I wrote about how this scene establishes Zod's character and also his and Desir's dynamic pretty much perfectly, but how did the anime 'ruin' it? I mean, a scene can be bad for a large number of reasons, but "ruin" or "destroy" is a completely separate term that I think shouldn't be thrown around so easily.

The problem is that the scene doesn't work anymore.

In both the novel and the manhwa, Desir doesn't win the chess match because he is better than Zod, he wins because he makes him hurry. He says in the novel, that he never defeated him in chess before, and also that he is now at a disadvantage, because this Zod plays differently than in the future, so he doesn't know how he will react to his moves.

The only reason he manages to win, is because Zod has a meeting in less than half an hour, and he is a cocky old man, and makes a harsh move that loses him the match.

After this, Desir shows him his idea, and he pretty much loses any and all interest in anyhing that isn't this new shiny thing that he doesn't understand. He cancels his meetings, he gives Desir his credit card, he does not give a fuck! He needs to know what Desir did and he needs to know it NOW! That's his character. This side of him is shown in the novel and manhwa multiple times. If there's a shiny new magic trick he will not care about anything else but that.

And the anime made Desir show him the 'shiny new magic trick' before finishing the match. If Zod's character is the same as the novel and manhwa one, there is no meeting anymore. There is no 'I only have x minutes I need to hurry'. There is no 'There's no way this kid can beat me'.

There is however 'Oh fuck, I have to win, no, I NEED to win, I NEED to know how he did that, I can't risk not winning, there's too much on the line.' and Desir, if this scene made any sense, would now lose. Lose the match, lose the sponsorship, lose the whole story.

And he knew it. He knew how Zod works, he knew how to make him lose, and he made him lose in every other iteration of this story, except for the anime, because anime Desir is apparently a fucking idiot.

And that's why I'm not excited for the 2nd season, and why I hate everything about this, because the story should be over. Desir lost. He didn't have to, of course, but the anime needed half an episode of filler, so something had to be cut, and you know, why not the chess scene? It doesn't have any significance after all. Not like you can ruin the whole show by cutting it, right?

I want to make so many jokes about Zod haunting the narrative, but like, that isn't tEcHnIcAlLy correct, so I'm going to make a lot of jokes about Zod haunting Desir which is actually funnier.

Zod: Please don't overwork yourself.

Desir 200 years later (because mages live long, that's why): And I disappoint you once again. Sorry. I must self detonate. For science.

Zod in the background: *turns into mana cherry blossom like, the 30th time this century*

Personally I'm gonna kill this man, and then resurrect him, like 😭😭😭 bitch you just died stop worrying about everyone else, get better (resurrect yourself mf "greatest mage of humanity" stop being dead).

Fun fact/novel spoiler: after Zod said the thing (If i had a son I hoped he would have been like you) Desir thinks that he feels the same way 😭😭😭

Still have no idea why they brought this Helena character in tho, like??? You don't need to give him a wife to be able to say 'i would have wanted a son like you', but whatever.

Quote from the novel:

The image of a man slowly appeared, as though he were being painted into the world. The blue eyes that were gently staring at Desir were as deep as the open sea. His wavy hair looked as though it was the crystallization of all the wisdom this world had to offer. Though his presence was overwhelming, there was something disarming about his posture. His half-upturned lips outed his mischievous personality, like a rascal caught red-handed.

-Chapter 287

Just putting it here because it's so funny, how if someone just goes into the novel blind to find out what's happening they can be like 'who tf is this??? Who tf is that?? Blue eyes??? Who??

Like??? Just look at him!!! Look at this man!!

Also, let's be honest someone really REALLY loves him, him getting new clothes every single time we see him considered (i'm not complaining I'm So Not complaining)

But like, also, you just know that there must be at least one gossip magazine in universe solely dedicated to 'And this is what The Tower Master was wearing today folks!'