Meeting Date: 5/20/2017
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: Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club. I’m Mike Ferreira, and I’m joined by L.B. Bryant and Anthony Simpson.
L.B. Bryant: Hey all
Anthony Simpson: Evening all.
Mike Ferreira: Tonight, we’re discussing episode 7 of the Royal Tutor: The Whereabouts of a Dream. No humorous renaming this week, because I legitimately love that title.
Anthony Simpson: Its a good title. Also a good episode focusing on Prince Bruno.
L.B. Bryant: It was the Bruno episode we deserved and wanted.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely.
Anthony Simpson: I have a more found interest in Bruno since I see a good bit of myself in him.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed… I kind of like how they really brought his insecurities to light.
Anthony Simpson: His insecurities is where I could relate to him.
L.B. Bryant: There were so many things that this episode did right… highlighting his history/childhood, giving him a legitimate hard choice to make (which they did a fantastic job of drawing out), a nice bait and switch ending…
L.B. Bryant: Plus I almost fell out of my chair laughing when he started bashing his head into the table.
Mike Ferreira: That was adorable
Mike Ferreira: I love how the entire episode also played out with the whole “Rosenberg” intrigue, too.
Anthony Simpson: At my job my supervisors would always mention how great of a worker I am, but I see don’t see my self as that great of of a worker. I just see myself as someone who doing what I am told to do.
Mike Ferreira: As you should. I got to see it time and time again – pride is the first step before the fall.
Anthony Simpson: Same thing with my martial arts training. My instructors would always praise my abilities, but I never felt that was all that amazing as an martial arts. I felt that I was good but never amazing.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: I feel similarly with my work.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise.
L.B. Bryant: How did everyone feel about the pacing of this episode? If I had to complain about one thing it would be that this episode felt like it passed by much more slowly than previous episodes. It felt a little jarring.
Mike Ferreira: Honestly, I liked the slow burn here
Mike Ferreira: I felt that it helped, given the subject matter
Anthony Simpson: Even with writing the anime reviews for the site I still feel that I’m not all that good of a reviewer and that I have a long way to go with my writing abilities.
L.B. Bryant: Same.
L.B. Bryant: Even after many years of writing I still don’t think I’m all that talented at it.
Mike Ferreira: Hey, I still think I’m a shitty editor. I mean… I can’t be good with the backlogs that accumulate
Mike Ferreira: That said, I have a lot of respect for Bruno. He’s a guy with a dream – a huge dream, and one fraught with challenges, but a dream nonetheless. He’s not ashamed to reach for that which drives him forward, and he’s happy to be open with his flaming desires for that which excite him. Like his master.
Anthony Simpson: I liked the slower pace too myself. It helped give the situation the gravitas it needed since Bruno had to make a decision that would affect his future.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. This was something that was a huge, life-changing moment.
L.B. Bryant: I just respect him for sticking to his guns and saying “No, I have to stick around because I’m not willing to give up on my dream of being a king like my father.”
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Anthony Simpson: true, though I think Bruno would probably be a great professor.
Mike Ferreira: Oh, definitely
Mike Ferreira: But Heine said it best. There’s no going back – when you close your eyes for the last time, you need to be sure you made the right choices.
L.B. Bryant: He would but I think in the long run he might be better off sticking closer to Heine… who, by the way, was brilliant in this episode again.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: Heine was the perfect motivator in this episode and said only the things that needed to be said.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. He just let the situation play out
Anthony Simpson: I was happy to see that as well. Heine didn’t hold Bruno’s hand or make the decision for him.
Mike Ferreira: So, on the note of Heine: Who else saw Rosenberg digging up his past from a mile away?
Anthony Simpson: It was expected. We saw hints of that the last episode when he blabbed to the King about Licht’s job.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed
Mike Ferreira: And we saw it come up again when he recommended that the scholar to approach Bruno
Anthony Simpson: The Count wants to screw up the family in a likely power grab.
L.B. Bryant: Do we think that Heine’s life is in danger or just his reputation?
Mike Ferreira: Yes.
L.B. Bryant: lol
Mike Ferreira: Something tells me that, if his past comes up, Heine will be put into danger because TV
Anthony Simpson: I would say his reputation. The Count doesn’t seem like a man would probably try to kill someone. Well at least that we know of on the so far.
Mike Ferreira: No, but would Eins?
Anthony Simpson: Don’t know since we really don’t know anything about Eins other than that he is really smart and the oldest child.
Anthony Simpson: I really hope we do get to meet Eins. I mean we met the other children I feel like him not showing up would be a remiss of the series.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed
L.B. Bryant: alright, we’ve been chatting about this episode for about 30 minutes… I think it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room. Thoughts on the live action music video ED sequence?
Mike Ferreira: I didn’t want to bring it up, but… yeah. I kind of liked it.
Anthony Simpson: I skipped it since I usually don’t watch OP or ED.
Mike Ferreira: You missed something special
L.B. Bryant: Go back and watch it.
Mike Ferreira: It was super campy and incredibly shiny and cheesy and I love it
L.B. Bryant: Everyone deserves to see this at least once.
L.B. Bryant: Even if you hate it.
Anthony Simpson: I I will check it out later.
L.B. Bryant: I think Mike used the perfect words to describe it… campy and cheesy.
L.B. Bryant: The dancing is horrible but mesmerizing at the same time lol
Mike Ferreira: It’s like…
Mike Ferreira: Anyone remember when Batman used to dance?
Mike Ferreira: The Batusi? Anyone?
L.B. Bryant: I remember
Anthony Simpson: who could forget that.
Anthony Simpson: I remember.
Mike Ferreira: It’s like that
L.B. Bryant: Only filled with shininess out the wazoo
L.B. Bryant: Like the sparkle factor is turned up to 11
Mike Ferreira: Yes!
L.B. Bryant: It’s amazing and horrible at the same time.
L.B. Bryant: I only wish they had used SFX to make Heine’s voice actor into a chibi version.
Mike Ferreira: …But that’s what makes it great. You can show that to people, and get them to wonder what they’re doing with their lives!
Anthony Simpson: Him in chibi form with a real life actor would have been….interesting.
Mike Ferreira: “interesting”
L.B. Bryant: The video itself was already interesting; I don’t think that it would’ve hurt anything if they had decided to up the cheese factor even more by doing that.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed
Anthony Simpson: your probably right.
Mike Ferreira: So next week’s our Kai episode – does anyone else kinda want just 30 minutes of him with the doggo?
Anthony Simpson: I wouldn’t mind that. Speaking of the dog I got a kick out of the dog and Chibi Heine. I need more of that in my life.
Mike Ferreira: That was adorable.
L.B. Bryant: Agreed.
Mike Ferreira: One other thing: Viktor aged SUPER well over the years. holy shit.
L.B. Bryant: Dude is drinking from the fountain of youth.
Anthony Simpson: I wonder how old he is.
Mike Ferreira: Old enough to have five teenage sons
Mike Ferreira: And a little daughter
Mike Ferreira: But yeah… I’m going to make a prediction here – pulling it out my butt.
Anthony Simpson: He’s probably in either late 30’s or earlier 40’s.
Mike Ferreira: Still – that is one sexy dad.
Anthony Simpson: He is a good looking dude.
Mike Ferreira: Prediction: After next week, we’re going to learn that Eins is some super evil guy, and the reason why we have a royal tutor is because Viktor sees him as an ill fit for the role of king, which is why he has Heine grooming the others. Rosenberg’s going to spill Heine’s secret, Heine’s going to leave per their agreement, and the boys are going to find some way to get him back for the happy ending. Oh. Maybe Eins gets beaten and locked away or something, too.
L.B. Bryant: Maybe if the series were a two cour show but I think that’s a bit much to cram into 4 or 5 episodes.
L.B. Bryant: I predict we’re going to be a frustratingly open ending.
Mike Ferreira: I dunno. Five episodes? I think it could work.
L.B. Bryant: Maybe.
Anthony Simpson: The manga is still ongoing at 8 volumes so I thinking either open ending, or read the manga ending.
Mike Ferreira: Episode 9, introduce Eins finally spill the beans on Heine, Episode 10, Heine leaves, Episode 11 – crisis, Episode 12 – climax and relief is felt by all
Mike Ferreira: Hrm… any final thoughts before we close the books on this week?
L.B. Bryant: Kai’s episode is going to be so adorkable.
Mike Ferreira: Oh god yeah… looks like they’re going to the zoo
L.B. Bryant: I’m guessing this will be the episode where the little sister has to be saved.
Mike Ferreira: That’s my guess
L.B. Bryant: Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing it play out.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise.
Anthony Simpson: My body is so ready for the Kai episode.
Mike Ferreira: I think we can leave it at that. Went well this week.
L.B. Bryant: Indeed.
Anthony Simpson: Yes it did, despite me trying to do two things at once again like last week.
Mike Ferreira: Hey, so did I – I’ve been clacking away at news pieces :p
Mike Ferreira: One of those weeks, for sure
Mike Ferreira: But seriously…Anthony. Watch that Royal Tutor ED
