The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

Episode 8

While it was not a triumph of nuanced writing to make the collar around Sera's neck the equivalent of an engagement ring, it is a good example of why some women dislike the tradition. Originally engagement, and wedding, rings were only worn by women in European cultures going back to Greco-Roman days. They were meant as a symbol of ownership – “this woman belongs to a man who is not her father.” These were also the days when women weren't necessarily citizens with rights of their own, but property transferred from father to husband. Today the practice is seen as more equal and romantic because both parties wear rings, but I can't help noticing that only women in this series are wearing the collars.

It's not a great look, and it's part and parcel of the show's struggles with how it depicts its female characters. While I do like that Sera can take it off by simply adamantly rejecting its existence, having her spend the episode chasing Veor around in a bid to get it put back on feels a little awkward. That's largely Resia's fault, because being a twit about getting Sera and Veor together on her schedule is frankly annoying. But the whole situation not only makes Sera look very silly and a little too credulous, it also leans into the idea that all women desperately want to get married.

I'm fairly certain that that was not the episode's intent. I think it really just wanted an excuse for Sera to chase Veor like an unhinged weirdo and to show that he's always very aware of her presence. It's clearly meant to be a more lighthearted entry in the overall series. But like many of its actions where women are concerned, it doesn't quite pull it off – poor Sera comes off looking less competent than she really is, and it does lean into those unpleasant stereotypes. That's largely because we haven't really been given a reason for Sera to like Veor. He's a nice enough guy, sure, but we haven't gotten to know him that well. There's no real reason for Sera to be so enamored of the idea of marrying him – especially since he never told her what the collar signified in the first place.

That's not to say that some of Sera's attempts at sneaking up on Veor aren't funny. Why she thought “I'll swim out to his boat and climb aboard and he'll never notice me!” is beyond my understanding (have you ever tried to climb into a rowboat on open water?), but it's definitely entertaining that she tried. Likewise his exhausted, “The hat's not helping, Sera” comment is amusing, especially since the poor guy's just trying to find exciting things for her to eat despite her very bizarre behavior. I'm not sure how he thought Malcius, with her totally different hair color, was Sera (maybe he's got some form of color blindness?), but his aghast spluttering after Sera successfully dumps her water on him is one of the better depicted scenes in the episode.

It stands out because so much of the rest of the episode looks…not good. We have a return of the repetitive chore hands – this time Cersei and Malcius shelling something endlessly – Sera looks like she runs into a painted backdrop rather than hits a tree, and in at least one scene, her arms are ridiculously long. Despite the shoujo-style Sera-Vision scene of beardless Veor, this is not a show you watch for the visuals.

I admit to finding this series frustrating, and that feeling is only growing as it goes on. There's a good story in here somewhere (maybe in the manga?), but what we're getting just isn't working for me. I always hope I'll enjoy everything I review, but sometimes it just doesn't happen…and between the visuals and some of the ways women are written, this may be one of those shows.

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Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.