Episode 5 of The Beginning After the End , released on April 30th, introduces us to the Kingdom of Elenoir, where Tessia lives with her parents, Alduin and Merial Eralith, king and queen of the elven kingdom, and her grandfather Virion Eralith, former ruler of the kingdom. Furthermore, despite the elves' clear aversion to humans, Arthur is accepted into the castle and recounts his recent journey to the Eralith family. Also, the boy is tested by Virion and receives a tempting offer.
At the end of the previous episode, when the elves capture Arthur, Tessia has a strange expression, as if she's angry about something. However, in the current chapter, the girl asks the guards to release Arthur, since the boy saved her and took her safely to the Kingdom of Elenoir.
The Beginning After the End: Arthur discovers that Tessia is a princess
Fearing Arthur might be a dangerous child, the guards hesitate to release him. However, they do so when Virion Eralith, Tessia's grandfather, orders them to leave the boy alone. In the episode, the elves' antipathy towards humans is clear, due to some of their attitudes and the dangers they represent to the people of Elenoir. Despite Tessia's help, the boy still thinks about that strange expression on the elf's face when they arrived in the elven kingdom.
After thanking Arthur for saving his granddaughter, Virion mentions that the little elf girl is the princess of Elenoir, a revelation that surprises the boy, since, during the scene, he reflects that nothing about her had given the slightest impression of that. Tessia's parents also show reluctance towards the human at first, but, with much insistence from their daughter, they accept Arthur's presence in the castle.
As soon as they arrive at the castle, Arthur decides to reveal what happened to his family and how he met Tessia, as well as how he saved her. The girl's father and the guards present find it hard to believe that young Leywin was able to rescue the elf from the hands of slave traders using only his power.
However, Arthur remains steadfast and takes the opportunity to ask King Alduin for help in finding his family, who are in the Sapin Kingdom. Tessia's father explains to the boy that the teleportation portal to the Sapin Kingdom is only accessible to the council of rulers of the three races, held every seven years, and the next one will be in five. Therefore, Alduin says he cannot allow a human to remain in Elenoir for so long and promises an escort to take him to his family.
Virion Eralith tests Arthur's abilities
During the episode, it becomes clear that Arthur misses his parents, especially in the scene where he witnesses the king and queen's joy when they are with Tessia. The boy begins to wonder if his parents will also be that happy when they meet again, since he believes it was his fault that the family was in danger.
At the end of the episode, Arthur is challenged by Virion, who wants to test the boy's skills and magic. Unfortunately, once again, the action scene leaves something to be desired. The static images hinder the dynamism of the moment, preventing the viewer from immersing themselves.
After Arthur wins the test, Virion invites him to be his apprentice. The boy, worried about his family, considers refusing. However, Tessia's grandfather says there's a way to let his parents know. Furthermore, Virion seems to know the reason for the intense pain in Arthur's core, since, in the final scene, while Leywin feels a sharp pain, he asks the boy to accept becoming his apprentice, because otherwise he will die.
The animation displeases fans with its excessive use of static scenes during fights
The Beginning After the End is an anime where we should appreciate the narrative. Unfortunately, the animation, especially in fight scenes, isn't pleasing fans. This is because static images are used in moments that should prioritize movement. However, this doesn't mean the plot isn't interesting.
Following the journey of a boy who still holds memories of his past life generates, at the very least, curiosity about who he was. The flashbacks, which occur throughout the episodes of the series, heighten the desire to understand what happened in his other life. Furthermore, it's moving to watch Arthur's personality gradually change, especially in relation to his family.
Many fans of the original work were disappointed with the animation, even starting a petition for those responsible to abandon this version and begin a new one. However, the author spoke out and asked for public support. Now, we must hope that the anime remains faithful to the plot of the original work and delivers everything the audience expects from the narrative.
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