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passionate-reply · 3 years

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This week on Great Albums: we are FINALLY talking about the Pet Shop Boys! They’ve only been my favourite band since I was, like, eight. Whether you want to understand the hype or you’re already Team PSB, come check out this video and hear all about 1990′s Behaviour. (Or read the transcript, below the break.)

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! It’s time for me to finally do a video on one of my favourite bands of all time, and the very first band I obsessed over when I was a kid: the Pet Shop Boys! Their fourth LP, 1990’s Behaviour, is considered by many to be their best work, and it’s also one of my personal favourites of theirs, so it seems like a great place to start.

The preceding Pet Shop Boys LP, 1988’s Introspective, was their deepest dive into densely-arranged, nightclub-ready post-disco compositions. Nowadays, people tend to praise it for its more experimental and baroque qualities, but it’s also very much a party album, blending synth-pop with house and rave influences.

Music: “Domino Dancing”

At the cusp of the 1990s, there was certainly no shortage of interest in upbeat, rave-y party music, and the so-called “Madchester” scene was in full swing. But the Pet Shop Boys’ follow-up to Introspective would take their sound in a different direction. They went to Germany to work with Harold Faltermeyer, best known for his instrumental synth smash “Axel F.” There, surrounded by Faltermeyer’s collection of analogue synthesisers, they would create an album that was...well, kind of a downer.

Music: “Being Boring”

Behaviour’s opener, “Being Boring,” is a track whose reputation probably precedes it--it’s one of the best known Pet Shop Boys songs, and over the last thirty years, it’s become emblematic of its era. “Being Boring” is a stark and pensive reflection on the tragedy of the young lives lost to the AIDS epidemic, and the uncanny strangeness of getting older while knowing a lot of others didn’t have that luxury. But at the same time, there’s something surprisingly jubilant and triumphant about the way that chorus rises up, almost like exultation at having survived, even though the verses feel more downbeat. Lyrically, the focus on “having never been boring” puts focus on having lived a vibrant life moreso than it does the silence of the crypt. Behaviour might be a somber album, but it’s not without a sense of hope or optimism; just listen to the track “The End of the World.”

Music: “The End of the World”

While “Being Boring” deals with the very adult gravity of death, grief, and survivorship, “The End of the World” asks us to imagine the petty romantic squabblings of teenagers, and their magnified sense of importance. While its title is a bit ambiguous, the song itself is quite clear: what is going on here is, by no means, the end of the world! Like I said, Behaviour is far from all doom and gloom, though it has sort of gotten that reputation. While acclaim for Behaviour is certainly as common among hardcore Pet Shop Boys fans as it is anyone else, I’m tempted to think that some of the praise it receives from relative outsiders is connected to this perception of it as the “serious” Pet Shop Boys album, that deals with real issues instead of being packed with fun pop songs. While I like gloomy, serious music as much as anybody, and personally prefer it to the more light-hearted releases, there’s no reason to predicate appreciation for the Pet Shop Boys on their being cerebral or high-minded. But that seems to be a common plague of a lot of music criticism, particularly of that rockist sort. The track “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?” serves as its own sort of commentary on rock culture.

Music: “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?”

In “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?”, the titular question is posed to rock stars whose inflated egos make them think they have something meaningful to say about big issues like politics. The song’s rougher soundscape stands out against dreamier tracks like “Being Boring,” and perhaps kicks it slightly closer to sounding like a rock song. While I can certainly get behind a song that mocks rock and roll self-righteousness, it does seem a bit ironic in the context of Behaviour, an album that would see the Pet Shop Boys making a clear effort to tackle meaty, real-world issues. I suppose that any album released by artists who were already established in their career might be expected to include some consideration for the dilemmas that come with that territory. Another track that explores this theme is “My October Symphony.”

Music: “My October Symphony”

While never released as a single, “My October Symphony” is a popular track nonetheless. It was inspired by the life of the great Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, and portrays the grave uncertainties presented to the artist by the collapse of Communism, and with it, the prevailing sense of mythology and moral values. Given the themes involved, many have interpreted it as a track that obliquely questions where famous queer artists like the Pet Shop Boys were going, in a world that had been devastated by AIDS. While it’s about a very different kind of musician, I certainly like to think it’s a track that “rhymes” with “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?”, in that it also questions the relationship between artists and the values of the society around them.

Behaviour’s cover art recalls that of the Pet Shop Boys’ 1986 debut, Please, with a strong emphasis on empty, white space, and a small design in the center. While the relationship of its four panels is ambiguous, it could be interpreted as a representation of death--as a face turns away, the human figures disappear, leaving the still, unchanged inanimate objects behind. As children, we quickly learn that not being able to see something doesn’t mean the thing is truly gone, but nevertheless, we sometimes have a tendency to ignore things we wish would go away. Perhaps the cover of Behaviour is an allusion to the way world governments buried their heads in the sand, so to speak, regarding the AIDS crisis, hoping it would conveniently die down and vanish when it wasn’t being observed.

The title of “Behaviour” is perhaps even more mysterious and up to interpretation than the cover. There’s something very detached and clinical about that word--an impersonal ambiance. I’m reminded of the seemingly unsympathetic narrators of several tracks, such as “The End of the World” and “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?”, that seem to cast judgment on the actions of others without taking an interest in their emotional internality. They discuss “behaviours” as cut and dry phenomena, and focus on the actions that people take. While neutrality can be cold and condemnatory, it can also be a welcome change when introduced to a subject traditionally treated with hostility. In that light, I’m tempted to think of the title as referring to homosexual “behaviour,” contextualizing sexuality as less of a fixed identity, and something that one intrinsically “is,” and more about an action, a decision, something that one “does”--a mentality that a lot of people find rather liberating.

In introducing Behaviour, I described it as an album that’s often considered the Pet Shop Boys’ best work. But their 1993 followup to it, Very, is also a strong contender for that title, in the hearts of many of their biggest fans. *Very* has a lot more in common with *Introspective* than it does Behaviour, going back to rich, dense productions and upbeat, poppy love songs. The fact that the Pet Shop Boys managed to pull off two very different, but both very acclaimed, releases back to back speaks volumes about why people love them as much as they do. Whether you like them or not, they’re undoubtedly one of those artists who some people can turn to in just about any mood, or any season of life, and that’s a powerful thing.

Music: “I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing”

My favourite track on Behaviour is its lead single, “So Hard.” It’s one of my all-time favourite Pet Shop Boys tracks, and almost certainly my favourite of their singles. With its wryly bitter narrative of two-timing lovers, and harsh, clattering analogue synthesiser soundscape, “So Hard” has a pretty different feel to the rest of the album--dark and ominous, without that wistful, sentimental aura. But that’s exactly why I like it. The Pet Shop Boys were among the first artists to deliberately adopt analogue synths for the subjective qualities of their sound, and this track employs them in a way that’s reminiscent of what artists tend to do with them nowadays. It’s punchy, with that clunky, mechanistic analogue quality to it. Not a typical Pet Shop Boys song, but a damn good one nonetheless! That’s all I’ve got for today, thanks for listening.

Outro: “So Hard”

#music #pet shop boys #album review #album reviews #great albums

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theholycovenantrpg · 3 years

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CONGRATULATIONS, DANI! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF NERISSA.

Admin Cas: Each of the Horsemen are ruination in some form, but Nerissa’s ruination is something harsh, brutal, almost guttural, and you captured that perfectly, Dani! You said it best yourself: they want to taste war. I think the stand out for me was the clear direction you have for Nerissa, even though so many of her actions seem like they have no order — we especially loved the idea of her sowing seeds of discontent and aggression among the different factions, fanning the flames of a... pretty tenuous peace. Not only that, but your understanding of the Horsemen as a unit was just so touching. Somehow you made me love them even more. Honestly, I can’t wait to see what chaos you stir up with Nerissa! Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Danielle

Age | Aged 21 years old.

Personal Pronouns | She/her.

Activity Level | It honestly will probably fluctuate! Only because I have work gradually coming back at the end of this month, and University looming over the horizon. I’m currently on Summer break, so I would probably most likely more be 7/10 but when everything comes back into full swing most likely a bit less like 5-6.

Timezone | AEST aka the timezone from hell or EST+9 I think.

Triggers | REMOVED

How did you find the group? | Honestly I follow all the right people and it was inevitable that I found this group. (I wholeheartedly and fully blame Rosey, Cas & Minnie for bullying or heavily encouraging me into finally applying.)

Current/Past RP Accounts | Sorry I don’t really have any good ones to showcase !

IN CHARACTER

Character |

Nerissa. If I’m lucky enough to be accepted, I would like to change her faceclaim but definitely would like to be in discussions with the Admin Team about who would be acceptable!

What drew you to this character? |

Okay honestly I originally wasn’t going to apply to this roleplay due to a complete and utter lack of time, but Nerissa just kept coming back to my mind, and especially her bio. She just has such a lovely written and absolutely capturing biography, and is such a meaty character herself that is an absolute wild and utter spitfire, how could I not be drawn to her and inevitably love her? I particularly was drawn to the fact that she seems like a neutral chaotic baby which I think makes her an interesting piece to be placed upon the chess board. I could lament, rant and rave about how much I’ve grown to love her through writing this application, but I’m going to put a stop here because otherwise this application would be way too long.

What future plots do you have in mind for the character? |

Keeping in mind that all of these plots could change depending on player’s and their characters, here are just some ideas I had with regards to Nerissa’s future. But honestly, I’m very open to anything and everything when it comes to her future, and I totally understand if the Admins disagree with any of these points! Also I’m gonna apologise in advance for all the type of warmongering future plots I did come up with for Nerissa.

FUTURE 001 — I think it would be interesting to explore what types of people would hire Nerissa for her skills, especially as a deadly Assassin. I definitely feel like the reason the Horsemen became Assassins was largely in part because of Nerissa; especially as she never was quite able to raze the carnage that she had so vividly dreamed up in Purgatory. I think I definitely would like to see which factions and particular individuals are interested in utilising the Horsemen to carry out their deeds; and what it could potentially mean if they decided to hire the Horsemen for nefarious deeds; such as waging war against another faction. For a group that works for the highest bidder, I think it would be intriguing to see where exactly their allegiances would lie, and definitely whether they would want to court chaos, or back a particular side, or even make their own. (I think in terms of Nerissa she’d be the type to desire chaos and destruction, voting to go to War like her namesake, especially with her insatiable appetite for carnage.)

FUTURE 002 — There is nothing more disappointing to Nerissa than the fact that she was not able to utilise her abilities to wage war the moment she escaped Purgatory. (It was all she had dreamed up of as she lay trapped in her bone kingdom; desiring for just one taste of carnage.) It is almost as if she never quite got to fulfil her true purpose. This in turn leads to my belief that she secretly covets and desires for something to happen amongst the factions; and for the new world’s tenuous peace to finally be broken. With the Tridium no longer at peace with one another, I feel like Nerissa would definitely profit from a war breaking out; her abilities causing dissent between those that were once comrades — and now battling against one another upon the battlefield. Be it on purpose, or perhaps by accident, I definitely think it would be interesting to explore Nerissa’s role if a war broke out against the Angels, Mortals and Demons.

FUTURE 003 — The Horsemen are something that are incredibly important to Nerissa. In a world filled with potential enemies and people that she will eventually smite; she has found companionship amongst Dmitri, Ryuk and Viktoria. And although she never meant to find it in the others, the fact that they share hunger in such a similar way to her, the fact that they’ve starved and suffered through Purgatory together has bonded them (although they were separate) — and I definitely would be interested to explore Nerissa’s intimate relationships with the other three. I would consider them tethered together for life; especially since all they have experienced. Not only that, but because of their shared common interests of pacifying their cravings and shared hunger. And in particular Ryuk; someone who has hungered almost as much as she has, is someone that Nerissa particularly shares a tight kinship with, and is someone that she feels understands her like no one else can.

I also think that this illustrates another side to Nerissa. From someone who is the warmonger, who hungers for glorious ruination, when it comes to the Horsemen and herself, it illustrates that she isn’t doesn’t just have one simple facet, but has another where perhaps a softer side arises. Although Nerissa could never anticipate that she would gain such companionship with the others; here she was. With three other people who actually understood what it meant to hunger for something so deeply; had endured Purgatory together with herself; shaping a bond — one that is unexplainable; inextricable. And it is through this that it has forged the Horsemen to be such a formidable force, and is why they are so famed. I imagine that she spends much of her time with them, and that when they are in the midst of carrying out assassinations, they know each other so well that no words need to be said — they can just work together seamlessly for each mission. For someone who is considered neutral in the wars against the Mortals, Angels and Demons (in at least my books), I think that Nerissa would go through anything for the other three, unafraid to swing her blade against anyone and everyone to save them.

FUTURE 003 — I definitely would like to explore Nerissa sharing her abilities with others; training them up so that they are better with their weapons. I imagine she allows herself to do so, either for the offer of gold, or even perhaps so that others will be more of a threat upon the field and not so predictably easy to tear down when battling against her. (I picture Nerissa to be slightly arrogant when it comes to battling others; finding ease with any weapon and enjoying being in various skirmishes and scenarios against others.) I find the notion of her training Arianne something that is particularly interesting, especially as each of them have agendas against one another. Is it that Nerissa eventually seeks to have a prodigy that is capable of utter ruinous destruction just like herself? Or is it that she truly just is fascinated in the potential of Arianne and what ruins she can beckon out? Honestly I’m just so excited at the prospect of Nerissa’s interaction when it comes to teaching others about something that she is passionate about; warfare and utilising different weapons — I feel like she’d be in utter teacher mode, perhaps even snarky like Severus Snape. Especially as it is something that comes so naturally to herself (especially with her gifts), I imagine she would lose her patience when others had trouble with weapons.

FUTURE 004 — As a warmonger, someone who thrives off of catastrophic violence and vengeance, Caphriel is someone who is completely different to Nerissa’s nature. And I definitely am intrigued in the possibilities of exploring the interactions with the pair! Especially since I could liken it to a wolf with their prey; with Caphriel’s personality drawing Nerissa’s attention like a moth to a flame. Perhaps it is because Caphriel is so wholly good — everything that she is not. As she is so unlike herself; there is something about Caphriel that Nerissa desires to tear apart and see what carnage is wrought out. It amuses Nerissa with the hostility she receives from the other, and I would think that she absolutely thrives off of the games she seeks to play with Caphriel to see exactly what buttons she can push to have the other respond in a fashion that battles against their innately loving nature. I think Caphriel incites the playful, yet deadly nature within Nerissa; and reminds others of her lethal nature (if they didn’t already know!) that lies beneath as she attempts to pick apart the compassionate angel.

FUTURE 005 — As her abilities allow for her to incite aggression and violence on those about her; I wonder if Nerissa would be one of the people who would be interested in the splintering of the trio of Michael, Raphael and Gabriel; perhaps even being an indirect cause of it. As a naturally gifted battle strategist, perhaps does she see it in her fortune/and the Horsemen’s to have the three split apart to allow for war to outbreak? Or perhaps does she seek to weaken the Angel faction for another, having been recruited for her abilities to slowly create an image of dissent and aggression between the once tight trio that are already starting to splinter and slowly grow apart from one another. I think there are just so many possibilities for Nerissa when it comes to the chasm that is forming with the trio; and what the future could lead to, especially since she acts as an Assassin and is driven by the highest bidder. Of course, she may not even be an influence into the trio at all; but if the repercussions of the trio’s splintering result in some sort of carnage — I can only imagine that Nerissa’s attention would definitely be piqued, and that she desire to be involved, especially for the potential of waging war.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? |

Definitely, under the right circumstances.

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation |

I believe that Nerissa’s motivation and actions definitely stem from the moment she was created. With her creation deriving from a single drop of God’s own blood — it was inevitable that she would be something divine. And with this divinity and a chosen purpose divined by God, came the insatiable hunger for something more; developing into an appetite that desired to taste war. However, I do believe that this craving for carnage is not just because of God’s decisions and choice to have a warrior made from his own flesh and blood, but also because of the abilities she is gifted with. As she is extremely proficient in inciting aggression in those that are about her, and is naturally gifted at any weapon in her hands; I think it was unavoidable that Nerissa was to become someone who hungers and yearns for war, and one that desires for carnage and destruction. I think this hunger only heightened to become a ravenous appetite when she was within Purgatory, unable to truly satiate her hunger with the lost souls and wraiths that existed within it. And whilst she might have attempted to play with the husks of life that surrounded her, she grew dissatisfied and truly just bored with her predicament — awaiting for the day she could finally quench her thirst. I think this would have also brought a seed of resentment to grow in her heart because of the fact that she had been left in there just waiting for God’s summoning for her to reckon war, and for this to only expand and fester as the Horsemen finally stepped out into a transformed world — one that would never allow her to raze and wage war upon the planet like she had envisioned when they finally left behind their bone kingdoms. I think ultimately because of this unfulfilled purpose, she still awaits for war to begin within this new world so she can finally quench her appetite of war. But will Nerissa ever be satisfied? I don’t think so.

Character Traits |

(+) — INTELLIGENT, AMBITIOUS, DETERMINED.

(-) — ARROGANT, RESENTFUL, STUBBORN.

In-Character Para Sample |

ONE.

Nerissa’s eyes flickered about her as she examined the cavern that had become her kingdom now. For days, months, and years now, (she had simply lost count) she had grown intimately familiar with the domain that she now called her own — it’s hollow life inciting nothing but irritation as she awaited for a sign, a summon; anything that would mean that she could finally escape and fulfil her purpose. Her fingers moving in a languid motion, she observed the way she could so easily play with the husks of life that restlessly surrounded her. And how effortless it was; the way she could play strife; play God with their souls — inciting nothing but rage and warfare between them until they evaporated as quickly as they appeared.

But the truth was Nerissa was bored.

For so long, she had been able to unfurl carnage; destruction upon all she had set her eyes on. It had been why her Creator had made her. It was her purpose. And now, as she sat here; it only allowed for her to dream of the life she had once led and the one that she so desperately desired once more. Vivid dreams; ones that were bloodied in the aggression that would be let loose as she sat astride her steed; wielding a sword in one hand and an axe in the other.

But alas, here she sat, hungering for just a simple taste of war.

Smashing her fist down upon the rock in frustration, Nerissa wondered just how long God would make them wait. She had awaited his divine summon for countless days, and she grew tired. Dissatisfied with what she was given, and desiring much, much more.

TIMESKIP.

As Nerissa carefully stepped towards the slice, a sword tightly gripped in one hand as she examined the splinter; she wondered if this was finally her summons to finally wage war. For her to finally carve out her destiny with her fellow Horsemen. For too long she had been ravenous; only barely satiating her appetite with tiny morsels, when now she would finally be able to quench her inner most desires. For days on end she had hallucinated about the chance she would finally be able to step foot in the new world, and now was her opportunity. A wicked grin placed upon her lips as she thrust herself through the cut, she never looked back at her left behind kingdom.

Thoughts of her cavern, and the ghosts that kept her company were omitted as she only thought of the war that she would wage.

The destruction and carnage that would be wrought with every step.

And the gloriously breathtaking image that it would be.

TWO.

There were not many people that Nerissa could tolerate in this new world. After her time spent in Purgatory, she had come to find that she had a low tolerance for sycophants — for sly little smiles accompanied with words coated with a honeyed tongue. She much preferred to have the truth revealed like a blade; true in its form, without any unnecessary veneer. And although she could have never expected it; she had come to find the Horsemen an inextricable part of her own world. Each in their own way, having carved their own way into her heart; Dimitri, Viktoria and Ryuk.

And how she would never forget the process that had forged them in this pathway.

What a glorious sight they must have made as the four of them sat there astride, laying in wait to complete their assassination. A rare but brief smile appearing upon Nerissa’s lips as she glanced towards her fellow comrades, it truly bemused her how little words needed to be exchanged between them as they bided their time. There was no need for any sounds to be spoken aloud; when each knew each other to the extent that any simple motion made by any of them would effortlessly be interpreted without any hindrance.

And it was in this moment, that it was easy to think that the Horsemen seemed to be invincible against any foe. And perhaps this was naive. But it was a thought that was possibly inevitable as they stood there united together. When one thought of all their separate talents combined; they truly made a formidable force, and it seemed almost unfathomable to have them split apart or felled as a consequence of their enemies. It was at this thought that Nerissa inwardly shuddered, as she thought of the Horsemen possibly being shattered from a possible demise or drawn apart from outside influences. Whilst once upon a time she could have never known that this fellowship was something that would eventually become such an integral part of her life; it now was, and Nerissa truly cherished it.

And if it came down to it; she would ruthlessly kill to protect it. Thousands would be culled in her pathway if this was so necessary.

In order to protect any of the Horsemen.

Extras |

Pinterest Board Inspo — https://www.pinterest.com.au/infinitvm/ch-your-resting-state-is-war-its-your-nature/

Further Inspo — https://narcissamalfvy.tumblr.com/tagged/insp:%20nerissa

Some aesthetics that represent her — Nerissa is crimson smears of blood, silk sheets, perfect calculations in battle, spilled bottles of liquor, bones that are broken in her wake, wildfire, smiles that are filled with violence, words that are as sharp as her knives, nails that are filed sharply enough to pierce skin, the smell of leather, clouds of thick smoke, spilled blood slain by her hand with surprising ease, lightning, shattered glass, teeth that gleam like fangs, wolves, narrowed eyes that promise war, concealed weapons, tough skin that doesn’t bruise easily but still covered in them.

Nerissa is all this. The breathtaking image of glorious ruination.

#accepted #accepted: nerissa

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samuraiko · 5 years

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And we FINALLY have a really solid arc for a possible Season 2 of THE ROYAL TUTOR...

Okay, so a while back in my post “No Season 2, but a ROYAL TUTOR movie... and here’s why this is a GOOD thing”, I made the following point:

Because the anime left out several less ‘plot-heavy’ chapters from the manga, Season 1 ends up going all the way to Chapter 36 (Return of the Black Prince). Tomorrow (Sept 18th) is the release of Chapter 70. Which means that if Season 1 was anything to go by, we’d be looking at another 10-12 episode cour, and with no big payoff ending, which is really kind of meh. On the other hand, by the time the film comes out (mid-February 2019), we’ll have at LEAST another 6 or 7 chapters (possibly more if we get more double chapters as the series often does), which gives the studios a chance to see if it can end Season 2 in a satisfactory way.

Now with the movie having just been released on Crunchyroll (AND GO WATCH IT!), and Chapter 75 going live today (thank you, Comixology, for posting it early!), I’m revisiting this idea. And here’s what I think...

SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA (UP THROUGH CHAPTER 75) BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. LIKE STOP READING RIGHT NOW IF YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT UP.

Since the anime’s 12-episode run ended with the return of Heine as the Royal Tutor, and Eins back to Granzreich after six months of touring the Western Continent (and possibly the Eastern Continent as well) on behalf of the kingdom, we can start Season 2 with a suitable bang:

Eins’ return and his open goading of his brothers in their (admittedly) semi-resolve to become worthy candidates.

This spurs all four princes to newer heights.

Kai chooses to return to military academy, in addition to his lessons with Heine (and later opts to take part in a 1-month field training exercise with other students looking to join the officer corps)

Bruno eventually does accept a 3-month offer to study as an exchange student with Dr. Dmitri, continuing to develop his studies into sociology (as well as having Smerdyakov study for a short while in Granzreich)

Leonhard devotes himself even further to mastering the basics and, surprisingly enough, turns out to be interested in foreign languages

Licht, uncertain of his place in the world and what he wants, temporarily leaves the palace and goes to live in town for 5-6 months (I think, I’d have to doublecheck the math) to learn how to work a job he loves, while striving to become like the men he admires (Viktor and Felix, the cafe owner)

All four then run into challenges/discoveries that they didn’t expect to find:

Kai learns about the ideals of working with others, how defending the art of peace means learning the art of war, and how to transcend the notions and restrictions of class (a prince being best friends with a lower-tier noble)

Bruno discovers through his interactions with Smerdyakov about living up to the expectations of one’s parents and family history, while still pursuing one’s dreams, and is already making quite the stir in the academic world with his thesis on social and cultural equality

Leonhard, through his interactions with Crown Prince Claude of Fonseine, has come to appreciate the camaraderie between nations, and the importance of good communication

Licht gets the biggest lesson, however, when during his stint at Cafe Mitter Meyer, he runs facefirst into discovering the ugly downside of nationalism and the class and cultural barriers (as well as the historically-accurate rise of antisemitism in Austria)

And now all four have a goal:

Kai is focused on military matters, protecting the peace of Granzreich, and national defense

Bruno is focused on sociological matters, and a shift in government focusing more on democracy and sociocultural equality while still maintaining a monarchy

Leonhard is focused on the diplomatic route, first reinforcing Granzreich’s alliance with Fonseine, and now as of Chap 75, apparently learning the language of Yapan

Licht is focused on cultural and class equality, determined to safeguard and support opportunities and protection for all of Granzreich’s citizens, including those of immigrants

And running like an undercurrent to all this is the knowledge that Ernst Rosenberg is plotting against them, as Ernst is now aware (through Heine) that Eins may not be the favoured candidate for much longer... and he is DETERMINED to see Eins on the throne.

So...

Like I’d said earlier, Season 1 ran all the way through Chapter 36 and Eins’ return. Chapter 75 (All Together Again) ends with Licht having returned to the palace, all four princes now SERIOUSLY digging in to their work to become candidates... and Eins heading to Weissburg Palace to “confront this problem.”

This symmetry is too good to ignore.

I think that Higasa Akai and The Important People In Charge™ could take all of this, and turn it into a really meaty Season 2 arc. If they take a page from MY HERO ACADEMIA, where Season 1 was only 13 episodes, but Season 2 was at least TWICE that, we could get a solid 24-26 episode arc dealing with the princes taking up Eins’ challenge, and their renewed determination to actually become king...

... and end it on the happy ending/cliffhanger of “yay the princes are all together again... and Eins is coming for them.”

(AND EVEN THE IMAGERY WORKS FOR BOOKENDS! SERIOUSLY!)

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know how long it takes to actually translate a manga into the medium of anime, and there’s a lot to distill (as well as whether they choose to include any of the ‘breather’ stuff as full-on episodes or just as nods - for example, the whole ‘the princes learn about art’ is a full-on chapter, but all it gets in the anime is that portrait of Adele that Heine did that nearly gets destroyed).

BUT - let’s be optimistic and say that THE ROYAL TUTOR gets a second season and it’s announced for either Fall 2019 or Winter 2019/2020 (or even Spring of 2020, especially if they’re going for the higher-quality animation like we saw in the movie). Higasa Akai can then rack up another 9-15 chapters by then, if she throws in a couple of double-chapters like she’s done in the past, giving her a bit more breathing room toward whatever might come for Season 3.

Could I be wrong?

Absolutely.

But I think maybe... just maybe... I could be right.

Whatcha think?

And once again for those in the back - here is my PSA on how and why you should be supporting the series and I am NEVER going to stop shouting about this because we have to support this series if we WANT a Season 2.

#the royal tutor #oushitsu kyoushi haine

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