While Arata and Kiyoka are out to investigate what happened to the emperor, Naoshi has appeared right before Miyo—to KIDNAP HER!

Video Review

What Stands Out the Most?

Miyo is being protected by Kaoruko, Mukadeyama and his unit to face off against the leader of the Gifted Communion cult and an Usuba family member. Without Arata and Kiyoka there to help protect Miyo, will Miyo be able to help protect herself from an ability user that is an expert at mind manipulation?

Arata, the ‘Tragedy’

Arata had quite the introduction in the season one, a character I like to unfortunately refer to as “Cousin NTR.” From a character with a strong sense of duty to protect the Usubas, the empire and Miyo, to a character that questions the very foundation of the Usubas’ way of life. In the previous episode, it goes without saying, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” It’s one of those overused sayings that makes you want to “mind invade” the person saying it. However, that was literally the lesson behind one of Kiyoka’s greatest regrets. He could have saved Yoshito’s father, if he just accepted the position that was ready to be passed down to him. Because he didn’t, old man Godou, who was well past his prime—met his end in the line of duty.

Arata is in a similar position. He is officially the head of the Usuba family, meaning he is trapped to be in one predetermined reality without self-fulfilling freedom. Being an Usuba is not living a normal life at all. In fact, they are bred to keep the power within the family, not allowed to have friends with ability users and their entire purpose is to be the defenders of the empire, along with protecting the maiden with the Dream-Sight ability at all cost. Whoever that maiden is.. will have to be your significant other—whether you like it or if she even wants it.

An Usuba is a lifestyle that is already mapped out for your entire existence. With the overpowered abilities this family possesses, it must stay that way for everyone’s safety and their own safety. This leads to the natural villain in Naoshi Usui, who was once in Arata’s exact position and knows too well where the flaws lie within the system. He wants to spread that power to the common man and essentially, break this system that chains someone like Arata. That is the brilliance of Arata’s next character arc.

In this episode, Naoshi presented along with Arata’s backstory presents a potential compelling change of heart for Arata to join the Gifted Communion cult. Arata is living a life where there is no real individual happiness for him. Miyo doesn’t want him in a romantic way, Kiyoka despises him and the military has a clear bias against the Usubas. It is almost a thankless position, where Prince Takaihito expects the world from him and he gets to carry all the burden almost by himself.

One of the most important elements in storytelling IS the viability of a character like in Arata’s position to reasonably turn to the dark side. It keeps the audience guessing because the genius of Naoshi’s villainy is the fact that he does make great points. Although the first half of the episode was quite the MIND BANG that I could focus on in this blog—however, what I want people to take away from this episode is the genius of the villain and how Arata just turned into the most compelling character that.. GOES BEYOND COUSIN NTR!

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