Meeting Date: 4/29/2017
Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!
Mike Ferreira: Hey everyone, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club. This week it’s a two-person panel with L.B. and myself taking the lead.
L.B. Bryant: Ello!
Mike Ferreira: This week we’re continuing our studies with The Royal Tutor. We’re talking Episode 4 this week, or as I’ve started calling it, “Good Boys Go To Town”
L.B. Bryant: This was one of the more humorous episodes we’ve seen thus far and I’m honestly at a loss at where to start since there were so many great moments this week.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely. I couldn’t help but laugh at the part with the doll.
Mike Ferreira: Or Bruno with the book
Mike Ferreira: or Kai being, well… Kai
L.B. Bryant: The doll was great but Bruno and Kai were the standouts for me during the shopping portion of this episode.
L.B. Bryant: Bruno absolutely exemplifies what I am like when I am out shopping and have to decide between the things that I want.
Mike Ferreira: Bruno was great – the whole life-or-death struggle of which book to buy on limited funds – we’ve all been there
L.B. Bryant: Gods yes lol
L.B. Bryant: But I do agree that Kai being buried in birds was adorable.
Mike Ferreira: That was truly adorable, and it was totally him.
L.B. Bryant: It was just so him to spend his money on something simple like bird feed.
Mike Ferreira: “I bought bird food” – of course he did.
Mike Ferreira: Well, the cute animals trump all… I can’t argue that.
Mike Ferreira: I kind of liked how this whole episode started with the history lesson, and just beautifully segwayed into a life lesson, though – it really was handled beautifully
L.B. Bryant: One thing that I really like about this show so far, and I think this episode really drives this point harder than any of the previous ones, is that this is truly an ensemble cast. No one is really standing out ahead of the others (i.e. no one is hogging all the good jokes for themselves). Everyone is complimenting the others so well.
L.B. Bryant: Heine is getting a lot of great jokes (him almost being carried away by the birds was hysterical) but the brothers are getting plenty of good gags as well. It’s just so well balanced.
Mike Ferreira: Fully agreed. Everyone plays off everybody else. Bruno and Licht poke fun at Leo, Kai hugs his brothers and calls them good boys, Heine is a great way to kind of bring them together, as a common straight man figure
Mike Ferreira: Heine’s great – he’s just so deadpan, whether he’s being carried away by birds, or toted around like a piece of luggage, he gives no visible fucks.
Mike Ferreira: On a more random note: That scene with Bruno and the sausage is going to lead to some truly awful things online. I just know it.
L.B. Bryant: lol Indeed. Normally I would be turned off by a character that is so flat but when Heine’s flat personality is contrasted against all of the princes, it just works perfectly.
L.B. Bryant: And yes, I foresee Rule 34 getting a workout with the sausage scene. hehe
Mike Ferreira: Bingo. You need him to be flat like that – otherwise he’d just be another character that blends in. It’s that deadpanning that makes things like the bird scene in this episode, or the music scene in episode 2 really stand out
L.B. Bryant: I still laugh every time I think about that music moment.
Mike Ferreira: Me too. It was priceless.
L.B. Bryant: I have a gif of that moment and I use it constantly.
Mike Ferreira: You are an awful, amazing person.
Mike Ferreira: But that’s to say nothing of the finale of this episode, where he’s finally welcomed as a part of the castle family
L.B. Bryant: Before we get to the finale, I’d love if we could talk about the street robbery for a few moments.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely. I’m getting ahead of myself.
Mike Ferreira: I really liked the way the robbery was handled – it was low-stakes (dammit Kai), but it really showed the human side of the city in a number of ways
L.B. Bryant: That whole sequence from the time Leo gets all worked up over the crime and the carriage ride home was the first of two gut punches that this series packed in (which I have to admit was done rather skillfully since they both happened in the second half).
Mike Ferreira: Definitely.
L.B. Bryant: I was more focused on the various reactions from the princes; Leo getting super worked up was really sweet to see.
Mike Ferreira: It really was. It was a very human moment
L.B. Bryant: Yeah and I’m hoping that we get to see more moments like that from all the princes as the series progresses.
Mike Ferreira: I have no doubt that we will.
L.B. Bryant: But even after that moment, I really enjoyed the quiet scene where Heine laid out what the princes were supposed to take away from their time in the city as they rode back to the castle.
Mike Ferreira: I was just going to bring that up myself – the fact that he laid out their own myopia in regards to the kingdom was great
Mike Ferreira: And it was a fantastic bookend to the initial point that Heine brought up at the beginning, with the detailed description of a peasant uprising
L.B. Bryant: Indeed which is something else that I’d like to see more of. When I first started this series part of me was afraid that it was going to turn into ye olde royal classroom comedy but I’m so glad that this series has wasted absolutely zero time in dispelling those fears.
Mike Ferreira: Same.
L.B. Bryant: So now that that’s out of the way… let’s talk a bit about how Leo is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD at buying time for people. lol
Mike Ferreira: lol Understatement of the year
L.B. Bryant: Seriously, that was his plan? Walk up and down the stairs over and over?
Mike Ferreira: He could have gone out for a walk in the garden, had Heine give a special lesson… NOPE! “I’mma scoop you up like luggage and walk up and down the stairs for an hour”
L.B. Bryant: lol exactly
Mike Ferreira: Like… you’re in a castle the size of a small town, dude.
L.B. Bryant: And seriously, he even acted surprised when he found out that his brilliant plan didn’t actually buy them enough time to get things done. lol
Mike Ferreira: it worked out in the end, at least! Kind of!
L.B. Bryant: Sort of.
L.B. Bryant: heh
L.B. Bryant: I won’t say that I got misty eyed by the surprise welcome party that the princes threw for Heine but it was a very touching scene overall that really did a great job of selling how much Heine has already changed the brothers for the better in such a short amount of time.
Mike Ferreira: I’ll admit – the whole “welcoming” scene was schmaltzy as hell, but it did get me. It really spoke volumes about how much he’s done already
L.B. Bryant: Absolutely.
L.B. Bryant: Plus I loved the gifting moment when Leo hands the doll over… “You said this was cute.””I most certainly did not.”I’m paraphrasing a little but that was another great side joke.
Mike Ferreira: That was great. That and Bruno basically giving him a porno novel
L.B. Bryant: The gift that keeps on giving
Mike Ferreira: Hey, a guy gets lonely. And apparently, he gets lusty for his tiny teacher.
L.B. Bryant: Everyone has a fetish.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: There was something I wanted to say about the closing moments when Heine is in bed surrounded by his gifts but I honestly cannot remember what it was which irks me.
Mike Ferreira: Even with the acceptance of the court, from the queen mother to the loli princess, to the princes themselves, Heine doesn’t see himself as belonging to just yet
L.B. Bryant: Yeah which I can understand. He is a commoner who came in to do a tough job but he comes across as the type who might see ‘belonging’ as equaling ‘being complacent’
L.B. Bryant: Which is not something that I can ever see Heine allowing.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: I’m honestly still kind of hung up on the whole ‘I’m sworn to secrecy regarding my history’ aspect to Heine. Screw finding out what’s in the damn basement (please don’t send me hate mail AoT fans), what’s up with the tiny tutor’s background?
Mike Ferreira: But we know what’s in the basement. It’s *censored*!
L.B. Bryant: lol touche’
Mike Ferreira: But yeah… I’m curious, and I’d like to see his secret come to light
Mike Ferreira: It’s that little nugget of intrigue
L.B. Bryant: Beyond that though, what I really like about this show is that you and I have sat here for almost an hour talking about great moments from this one episode and that was us glossing over some of the other great little moments such as Leo realizing that he didn’t have 45 coins in order to buy the doll and learning about getting change. That poor shopkeeper earned her pay that day lol
Mike Ferreira: Definitely, lol. That poor shopkeeper was a treasure. And Leo’s “I DID A SHOPPING!” moment with the doll was amazing
L.B. Bryant: Absolutely. I also enjoyed the queen’s reaction to the boys leaving the castle. I swear you’d think she was sending them off to war with how much she was fretting lol
Mike Ferreira: lol I know, right?
Mike Ferreira: But yeah… I’ll go a little into the behind the scenes on this one – every season we do a vote of what we want to discuss – this season’s three big candidates were Sakura Quest, Anonymous Noise, and The Royal Tutor. Ultimately, The Royal Tutor won – I’m kind of glad, really. While all three shows would’ve been fabulous picks (well maybe not Anonymous Noise ’cause Anime Strike), this one has, by far, been the one that’s gotten me excited to talk about what happens next
L.B. Bryant: I have to admit that while I’m enjoying Sakura Quest, I don’t have nearly the same level of excitement towards it weekly as I do for this one.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise. Sakura Quest is more like Shirobako – I’m loving every minute, but I can wait a few days to catch the new episode
L.B. Bryant: Absolutely.
L.B. Bryant: Royal Tutor is a series that I try to catch on day 1 each week if at all possible.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise
Mike Ferreira: And it’s likely one I would’ve missed had it not been a part of the club criteria
L.B. Bryant: I guess this is another one to add to the list that you’ll have to “thank” me for pushing you towards lol
Mike Ferreira: I still need to thank you for Skip Beat and Chihayafuru…
L.B. Bryant: lol Indeed
Mike Ferreira: …what I’d do for more of either show. I’d do awful, awful things
L.B. Bryant: Join the freakin club
Mike Ferreira: Haha… I know. I’m one of the crazies who backed the Skip Beat! Kickstarter (sorry Pied Piper for blabbing about that backers-only update! :< I didn’t see the tag )
Mike Ferreira: Anyway – any final thoughts before we close the book on this week’s episode?
L.B. Bryant: Hmm… any changes in your rankings for favorite prince or has it stayed the same through this week? :)
Mike Ferreira: That’s a tough one! I mean… Kai’s just Kai – he loves his fuzzies. But Bruno and Licht are really catching up. Then Leo’s still the tsundere cinnamon roll.
L.B. Bryant: For me I still have to go with Leo as my favorite. Not to repeat myself but that scene in the shop was priceless and was just barely overshadowed by Bruno’s books.
Mike Ferreira: It’s still a horse race for me – Kai and Leo are neck and neck for #1, the other two are close behind
L.B. Bryant: I will admit that out of all the brothers, I’m most excited to see what Kai has up his sleeve. I know that there’s more to him than just his love for fuzzy, cute things and I’m very curious to find out what it is.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely. There’s layers, there – we just need to get to ’em
L.B. Bryant: Other than that, I think that about wraps up my thoughts for this week.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise! So I guess, until next time, remember that “doing a shopping” isn’t a Herculean task.
L.B. Bryant: But… but… decisions!
Mike Ferreira: Don’t be a Bruno, be a Kai
