Episode 11: Across the Dimensions, a War Begins.
Links to episode downloads can be found here.
NOTE: I watched KKM via the fansubs, and my only source material for screencapping was the fansubs. I'm apologize in advance for caps with subtitles on them, as well as any spelling mistakes with the names. I think I've seen 3-4 versions on how to spell some names. But I will promise you I'll try to remain consistent with what I pick.
Opening credits over, and it's time to get down to business. The first thing we see are ninjas... getting down to business. Or at least getting ready.
Raven is the picture of calm. Stoffel is not. He doesn't like being thrown out of the castle when he used to be a big shot Back In The Day.
Scene change. Gwendal decides that he needs to talk to Conrad (something done offscreen), and Conrad comes to talk to him. Apparently people are being attacked in the Castle Town "without any reason."
Scene change. Ninjas do their ninja thing, including doing that running thing with their arms behind them which I never really understood. One slides down a rope outside a window past someone sleeping. (I don't think it's Yuuri, because he's in the next scene.)
Scene change. Yuuri, Wolfram, Conrad, Gunther, and a whole bunch of soldiers are looking at a sign written in Japanese (though the fansubs covered it with English). If you're like me, you paused your episode immediately to read what the sign said, including tilting your head to the side. Then when the video continued, Yuuri ends up reading the whole thing. (I swear, I do this all the time while watching anime.)
"New Makoku's treasure of treasure, 'The Stone of the Dragon King,' has been stolen. What will you do, Yuuri! "Finding the Criminal to Solve the Case!" Investigation Headquarters."
Wolfram: What the heck.
Scene Change. All three of the brothers are on their horses in front of the troops. Gwendal is, not surprisingly, the one who gives the orders here. They need to find evidence against Stoffel before pressing for any sort of action against him.
Scene change. Yuuri's in the castle garden (I think?), and the ninjas are Doing It Wrong. You're not supposed to see a ninja! And him asking who they are kinda seems like a stupid question. They're ninjas. Whose ninjas, now that would be a better question.
Also, the head bands make me think of Naruto. As I watch them, I continue to think of Naruto, but poorly animated.
Anyways, Conrad and Wolfram aren't going to let the ninjas touch Yuuri. They start fighting, and then there is a few Ninja Smoke Bombs dropped...
...and Yuuri somehow magically changes into his human guise and is carried off. (WTF? No, really. You'd think with that whole suggestive conversation about contacts, that it wouldn't be so easy to get Yuuri in disguise.)
Once Wolfram and Conrad can breathe and see again, they give chase. The ninja leads them up to the roof of a building.
Wolfram: This is far as you go!
Ninja: *jumps nonchalantly off the building*
Wolfram+Conrad: asdf;lj Goddamnit.
Both ninja and Yuuri are carried off by Kohi. This is an interesting development! Why are the Kohi helping with the kidnapping of the Maou?
...I think it's really funny that the ninja is being carried by his hands, and Yuuri's being carried like he is. OF course, if the ninja were being carried like that, it would probably be very un-ninja-like. And it would probably take away from the seriousness of the scene.
Conrad and Wolfram yell after Yuuri, but Yuuri's out for the count.
TITLE SCREEN! "Across the Dimensions, a War Begins."
Yuuri wakes up, and the first thing he says is "Wolfram." So take that as you will. As Yuuri tries to figure out his surroundings, he even comments on how the ninjas were "Japanese-style." Then why did you ask about it before?
In the middle of his musing, Stoffel and Raven come in. Stoffel is a "considerate" host, and Yuuri accuses him of kidnapping. Which he did, of course, but he claims it's to protect him. Really, Stoffel, you're just mad because Conrad got to him first.
Stoffel: My nephews are trying to use you and are planning to run New Makoku for their own benefit.
And you're not?
Yuuri has unwavering faith in Conrad and Company, and tells Stoffel off for saying so. Raven shoots right back and asks what he really knows of him. Yuuri hasn't been in Shin Makoku long - he doesn't know anyone really well yet.
Raven: Their Dark Side. Their Sealed History. (My god, Raven has the shoulder pads of doom.)
This makes Yuuri get thoughtful, and he has flashbacks to Conrad and Wolfram not wanting things to be like they were 20 years ago, without actually mentioning the war. Wolfram further warns that they are in a time of civil unrest. So, Shin Makoku is like a powder keg.
So, of course, Yuuri must angst for a moment before getting back to business. He knows in his heart that he can trust them. (But doesn't he look so cute while he's angsting? I know I want to give him a hug.)
This is not going how Stoffel planned it. Raven notices the Grrness of Stoffel, and gets him out of there by saying Yuuri is tired. Besides the fact that he had only recently woken up, but hey, it's been a busy day.
...the noise Yuuri makes in this picture really cracks me up. And I'm not even going to say what this picture looks like.
Raven then says that whatever side Yuuri decides to be on, he'll figure it out soon enough. And hey, I can buy that.
Yuuri doesn't like being locked in his room. Umm... what did you really expect? Free reign of the castle?
Scene change. Stoffel and Raven are by themselves. Stoffel remarks about how Yuuri is a child and understands nothing. Raven says don't worry, because Yuuri is in their care and their influence will eventually affect him. By osmosis or something? Because seriously, Yuuri can be as stubborn as [SPOILER] T-Zou [/SPOILER].
10 points to the ninja for the ceiling entrance. 10 additional points because I could not get a successful shot of them coming out of the ceiling for this post.
The ninja again proceeds to not speak out loud, and whispers to Raven. Stoffel is curious, and they pull a whole "we know something the viewers don't know" thing. And he has That Look too.
Scene change. Conrad and Wolfram are rushing to Spitzberg Castle. Wolfram thinks that they shouldn't rush into this because it's too dangerous. They should meet up with Gwendal first. Conrad will not be talked out of it.
We also get a shot of Conrad's ass. Mmmmm.
Scene change. Yuuri is taking action! He's trying to get back to the brothers + Gunther!
He's... trying to dig his way out with a spoon? Alright then.
They must have really escape-proofed that room if Yuuri's so desperate that he's relying on a spoon. Of course, they have ninjas so they know how to escape-proof a room. Yuuri's not going to pull a MacGuyver anytime soon.
There's a knock at the door. Who could that be?
It's Yozak, master of disguise! Though Yuuri thinks there are problems with this outfit. Yozak blames his lipstick, which is too light. After the initial shock, Yozak gets to the point. Gwendal ordered him to infiltrate the castle to keep an eye on Stoffel. So it works out well when one wants to break the Maou out.
...and Yozak looks positively gleeful about his king going along with his plan. And for good reason!
After a shot of Yozak being secretive-maid, we see a shot of Yuuri in his disguise. Oh Yuuri, if only your mother could see you now.
Yuuri: But if Wolfram saw me in these...
Yozak tells Yuuri to be quiet. Soldiers run around. Yozak comments that he thinks that "it" is finally beginning. What's beginning? A war.
Yuuri doesn't like the idea of this, as we all could predict with Yuuri's history in the series thus far. He also completely forgets what Yozak says about being quiet.
We see that it'd be a civil war, and all because Yuuri was captured. This breaks his heart. He says he has to stop the war. He also still doesn't know how to whisper, and attracts the guards.
Yozak: Oh jeez.
Yuuri: What are you talking about? I'm just a cute maid.
There are no words for how awesome this picture is.
Yozak says he'll hold them off while Yuuri escapes and goes to stop the war. Yuuri is concerned - but don't worry Yuuri! Yozak knows how to take care of himself. And he won't even get a run in his tights while he does so!
A hidden sword in a mop? That has to be one of the coolest weapons ever.
Scene change. Stoffel rides out with his troops.
Scene change. Conrad rears his horse. Wolfram asks why he stopped, and we see Raven with a bunch of troops. Raven calls the two of them courageous, but also reckless. Sound familiar? Yeah, Wolfram said that not too long ago.
He then says an outright lie about how Yuuri doesn't want to return to the Blood Pledge Castle.
Wolfram: Quit fooling around. Yuuri may be a wimp, but he's the Maou. There's no way he would obey you guys.
Raven continues to bluff. Conrad is Pissed Off, leaps impressively from his horse, and straight for Raven.
Wolfram tells him to calm down, and saving Yuuri is the most important thing.
Yuuri then falls out of a tree, and perfectly behind Wolfram. Well, that was convenient.
When Wolfram tells Conrad that Yuuri is safe, Conrad's expression is wonderful. Wolfram then uses some of his fire to give them enough time to run like the dickens away.
The slow down some distance later. Wolfram inquires if Yuuri was hurt.
Wolfram: Did they do anything rough to you?
No, he got to sleep on a comfy couch! Wolfram is relieved. Conrad feels really bad about letting Yuuri down and not protecting him when he needed it. Yuuri tells him to not worry about it.
When Yuuri remembers about the war, Conrad says for Wolfram to take Yuuri back to the Blood Pledge Castle. Yuuri is not cool with this.
Conrad: We cannot bring you into the middle of a civil war.
Then where is the leader of the country supposed to go? I actually agree with Yuuri here. I don't agree with the fact that him showing up will instantly solve everything (Which Wolfram addresses a moment later), but it's a start.
Yuuri convinces Conrad and Wolfram to take him to the battlefront. But Conrad makes Yuuri promise that he'll let Conrad protect him, and Wolfram says Yuuri should change into something else before showing up at the battlefront. Cue surprised "oh yeah I'm still wearing this" expression from Yuuri.
EPISODE HALFWAY POINT
It's Stoffel+Raven and Company VS. Gwendal+Gunther and Company. Gwendal and Gunther give Stoffel one last chance to return what was stolen. Stoffel doesn't deny that he took the Maou, but he says he never took the Stone. He says it's their way to blame the innocent. Uh... you're not that innocent to begin with, Stoffel.
So, after more of bluffing in the same vein that Raven does, Gunther calls bullshit and Stoffel sends four soldiers out. Gwendal says he'll take care of this, and quickly dispatches the four riders.
Gunther looks pleased at Gwendal's success. Stoffel, you should have known already that your nephews are badass.
It's at this point that Stoffel loses the last of any cards he has to play. Yuuri shows up with Conrad and Wolfram. Raven joins Stoffel. Yuuri then realizes that this won't be as easy as he thought.
Gunther tells Yuuri to stand aside. Yuuri doesn't get why Gunther is acting like this.
Conrad tries to take the reigns and lead Yuuri away, but Yuuri protests. No one else will listen. Cue flashback to Raven talking about their dark side.
The troops start advancing, and Yuuri starts looking weird. Uh oh, what could this mean?
Hotness.
The Maou doesn't like that no one was listening to him. He says that it doesn't matter who's right or wrong in this disagreement - fighting is Not Allowed if he says it's Not Allowed.
So he blows everyone away. Knowing the Maou, he probably set the horses down carefully when they finally landed, and the men to hit hard enough to not really hurt anything, but to remind them that They Messed Up. At least, this is what I choose to believe.
And kudos to that horse for staying calm through all of this. He really is the Maou's horse.
Stoffel: Change of plans. Run like hell!
Gunther: ^___^
Stoffel: ...well, shit.
Stoffel and Raven do the smart think and dismount, and wait for the Maou to approach.
The Maou restricts Spitzberg to his own domain. This surprises everyone, Stoffel included. When Gunther protests, he shuts them both down.
With the matter settled, Yuuri goes flop right into Conrad's arms. It's a hard days work, being the Maou.
Scene change. A von Spitzberg banner hangs from a tree. The last details have been left to Gunther to handle.
Gunther mentions terms, and Raven has That Look on his face that lets you know that the episode still have a few minutes left before End Credits. There is smoke (gotta love those ninjas), and Gunther is tied up.
Wolfram looks worried, but Conrad says not to interfere. It's Gunther, after all.
Stoffel thinks he's won. He doesn't know Gunther very well.
Hot.
Gunther proceeds to pwn everything, striking with the back of his sword (now I'm thinking of Rurouni Kenshin) because he will not take their lives. After all, the Maou didn't.
We find out that Gunther hasn't been in battle for awhile, but it doesn't stop him from being uber awesome. Too bad Yuuri slept through the whole thing.
Scene change. Back at Shinou's Temple, Yuuri, the brothers, Gunther, and Yozak are talking Ulrike. They've looked through the Spitzberg castle, but couldn't find the Stone. Ulrike then mentions that "the girl from Blood Pledge Castle" has a message for them.
This moment is so wonderful. And one thing I never noticed until screencapping... take a look at Yozak. XD
Yuuri: An I.O.U. for jewelry?!
Cut to a scene of Cheri looking pretty damn fine. Well, that's not new, but what's that on her neck?
So, in the end, it was a Spitzberg who took the Stone. They just didn't guess the right one, and maybe there's some sort of grey area for former Maou's borrowing stuff from the treasury.
Cut back to the Temple. Ulrike is totally fangirling over Yuuri for him starting to bring Shin Makoku into a new age. She also says that she'll follow him forever. Yuuri is embarrassed. Cue Wolfram's jealousy. Wolfram smacks Yuuri, which causes him to trip...
...right into the pond.
Murata: What's with you? Do you enjoy getting wet?
Yuuri tries to defend himself by saying he's one of those people who likes to take a dip. Murata then points out that Yuuri was in his baseball uniform when he went under.
...oops. Better be careful there, Yuuri. Otherwise Murata will think that something's up.
END OF EPISODE
THOUGHTS ON THIS EPISODE (Spoilers in white)
When orenda33 first pushed me to watch more of this series, I had trouble with it at first. Sometimes I think there was just too much crack, and without me knowing what was really going on, I couldn't appreciate the subtle hints that I can now. I don't know if I hate anyone in KKM, and that's a feat in and of itself. In fact, there is so much I love about this cast that it's hard to know where to start. But since I'm trying to focus on this episode, I'll do my best to be concise.
I mentioned that I had trouble getting into this series. While I don't hate or dislike Stoffel, he's not one of my favorite characters. Strangely enough, it was this part that really made me start to make time to watch more episodes. I even got the "cheat sheet" of KKM arcs so I could watch without having to worry about ending for the evening on a cliffhanger, again courtesy of orenda33.
I think it was because of the civil war. I'm a history geek, and I love studying this sort of stuff. I also feared for Shin Makoku, because war is a horrible thing, and the war from 20 years ago is still fresh in their memory. (Though most of the details to that war are still Spoiler Territory.) If Yuuri really wants to make an impact on his people, the time would be now. As a bonus, these are choices that Yuuri is making. It becomes painfully obvious when everyone in his inner council objects to his course of action. Yuuri isn't always right, but he was right in this instance. Of course, having the power of the Maou helped.
Another interesting point that came up was when Conrad and Wolfram are confronted by Raven. Wolfram says that "Yuuri's a wimp, but also the Maou." I found this statement to be an interesting way to defend Yuuri. It's a bit of a paradox, because it sounds like he's saying that Yuuri's weak and strong at the same time. And really, I think that's true. All the characters have a lot of growing to do in this series, and Yuuri is only starting.
A part of my heart broke for Cheri's family here. I think this is in part because I get along so well with my family, but it was still difficult. It doesn't matter that history is full of dynasties in conflict due to different family matters, it still bothers me. I'm not going to deny that it happens, but I just couldn't help but think about how messed up this family is.
[SPOILERS]Watching this series a second time through I've watched Conrad carefully, especially in regards to his devotion to Yuuri. I think, right now, that Conrad is doing it more for Julia than for Yuuri. And that breaks my heart.
One of the things I enjoy about this relationship is watching Conrad's reason for protecting Yuuri change. I know he'll get to the point where he'll protect Yuuri because he's Yuuri, not because he's Julia's reincarnation and not because he's the Maou. It really doesn't matter how people interpret that, whether it be godfather/godson or lovers or just really good friends... it just matters that it happens. And really, it's good to see everyone develop relationships like that with Yuuri, because they should like him for who he is.
I feel the same way about Murata. I want people to like him because he's Murata, not just because he is/was/is the Great Sage. [/SPOILERS]
...ok, so maybe it's the fact that I've been playing FFVI for the past two weeks or so, but Gwendal's move makes me think of early final fantasy games. Apparently very awesome, but we don't really see a lot of detail (if any at all) at what it does. It bums me out not being able to see the move. Though another part of me wonders if he also somehow used his own magic in the move.
...and to go from that, I found it refreshing to see Conrad and Wolfram working well together. As I mentioned, they all have some serious character development to do and Wolfram is still very much a brat. But it was still good seeing him suspend his issues with Conrad long enough to rescue Yuuri.
Another little detail I noticed was when both armies marched out to meet the other in battle. Stoffel had an umbrella of sorts to block the sun, but Gwendal and Gunther didn't. It suggested to me that Gwendal and Gunther were more willing to go out and get in the think of things than Stoffel was. It also made me think about it symbolizing how much appearances mean to Stoffel.
To take a turn from the serious, I'd like to fangirl a little bit now. I honestly squeed when I saw Yozak as a maid, and when Yuuri as a maid as well. I'm a huge fighting fangirl (I love a lot of Shounen series for this reason), so Yozak's fighting with the mop was incredibly awesome.
I think the hottest thing in this episode was when the Maou put Gunther and Stoffel back in their places. I dunno, maybe I just really like the Maou. That, and seeing Gunther get all badass.
I think that's it for me! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did!
Episode 12 is already up! Go here to see the write-up done by mikagechan!
NOTE: I watched KKM via the fansubs, and my only source material for screencapping was the fansubs. I'm apologize in advance for caps with subtitles on them, as well as any spelling mistakes with the names. I think I've seen 3-4 versions on how to spell some names. But I will promise you I'll try to remain consistent with what I pick.
Opening credits over, and it's time to get down to business. The first thing we see are ninjas... getting down to business. Or at least getting ready.
Raven is the picture of calm. Stoffel is not. He doesn't like being thrown out of the castle when he used to be a big shot Back In The Day.
Scene change. Gwendal decides that he needs to talk to Conrad (something done offscreen), and Conrad comes to talk to him. Apparently people are being attacked in the Castle Town "without any reason."
Scene change. Ninjas do their ninja thing, including doing that running thing with their arms behind them which I never really understood. One slides down a rope outside a window past someone sleeping. (I don't think it's Yuuri, because he's in the next scene.)
Scene change. Yuuri, Wolfram, Conrad, Gunther, and a whole bunch of soldiers are looking at a sign written in Japanese (though the fansubs covered it with English). If you're like me, you paused your episode immediately to read what the sign said, including tilting your head to the side. Then when the video continued, Yuuri ends up reading the whole thing. (I swear, I do this all the time while watching anime.)
"New Makoku's treasure of treasure, 'The Stone of the Dragon King,' has been stolen. What will you do, Yuuri! "Finding the Criminal to Solve the Case!" Investigation Headquarters."
Wolfram: What the heck.
Scene Change. All three of the brothers are on their horses in front of the troops. Gwendal is, not surprisingly, the one who gives the orders here. They need to find evidence against Stoffel before pressing for any sort of action against him.
Scene change. Yuuri's in the castle garden (I think?), and the ninjas are Doing It Wrong. You're not supposed to see a ninja! And him asking who they are kinda seems like a stupid question. They're ninjas. Whose ninjas, now that would be a better question.
Also, the head bands make me think of Naruto. As I watch them, I continue to think of Naruto, but poorly animated.
Anyways, Conrad and Wolfram aren't going to let the ninjas touch Yuuri. They start fighting, and then there is a few Ninja Smoke Bombs dropped...
...and Yuuri somehow magically changes into his human guise and is carried off. (WTF? No, really. You'd think with that whole suggestive conversation about contacts, that it wouldn't be so easy to get Yuuri in disguise.)
Once Wolfram and Conrad can breathe and see again, they give chase. The ninja leads them up to the roof of a building.
Wolfram: This is far as you go!
Ninja: *jumps nonchalantly off the building*
Wolfram+Conrad: asdf;lj Goddamnit.
Both ninja and Yuuri are carried off by Kohi. This is an interesting development! Why are the Kohi helping with the kidnapping of the Maou?
...I think it's really funny that the ninja is being carried by his hands, and Yuuri's being carried like he is. OF course, if the ninja were being carried like that, it would probably be very un-ninja-like. And it would probably take away from the seriousness of the scene.
Conrad and Wolfram yell after Yuuri, but Yuuri's out for the count.
TITLE SCREEN! "Across the Dimensions, a War Begins."
Yuuri wakes up, and the first thing he says is "Wolfram." So take that as you will. As Yuuri tries to figure out his surroundings, he even comments on how the ninjas were "Japanese-style." Then why did you ask about it before?
In the middle of his musing, Stoffel and Raven come in. Stoffel is a "considerate" host, and Yuuri accuses him of kidnapping. Which he did, of course, but he claims it's to protect him. Really, Stoffel, you're just mad because Conrad got to him first.
Stoffel: My nephews are trying to use you and are planning to run New Makoku for their own benefit.
And you're not?
Yuuri has unwavering faith in Conrad and Company, and tells Stoffel off for saying so. Raven shoots right back and asks what he really knows of him. Yuuri hasn't been in Shin Makoku long - he doesn't know anyone really well yet.
Raven: Their Dark Side. Their Sealed History. (My god, Raven has the shoulder pads of doom.)
This makes Yuuri get thoughtful, and he has flashbacks to Conrad and Wolfram not wanting things to be like they were 20 years ago, without actually mentioning the war. Wolfram further warns that they are in a time of civil unrest. So, Shin Makoku is like a powder keg.
So, of course, Yuuri must angst for a moment before getting back to business. He knows in his heart that he can trust them. (But doesn't he look so cute while he's angsting? I know I want to give him a hug.)
This is not going how Stoffel planned it. Raven notices the Grrness of Stoffel, and gets him out of there by saying Yuuri is tired. Besides the fact that he had only recently woken up, but hey, it's been a busy day.
...the noise Yuuri makes in this picture really cracks me up. And I'm not even going to say what this picture looks like.
Raven then says that whatever side Yuuri decides to be on, he'll figure it out soon enough. And hey, I can buy that.
Yuuri doesn't like being locked in his room. Umm... what did you really expect? Free reign of the castle?
Scene change. Stoffel and Raven are by themselves. Stoffel remarks about how Yuuri is a child and understands nothing. Raven says don't worry, because Yuuri is in their care and their influence will eventually affect him. By osmosis or something? Because seriously, Yuuri can be as stubborn as [SPOILER] T-Zou [/SPOILER].
10 points to the ninja for the ceiling entrance. 10 additional points because I could not get a successful shot of them coming out of the ceiling for this post.
The ninja again proceeds to not speak out loud, and whispers to Raven. Stoffel is curious, and they pull a whole "we know something the viewers don't know" thing. And he has That Look too.
Scene change. Conrad and Wolfram are rushing to Spitzberg Castle. Wolfram thinks that they shouldn't rush into this because it's too dangerous. They should meet up with Gwendal first. Conrad will not be talked out of it.
We also get a shot of Conrad's ass. Mmmmm.
Scene change. Yuuri is taking action! He's trying to get back to the brothers + Gunther!
He's... trying to dig his way out with a spoon? Alright then.
They must have really escape-proofed that room if Yuuri's so desperate that he's relying on a spoon. Of course, they have ninjas so they know how to escape-proof a room. Yuuri's not going to pull a MacGuyver anytime soon.
There's a knock at the door. Who could that be?
It's Yozak, master of disguise! Though Yuuri thinks there are problems with this outfit. Yozak blames his lipstick, which is too light. After the initial shock, Yozak gets to the point. Gwendal ordered him to infiltrate the castle to keep an eye on Stoffel. So it works out well when one wants to break the Maou out.
...and Yozak looks positively gleeful about his king going along with his plan. And for good reason!
After a shot of Yozak being secretive-maid, we see a shot of Yuuri in his disguise. Oh Yuuri, if only your mother could see you now.
Yuuri: But if Wolfram saw me in these...
Yozak tells Yuuri to be quiet. Soldiers run around. Yozak comments that he thinks that "it" is finally beginning. What's beginning? A war.
Yuuri doesn't like the idea of this, as we all could predict with Yuuri's history in the series thus far. He also completely forgets what Yozak says about being quiet.
We see that it'd be a civil war, and all because Yuuri was captured. This breaks his heart. He says he has to stop the war. He also still doesn't know how to whisper, and attracts the guards.
Yozak: Oh jeez.
Yuuri: What are you talking about? I'm just a cute maid.
There are no words for how awesome this picture is.
Yozak says he'll hold them off while Yuuri escapes and goes to stop the war. Yuuri is concerned - but don't worry Yuuri! Yozak knows how to take care of himself. And he won't even get a run in his tights while he does so!
A hidden sword in a mop? That has to be one of the coolest weapons ever.
Scene change. Stoffel rides out with his troops.
Scene change. Conrad rears his horse. Wolfram asks why he stopped, and we see Raven with a bunch of troops. Raven calls the two of them courageous, but also reckless. Sound familiar? Yeah, Wolfram said that not too long ago.
He then says an outright lie about how Yuuri doesn't want to return to the Blood Pledge Castle.
Wolfram: Quit fooling around. Yuuri may be a wimp, but he's the Maou. There's no way he would obey you guys.
Raven continues to bluff. Conrad is Pissed Off, leaps impressively from his horse, and straight for Raven.
Wolfram tells him to calm down, and saving Yuuri is the most important thing.
Yuuri then falls out of a tree, and perfectly behind Wolfram. Well, that was convenient.
When Wolfram tells Conrad that Yuuri is safe, Conrad's expression is wonderful. Wolfram then uses some of his fire to give them enough time to run like the dickens away.
The slow down some distance later. Wolfram inquires if Yuuri was hurt.
Wolfram: Did they do anything rough to you?
No, he got to sleep on a comfy couch! Wolfram is relieved. Conrad feels really bad about letting Yuuri down and not protecting him when he needed it. Yuuri tells him to not worry about it.
When Yuuri remembers about the war, Conrad says for Wolfram to take Yuuri back to the Blood Pledge Castle. Yuuri is not cool with this.
Conrad: We cannot bring you into the middle of a civil war.
Then where is the leader of the country supposed to go? I actually agree with Yuuri here. I don't agree with the fact that him showing up will instantly solve everything (Which Wolfram addresses a moment later), but it's a start.
Yuuri convinces Conrad and Wolfram to take him to the battlefront. But Conrad makes Yuuri promise that he'll let Conrad protect him, and Wolfram says Yuuri should change into something else before showing up at the battlefront. Cue surprised "oh yeah I'm still wearing this" expression from Yuuri.
EPISODE HALFWAY POINT
It's Stoffel+Raven and Company VS. Gwendal+Gunther and Company. Gwendal and Gunther give Stoffel one last chance to return what was stolen. Stoffel doesn't deny that he took the Maou, but he says he never took the Stone. He says it's their way to blame the innocent. Uh... you're not that innocent to begin with, Stoffel.
So, after more of bluffing in the same vein that Raven does, Gunther calls bullshit and Stoffel sends four soldiers out. Gwendal says he'll take care of this, and quickly dispatches the four riders.
Gunther looks pleased at Gwendal's success. Stoffel, you should have known already that your nephews are badass.
It's at this point that Stoffel loses the last of any cards he has to play. Yuuri shows up with Conrad and Wolfram. Raven joins Stoffel. Yuuri then realizes that this won't be as easy as he thought.
Gunther tells Yuuri to stand aside. Yuuri doesn't get why Gunther is acting like this.
Conrad tries to take the reigns and lead Yuuri away, but Yuuri protests. No one else will listen. Cue flashback to Raven talking about their dark side.
The troops start advancing, and Yuuri starts looking weird. Uh oh, what could this mean?
Hotness.
The Maou doesn't like that no one was listening to him. He says that it doesn't matter who's right or wrong in this disagreement - fighting is Not Allowed if he says it's Not Allowed.
So he blows everyone away. Knowing the Maou, he probably set the horses down carefully when they finally landed, and the men to hit hard enough to not really hurt anything, but to remind them that They Messed Up. At least, this is what I choose to believe.
And kudos to that horse for staying calm through all of this. He really is the Maou's horse.
Stoffel: Change of plans. Run like hell!
Gunther: ^___^
Stoffel: ...well, shit.
Stoffel and Raven do the smart think and dismount, and wait for the Maou to approach.
The Maou restricts Spitzberg to his own domain. This surprises everyone, Stoffel included. When Gunther protests, he shuts them both down.
With the matter settled, Yuuri goes flop right into Conrad's arms. It's a hard days work, being the Maou.
Scene change. A von Spitzberg banner hangs from a tree. The last details have been left to Gunther to handle.
Gunther mentions terms, and Raven has That Look on his face that lets you know that the episode still have a few minutes left before End Credits. There is smoke (gotta love those ninjas), and Gunther is tied up.
Wolfram looks worried, but Conrad says not to interfere. It's Gunther, after all.
Stoffel thinks he's won. He doesn't know Gunther very well.
Hot.
Gunther proceeds to pwn everything, striking with the back of his sword (now I'm thinking of Rurouni Kenshin) because he will not take their lives. After all, the Maou didn't.
We find out that Gunther hasn't been in battle for awhile, but it doesn't stop him from being uber awesome. Too bad Yuuri slept through the whole thing.
Scene change. Back at Shinou's Temple, Yuuri, the brothers, Gunther, and Yozak are talking Ulrike. They've looked through the Spitzberg castle, but couldn't find the Stone. Ulrike then mentions that "the girl from Blood Pledge Castle" has a message for them.
This moment is so wonderful. And one thing I never noticed until screencapping... take a look at Yozak. XD
Yuuri: An I.O.U. for jewelry?!
Cut to a scene of Cheri looking pretty damn fine. Well, that's not new, but what's that on her neck?
So, in the end, it was a Spitzberg who took the Stone. They just didn't guess the right one, and maybe there's some sort of grey area for former Maou's borrowing stuff from the treasury.
Cut back to the Temple. Ulrike is totally fangirling over Yuuri for him starting to bring Shin Makoku into a new age. She also says that she'll follow him forever. Yuuri is embarrassed. Cue Wolfram's jealousy. Wolfram smacks Yuuri, which causes him to trip...
...right into the pond.
Murata: What's with you? Do you enjoy getting wet?
Yuuri tries to defend himself by saying he's one of those people who likes to take a dip. Murata then points out that Yuuri was in his baseball uniform when he went under.
...oops. Better be careful there, Yuuri. Otherwise Murata will think that something's up.
END OF EPISODE
THOUGHTS ON THIS EPISODE (Spoilers in white)
When orenda33 first pushed me to watch more of this series, I had trouble with it at first. Sometimes I think there was just too much crack, and without me knowing what was really going on, I couldn't appreciate the subtle hints that I can now. I don't know if I hate anyone in KKM, and that's a feat in and of itself. In fact, there is so much I love about this cast that it's hard to know where to start. But since I'm trying to focus on this episode, I'll do my best to be concise.
I mentioned that I had trouble getting into this series. While I don't hate or dislike Stoffel, he's not one of my favorite characters. Strangely enough, it was this part that really made me start to make time to watch more episodes. I even got the "cheat sheet" of KKM arcs so I could watch without having to worry about ending for the evening on a cliffhanger, again courtesy of orenda33.
I think it was because of the civil war. I'm a history geek, and I love studying this sort of stuff. I also feared for Shin Makoku, because war is a horrible thing, and the war from 20 years ago is still fresh in their memory. (Though most of the details to that war are still Spoiler Territory.) If Yuuri really wants to make an impact on his people, the time would be now. As a bonus, these are choices that Yuuri is making. It becomes painfully obvious when everyone in his inner council objects to his course of action. Yuuri isn't always right, but he was right in this instance. Of course, having the power of the Maou helped.
Another interesting point that came up was when Conrad and Wolfram are confronted by Raven. Wolfram says that "Yuuri's a wimp, but also the Maou." I found this statement to be an interesting way to defend Yuuri. It's a bit of a paradox, because it sounds like he's saying that Yuuri's weak and strong at the same time. And really, I think that's true. All the characters have a lot of growing to do in this series, and Yuuri is only starting.
A part of my heart broke for Cheri's family here. I think this is in part because I get along so well with my family, but it was still difficult. It doesn't matter that history is full of dynasties in conflict due to different family matters, it still bothers me. I'm not going to deny that it happens, but I just couldn't help but think about how messed up this family is.
[SPOILERS]Watching this series a second time through I've watched Conrad carefully, especially in regards to his devotion to Yuuri. I think, right now, that Conrad is doing it more for Julia than for Yuuri. And that breaks my heart.
One of the things I enjoy about this relationship is watching Conrad's reason for protecting Yuuri change. I know he'll get to the point where he'll protect Yuuri because he's Yuuri, not because he's Julia's reincarnation and not because he's the Maou. It really doesn't matter how people interpret that, whether it be godfather/godson or lovers or just really good friends... it just matters that it happens. And really, it's good to see everyone develop relationships like that with Yuuri, because they should like him for who he is.
I feel the same way about Murata. I want people to like him because he's Murata, not just because he is/was/is the Great Sage. [/SPOILERS]
...ok, so maybe it's the fact that I've been playing FFVI for the past two weeks or so, but Gwendal's move makes me think of early final fantasy games. Apparently very awesome, but we don't really see a lot of detail (if any at all) at what it does. It bums me out not being able to see the move. Though another part of me wonders if he also somehow used his own magic in the move.
...and to go from that, I found it refreshing to see Conrad and Wolfram working well together. As I mentioned, they all have some serious character development to do and Wolfram is still very much a brat. But it was still good seeing him suspend his issues with Conrad long enough to rescue Yuuri.
Another little detail I noticed was when both armies marched out to meet the other in battle. Stoffel had an umbrella of sorts to block the sun, but Gwendal and Gunther didn't. It suggested to me that Gwendal and Gunther were more willing to go out and get in the think of things than Stoffel was. It also made me think about it symbolizing how much appearances mean to Stoffel.
To take a turn from the serious, I'd like to fangirl a little bit now. I honestly squeed when I saw Yozak as a maid, and when Yuuri as a maid as well. I'm a huge fighting fangirl (I love a lot of Shounen series for this reason), so Yozak's fighting with the mop was incredibly awesome.
I think the hottest thing in this episode was when the Maou put Gunther and Stoffel back in their places. I dunno, maybe I just really like the Maou. That, and seeing Gunther get all badass.
I think that's it for me! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did!
Episode 12 is already up! Go here to see the write-up done by mikagechan!