When it comes to anime, most of us are spoiled little brats who expect of them a little too much for their own good. I have been bashing the main protagonist and the show’s lack of a coherent and interesting story, and while the problems of Knight’s & Magic are still there and probably won’t go away, there is a childish aspect in robots and the fun that comes with them.
The fun was apparent in the interaction between Ernesti and the old scientist. There was an earnest passion in their eyes, a passion that can only be found in people who genuinely enjoy what they do. They are both in love with the robots, a love that trascends human boundaries and makes them blindly acceptable of anything that has them inside the lab and with a tool in hand. They don’t care about personal relationships. They don’t care about war, conflict, disputes. Consequently, the show forgoes the war, the conflict, the disputes, and when it does bring them up, they seem trivial and second to Ernesti’s fangirly obsession with big metal robots. Who cares about war when you can have so much fun making better and better mechas? I must admit that I was swept away by their passion. I was almost jealous of their devotion. But their passion is a blindfold that separated them from reality. If life is a gallery of different emotions and experiences, they have stuck on their favorite picture and refuse to press next. Their passion could have been balanced by the rest of the cast, but the insistence of the creator to focus on the psychopathic nerd that probably reminds him too much of himself, narrows down the potential of the show. Robots are fun, but that’s that and we shouldn’t expect anything else.
The series is not even making any honest moves to deviate from that road. The elite team at the start of the mock battle have a noble attitude and want to test themselves against the new mechas. We have had our share of new characters over the past few episodes, and it hasn’t been easy trying to keep up with all the vanishing enemies and unfinished plots. These knights were just another bunch of characters who will not play any role from the next episode onward. It was nice seeing them finish each other sentences like a well-oiled team, but in the end, it was all about Ernesti. That didn’t make the battle any less enjoyable though. The battle itself was everything a robot battle should have been, full of fast-paced action scenes and different tactics. The CGI robots are a treat for the eye, and their innovative designs along with their ever-growing arsenal are uplifting every episode. We started with a few basic robots that could only duel with sword and shield and in seven episodes Ernesti has a flying robot. With every passing robot fight, the rest of the animation comes second. The shining robots are all the fan-service robot enthusiast need and Knight’s & Magic is bringing it in abundance. You can tell from the fight scenes that the animation department is probably made of robot fans who are a little too happy to be able to animate robot battles. Who cares about the characters? Who cares about the plot? Just write whatever the original creator wrote and let’s make some awesome robots.
We have already mentioned how fast the series is progressing chronologically. Months are skipped each time we need to get to the next ‘important part of the non-existent plot’ and the undisclosed narrator grabs the chance to remind us that the show has no respect for a coherent linear story. Ambrosius, the lovable king, is stepping down from his crown duties and leaves his son at his place, a son that we’ve seen only once. The former king and his grandson, whom we’ve seen twice, and that probably makes him part of the main cast, ask from Ernesti to build them a couple of giant mecha for fun. I don’t think we need more proof that the main purpose of the series is to portray robots as fun. Just fun. A tool to spar with. A gladiator to entertain the audiences. Yes, there are some disputed with neighboring countries and some giant monsters lurking around, but you don’t need a second episode with these things, do you? Ok, we have antagonists in this world. Now let’s jump to the real fun, and that’s having fun with robots! The whole mini-plot seemed to have been established just to have the chance to see another mecha battle that is not part of any serious conflict. King Ambrosius and Prince Emrys fight in their old robots for a chance to choose their new one. Old and new generation fight a friendly battle of skill and wits to show the circle of life. To be perfectly honest, I do feel that I know the King and the Prince more than 90% of the cast right now, to the point that I wished these moments could have been used for all the characters.
Alien Researcher: At first I thought that the young lab researcher (I really can’t remember their names, Olsen something) had funny drawn eyes, but after mentioning ‘the village’, I ‘m starting to believe that he belongs to an alien race that is responsible for the ether reactors powering the robots. Where is the kingdom getting its mana from? Not that the series allows for much world-building, but some semblance of a plot will be more than welcome.
It is a bird? When Ernesti dashes forward in his blue robot, the subtitles read ‘Flying at the speed of a magic bullet.’ I love word plays, and idiom alterations that fit the world are among my favorites.
I don’t care about any of the characters. I don’t care about the world and I don’t really care about the secrets that come with the revelation of ‘the village’ and ‘the mana.’ Before anime fans chastise me for being inconsiderate of their fandom feelings, I don’t think the series wants me to care, because I do care for the only thing it gives a frak: the robots. I want to see how Ernesti will come to his ultimate design, the one we see in the opening sequence. I will probably won’t care about the series a few seasons ahead, but at least I want the anime to give me a few cool robot battles to brighten my Sundays.
Probably metal joints and cool new powers. For Ernesti, there is no other purpose in the world but to construct robots. I don’t think he cares about his friends or his country, but it would have been cool to bring him in a situation that he has to choose between them. It’s not going to happen, but it would have been cool.
Did you like Episode 7 of Knight’s & Magic? Let us know in the comments below by using either the forum or the Facebook tab! Join us in our new forum and let’s talk about our favorite series! Also, don’t forget to check our latest Summer 2017 reviews!
NEXT TIME: Secret & Quest
Official Site: http://knights-magic.com/
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The first season of the new year is just one month away from its finale. It was a great start with many amazing titles that made these past months worth the extra hours we put in front of our sets. Now, it is time for the cold wind to give way to the pink hues of the sakura tree and for the Winter 2018 season to give the anime baton to Spring 2018.
