can't get a good read on Set. He's not overtly hostile to Sari but it seems like he wants to stir up some trouble. Lucky Leo transformed back in time though .

If the people don't deserve Leo in his shirtless glory, they don't deserve him at all. And he even managed to spin everything around the idea of forging a new path in honor of their forebearers, which fits him and Sariphi to a T and makes her want to be his queen even more .

I love how Sariphi and Anubis are at a point in their relationship where Anubis can be a little more honest and Sariphi can be a little surprised when he's not overtly trying to bully her .

So Sariphi's new ordeal isn't like the past ones, instead she'll have to be acting queen consort and actually own up and live as one to the populace...assuming she doesn't get villified like she has been every other time she's been out in public. And then she'll either get sent back to the human world or become Leo's pet .

But good on Bennu for giving Sari an (ineffectual) slap to make her realize what she has to do, and that what she wants most of all is to be Leo's queen and be by his side! To the point of jumping and romantically hugging him when she agrees to be Queen Consort! Now they can truly work together as king and queen !