7th Time Loop Episode 11

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The clock is ticking and tensions running high with both handling the plot Michel has in mind, and the attempt to persuade Arnold to accept forming an alliance with Coyolles without resorting to military means. But things aren’t looking so hot with the way Arnold had been waiting for Rishe to leave the room so he could finally bring in his men to surround Prince Kyle, leaving him in a very uncomfortable and troubling position.

We finally got a chance to learn a bit more about why Arnold hates his eyes so much, and as one would figure, it has to do with his father. I loved the firefly scene in the novel, so I did feel like the anime was a bit lacking in that regards. While they pretty much stuck to the core of the conversation, a lot was still cut out, which is an understatement at this point, especially since next week is the final episode. (Goodness time flies!)

As one would expect, Rishe jumping balconies was a no brainer, though when Arnold had invited her over, he did think she’d have at least some sensibility to go through the doors as to freaking jumping over to his. It was endearing to see despite knowing what she’s capable of, he still dropped his sword and instinctively reached out to catch her. It’s also worth noting this was yet another instance which he touched her without his gloves on. He has been very particular about that since the beginning.

It’s a sad though how his harsh life of having killed people he cared about with his own hands, and constantly being involved in wars has twisted his views on the world so much that even he doesn’t believe he is capable of seeing the beauty of it. The fireflies Rishe admires so much were likened to fiery torches of war, which was why he ended up going out with his sword in hand. The blue eyes that Rishe says are the most beautiful in the world, are something he detests so much, that since he was a child, he wished he could just gouge them out. And the capital that Rishe had always wished to visit, he in turn considers the place infuriating. In short, almost everything around him is repulsive to him. And that might be in part of why he feels he has no other choice than to destroy things. He even claims it to be more in line with his personality, (which in the book, he goes on to say: perhaps he is one and the same as his father at their core), but Rishe disagrees. She believes he just needs to learn how to appreciate the beautiful things, and she’ll be there to do that every step of the way.

But all of this just goes to show how there are so much trauma and despair involved that has moulded Arnold into who he is today, so Rishe got her work cut out for her to teach him how to appreciate the beauties of the world, and even life as a whole. This is something that’s going to a lot of time, because this is certainly no overnight fix, but with a time crunch of five years, or possibly less due to her interventions possibly resulting a butterfly effect that may prompt Arnold to move ahead of scheduled. We did see Arnold warn her again that he will not hesitate to cast her aside if she gets in his way. But Rishe countered with the notion that he phrased it as ‘he wouldn’t kill her’,with  how she’d find her way back to his side, no matter what that position may be.

As for the negotiations with Prince Kyle… Well things aren’t looking too hot at the moment. The strategy Rishe was banking on was highlighting the value Coyolles’s Artisans and intricate metal-crafting abilities are what makes them worth having on their side. She thought by having his pocket-watch recreated to almost a perfect combo by Coyolles Artisans could prove their worth. But the hole in this plan is the same as it always has been: Sure they can offer all that stuff, but why would that stop Arnold from conquering them in the first place? Though we can say just the same for the opposite: At this point of negotiations, whether Arnold wants to make this a pointlessly bloody discourse VS forming a partnership through peaceful diplomatic means really all comes down to whether he’s willing to change his approach to things in general. The ball is in his court, so if he actually recognizes the value they are offering, there’s no real reason not to agree given Prince Kyle is an earnest leader who may be naive, but isn’t so high-nosed and ignorant of the positives things Arnold has accomplished, and level-headed enough to not judge him simply on his reputation forged from the battlefield.

As for Michel, unfortunately Arnold’s spies had lost track of him at some point, which spells bad news for Rishe who was trying to keep tabs on him to make sure he doesn’t do any funny business, which was exactly what he was doing. He returned to the palace on his own accord, and even called Rishe out, no doubt with that easy-going smile to make a declaration that he’s confident that whatever he’s planning is going to go smoothly.

And with that we’ll have to wait and see how everything unfolds in the final episode! So far, I would say this adaption has been overall pretty good, but I will always wholeheartedly recommend reading the novels if you get the chance, to get more depth to the story and the characters too.