SAND LAND: THE SERIES

Episode 8

With every episode, I continue to be impressed by Sand Land. A lot of this is because of the perfect characterization of Rao. In the first arc, he was a broken man—weighed down by his perceived sins of decades before. But now that his self-imposed atonement is complete—now that he has started to forgive himself—he is letting himself do something he hasn't since the day “General Shiva” died: find joy in life.

While he was always kind to others—as his emotional trauma taught him to judge people by their own merits rather than simply trusting in what he had been told—we've never truly seen him let go and have fun. That changes this episode. Seeing him join in the water-sliding excitement is a cathartic moment for the character. He no longer needs to hold back. He can enjoy being with his friends to whom he owes so much. Yes, they are on a life-or-death mission with both personal and real-world stakes but Rao knows better than most how important it is to seize the moment with those you love—because such a chance may never come again.

Speaking of their mission, this episode does a lot to fill in the backstory for the arc. Ann is a Princess, her father is the deposed king, and much of the rebellion seems to be made up of the members of her father's old government. However, the baddies have set a trap for Ann, attempting to lure her out with the public execution of her father. It's all good stuff and is used for a great mix of action and character-building.

Ann and Beelzebub find themselves paired up and continue to play off of each other wonderfully. The two are both royal heirs—both trying their best to live up to their roles. Moreover, both are headstrong and immature—yet are good souls underneath. So it makes sense that the two butt heads constantly.

Meanwhile, Rao and Theif are once again tasked with breaking into a military facility. However, instead of going in Theif's way, they go in Rao's—i.e., through the front door with bravado and confidence. The pair also get a decent fight scene with Rao putting the non-lethal Picchi weapon he got last episode to good use.

Even thing ends on a great cliffhanger. Rao and Theif have the Aquanium in hand but have been discovered by Bred. Then, on the outside, Beelzebub is confronted by Muniel, preventing him from saving Ann's father while Ann herself is alone in the crowd, moments away from watching her father die. To say I'm on the edge of my seat would be an understatement.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I don't believe for a second that that's Ann's father on stage.

• The clouds preventing Beelzebub from powering up in the moonlight is a pretty clear foreshadowing that he's about to get his butt kicked.

• Rao wins fights because he never hesitates. Once the decision to fight is made, he is all in.

• The interesting question raised in this episode is: “Does Bred know Rao from reputation or does he know him personally?”

SAND LAND: THE SERIES is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.