Radiant Episode 17 Review: To Stop the Sound of the Wind – Serenade

There’s been a major twist in Radiant‘s Rumble Town arc! What was once such a super action-packed event suddenly became full of intense feels. It got deep real quick, and then it became downright heartbreaking.

Japanese Original Episode Title: いま風の音を止めて -Serenade-

Plot

It was Seth’s turn to fight with Hameline at last! However, his previous battle with Konrad was already intense, and Hameline’s attacks with the Nemesis were much too powerful. Seth wasn’t doing too great, mostly being on the defensive side. Hameline also kept asking him why he was trying to protect the people who’ve been hurting sorcerers like them. Piodon asked Seth the same thing, and that got him thinking. He was faced with this enraged opponent, a legit question, and the looming danger of the Thaumaturges, who were already close to the town.

Episode Highlights

Relatable: Hameline and Seth were parallels of one another in terms of their tragic pasts! Both children suffered at the hands of normal folk the same way, being persecuted and almost killed by them thanks to the people’s discrimination. However, they responded differently, and it impacted their paths. I kinda get how they got so different though. Seth managed to hold out thanks to Alma protecting him. And she kept on encouraging to never become a monster like people said he was. Hameline didn’t have anyone like that. The only one who could have been like an Alma to her was murdered, which fed her hatred more and pushed her further down the path to revenge.

Miracle: Wow, I thought my hunch was right on the money about the Thaumaturges being able to use magic like sorcerers, but it actually wasn’t quite accurate. Since the Thaumaturges‘ miracles aren’t caused by Fantasia, then how did they get that power? Do they have special items that lets them conjure them? Or is it really a miracle in that they were born with magic powers, or developed it naturally?? If it’s the latter, I guess I can see how they’re ‘set apart’ among the Inquisitors.

False accusations? I was furious when Santori started spouting accusations about Seth’s multiple crimes, because we’ve never seen him do any of that! Ever since Alma found him, he’s been such a sweet, innocent boy whose only crime is probably being too rowdy. But then Seth felt that those accusations seemed familiar to him, and I was shaken! Sure, we’ve discovered multiple interesting things about him and some hidden abilities, but a high-level criminal? What explanation could we possibly have here? Did Seth actually have a previous secret life? Or maybe he’s actually like Doc – he used to be a grown man, who then became a small child and forgot everything? Sounds far-fetched, but we never know.

To protect her side: I have been wondering what would become of Hameline once Seth managed to get through to her. I guess it came at a price. She did finally stop terrorizing the town, but still protected her own side – the sorcerers – by letting Seth and the others get away. And to do that, she sacrificed herself. Reminds me a lot of how Oxumare did the same to save her. I’m quite in denial right now, so I’ll just hope she still manages to survive that stab?

Themes & Trivia

Thaumaturge: As I mentioned in Episode 3, thaumaturge refers to a person who works wonders or miracles. It was derived from the Greek word thaumatourgos, and it was used to describe Christian saints who did miracles of God. One of these saints is literally known as Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus.

Comments

While I like how the story developed so far, I honestly also feel as if it’s been dragging on forever. Which is weird, because I’m pretty sure other shows like Black Clover and My Hero Academia had arcs that went on for longer episodes! Is it because the fighting that Seth had with Konrad, and this one with Hameline were more straightforward? Maybe because most of the major fights were only centered on him? Sadly, the preview said Seth’s gonna pick a fight with Torque because of what he did to Hameline, so we might not yet get the conclusion of this arc anytime soon. I wish we could. I’m slowly losing interest that I want to see something else from the story.

On the plus side, the way the show handled the parallel between Seth and Hameline was good! It perfectly conveyed the message of how similar yet different they were. Same thing with why Hameline protected Seth and the others because she’s fighting on the side of the sorcerers.

Which side do you fight for?

Seth had just made a new friend, somewhat, and she was immediately stabbed through the gut by Torque! Anyone who values friends as much as he does would definitely be enraged! But what new power was he going to unleash?

Do you have any complaints about this episode like I did? Or did you enjoy it so much? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section! Our Winter 2019 reviews are also piling up with more and more reviews of amazing shows, so better check them out!

NEXT TIME: The Light that Follows the Darkness – Awakening –