Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou. Episode 9 Discussion

Well, that was awful!

I don't know if the source or the adaptation is to blame, but someone certainly forgot what you get taught about structure in elementary school. Short introduction, extended main part, even shorter conclusion. This was like 30% introduction, 5% main part and 65% conclusion. Not to mention it was generally rushed, contradicted itself and lacked any depth. Seriously, right out of some generic fantasy trash.

So let's take some highlights:
- Rae used Assist. Claire used Hyper Beam. It's a One-Hit K.O! Chimera was defeated.
- Thane was poisoned. Rae used Antidote. Thane's poison was cured.
- "We live in a meritocracy! So let's go execute an entire family and company for having connections to two villains!"

And finally, there's the incest. Yeah, that was unnecessary. There was not a single reason to make Lambert & Lene more than Bro- and Siscon (like Yuri from SxF). Or non-related lovers. Good job ensuring I didn't care one bit about what happens to Lene this entire episode. She was already a failure of an antagonist as she lacked proper backstory and had no problem pressing a dagger against her "Oh so beloved" Claire. And they didn't even ensure to separate Lene and Lambert in the end. Plenty of interpretation space for deformed childreen here!
This also really devalues the conversation on sexuality back in Ep. 3. Cause now it looks like this is just about appealing to people who are into any kind of "forbidden love".

Sheesh. Enough of the rant. I hope this show will never ever attempt a serious arc again. I might just go back to enjoying the awesome comedy like before then.

Dorothea spotted, Salad spotted. The relationship between Rae and Claire is growing the more they spend time together. That also means more blushes. The farewell scene between could be a lot more impactful if not for the shortened convo and some of Lene's monologues being removed regarding how she views Claire as a person. And they save arguably one of the best arcs to end the first season. Manaria looks great and Rae is about to face one of her biggest challenge yet!

@VivaceRex You say best, but the Scales of Love arc is even more controversial than this one. On the manga sites you see many peope dropping it or almost dropping it at this point and it got by far the most criticism.

I personally like it, but if the Incest was this divisive here then Manarias backstory should be even more so. Not looking forward to that.

And for everyone who dislikes the more serious tone, get used to it. The future arcs wont be as serious and intense as this one all the time, but well never go back to the lighthearted pure comedy-focus of the first few episodes. In fact, the romantic comedy aspects are basically shafted to the background in the last 3 volumes. I enjoy it, and if you do too i heavily recommend buying the LNs, but if you dont you probably wont enjoy the rest of the series post-anime.

@Bisalissy

Ok, lets tackle each one of your complains:



In previous training episodes it was stated that combining different magic elements could procure a more powerful one. It wasn't something as simple as just casting both spells at once and get an instant orbital beam, it took Claire quite some time to cast her own spell. ON the other hand we pretty much know that Rae is almost the equivalent of the male isekai protagonist holding the knowledge cheat and also has superior magic power compared to other magic users. Their strategy even though complex and lack of time to plan it does fit with both characters' abilities.



It was also stated in the training arc that water elemental magic was used as a healing cast for several purpouses, heck it was even pointed out that it was Misha's specialty. Does it feel farfetched that Rae can also do healing magic despite it being stated that she can control both earth and water magic? not really, specially since she's the protag and she even stated that the protag in the game had the upper hand in magic abilities.



Hah, even the modern United States can push the death penalty on treason acts if the DA and the people feel that the acts justify it. Do you seriously think that a fictional kingdom in what could be cemented in the Renaissance period would be more lenient on their punishments after a murder attempt on one of the throne heirs?



Lenne and Lambert weren't antagonists at all, they were just pawns/victims of a higher entity from the neighbour country. Lenne specially always held sympathy towards Claire thru all the time they spent together. Their backstories although short were more than enough to cement their part as a much bigger movement from plebeyans that feel are treated in an unfair manner. The whole incest thing isn't something out of the left field, specially if we consider that even the royalty succeeded the next king in line the same way. They were exiled together, I don't see what's your argument that they should had been separated in some sort of bigger narrarative or motif when the main story is also focused on forbidden love between 2 girls.

_____________________

Now back to my 2 cents about this episode.

I had very low expectations on this show, specially given how the animation was pretty poor in a couple of episodes and the story most of the time was quite lighthearted and comical. But this episode really raised my expectations with a decently orchastrated insurrection arc and making Rae & Claire grow closer thru their deeds (both by taking down the chimera and being able to make the king change his mind about Lenne & Lambert's execution). I personally loved the last part were Rae hugs Claire, because Rae despite being some sort of comical troll can understand Claire's feelings without even looking at her face.

Bittersweet.

Hoping Lene and Lambert would still be happy together and wishing their child would still be healthy.

You are contradicting yourself

On one hand you say that this is an otome isekai game so real world history should not apply to it

And on the other you say that it should be obvious why based on real world today, homosexuality and incest should not be treated the same

So is it one or the other, either it is based on real world history in which case in medieval times, incest was pretty common in royal families to keep the "pure bloodline" and homosexuality was seen as "blasphemous"

Or it is not and it is just an otome isekai game in which case none of those things should matter

Now, i am not defending incest or saying being gay is bad, i understand they are different things entirely (and also, the anime did not compare them as such) and homosexuality is normal while incest is socially and morally not accepted and also has a higher chance of a defect in children produced by blood siblings

But...this is fiction, it's an anime based on a LN about a woman dying from being overworked and being reincarnated in her favourite dating simulator
It is not a renowned book commenting on homosexuality and incest in society
It's not that serious...
If people can't handle it, just move on, watch something you enjoy instead of being angry at fictional incest