Forum - View topicFrom Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (TV).
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Edjwald
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Season 01: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (TV) Season 02: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (TV 2) Source: Light Novel (ongoing @ 8 volumes, written by Shigeru Sagazaki, illustrated by Tetsuhiro Nabeshima) Demographic: Seinen Animation Studio: Hayabusa Film Passione Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, slice of life Themes: aristocracy, assassins, conspiracy, fan service, government, idealism, knights, medieval, parenting, politics, power struggle, royalty, sorcery, swordplay, wizards Plot Summary: Beryl Gardinant, a self-proclaimed "humble old man," is a sword instructor at his dojo in a rural, backwater village. In his younger years, he dreamed of glory as a master swordsman, but those days are long behind him. Out of the blue, he receives a visit from a famous former pupil who brings him world-shattering news—he's been appointed as special instructor for the knights of the Liberion Order. With his life now turned upside down, Beryl travels to the capital and reunites with some of his former students: elite knights, an ace wizard, and even an adventurer who's attained the highest guild rank possible. Air Date & Platform: Season 01: April 05, 2025 (Saturday) Available on: Amazon Prime Season 02: July 2026 Available on: Amazon Prime Episode Count / Runtime: Season 01: 12 episodes Season 02: Pending Total: 12 episodes [EDIT: Fancy opener stuff edited. -TK] |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#1
Despite its title, the novels and manga this adaptation is based on have sold 6.5 million copies in six years of circulation (with the manga adaptation having the lion's share). It's also won awards, so expectations are high despite the studio in charge (most recently did Ishura) not having a long track record of action adaptations. Then again, having watched the first episode I get the feeling action might not be the only thing this series is selling. From what I can tell, the best stories are those that successfully combine different genre archetypes together into something unique and appealing to a wide enough audience. This adaptation combines an underdog story, an unconventional harem comedy and a high fantasy rags to riches tale into one work. Middle-aged male protagonists have been on the up recently (the pioneer was arguably the person behind Ainz Ool Gown from the Overlord franchise, more recent examples being Shield Hero, Unwanted Undead Adventurer and Kaiju No. 8) and our protagonist Beryl is the very definition of a middle aged male in his late 30s minimum (he's supposed to be 45 after looking it up). Very self-deprecating with not much self esteem, it does keep him grounded so he has zero ego to annoy unacquainted viewers. Combine his honest personality with good hand-eye coordination and a surprisingly sharp mind in the battlefield and that's a promising start for a protagonist. Then we get to the girls who hang around with him. It's very prominent in the ED, and for the pilot all but two of them are introduced. Some of them clearly have the hots for him, but Beryl being much older than them and never forgetting their former relationships as master and student doesn't give them a look in. It won't stop them from trying bolder approaches, aside from squabbling over him it appears they will also adventure together (if that OP combat scene is any indication) so that's something else to look forward to (standard high fantasy adventure). As for the last part about rags and riches, well it's all about the title isn't it? Despite his self-deprecating nature, there's definitely something about his teaching skills when so many of his alumni have risen to prominence in the world after finishing their tutelage under him. So far it's Knight Commander, Black-plate (high-ranking) adventurer, Platinum (high-ranking) adventurer and apprentice Knights (after just 2 years of teaching from him). He puts it down to his students being talented and hardworking and him just providing the foundation, but he's definitely modest about his teaching skills when so many of them (ranging from 20 years to 2 years for his alumni) show up in a short space of time. Putting aside the ulterior motives of the first student, it is the battle with the vice-commander which really sets him on his way. Everyone bar his former students (himself included) expected him to lose to a vice-commander hell bent on showing up the Commander for her selfish and misguided intentions, only for Beryl to actually win fair and square. That sets Beryl up nicely for his new career, and the upwards trajectory begins. All of his students and family have high expectations of Beryl even if the man himself is most content with the quiet life, so how his second wind progresses is another selling point for the franchise. The first episode has me sold, but I'm keeping expectations low as heavy action scenes are not the animator's forte. If they weave in the harem comedy hijinks too much into the adaptation, that's also off-putting for me. The balance struck for this adaptation will go a long way in deciding how it's received by both its core audience and casual viewers. Last edited by Harleyquin on Sat Apr 12, 2025 8:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4990 |
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I rather liked the first episode. The animation is a fair bit better than I expected, that goes particularly for the fight scenes which are a combination of 2D and 3D with both blending so well together that it is hard to tell them apart. I also like the characters thus far and that goes especially Beryl who makes for a very convincing humble old man. Premise wise the episode made a good case of why it is a good thing that Beryl gets to see a bit more of the world and possibly gain a bit more confidence (plus a wife).
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Edjwald
Posts: 3507 |
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In some ways, I feel like they should have called this show "I Can Parry Everything as Long as My Rheumatism Doesn't Act Up." Beryl isn't quite as much of a doorpost as Noor was when it comes to recognizing the extent of his own abilities, but they're pretty close cousins.
That said, I agree that the story is pretty well executed. The animation isn't big budget, but the team is creative with what they've got, like that sword fight that kept turning into a first person shooter...ummm...I mean stabber....so that it seemed like the vice captain was coming directly at you without resorting to cheap CGI to simulate motion. It was better than bargain basement production and gave things a sense of urgency. The adoring harem doesn't look like it's going to be much more than an adoring harem, but Beryl's struggles to not let them down are a pretty good source of conflict and growth. And Beryl's a likable character though his modesty can be too much of a good thing. He's a decent human being, hard working, steady, honest, and grown up, which is a quality that anime could use more of IMHO. I liked it. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
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Beyond noting that I liked this, I really don't have a ton to say. Certainly warrants checking out more.
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Cryten
 Posts: 1398 |
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I really wanted to like the show based on the trailers for it. But it has shown in the first episode a number of simplistic, simple story telling beats that take it away from an interesting story of a aged sword master back towards standard litRPG power and girls, girls girls.
Firstly and foremostly the episode put its front foot forwards firmly into the theme of harem companionship. With its primary topic being enabling the swordmaster to have womenly companionship. Reinforced by the character designs of most women being presented breast and thigh first, all about appeal, little consideration for character writing. And it is not subtle about it, every interaction with his women has them reinforce how they want to be his women, while he pretends not to hear them to not come across as a player. Secondly and more worryingly the more practical style of sword combat is already showing signs of becoming about magical special moves instead of veteran fighting. Almost all shows with battler elements tend to move in this direction, as it is easier to parse fights when you can point to a move and then explain how someone cleverly defeated it. But it does deflate what could of been in imagination down to "moves" that do not mean much proper combat. I hope I am wrong, I do not think I am. On the positive sides: The animation held together for the most part, some bits felt a bit like CG imitations of animations but I saw a number of scenes with animation instead of stills and I appreciate that a lot. I hope that its production holds up as more episodes release. The setting is doing alright so far but that could be because it is largely unexplored, we will see more in the future no doubt. I saw no issues with the city and country designs and they had the occasional interesting framing of environmental shots. On the neutral side we are yet to find out if everyone`s personalities will be interesting as all the character so far have not had a personality outside of unending admiration for their masters sword. Expectations have lowered for a High B grade experience to Low B if the animation holds together, high C if it doesnt. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4990 |
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I wonder about that. Of the former students so far Allucia seems romantically interested but as episode two made clear I would say that her mission to make Beryl famous as a swordsman is far more important to her. Her flashback showed very cleary why it is such an obsession for her to get Beryl out of the sticks and into the spotlight. Meanwhile Curuni and Ficelle show no sign of romantic interest. I find it interesting that Beryl's former pupils have such diverse career paths with adventurer, commander of the knights, sword magician among them.
I am glad for the flashback since it showed why Beryl is such a good teacher. Lucy meanwhile seems like a battle junky. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3507 |
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Me. I'd say this is a mid-grade show, but an enjoyable mid-grade show, which is an art unto itself. Some mid-grade shows make me sigh for lost potential or irritate me with their poor production values and derivative soullessness, or else constantly push multiple buttons that I find annoying in the anime subculture, like a juvenile kid mashing lots of elevator buttons at the same time.
But some are to the anime industry what waffles are to the food service industry, and I think this one falls into that category. It is clear that the MC's excessive humbleness goes way back, and I do have to wonder how it started. It's hard to believe that the scheming old grandad carping about grandkids was his sword master. |
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Cryten
Posts: 1398 |
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Well the second episode was certainly an improvement, with the flashback training being more in line with what interested me in the show from the preview, IE the efforts of being a sword master training individuals. Animation also held up for the 2nd episode, outside of the intro scene where everyone was bobbing around like dolls with no movement.
Though if this was in the Tsukimichi universe Beryl would stand little chance against magic without the team work of a balanced party, as magic offers major crowd control options to disable a combatant. I wonder how this series will handle a magic vs sword fight? Endurance? Dodging? The old Dragonball non effective? Makes for a good episode hook. @smurky: Most non ecchi Harem shows are more about all the women being appealing and wanting to spend time with the main character rather then actually demanding advancement in romantic interests. As that unbalances the Harem and asks uncomfortable questions about commitment. Take Quintuplets for example, despite several characters getting a little romantic it made sure to never unbalance the Harem. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#2
Well, some people certainly changed their tune about what this show is about after watching the second episode. I for one am quite glad this adaptation is keeping the focus squarely on Beryl, since it is his story about becoming what his student alumni have been promoting him to be for years. Almost half of the airtime is devoted to looking into Allucia's childhood under Beryl's tutelage and why she brought him into the capital as the academy instructor in the first place. Based on what is shown, it's clear the author who wrote this tale either has first-hand experience of attending a dojo in Japan or knows someone close who did. A lot of the training Allucia did when she was younger is more in line with the dojos from the samurai era when they were trained to kill rather than as a hobby. The first eighteen months of drills just to increase strength and agility along with basic swings before even proceeding with practice duels is more in line with modern basic military training than actual swordsmanship, but it certainly gave Allucia the basics she required before she was given conventional tutelage. The invitational duel with a different school in a different village really opened her eyes as to what Beryl is really capable of, and she confirmed her suspicions of just how strong Beryl is when she completed her own meteoric rise to Commander of the Knight Corps. She's a contemporary of last week's Randrid, who also said no one in his adventures surpassed his old master, so that puts her among the older of Beryl's graduate alumni. Although Allucia has her own motives for bringing Beryl to the capital (and is not afraid to mix business and pleasure at the same time), it appears she (and possibly Sulena) are the only ones who are secretly hoping to bear his babies. Beryl's other alumni students Curuni and Ficelle are much younger than them, and they treat him like most people would expect grateful students would give respect to their beloved former teacher during an alumni meeting. Ficelle in particular is a very pleasant surprise for Beryl, as he never expected his former student to not only take up magic as a new vocation but to also apply his teachings to the present day as a literal spellsword. If she's the ace Curuni builds her up to be, it's no surprise her other teacher is curious to meet the old master who she credits for imparting a swordsmanship standard worthy of praise. With the exception of Curuni who Beryl recognised instantly when she met him last week, Beryl has trouble recognising his alumni if they graduated from his school more than five years from the adaptation's present. It's testament to how many students Beryl must have taught over the years, since I have personally seen teachers do the same thing when meeting their former students after an appreciable amount of time has passed (doubly so when Beryl is in his 40s and when his students were pre-pubescent when they were attended his school). Next week looks like it's going to make up for the relative lack of action this week. The first episode was a practice duel with wooden swords that felt realistic enough under its CGI animation, but next week is going to be a completely different battle as the self-proclaimed over the hill swordsman faces the capital's chief magic instructor in a duel using their respective specialities with no handicaps. When Allucia said her instructor was way stronger than she could ever be, did she mean it to apply when he's facing opponents who don't fight him with swords in a 1-on-1 situation? Both she (and casual viewers) are about to find out. Lucia might be another example of the anime trope of the loli-granny, what with her appearance and manner of speech, but unlike her student she is treating Beryl very seriously as a strong opponent and isn't holding back in trying to burn him to a crisp. Theoretically if she keeps him at a distance where his sword can't strike her, he can't win and will eventually be ground down in a battle of attrition. His only chance of victory is getting close enough to strike her (and he's using his steel sword!) before his stamina gives out. If he's going to be the victor, this duel won't drag out. |
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Animegomaniac
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I'd rate the show as "deceptively exceptional" myself; I'm still waiting to see if the show ever gets around to explaining Beryl's "breathing technique" as that is something I've only seen in fantasy works like the Wheel of Time.
I think I know what he's doing, I want to see if the show wants me to know what he's doing yet. And, no, he wouldn't know how to rate himself against other swordmasters. Sword fighting is not what he's doing. Also, he taught the basics but he didn't teach that, no wonder his former students feel there's more to learn. |
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b-dragon
Posts: 625 |
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I like the wrists.
Weird statement, I know, but proper, "real life" swordplay (based on my extremely limited knowledge,) tends to focus on a host of minor seeming adjustments to give one opponent positional and mechanical advantage over the other. Controlling space and distance (like Beryl advises in the episode,) footwork, and adjusting one's grip on their sword are all important elements. So to me, the occasional cut-ins to a changing grip may be a cost cutting measure, but I'm also choosing to see it as a commitment to more realistic swordplay beyond the flashy moves anime typically gives us. Of course, I say that, but he ends the episode fighting a mage, and "sword magic" has been introduced. So we'll see. @ Animegomaniac : I hope that's not the case, actually. Assuming you're referring to the "Flame and Void" thing, I hope that's not a particular method or technique in this setting- because it seems like that focus would be something he'd try to teach and not doing so would seem out of place for a man defined by his swordskill and his tutelage of that sword skill. I understood it to be more of a controlled breathing exercise, something that wouldn't be uncommon in some modern sports. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4990 |
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As of episode 3 I am really liking the show. Beryl gets dragged into all kinds of adventures/danger and thanks to the flashbacks you get to understand why Beryl means so much to his former students. This week Surena was in the flashback spotlight and it makes sense for her to be an adventurer given everything she has gone through.
Adventure wise there was Lucy being a bit unhinged (I have no idea how a swordsman is supposed to win against her and in particular against that last spell), Surena being a fast one and I think the first time we see Beryl fight against a monster. Said monster can fly so that seems a tad annoying. |
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Cryten
Posts: 1398 |
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The female outfits continue to feel out of place but otherwise a quite enjoyable episode. What the show wants to be is solidifying more: harem elements but the lighter more old fashioned style, history with students which have some nice heart to them and reinforce the main element of the show which is the steady reinforcement of how good the main character is. Unless things take a drastic change I would not expect an in depth plot to start developing outside of a potential threat to his peaceful life to enable more fights.
I wonder if they will slay the beast or adopt a more pragmatic approach and just drive it off. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#3
The adaptation which is the gift which keeps on giving. Two very different duels with a third one for next week. On top of that, we learn why Surena had the reaction she did when she reunited with Beryl in episode one. Personally, if the adaptation keeps giving out episodes like this on a regular basis I can enjoy it as it is whatever others say about the adaptation's negative aspects. Good thing Lucy was only testing Beryl out rather than actually trying to kill him. Every spell she threw at him he evaded or used his sword to parry, not only that he never missed up an opportunity to get close enough to her to attack with a non-lethal attack (once with the pommel, the overhead was clearly using the blade flat). Even with her open, her ability to throw out spells at melee range to stop him from striking meant he had no chance of victory since there's no opening to exploit. If it dragged out, she could easily have used her lightning spells to finish him off. That final spell which would have turned him into minced meat (some kind of gravity well) wasn't unleashed, and even she was surprised he could see the spell being prepared and just about stayed out of its range. Unfortunately his performance impressed Lucy so much he even earned her recommendation with the adventurer's guild. Learning how Lucy used her magic to keep herself looking like that and that the adventurer guild master is an old friend of hers, it's not difficult to guess how old she would really look without her glamour. Coupled with his ex-student being a black-rank adventurer, Beryl is invited to expand his job remit (which his students absolutely want since they believe he deserves more than languishing in his village dojo). Unsurprisingly Beryl has to prove himself to the adventurer's guild, so a practice duel with Surena is proposed. The duel with Surena is more in line with the duel against Henritz; more detail given since it's what the animators are focusing on as the strikes have a basis with actual sword styles. As before, Beryl focuses on defence allowing him to assess what his opponent is capable of prior to using any small opportunity from an observed weakness to counterattack and finish the duel (I do like the focus on how he breaks her guard with that almost impossible strike before downing her). The second time in one episode Beryl has had to deal with a flurry of attacks, and he passed both tests with flying colours. All the more impressive given how different the duels were, and it makes his own observation about his reaction speeds being above average for someone his age even more of an understated joke than it first appeared. Comparing Beryl from last week and this week even casual viewers can tell Surena was one of his first students who made it big (as of this episode). Beryl in his 20s clearly looks younger than his 30s version which taught Allucia, but the style is the same as he always praises his students whenever they do something right and offers advice where he can (he recommended she switch to twin blades, which she did despite being trained in the basics with a longsword). It's also implied why Surena doesn't like the Knight Corps (by extension Allucia as their head); they weren't there for her family when that huge beast attacked their carriage and killed her parents. The dislike was there before Surena discovered Allucia was a junior disciple under Beryl, the common connection (as well as how both of them love him much more than the other two alumni) makes their relationship even more prickly than it already was. Given next week's episode title (and PV3 of this adaptation), we're going to find out exactly how and why Beryl is going to do what the title says. It'll be his first duel against a non-human opponent and the first cooperative duel as well since Surena is fighting alongside him. Stakes are high; not only are they fighting for their survival as well as for the two greenhorn adventurers hiding in the cave, they cannot let the duel drag out for too long if possible since the third greenhorn is grievously wounded by the gryphon's claws. Not an ordinary gryphon either, some kind of named specimen with a special designation. Surena didn't reach Black Rank by just capturing bandits alone, so time to see just how applicable the village dojo teacher's skills are against actual monsters (and an interesting contrast to just how much stronger he has become since he was younger, impetuous and less skilled than he is now). |
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