The Royal Tutor

Episode 5

Well hello there, signs of an underlying bigger plot. It's very nice of you to grace us with a possible conspiracy against this lovely backdrop of galaxy-sized hearts and kindergarten math problems. I'm happy to indulge more promises, pacts, and secret pasts with the arrival of Viktor, King of Glanzreich, who still rocks his bishonen look despite having to be at least 40.

After his notable absence from the first episodes, the God of War finally makes his entrance. As a father, the initially soft impression we get from all those manly tears and funifuni cuddles is quickly turned around when he threatens Leonhard with the royal equivalent of "Daddy doesn't love you anymore if you fail." It's awful, cruel, and unjust – had Viktor spent a little more time and investment in his sons' education, the gaps in Leo's studies (and depths of anxiety) might not have grown to such astronomical proportions. But it's also effective, and as we already know from hearsay, Viktor is the kind of king who gets stuff done.

The princes might be rivals for the throne, but the desire to be acknowledged by their father (who clearly loves them, despite his questionable methods) brings Leo and his brothers closer together than their initial shared rejection of Heine. Viktor's presence makes a noticeable difference in their demeanor, as Kai suddenly knows how to wear his jacket, and even Licht chooses to play it safe and button up his shirt for once. Even if his brothers ultimately can't help Leo – Kai hasn't quite figured out the carrot part in the carrot & stick scheme, Licht's contribution is rejected as unacceptable, and Leo's fanboying for Bruno ends up getting in the way instead of helping anyone – it's heartwarming to see them so united. When Leo eventually succeeds, it isn't thanks to his supportive brothers, but because math is less scary when applied to real-life problems like running out of sachertorte, and it's much more motivating when the adults responsible for you actually take an interest.

Viktor's ultimatum is as much motivation for Leo as an opportunity for a tour de force of Heine's teaching skills. Viktor has complete faith in Heine because there's more to their relationship than finding and hiring the best tutor. They can even share a glass of wine in the middle of the night while dropping all titles and honorifics. I'm not certain of the exact nature of their relationship yet, but I'm pretty sure they're not keeping it a secret out of fear that the boys would lose respect for Heine if they found out. So why does their acquaintance have to be kept a secret? What does Heine get out of this promise they made? And, most importantly, who is Heine that he can talk to the king like an old friend while looking sad and worried at the same time?

The details of Heine's past (or lack thereof) have always troubled me. He obviously received some top-notch education to become the splendid mentor he is today. Maybe his past is shrouded in mystery because his persona of the simple commoner who never went to university is partly fabricated. But to hide what? Given how long the current Glanzreich family has held the throne, it's unlikely Heine will turn out to be the heir of a long-replaced royal bloodline. Viktor is very much at ease in Heine's company, while Heine seems to be much more conflicted about the arrangement they made. What are his own goals in all this, and what does he hope to gain beyond grooming responsible heirs to the throne?

Now that we've met Viktor, the crown prince's absence (even from the OP) is ever more curious. No matter how busy he might be with learning how to govern, he can't possibly be busier than the king himself. I wonder if his non-presence will turn out to be related to Viktor suddenly taking such an interest in his "spares" and hiring his old friend (rival? military advisor? enemy?) to groom them into future successors.

Once again, we're treated to some lovely piano tunes conveying both sadness and encouragement, but the real cause for chuckles for history buffs this week is the picture of Elisabeth of Austria Viktor keeps in his office, the same portrait the real Emperor Franz Joseph had opposite his desk. Let's hope this is just an innocent little joke and not to be taken as a sign of things to come, because those real-life 19th-century Vienna royals weren't exactly enviable.

Rating: C+

The Royal Tutor is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Anne is a translator and fiction addict who writes about anime at Floating Words and on Twitter.