Radiant Episode 8 Review: Proof of Strength – Progress –

This episode of Radiant probably has the most half-naked dudes I’ve seen in a series that’s not about swimming. They were even proud of the fact that they were still powerful in their undies! The Bravery Quartet are brave indeed. Somehow, I’m now starting to imagine an underwear commercial starring them.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 強さの証明 -Progress-

Plot

During training, Yaga challenged Seth to find the answer to what’s more important than power, while his magic is restrained! Of course, the stubborn boy didn’t like this one bit. However, more problems arose when he, Melie, and Doc were summoned by Master Lord Majesty because of their ridiculously large debt, which forced them to work! As Seth and Melie were assigned to clean the outside areas of Artemis, familiar faces dropped by to steal stuff once again: the Bravery Quartet!

Episode Highlights

Yaga’s training: Even though I’ve been previously raving on about seeing Seth train under Yaga, I’m kinda glad it focused more on a character building exercise than actually getting stronger. Which, now that I realize it, is a smart move on the writing since Yaga wanted him to know that character is more important than power! (Actually, we didn’t get to learn what exactly the answer is, but I’m guessing it’s related to Seth saving Don Bossman, so yeah, character!) I thought the most important thing was control, honestly. Now I learned, too! Though, now that Seth’s able to gather such an incredible amount of Fantasia after the debacle, surely he’ll need to learn how to control it.

Pay your debts: Master Lord Majesty is quite shrewd! Getting people to do odd jobs to wipe away some of their debt instead of paying professionals, that’s smart! It kinda made me realize even more why Artemis Academy is a paradise despite the debt system, because it’s ruled by a clever leader like him. Even if he uses this talent for selfish reasons at times, I really can’t help but be surprised at how he handles money. I do wonder if he was just underestimating the thieves, though, or did he really believe in Seth and Melie’s capabilities to take them down?

Bravery Quartet returns: I was really caught off-guard when they revealed that each of their underwear is also a magic tool! How do they even get the magic to come out? If it’s exactly like what we’re thinking, how many times do you think they farted while attacking? Hahaha! Kidding aside, if it weren’t for Seth’s plan and his cooperation with both Melie’s, the quartet would have been a real problem, especially Jiji! But at the end of the day, Seth used his brains to outsmart them, and his heart to slam dunk Don Bossman’s tempting offer, even saving him! Seth’s incredibly determined face as he opted to remove the gloves to rescue Don Bossman made my heart pound, oh my!

Seth’s peculiarity: Aha! So there probably are also some sorcerers who are able to use Fantasia without magic tools, since Yaga said ‘most’. But in Seth’s case, it also means not being able to gather it properly with them! At least now, thanks to Yaga’s creativity, Seth’s gloves is a compromise. He’ll still be ‘using’ a magic tool while also not covering his hands entirely, so hopefully no one will notice where he’s actually gathering it! Plus, it’s still the same pair of gloves that Alma gave him. Huhuhu! Alma! Even without making an appearance, she‘s still making an impact! Now the gloves somehow serve as a symbol of another way she’s been protecting him all this time, even if it meant that he won’t be able to use his powers to the fullest. Seth’s being trained by some really wise and thoughtful teachers, huh?

Themes & Trivia

Kakigori: The dessert Master Lord Majesty was eating is called kakigori, or shaved ice. It’s a Japanese dessert flavored with syrups like strawberry, matcha, melon, or even condensed milk! You can also put different kinds of toppings depending on your taste. What makes it different from other kinds of shaved ice desserts, though, is that the ice from kakigori resembles fluffy snow! That’s probably why Doc’s job of shaving the ice is highly important.

Black Silver: Sorcerer’s really have it hard, huh? Not only have they been cursed with random effects, it’s also possible for them to not be able to use their magic because they have a weakness: Black Silver! In real life, there really is such a thing, though without the neutralizing Fantasia effects, and it’s most commonly known as Stephanite. You can also get black silver by purposely tarnishing silver, which is a technique used by jewelers.

Comments

Ooh, I’m so glad that I loved this episode as well! It was more entertaining than the previous one, actually. We even got some crucial developments like normal Melie being able to use some offensive spells, and Seth seemingly becoming OP! There were new plot info too, or more like it finally fully explained something that’s been hinted at since day one. I certainly do hope it’ll drop some more plot elements over the next events!

Shake your booty!

The preview of the next episode surprised me because it looks like we’ll be focusing on Dragunov and his Inquisition troops this time, instead of our main trio! It’s making me all kinds of excited, especially since they’re going to hunt a Nemesis? It’ll be nice to know more about these heretic hunters!

Anyway, let’s hear your thoughts on this chapter of the story over at the comments section! Don’t forget to check out our Fall 2018 episodic reviews, as well!

NEXT TIME: Those Who Hunt Heretics – Inquisition –