#chielo

While I appreciate the lighting and colour palette of episode 22, which clearly shows that it was nighttime without sacrificing visibility, not much of the execution and animation of episode 22 truly stood out. Which may not sound so bad initially, but it’s really not an encouraging thought either, considering that episode 22 is supposed to be the peak of excitement as it makes the first half of the climax of the 2nd cour. With the Anti-Imperial Alliance beginning its counter-attack, we finally get to see the non-Turkiye forces rallying around their Turkiye counterparts who have carried most of the weight so far. 

Even though the episode sticks quite closely to the manga, and everyone gets to say their lines, the unimaginative and just-passable animation fails to pull the different fights together, to make it a cohesive battle. Needless to say, the fights between battalions of the two sides don’t look half as good as the battle in episode 20 or the Civil War battle. The lack of detailed drawings and animation does not help in conveying the energy and tension of the episode, as well as the blood and sweat of the fight. 

The art direction of this episode also makes it quite hard to tell who’s located where on the battlefield, who goes where, etc. Since I’ve read the manga before watching the anime, I can figure things out from memory but I don’t think it would be easy enough for anime-only fans to follow. This difficulty in grasping movements on the battlefield further dampens the already dwindling excitement. 

Actual positioning of the different battalions/groups on the field, with names attached, would be much appreciated while following the battle developments.

These overall shots would also be helpful in generating the dramatic element of the battle. Since the battle is mostly shown through front and up close shots of Turkiye troops rushing to different places on the battlefield, it’s hard for viewers to get this sense of them belonging to a larger battle alongside their allies.

Another important detail that the episode also fails to adequately convey is the fierceness of the generals and their battle. Some of the Imperial generals do have expressions of determination and fierceness flashing across their faces at times, but such facial expressions are sorely missing from those leading the charge on the anti-Imperial side. It goes without saying that the characters’ action also lacks that fire, that passion, which stem from the will of generals to thoroughly destroy their enemies or make their last bid at doing so.

While I understand the anime’s decision to portray Mah-kun in a softer light, I think it’s still a mistake to downplay his fierce strength or his cold determination. 

This particular moment of Mah-kun symbolically handling out his enemy’s death sentence would have been powerful. After all, he’s still very much a soldier, in spite of his pacifistic wish to avoid spilling blood.

The chase scene, where the PTSD drama plays out, is admittedly better handled than the battle action that went before it.

The violence is definitely not downplayed in the episode, with the severed hats prominently in display and the straggling Imperial soldiers getting picked off by mad-driven peasants.

One really can’t help being moved by the wounded soldier’s pitiful, death-haunted hallucination or the poignant musings of Kurt and Mah-kun. Kato Kotono goes a long way to humanize her characters, without whitewashing their sins, raising them on pedestals or compromising their characterization in any way. Truly, what she managed to achieve is absolutely a thing of beauty.

This shot and Mah-kun’s line reminds me of what Ismail said about him at the end of the Civil war. How he, in spite of being a pacifist, manages to be a good general, thanks to his lack of fear of death, fear of his enemy, and his ability to give his men a purpose for fighting. One can definitely see manifestations of these qualities throughout this arc, and particularly since his arrival in Chielo.

Moving on to episode 23, not much has changed in terms of style (if there is even one) and quality of animation. Instead of immediately picking up where the story left off at Espada, the anime gives viewers a snippet of Bianca and Vasco discussing the result of the fight at Murmullo basin. Vasco’s desire to go to the “person getting most commended for this battle” seems somewhat out of place, considering how the battle at Espada would likely be a quick affair (something even anime-only fans can tell). But if *knock wood*, if Altair somehow manages to get a 3rd cour (2nd season?), then this little detail would prove to be a good blink-and-you-miss moment that lends credit to a certain game-changing revelation later on. 

For its first half, episode 23 goes back and forth between the twofold battle at Espada and the Carvajal search-and-rescue mission at Chielo. The situations at both locations are tinged with desperation, as the Imperial forces are pressed at their front and back by the Anti-Imperial Alliance and at the same time, Kiros and co. try to figure out where the Director are imprisoned.

I have talked of my annoyance with the anime’s watered-down characterization of Erbach, which already took away most of his bizarre brand of charisma, his astute observations, his mercantile nature and his assassin-like skills, in its quest to mould him into some kind of “proper playmate” (for lack of a better word) for Mah-kun. It just keep getting more and more ridiculous as Erbach is given lines in this episode that would never cross the mind of his manga counterpart.

Tell me, why the hell would Erbach suddenly spout some philosophical-sounding crap about sacrifice while talking of Mah-kun? He has not caused any great casualties to his own troops so far and if you talk of him killing scores of Imperial soldiers and generals, I fail to see how that falls under the category of “sacrifice”. I really don’t get it, whoever did Mah-kun sacrifice here? I can only think of the 4 previous sultans in the Civil war arc but even then that was not up to him. Not to say, this camera didn’t even move one bit, no zoom in or angle change at all, for the entirety of Erbach’s little speech. So it was like half a minute or so watching Erbach talking about Mah-kun in some far away manner, with his back turned on Kiros the whole time. Like the f***? He’s not some kind of philosophical poser, for crying out loud!

And we are still not done with this crap. I mean, he’s “a complicated person”? Wow, really, jeez, only now I know. Like that was not already evident in the first cour already, if not to say the first episodes or so. Such horribly hackney lines, instead of giving viewers any new insight about Mah-kun, only serve to cheapen his character. What’s even worse is that these patronizing AF and such manners of speaking are so out of character for Erbach - it’s so unthinkable that he even voices them out loud.

Another character that I really looked forward to seeing ends up annoying the heck out of me is Brigitta. I absolutely hate her voice. Whoever thought that the leader of a band of mercenaries would have such a saccharine, almost-squeaky voice that is completely devoid of any kind of authority or command is a good idea, I really don’t get it. Goddamnit, they are the Lince aka. lynx in Spanish. You’d think she would somewhat similar to Ayse’s voice, albeit without the regal calmness. Brigitta’s best moments are those when she don’t speak at all.

In contrast to Brigitta, Lili Kokoschka is one of those characters in Altair of whom I did not recall much from the manga and did not have much in terms of expectation. However, little by little, I’ve come to enjoy the anime rendition of Lili, as she gets to play her part and gains a more prominent presence by General Pino’s side. She has her mentor’s wiles, intelligence and determination, besides her own air of inscrutability. All of these were well conveyed by her voice actor, who brought her to life.

The battle at Espada soon came to an end with the death of General Pino, followed by that of Kokoschka. Mah-kun finally got a bit of a break from the action before he’s got to take his troops back to Cielo, and the anime gives viewers this quiet lovely moment when he wind himself down and went through a number of emotions in one go, as reflected upon his face.

This is the satisfaction from his troops’ performance - his commander, I’m-in-charge face.

The phew-i’m-tired-finally-it’s-done relief.

The was-that-the-right-thing-to-do aka. the lost-in-thought face

When he realized Ahmet’s attention on him and shook himself out his reflection

And gave Ahmet a smile of encouragement, even though he’s pretty drained himself from both physical and emotional stress.

#lonelyboy

If only they didn’t take out his near-fainting fit in the manga after congratulating his troops and giving them the order to wrap up and go to Cielo.

I do like it better when Mah-kun is made to be some kind of superman, who’s not even affected one bit by the long campaign he went through, especially in terms of his physical health.

The rescue of Rapunzel. Long blonde hair and locked away in a tall tower and all. In addition to the Key of Heaven play, Cielo can totally add Rapunzel to its repertoire. 

Cassandra, who thankfully does not share the same tragic fate as her Greek namesake, is rendered moving enough at this crucial juncture of Cielo’s fate. The no-nonsense, conviction-filled delivery of her voice actor really brought out Cassandra’s character as the voice of reason for the rest of the episode. 

While Cassandra stands on her own well enough, I’m not quite sure about Carvajal. Though most of the elements that make up Carvajal’s character are present, his character still seems forced at times. Perhaps it was because his voice actor didn’t quite “sell” it. I mean, Carvajal is out-of-this-world half of the time with his airhead optimism and carefree demeanour but he still carries a lot of weight with his people because they can tell that he genuinely cares for them in a very realistic and grounded way. While he did miscalculate the toll of the extra refugees upon the city’s store and morale, it is a mistake originated more from the unforeseeable external circumstance of storms preventing Cielo from receiving Venedik’s news and supplies, rather than from his own decision to open Cielo’s doors to all seeking help. And from that, I think his voice should be able to convey that weight of inner strength and iron determination, not just this shallow, almost-childish positivity.

Delivery problems aside, one must give kudos to Katono-sensei for such incredibly uplifting discourse (brief though it is) on death aka. final feliz and how to achieve it.

In a manner befitting that of a martyr, Carvajal forgave his killers and went to his death in calm acceptance of his fate.

The association of Carvajal’s life with the key of heaven is much more visually highlighted in the anime, which I really appreciate. Making Carvajal’s death the equivalent of the loss of the key of heaven is quite a poignant visual move, which is then topped with the single sound of the key clinking on the ground amidst utter silence.

Not all hope is lost as Cassandra managed to catch Carvajal’s head. The drama of the scene plays out well as Carvajal’s death is rendered even more poignantly by the seconds-later notice of the Imperial army’s retreat from Cielo.

From here on the story starts to slightly diverge from the manga. The almost-surreal cruelty of the rebels’ game of catch is replaced with the tender dignity of Cassandra’s care. Mah-mut’s rage at Carvajal’s death is changed into pity and regret, and Cassandra, instead of remaining more or less speechless, is given the chance to speak on behalf of all Cielo people. 

Though this kind of absurd, wanton cruelty speaks volumes of its own, I do prefer the anime’s decision to have Cassandra catch Carvajal’s severed head right from the start. It just felt right that way.

It’s like a very wrong game of American football.

yeah, I do like it better when the spotlight is focused on Cassandra. 

I love that Cassandra is given more screentime in this scene. She is meant to be the one inheriting Cielo’s legacy from Carvajal, as someone so close to him and sympathetic to his vision. To not give her any chance to respond to Mah-kun is to do her and the people of Cielo a disservice. After all, they do deserve a chance to speak for their actions. Though, truly, the animation could be a little less stale here - zooming in on Cassandra’s face while she talks, switching the camera between her and Mah-kun, like simple things to highlight her emotion and facial expression.

The key for heaven is never really explicitly named in the manga. I think it’s interesting that it’s not love, but reason that all are endowed with. Perhaps it’s just meant to be Cassandra’s take on the story - it suits her character.

Even though Mah-kun’s decision to hand over the issue of governance and sovereignty of Cielo to the anti-Imperial alliance remains unchanged, I’m glad that Cassandra managed to end things on a note of hope for the future - when Cielo’s people would regain the respect of fellow states and their recognition of Cielo’s capacity to self-determine her future. Cassandra seems to have regained a measure of dignity for her people, considering how they were so close to stabbing Turkiye and the anti-Imperial Alliance in the back.

Goodnight, sweet prince.

Depictions of Carvajal and Cassandra aside, it’s time to look at Mah-kun. As I already said, instead of breaking out in rage like in the manga, Mah-kun’s anime reaction is limited to a kind of understated disappointment and regret, calmly delivered by Ayumu Murase. Somehow, that doesn’t feel quite right, even though the anime has been trying to cultivate a more restrained version of Mah-kun that’s less given over to his temper. For him not to address the almost-betrayal of Cielo explicitly and the death of a like-minded ally more viscerally, that doesn’t sound like the passionate and virtuous Mah-kun we know and love.

Carried by his temper or not, Mah-kun made a valid point here - Cielo may have suffered casualties due to supplies shortage but let’s not forget the thousandfold sacrifices voluntarily made by Turkiye’s army. This particular argument should have been kept in the anime, regardless of Mah-kun’s emotional state; otherwise it would cheapen the efforts of Turkiye’s soldiers, and there’s no way Mah-kun would allow that.

Perhaps the rage in this page is uncalled for. Nonetheless it underscores the kind of bonds that Mah-kun had with Carvajal. After all, he’s the first and only leader in Rumeliana who chose to enter the alliance without setting any extra condition for Mah-kun. He also gave them a hearty welcome and great support with the cage of heaven, too. It makes sense that Mah-kun should take his death a little personally, and again this should have been reflected in the anime to a certain extent.

Nonetheless, the anime did a good thing by letting Cassandra speak for her people, instead of letting her voice getting drowned by others’ rebelliousness and Mah-kun’s rage.

I pity Cassandra so much here.

I really like the bro club thing going here. And Erbach being philosophical without sounding pretentious or sentimental AF.

And let’s not forget how pragmatic his thinking is - it always comes back to the task at hand, without the need to arrive at some abstract conclusion.

Alas, we only have this stupid crap in the anime instead. Like, duh??

Man, I totally agree with you there. The f*** he’s smoking on, for f***’s sake.

P.s.: sorry about the swearing. But seriously.

An abrupt transition transported us from the battle of Cielo to the duel grounds of St. Michael, as Minister Louis took to explaining to his young servant, Nicolo (his character doesn’t suggest a background of nobility or familial riches but how could a boy of common blood be serving the Minister so closely by his side? So intriguing.) the origin of the Rod Orm people, highlighting on the importance of their exclusive iron-working skills to the Empire. The subsequent victory of the Imperial Army over Khalil Pasha’s expeditionary force, with the vital contribution of the military engineers of the 13th Battalion, once again speaks volumes of Minister Louis’ farsightedness, rivaled only by the likes of Zaganos Pasha. 

You-know-who with the long hair ~ 

How the hell does he fight without tying back his hair? Man, you have such lovely hair, don’t let blood and dirt spoil it. 

#hair advert #smooth and silky

They don’t have that wearing your significant person’s colours on one’s arm. I would have loved to see Gralat wearing the Duchess’ colours (uhm I may ship them a bit? Like a tiny tiny bit?). 

Satisfied Louis - or how the art of this episode is a dramatic improvement from that of the previous episode. 

Frowning Frentzen or back to Fondo. 

You have no idea how much of a celebration I already threw, just with seeing characters properly drawn with natural facial expressions. Seriously though, it was such a relief, compared to episode 19.

Mah-kun affirming the momentum generated from Cielo’s firm stance and initial victory against the Empire. 

And finally, even Pino looked like himself for the most of this episode. 

Hallelujah. Seriously, coming off from those ridiculous caricature-like renderings of Pino in the previous episode, seeing these shots felt like seeing the light at the end of tunnel, even if just for a moment. 

The man of the hour was also given his due.

I love how the physique and design for Rod Orm characters feel very distinctive from other Imperials. They all have this sort of ruggedness and hardship written on their faces, be they man or woman. And I’m not talking about the eye-patch, mind you.

And OMG, do you see what I mean by the art dramatically improved??? 

Holy cow, everyone looks the way they are supposed to look. Hallelujah, truly. 

Khalil Pasha as the gentle old man.

Riding to the last battle of his life. 

In the manga, Suleyman, on mourning the death of Khalil Pasha, recalls the vow Khalil Pasha made to never go to battle ever again after the battle of 13 years ago (which I understand to be the battle at Tughril Village) or death he shall suffer. This begs the question of why Khalil Pasha volunteered to lead the expeditionary force. What motivated him to change his mind and break his vow? Did he wish to join Mah-kun on the same battlefield and fight for the same cause, in a manner akin to a graduation test for his dear Maf-kun? This question also brings to mind another dangerous, high-risk, and almost self-sacrificial venture undertaken by Khalil Pasha at the very first episode/ beginning of Altair, when he volunteered to go to the Empire to explain for the death of a Minister of the Empire at the borders of the Empire and Turkiye. Why would such a high-ranking and important official like him need to take upon this task? Was he so keen on maintaining peace and harmony with the Empire for the sake of Turkiye’s prosperity that he would sacrifice himself to that extent? I suppose it’s gonna be impossible to tell now. 

Caught.

The military lecture on the battle of 13 years ago given by Abbas and Khalil Pasha to Ahmet is quite the educational irony, considering how their firm belief in achieving the same victory a second time would prove to be their undoing. After all, the same trick won’t work twice, at least without some kind of variation to it. 

It’s a shame that we didn’t get to properly see Mah-kun’s demonstration of the imitation phalanx at the mock battle against the Tauro twins.

Lili Kokoschka. 

What an unusual character among those surrounding Minister Louis. Like all of them, she’s also blessed with a kind of insightfulness. 

I’m so glad that the anime kept all of the battalion heads’ comments about Lili and her abilities. It’s not an everyday occasion when a woman is judged first and foremost by her merits, and not by her appearance, background, etc. She’s not a Barbie doll standing in place for Minister Louis, even if she looks like one.

So the battle began, with one side fully convinced that they have one-upped the other.

 As the Turk mounted lancers and archers began their frontal attack and charged upon the square formation Imperial troops, the battle music swelled up, with a hint of the epic but not overly so. As Khalil Pasha and General Pino gave orders, the score followed along, infusing extra energy to the shots, without drowning out the action or the drama at hand. Finally, when the General Pino reflected on his past defeat at the hands of Khalil Pasha, the score had this rousing uplift that vividly reflects the determination of General Pino to not let history repeat. 

he logistics of the battle was clearly laid out and made easily understood. The animation transitioned smoothly from the clashes to the shots of commanders and their thoughts. 

The ambush of the hunting party. 

Explosives and cliffs do remind me of the battle of Mah-kun against Balaban. The score was really well-timed to the explosions.

The idea of the Imperial Army as a moving fortress (tight square formations, ballista) is beautifully contrasted with the self-sufficient migration of Turkiye’s troops (sheep and supply chains).

A shot of Kurt Pasha looking like Kurt Pasha (... later episodes kinda botched him now and then).

The score matched pace for pace with the battle’s climax, with ominous crescendo that pulled the audience into the quick finish. 

And I love that she had a voice that matched well with her character (unlike Brigitte of the Luce mercenaries...). 

The transition from Lili singing the highest praise to Minister Louis to Louis himself, talking about the Rod Orm-led military engineering group’s vital role somewhat disrupted the pace. The screen went back soon enough to Barrett, the leader of the much-talked 13th Battalion so the slight jarring effect was thankfully not too noticeable.

Of course it would be numbered the 13th. 

There’s a slight awkwardness in animation before this shot, with Khalil Pasha, Abbas and Ahmet standing still when they were supposed to put up their best effort to break the entrapment. 

He made the decision to end the battle early. To save his troops from futile fighting?

Khalil Pasha’s charge towards General Pino was clumsily animated, with the cavalry soldier behind him swinging his sword in the air and hitting nothing. Well, perfection and precision is a tall order for the anime at times, unfortunately. 

Goodbye, Mah-kun’s foster father.

After the fast and furious battle, the episode slowly lulled, giving space and time for remembrance and mourning. It’s been a while since the show had such a change of pace, when it doesn’t try to rush through the plot like a bloody shinkansen. Well, except this one. 

In light of this event, what he hoped to achieve at Hisar many episodes ago was almost justified. This time, the wake-up call has become a real-life cautionary tale, with the defeat of the past victor. And of course, one more time, things are completely left to Mah-kun’s fix-it capability. 

How can a person be both so devoted to the national cause and clearly opportunistic at the same time? Or to put it in mildly spoilery terms, maybe it was all for his revenge against a country that did him wrong in the past? Perhaps he was not so public-spirited? 

One can’t exactly say that he mourned the loss of Khalil Pasha but he did hold him in respect.

My favourite moment of this episode is Suleyman’s internal eulogy for Khalil Pasha, against the backdrop of dusk setting over the land and the Araba camp. It also helped that the accompanied music is well chosen for the scene - soft, moving piano tune that has a touch of sentimentality but not dripped in melodramatic grief. Khalil Pasha is a gentle man, it makes sense that the music sending him off should also be tender.

The lighting really makes the scene here, with the light gently fading into darkness as Suleyman coming to terms with Khalil Pasha’s death and the task lying ahead of them.

It’s just so beautiful - the changing of day to night, moving yet so simply done too. 

Suleyman’s VA really did a great job here too (as he tends to with the more emotional dialogue) - one can really feel the gripping sadness but also his internal strength and determination, and above all, his concern for his kyoudai, Mah-kun. 

The wind picked up and finally we came to the one most affected by the sudden demise of Khalil Pasha. 

It must be said that Ayumu Murase really outdid herself in this scene. Her delivery adequately conveyed the heartbreaking grief that Mah-kun went through, the helpless anger that he berated himself with, and the disorienting loss that he struggled to overcome, all with that barely held-on-to restraint that characterizes Mah-kun in the anime. 

That was enough for me. She really did it.

What makes this scene even more wonderful is that i didn’t even realise it was not part of the manga material. The entire scene just felt so right - I wonder if the anime people came up with it or Kotono-sensei wrote and recommended adding it in. Either way, it was a job well done. 

That soft sob was beautiful. 

My stoic boy.

Shots of the carnage in hellfire, with the blackened hands and corpses of Imperial soldiers at the Hauvia/Jauvia gate of Cielo, and the beheaded Turk horsemen with Khalil Pasha’s voiceover on Mah-kun being a serious type and thinking about the war do bring to mind how much the reality differs from the ideal he believes in. History is repeated as Mah-kun saw how his political efforts failed to stop the war or to prevent its escalation or the cost of lives, much like what happened at the Civil War. It is to Kotono-sensei’s credits that the parallel in the previous and latter story lines is so apparent yet so subtly written that it barely registers in the audience’s mind.

I’ll always be powerless without you.

I love how Mah-kun’s adult and child selves alternate back and forth in this shot.

Maf-kun~

I like the quiet transition from Mah-kun’s crying face to shots of Zaganos and Suleyman, with the wind blowing, accompanied by a gentle uplifting tune.

It’s up to our boy to pick up the pieces and fix the mess, once again. 

Here are some illustrations to prove my point: 

... No one looks like anyone here.

Why the looooong face? 

Shall we call him Giant hand Khalil now?

There’s nothing technically wrong with this shot, I think. But man, can they make a boring shot? It looks like some snapshot from an old game or something.

Yeah, this is how Mah-kun would look if I was to draw him. Not how I expect him to look in the anime. 

They just don’t get poor Pino/Pineau. Like he’s supposed to look stoic, grim and commanding but not too frightening. Instead, he just looks ridiculously stupid (like this shot) or plain right weird most of the time in the anime.

I mean I could go on but those are among the worst offenders. At this point, I am too drained and disappointed to try and find something redeeming in this episode to speak of. I’ll leave you with snapshots of the less painful moments in “The Cage of Paradise”. I’m not sure if this is the intention of those who made this episode but it f***ing felt like hell watching it.

The key definitely got lost somewhere in this episode for sure.

*sigh* You do look the part here, Director Carbajal but I’m really not sure how I feel about his voice actor. Like sometimes it was not bad, like with the play scene at the beginning  but then when he talked to Mah-kun and Erbach.... I’m not so sure. Anyway, I was not sold.

They do NOT look OLD at all. They look like 2 guys wearing Santa Claus’s beard, instead of seasoned military leaders.

Okay, Khalil was sweet and nice, like the way he’s supposed to be. 

Cassandra. Her role will be further expanded in the 23rd episode, which i’m both happy to see but as usual, also feel conflicted about. More on that later.

Frentzen! I love that Toshiyuki Toyonaga voices him! He makes Johan sound a bit like a less grumpier Irie Shoichi (Shou-chan), which is lovely.

The one shot where everyone looks decent.

Mmhmm... before the next episode happens. 

They could have made use of this monstery imagery for the Imperial army much earlier. 

Awkward drawing aside, the spikes of the gate does recall the monster trap that Carbajal talked of earlier.

Carbajal did sound a little regretful here - which is great. I like that Carbajal is not depicted as a saint.

I suppose Mah-kun was reminded of Phoinike. 

LOL. 

He almost looked disapproving, with the weird moustache shadow.