Forum - View topic(The) Faraway Paladin (TV).
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2841 |
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#10
Any questions on why this series is called the "Faraway Paladin" should be answered. Up to this point, Will is categorised as a warrior priest, so he needed royal sponsorship to be appointed the title. It's a clever solution to last week's sticky situation, so smart writing at work here. I'm not entirely sold on the premise that Bagley is very devout but also a canny administrator and politician. He's definitely the latter, Will and his immediate subordinate rate him on this. Regardless, he has a point that the Gods can and will withdraw their blessings at any time if they see their disciples as unworthy of the gifts. So far, Will is doing everything expected of him both in the public and religious aspects so no risk of him falling down that route any time soon. A side effect of having undead tutors teaching someone in a bubble is the real risk of their teachings being out of date. Turns out William's religious education from Mary and Gus needs upgrading, so he has no choice if he wants to fit in. His previous teachings didn't impact his ability to work with Gracefeel, so it's probably a societal pressure he has to deal with. The Warrior featured in the ED finally makes his bow. Will can work with him, since he's almost like Blood when he was alive. No thanks to Bee, if they survive their next adventure a duel has been arranged no matter what state the two of them will be in. "The Penetrator", so I'm assuming he's really good at cracking any time of armoured foe with his powerful greatsword. Will wanted to kick despair in the face, well the next episode is appropriately enough the Valley of Despair. He'll get his opportunity quickly, but will it be as smooth as he makes it out to be? |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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It might be just because I binged the second season of The Witcher, but my response to the new warrior was saying it is Geralt. Before showing him as a warrior puts a front of wanting to be properly paid while holding some stock in what the right thing to do is, and has a history with a bard (Bee) of going off to kill things but skimping on the details which require some level of embellishment. I was actually just yesterday saying that I enjoy both the characters Bee and Jaskier in fitting in the perfect fantasy bard.
And I guess if Will is a knight it won't look so bad for him essentially be taking it on himself to protect areas of the land. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2841 |
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#11
Will did say he wanted to give Despair a kick to the face, it looks like it was the other way round. Not quite famous last words, but he's got a taste of what most adventurers in this world experience when they've survived death but with the loss of others. Tonio and Bee might be non-combatants, but without their participation progress through the Woods would be nowhere near as smooth as it was made out to be at the start. Credit to the series in highlighting the importance of the support crew which every successful fantasy adventure party requires for sustained success. Will hasn't had a misfire with the spells since way back in episode 1. It seems to have been the trigger for the Deux Ex Machina that is the Demonblade. It's fine that Will has been humble and self-effacing despite being the product of three famous (undead) adventurer's years of education, but I'm not sure him swinging over to the other end would be welcome. Reystov with his years of experience will need to give help at some point, since I'm guessing he recognises the blade and its previous owner. Second season has been announced, so next week's episode won't be the last. With more airtime, I'm wondering if Will recovers enough to lead the expedition into the Demon lair. That would be a great setup for the next season and showcase more adventures on the side. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (season finale)
I was going to say that it was ending a bit awkwardly, having the enemy just defeated off screen by the merc, before going into sort of flashback credit role of the series, and then we got one last bit showing that the song being Bee's. Also, Will proved himself to have still not understand the situation he created, needing to have to pointed out to him after the fact that he essentially set up the woods as his territory as the lord. I guess his thinking of being made a first generation knight, supported by the church, didn't give him such power, not realising that the whole thing in that ceremony was so that he didn't look like an usurper rather than having allegiances to the kingdom already. I rather enjoyed the show, where to me it had a touch of being serious while also not too dire, good atmosphere while not needing to mess with any super perverse stuff like some other such fantasy shows have. There is nothing like a harem, that hand holding between Will and and Menel has my shipping goggles on, even without Bee literally making a joke of them being a pair from her rewriting the tale to make him a girl. It really doesn't seem that important. The non-combat characters didn't feel tacked on or gimmicky, I could watch a lot more of Bee and Tonio, more that one show about micromanaging a fantasy kingdom. I think partially happy in how true to Western fantasy it is, along the lines you see in D&D; paladin with an oath, halfling bard that tells stories, and a halfling ranger who is in tuned with nature. About by biggest criticism is that it was maybe a touch too slow, for doing a single season. No shade that the first arc seemed important in informing us as what kind of person Will would become, his teachers and parents, and them being undead was also kind of fun. It just maybe took a little while for him to get out on his own, meet his first companion, and then get the rest of a party. Granted, Will is strong as to not always need a group, I think it did kind of avoid some problems that can come from OP protagonist, giving him other flaws like naivete to pair with his earnestness. I also think it worked well that the real conflict of the season was not whether he can be awesome enough, but his ideas of isolation where the idea that he might be a bit of a monster does seem to hurt him. He had to accept being someone's friend, to lean on them and let them have that risk of not as strong as him. It does otherwise feel like half the show was just the lamenting past hero tale of Gus, Blood and Mary, and I would like a bit more of the titular paladin. My rating for the season will be Very good (8/10). A good fantasy show that doesn't have any of the often trappings that might feel otaku like, the sort of thing that makes a lot of other Wester styled anime feel like pale copies of not understanding Western fantasy elements, but a little slow that might feel a bit little as an only season. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2841 |
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#12
The finale follows a conventional model; it requires Meneldor to knock some sense into his friend so that they can rouse themselves for a proper crack at the demon army. After that, everything goes well enough for Will and Menel to earn themselves another ballad for their growing fame. Last episode, so the animators did what they could with the action set-pieces. More focus this time on the manticore, with Menel and Will sharing a more equal burden in taking the beast down. Interestingly, Reystov still claims the biggest prize of all and shares one secret with the main pair on why he's so successful yet declines so many interviews. He's clearly capable, but has so much experience that he'll use whoever or whatever is available to get to his main target expending as little energy and time as possible. Very good finale song done by Bee's VA. As strong as Will is, without Meneldor he'll get into more trouble than he can handle because of his lack of political awareness. Now that he has a support crew backing him to the hilt, he is now capable of fulfilling his vow to a much greater degree than he ever could had he stayed as a solo adventurer. The series harks back to a time of the more conventional fantasy tales more closely tied to games than the current crop of light novels on a fantasy theme. Fine by me, since a conventional model can still tell a good story if all of the ingredients are in place. Having spent so much time with Will since the very start, audiences either love him enough to stick to the end or loathe him and quit watching it early. Those who stayed to the end should have enjoyed the experience; all that remains is for the home sales to do well to convince the animators to do another season. I'm hoping for another, since Will's tale has yet to end and the episode ending hints at what his final goal is. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2841 |
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S2 #1
A second season airing sooner than I expected, but the broadcast timing could not be more unfortunate. Not only are there many competitors this season, quite a few of them are in the same genre as this show. It is especially bad when one of those competitors is Sousou no Frieren, which this show shares some similarities with but doesn't compare well against. I'm watching both regardless, since I liked the story told in the first season. A cold open for the new season, with no introduction or summary of the first season. Life progresses slowly for Will and company, as he focuses on reconstruction and the mundane tasks of building up a settlement's financial lifelines while keeping up public relations as the recent Wyvern-slaying hero. This one-off arc with the bard Bee might be a harbinger of things to come, or it could just be another way to settle audiences back in to the general atmosphere of the series. Perhaps the exposition on the nature of Magic and its best Exponents might come be important later on. The OP animation features a few new faces, so Will looks like he's going to part of another major expedition. Given the series title, the Lord of the Mountains of Rust looks to be the season's antagonist, but we viewers have learnt nothing about it so far. A few episodes down the line should solve this. |
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Edjwald
 Posts: 1115 |
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I almost dropped this show last season because I got bored in the second half, but I stuck with it because the art's purdy and I like the main character even if he can be a bit bland. I was surprised to find I enjoyed the first episode of season 2 fine. I like anime about people trying to build up towns or fiefs or even kingdoms, so Will's efforts to make his territory a paper supplier were kind of cool. And I liked the isolated magic academy and its groundskeeper too. It may be that I like the show better as a slice of life.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1907 |
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Paladin is one of those shows that takes its time to tell a complete story. That usually means that a lot of time is spent to built up the beginning and training/growing to become ready for the adventure part. Not unlike cleric of last season, though that one went a bit overboard in how little happened in the first half.
The first episode of the second season really spends no time at all to reintroduce the characters and setting. It continues right from last season and if you forgot about it, tough luck. I like the episode in that Will is thinking of the future of the territory and who does need love a mysterious magic school. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Took me a bit to remember what this show was about, but then I recalled it was with the great halfling bard character.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2841 |
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S2 #2
Last week's episode was a one-off designed to ease casual viewers back into the franchise. This episode can be considered the proper first episode of the season, as no time is wasted getting the exposition down after a quick side quest which conveniently serves as the episode's action set piece for the week. Meneldor gets most of the spotlight this episode, both for his role in the eventual success of the tree quest as well as his newly awakened powers thanks to the unanticipated consequences of contracts forged with powerful nature spirits. It was a bit of a surprise starting the episode like that, but starting a tale in the middle is an old and established narrative trope which I thought was used well after viewers get their bearings. The rest of the episode deals with the season title, and what our main duo find themselves up against now that the general setting has been laid out. Not sure how the next few episodes will go, since there's ostensibly information gathering and expedition logistics to take care of before embarking on the quest to deal with the Flame in the Rust Mountains. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lord in question is a fire-breathing dragon, but not enough information right now for casual viewers to definitely identify who's in charge over there. There's also the matter of the new and returning characters to (re)introduce before the expedition can set off proper. I'm not expecting the plot to advance too quickly, even with just a quarter to work with so might as well enjoy what's on offer without setting expectations high. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1907 |
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Yeah, this episode was a good reminder of why the continent at one time ended up abandoned. Sure, they are slowly building up again now, but their past is a bloody and tragic one and it is not like the demons have gone away either. I liked the first half in that it was indeed an interesting side quests with some hefty consequences for Meneldor, though maybe becoming an eternal tree to facilitate the seasons is not that bad an eventual end.
As for the danger from the Rust Mountains, I can not imagine it being anything but an evil dragon. When you hear mountain, big bad and flame only one thing comes to mind. Though it will probably be a few episodes of prep time before that. |
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Gisan Otaku
Posts: 84 |
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First off, I am glad this show is back and I'm looking forward to what comes.
Secondly, is it just me or does one of dwarves look a little like Thorin Oakenshield? |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1115 |
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Not to mention that it's apparently squatting on dwarven territory/treasure. Couldn't help but think of Frieren while Meneldor was talking about the perspective and choices offered to elves with longer life spans. |
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Sariachan
 Posts: 1493 Location: Italy |
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Was the first episode purely filler, or an adaptation of a side story or similar, separate from the main arcs? About the second episode, I know it's pretty much the same in the novels too, but Menel's acquired power felt too random and sudden to me; a proper arc, or at least mini-arc, for it would have worked better imho. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1907 |
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The first episode is part of the manga, no idea if it is in the novels, but it does not seem to be filler.
As for episode 3, it is indeed a dragon that is the big bad this season. Though given the army of demons at his disposal, things are going to be a bit difficult this time. The past of the dwarves is a tragic one, all the warriors died fighting for their land and the rest had to flee in hope to live and fight (eventually) another day. At least now they have a relatively safe place to start a new life at (or die in peace at). As for the new thane.....I am gonna need to see some more of him before forming an opinion. He seems to be rather timid for a member of a warrior race, yet he did stick up for what he truly wants to do in the end. As for William, he may look relatively harmless, but warriors and even drunks realize that you do not want to fight with him. |
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