The Royal Tutor

Episodes 7-8

Taking one week off has delayed my discovery of episode 7's live-action ED, which no longer just features the seiyuu's voices, but the main cast dancing in full costume. It's a rather glorious affair.

While episode 7 tackles Bruno's surprisingly deep-seated inferiority complex in the face of the ever-pressing struggle between genius and hard work, episode 8 can basically be summed up in one picture. Between animal whisperer Kai getting buried in a mountain of mofumofu sheep to heartbreaker Licht being courted by a (male) ostrich, there's no place for any malicious scheming amidst all the fluffiness. But the boys' visit to the zoo might be The Royal Tutor's last delivery of pure funifuni sweetness. With Ernst Rosenberg revealed as Crown Prince Eins' high steward (who's obviously up to no good) and only one month left to go, our cute boys are likely to stop doing cute things to make room for a satisfying plot conclusion. Hopefully, the transition will be a smooth one, but the secrecy around Heine's origin and Viktor's sudden interest in the grooming of his younger sons has been built up too much to be left unaddressed. The next episode's title promises at least the possibility of some answers.

Compared to Kai's rusty communication skills, Bruno's insecurities are less obvious at first sight. But as Leo gets rewarded with Viktor's praise for imagining modern insurance based on sachertorte cravings, his shining example of a big brother reacts far less confident than his academic success and composure would suggest. Like his brothers, Bruno grew up in the shadow of perfection. Unlike his brothers, he chose to strive for the obviously unachievable nonetheless, fully aware that his position as the king's son means that just being good would never be enough. Being extraordinary is what's required to at least compete with Eins, prompting Bruno to become such a fine scholar in acute awareness of his lack of all-round genius that his overachieving oldest brother possesses. The fact that he still found joy and fulfillment in his studies is exploited by Rosenberg, who takes an unusually non-violent approach to removing a potential rival for his master. As far as royal succession disputes go, this one is more peaceful than its historical counterparts, which might be about to change now that Heine has been identified as the true danger to Eins' inheritance. It's Heine's question of what kind of kingdom Bruno hopes to create in the future that encourages the boy to believe in the value of his own thoughts instead of simply rehashing the ideas of other (from Bruno's perspective, more intelligent) people and renew his resolve.

As the firstborn, prodigy, and naturally assumed heir, Eins might not be able to understand why Bruno would cling to the fleeting hope of becoming king when he could find guaranteed success as a scholar, but after working as hard as he did, Bruno knows it's never about what comes easy, but about how much one is ready to fight for it. Dedication can triumph over genius just like imagination can change the rules of society. Licht is unjustified in telling Bruno he lacks the soul of a king. If genius made the perfect king, Viktor wouldn't have to invest in his younger sons' education. He already has an heir who's charming, intelligent, imaginative, and persuasive. Eins might be the post-merging mecha form of his younger brothers' talents combined, but never experiencing struggle and hardship is as big a lack as any of his brothers possesses when it comes to understanding the people one of them must govern one day. Maybe distributing Viktor's talents more evenly among his other sons has turned them from absent geniuses with a number for a name into human beings who'd make a fine royal council, if only the system would permit it.

A few nice moments further elevated the competently executed episode, from Bruno's battle cry to the piano accompanying Heine's praise. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Dr. Orosz actually respecting Bruno instead of being part in the conspiracy. Now all The Royal Tutor has to do is keep the balance between fluffy slice-of-life and princely drama over its last couple of episodes.

Rating: B-

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.