Everyone, we have found our Chopper, and he is adorable.
In 2023, the live-action adaptation of One Piece premiered on Netflix, and despite what many fans feared, it didn’t stink! In fact, it was one of the most faithful and enjoyable live-action adaptations of an anime that many had ever seen. Thus, it was inevitable that Netflix would end up green-lighting a second season as the Straw Hat Pirates finally leave the East Blue behind for the Grand Line. That means the show would be heading into the vaunted Alabasta Saga, which would introduce us to fan-favorite characters like Crocodile, Vivi, Nico Robin, and many more. However, there is one character that fans have been concerned about more than anyone else: Tony Tony Chopper.
A blue-nosed reindeer that ate a Devil Fruit, granting him sentience, Chopper serves as the Straw Hat’s doctor and one of its most popular members. Beloved by fans for his adorable appearance and sweet nature, he’s one of the most marketable members of the cast, and the subject of tons of merchandise. Given how picky fans can be with using CGI (Ugly Sonic), people were naturally worried about what Netflix would do to Chopper. And when Netflix put out an ad saying there would be a big announcement at their annual Tudum festival about One Piece, everyone knew what was coming.
And we were right. We got our first-ever look at the live-action/CGI version of Chopper.
So far, reactions to the Netflix Chopper has been…mixed. Some people are saying it’s as bad as Ugly Sonic. Others are saying that they could make him cuter. Others are going to be upset no matter what Netflix does, though. And while he could be made to look cuter, Netflix got one thing right about Chopper: his personality.
In the span of the short teaser, we see Chopper act just like how he does in the anime and manga. His shy and childish nature (because he is still a kid), his love of compliments, and his expressive face are all present. While it’s a little sad that they don’t get his English VA, Brina Palencia, to voice him, Mikaela Hoover captures the spirit of the character. Plus, it’s likely the Japanese subs will use her seiyuu, so there is that.
In addition to the reveal of Chopper, Tudum also confirmed that the show will be returning in 2026. For those who can’t wait, not to worry! LEGO is making sets based on the Netflix show set to come out later this summer. Either way, there’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months.
At long last, Arthur Leywin is home! It took him three years and more solo traveling than most eight-year-olds, but it was worth it to get back to his family. And more importantly, he finally gets to meet the sibling that he almost died trying to protect. The only question is, what will Arthur do now?
That, and just how cute can his baby sister possibly get?
Family Reunion
Thanks to that post-credits scene at the end of the last episode, the anime jumps the gun on Arthur’s reunion with his family. It doesn’t change much, but it does take away some of the inherent heartwarming nature that such a reunion entails. That, and it spoils the fact that Arthur now has a little sister.
Meet Eleanor Leywin, Arthur’s baby sister of about three or four years old. And like most kids at that age, she’s adorable and impressionable, innocently repeating curse words her dad uses without understanding why they’re bad for someone her age. Once her parents explain that Arthur is the big brother she never met, though, Ellie quickly warms up to Arthur, as well as Sylvie. Who, if she sees Arthur as her papa, makes Eleanor her aunt.
Arthur tells his family everything that happened to him while he was away…to an extent. He lies about meeting Sylvia out of respect for her desire to tell as few people as possible. Given how someone was out to kill Sylvia, the fewer people who know for now, the better. That, and it’s doubtful most adults would believe that Arthur was saved by a talking dragon.
What Will Arthur Do Now?
At any rate, the main points of focus for the episode beyond the Leywin family reunion are Arthur’s growth and what his future will be like. Through exposition, the anime reveals the different stages behind the Mana Core that serves as the heart of the use of magic in TBATE. And thanks to his training arc, Arthur is already close to being on his Dad’s level. Since Reynolds is a more restrained version of Paul Greyrat, Arthur finds himself immediately dragged into a sparring session with his old man out back. And, while the special effects for the magic remain subpar, the fighting animation continues to show improvements.
No, really. Arthur and Reynolds’ friendly bout is not that badly animated. No use of still images to convey the illusion of combat; just actual combat. And, again, while the way the anime chooses to animate magical aura’s is still an eyesore, it makes up for it by confirming what last episode should’ve had us suspecting: Arthur can potentially learn how to use all four basic elements. He’s basically like the Avatar!
All of this is also witnessed by the wealthy Helstea family, old friends of the Leywin’s who allowed them to move in with them in exchange for Reynolds helping guard the auction house they own. And as soon as Mr. Vincent Helstea sees what Arthur can do, he gets the idea of enrolling him in Xyrus Academy. AKA TBATE’s version of Ranoa University or Hogwarts.
Which brings us to the second main focus of the episode: Arthur’s future. He’s only eight years old, but even ignoring his past life, he’s already got more life experience than other kids his age. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll excel at it. However, enrolling in a school like that will mean that he can’t spend as much time with his family, and he just reunited with them. Considering how Arthur devoted his first life to his rise to being a king, it’s likely that he won’t want to let his time with his family go to waste. However, there might be another option that he’s considering. And, as fate would have it, it seemingly gets introduced at the end of the episode.
Did the Anime Skip Stuff Again?
It should be noted that Arthur does eventually reunite with the Twin Horns Party in the webcomic like he does in the anime. However, that reunion doesn’t take place until after Arthur has already settled back in with his family, and after several other events already take place. The fact that the anime moved this up means they’ve either rearranged the order of some events, or they’re skipping over some. If it’s the latter, then that bodes ill for the story, as some of those events are important plotwise. Given how I’ve stuck with TBATE thus far, though, I’m willing to continue giving it the benefit of the doubt. With the show starting to show some promise, it would be a shame if it were to fail now.
This was a nice episode, overall. Getting to see Arthur reunite with his family and meet his baby sister was a very sweet moment. Getting to see Sylvie and Eleanor bond, though, was downright adorable to look at!
Three years have passed since Arthur Leywin got separated from his parents and wound up in the Kingdom of Elves. Three years since he was taken in by the former King of the Elves, Virion, as his student. And three years since he started training his Mana Core and trying to master the Beast Will that Sylvia left him. As much as Arthur wanted to see his mom and dad again, those three years were worth it, as he’s gotten stronger in that time! All that strength, though, isn’t going to matter much if he can’t handle his toughest challenge yet: trying to get Tessia to let him leave.
That, and he now has a kid.
Arthur is Pretty Much a Jinchuuriki Now
Thanks to the kindness of former King Virion, Arthur was able to live in the safety of the Elves of Elenoir. He’s still only eight years old in his current life, but thanks to his training, he’s stronger than any eight-year-old would normally be. Just as important, though, is the fact that Tessia’s been able to train alongside Arthur, allowing the two’s friendship to continue to remain strong. To his dismay, though, Arthur has gotten to the point in his life where she’s showing her haughty side more often. I.E. she’s constantly waking him up in the morning and making him food, all while saying he should be grateful a beautiful girl is doing these things for him. Yet, as the anime notes, her ego isn’t unjustified, as she’s proven to be as much of a prodigy with magic as Arthur, gaining her own mana core at age nine.
This episode primarily serves as the stage upon which the story can provide more details about how magic works in the world of TBATE, and it’s here where the anime starts to show off more of what helped to inspire the world it exists in. Virion’s explanation of how magic is broken into four basic elements takes a page from Avatar: the Last Airbender. That series is set in a world where certain people can bend the four classical elements, and while it’s possible for anyone in TBATE to use all four, it’s so rare it might as well be unique. In addition, the explanation about what a Beast Will draws a lot from Naruto. Like Naruto, TBATE includes people who can gain the powers of a powerful monster and use them for themselves, though in this case, they’re called Beast Tamers. And since Arthur got his Beast Will from Sylvia, a dragon, his is extremely powerful. The good news is that all the training he’s done means he’s no longer in any danger of dying.
The bad news? He’s…now a parent.
No, Really. Arthur has a Child Now
In case people forgot, Sylvia gave Arthur two other things besides her Beast Will before she died. One was one of her feathers, and the other was a stone. Fast forward three years, and Arthur discovers that that “stone” was actually an egg…and it just hatched.
While some viewers might share Arthur and Tessia’s sentiment that Sylvia’s newborn daughter, Sylvie, is adorable, the anime ultimately does her, and Sylvia, a little dirty. After biting and leaving that mark on him in the webcomic, Sylvia gains the ability to mentally communicate with Arthur. Yet, for whatever reason, the anime either neglected or forgot to show what Sylvie was thinking, forcing viewers to guess what she’s thinking. As a result, this deprives the show of some of the humor that this moment had in the webcomic. I.E. Sylvie first calling Arthur mama, and then papa, and how freaked out she gets when Tessia insists of cuddling her.
The cute and adorable little dragon Sylvie has arrived! ☺️🥰😍
There are many characters in fiction whose verbal communication is deliberately rendered unintelligible to the audience. Two major examples would be Chewbacca and R2-D2 from Star Wars. The cast can usually understand them, but it’s up to viewers to guess for themselves what they’re saying. In Artoo and Chewie’s case, it’s fun. In Sylvie’s case, though, it’s an issue that’s keeping us from getting to know her better. Hopefully, this was a one-time thing and we’ll soon get to hear what Sylvie’s thinking in future episodes.
By the end of the episode, the Elves have finished the preparations to send Arthur to the human kingdom, so it’s finally time for Arthur to reunite with his family. Thus, he and Sylvie get a big send-off from everyone they’ve met and known in Elenoir, with one initial, and notable, absence: Tessia.
So, Who Ships Arthur and Tessia?
The Beginning After the End makes it no secret that it takes a lot of inspiration from Mushoku Tensei, with Tessia being a combination of the three women who fall in love with Rudeus. And just like Sylphie, Tessia’s reduced to tears at the prospect of her first and only friend going away. That being said, Tessia handles it rather well for an eight-year-old, understanding that Arthur has his own family that misses him. More importantly, while the two go their separate ways for now, it’s all but stated that they will see each other again when they’re older, meaning Tessia has another chance of seeing Arthur.
The Beginning After the End is now seven episodes in, and while it’s no Mushoku Tensei, it feels like the anime is slowly improving. The animation could be better, with one person on TikTok even proving they could do better in under an hour. But it feels like the series is at its best when it’s not focused on the big action scenes, with the slower moments of this episode proving to be just as good.
There are only so many people that planet Earth can accommodate before things start getting messy. Humankind is already taking up so much space and using up so much of the planet as it is, and if things don’t change, or we don’t start taking deep space colonization seriously, the planet will hit its breaking point. It will lose many of the plants and animals that call it home, and our world will feel all the worse for it. Given how Lazarus takes place decades into the future, it shows us how bad things could get as the global climate starts to collapse. And as the team of Lazarus sees for themselves what it is that they threaten to lose, they start to wonder if maybe Dr. Skinner has a point.
The short answer: yes.
Under the Sea, Under the Sea!
After the debacle with the AI cult, Lazarus is back to square one for the umpteenth time because Skinner had nothing to do with Naga the AI beyond serving as its template. The one thing they had to show for it is Naga’s memory banks, which pumps out coordinates to four separate islands, all owned by Skinner. The twist is that each of them has since sunk beneath the ocean, a victim of global warming. Left with no other leads, the team (minus Eleina, who works the chair) heads to the tropical islands.
From the outset, this episode of Lazarus is different from the others for two reasons. Firstly, there’s a notable lack of action. No fight scenes, no high-stakes hacking, no epic chases. It’s a very serene and peaceful episode, which, considering humankind is facing extinction, might sound weird. Secondly, the setting is different in that it takes place almost exclusively in nature. It wasn’t noticeable until now, but the majority of Lazarus has, thus far, taken place in the confines of civilization. Even the trip to the cult could count as civilization, given the human and AI presence. In contrast, this episode focuses on locations that humanity has been forced to abandon thanks to global warming. And the results are something to behold.
As the Lazarus members travel to the sunken islands, there is an atmosphere to them that seems both eerie and relaxing. This is emphasized by the overwhelming use of blue in the form of clear skies and crystal-clear oceans. The sight of modern human buildings lying just below the waves, while disturbing, also feels tranquil and otherworldly, as they serve as home to sea life. It’s like that 90s film Waterworld, but without the stakes.
Please, Don’t Let this Happen in our Timeline!
Unfortunately, the fate of these islands is set against the reason why they got this way: a news report came out saying that the last ice in the Artic had melted away. Global Warming had claimed the North Pole less than thirty years from now. That may seem like a long time for humans, but in a planet’s history, that’s faster than the time it would take to blink, and that is terrifying. Even worse, Skinner had predicted that this would happen almost to the day. Now people are starting to consider him like a prophet. Most chilling of all, the episode reveals that, in his initial message, Skinner mentioned being the seventh trumpeter. In the New Testament, that’s said to be the seventh and final angel who will herald the arrival of Judgement Day for the world. It’s like we said at the start of the series: Skinner has seemingly given up on mankind and thinks its time for us to die.
Another incredible Lazarus episode. The vibe and pacing was beautiful. Love the discussion of the book of Revelations and the final judgement. Hersch reveal was so good. “The true form of earth”. Hyped for the next episode with Chris or “Alexandra”!!!#Lazarus#LAZARUS_animepic.twitter.com/s6Pj9s4bKw
As terrifying as the idea of humans going extinct is, it’s not hard to see where Skinner’s coming from. Unless we pull our act together in the next couple of decades, the future of Lazarus could become a reality. It’s why many people are sounding the alarm, and it’s why some even advocate us moving offworld once it’s feasible. The fact that the blue skies that the team sees during their journey is telling about how bad things might get. So, is Skinner even wrong to think things like he is? Even the team starts to question that.
Chris is in trouble!
Their trip wasn’t a total loss, because they manage to learn three things. Firstly, Skinner actually bought the islands from its poor residents so they could move elsewhere. Secondly, all those residents have a genetic inability to feel pain, meaning that they never took Hapna. Which means that not all of humanity could potentially die, so that’s comforting. It also means that Skinner likely used their DNA to create Hapna. Lastly, Eleina digs up something major about their leader, Dr. Hersch: she was a former researcher that worked alongside Dr. Skinner.
The fact that Hersch kept this info secret from the team is a potential game-changer, as it means that her motives might not be as altruistic as everyone has thought. Unforutunately, we may have to wait to learn her true colors, as the episode ends with Chris running into someone from her past. And judging by the preview for the next episode, it’s not a very happy reunion.
Fourteen days are left, Lazarus doesn’t know if it can trust its leader, and one of its own gets captured. This could be a problem!
Another incredible Lazarus episode. The vibe and pacing was beautiful. Love the discussion of the book of Revelations and the final judgement. Hersch reveal was so good. “The true form of earth”. Hyped for the next episode with Chris or “Alexandra”!!!#Lazarus#LAZARUS_animepic.twitter.com/s6Pj9s4bKw
Ever since he got separated from them by bandits, all Arthur has wanted is to return to his family. His stay with Sylvia helped him get ready for the journey, and his detour to help Tessia get home to her own family had slowed him down. That selfless act, though, might have paid off by giving him his best chance to get back to his parents, only for him to learn that that might have to wait. Whatever power Sylvia gave him, his body can’t handle it yet. So, he either stays in the land of the elves, who aren’t too welcoming of him, and trains, or takes his chances by going home and potentially dying.
At least he has a friend in Tessia, though.
When Your Daughter Brings Home a Boy
As the last episode managed to establish, Elves are not too fond of Humans. Given how the events that led to Arthur meeting Tess involved her being captured by slavers, the feeling is not unwarranted and likely mutual on Humans part. So, despite being happy that Arthur saved their only daughter, the King and Queen of the elves aren’t happy that her grandfather wants to take him in as his apprentice. Doing so would mean that A.) a human would be living in the home of the elven royal family for an extended period, and b.) that human is also a boy Tessia’s age.
Anyone who has ever had a daughter will likely sympathize with what Tessia’s father is feeling. His little girl is only five, and she’s already bought a strange boy him. Worse, if he tries to throw him out, Tessia will hate him, making it a lose-lose situation.
Jokes aside, a big part of this episode focuses how important her friendship with Arthur is to Tessia. It’s all but stated that Arthur had no friends in his first life, so Tess is likely the first friend he’s had since he was young. Tessia, on the other hand, has only ever had “friends” who just wanted to take advantage of her princess status. That led her to close herself off to anyone outside her family, hence why she can act so aggressive at times. As her grandfather notes, having Arthur around has made her happier than she’s been in years.
This will be Tough for Arthur, but he will be Fine
Unfortunately for Arthur, the majority of the Elves don’t extend that sentiment. As soon as Tess takes him out to play, he’s accosted by a snooty elf who looks down on him. Thankfully, he shows that he’s not to be messed with in short order.
The more important thing about this episode is that Virion introduces to his friend Xinia, who uses her magic to let Arthur contact his parents. Thanks to that, he’s able to let his grief-stricken parents know he’s alive, but that he can’t come home yet. With that out of the way, though, he’s free to work on fixing his inner power. Which means it’s time for him to undergo his first training arc.
And with that, the first (webcomic) season of The Beginning After the End comes to a conclusion. It was a little rocky at first due to the animation, but once you get past that, the series does have its own rough charm to it. Next time we see Arthur, though, he’ll be bigger and stronger and likely closer to Tessia than ever! Here’s hoping that the animation improves some more!
Arthur get to talk to his parents to let them know he’s okay and is starting to fit in the elf kingdom with Tessia. We also got 3 year time skip. pic.twitter.com/r9xFqLWmjm
Have you ever heard the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid?” It became popular in the aftermath of the Jonestown Massacre, an event in which almost a thousand Americans from the cult of the People’s Temple killed themselves in mass suicide via poisoned drinks. While the drinks weren’t made with Kool-Aid, but a different brand, the phrase still has the same meaning: buying into a idea that is incredibly stupid and self-destructive. I.E. trying to kill yourself because a deranged cult leader says so. Unfortunately for Lazarus, their next lead on locating Skinner has to be in one such cult. And everyone there is about to drink the Kool-Aid.
It should also be noted that this marks the first episode since the pilot where a character doesn’t open things with a monologue.
An AI Cult
Having come up with no leads about Skinner for the umpteenth time, Lazarus changes tactics again. They find an old article about how Skinner once visited this Neo-Luddite commune that worships this AI called Naga as a god. They think it’s a good hiding place for Skinner, but since they can’t hack into Naga, Elenia and Leland have to sneak in.
This cult worships an AI. Seeing as what’s happening irl in the current year of 2025, yeah this would totally happen by 2052. #LAZARUS#Toonamipic.twitter.com/uK4A27ZvRU
The twist: this cult, Tower of the Truth, is where Elenia grew up before, perhaps wisely, running away. It gets even crazier, though, when it’s revealed that Naga the AI was based on the brain patterns of Dr Skinner. And because they didn’t know to leave well enough alone, the scientists at MIT that created Naga added in a desire for power and need for control.
Artificial intelligence has long been a staple of science fiction, but for every example of one that doesn’t go nuts, there are multiple examples of Hal, Skynet, Ultron, and the Absolute Solver. With AI starting to get more and more powerful in recent years, there is a legitimate concern that they could go mad with power and destroy humanity. It’s why the Three Laws of Robotics are a concept, and why people are urging AI not to be abused. And unfortunately for the Tower of the Truth, Naga’s creators did the exact opposite by giving him a god complex. And in an effort to prove its own divinity, Naga plans to have the entire cult commit suicide by immolation. It’s having them drink the Kool-Aid and go full Jonestown!
This is Why Need to Not Be Dumb With AI
The entire episode is more or less a cautionary tale about two things: the dangers of unethical AI, and the dangers of living a life isolated from any outside information. While the Tower members aren’t wrong about the world being filled with a lot of bad things, shutting themselves off from life means they don’t understand why trying to commit mass suicide is a terrible idea. Then again, Skinner suckered most of humanity into drinking another kind of Kool-Aid in pill form, so…
Fortunately for Elenia and Leland, they manage to convince one of her only friends in the cult to save them, and Lazarus is able to stop the drinking of Kool-Aid before most of them die. The only casualty is the leader of the cult, an Ex-MIT scientist who became obsessed with Naga in the first place. As for Naga, he survives, only to get told off for being nuts by Axel and likely destined for deactivation/execution.
Things aren’t a total loss, though. Lazarus managed to recover Naga’s memory banks, so if the AI had any other contact with Skinner, they can find it. It’s probably going to be another wild goose chase, but maybe we’ll be surprised this time. At least we won’t have to worry about the Kool-Aid anymore!
At this point in the story, it would be safe to say that Lazarus’ hunt for Dr. Skinner has been nothing but a wild goose chase. The elusive creator of Hapna has hid himself so thoroughly, every potential lead the team’s found has been a dead end. In the last episode, though, the team learned that Delta Medicinal, the pharmaceutical that approved the trials for Hapna, had some idea about its true purpose. With that in mind, Lazarus comes up with a plan to try and lure Dr. Skinner out into the open. A plan that, in hindsight, was so desperate that someone like Skinner would know not to take the bait.
In keeping with the trend of having characters open the episode monologuing about their thoughts on Hapna, this episode’s choice is Axel. He never saw the appeal behind the drug, only taking it once while in prison. The irony that even that was enough to damn him like almost everyone in the world is not lost on him or the audience, though.
Another Lead?
With the team having gotten evidence that the company that cleared Hapna for clinical use knew something was up, Lazarus’ next step is to confront them about it. They try to come up with a plan to get inside the building, but in true rebel fashion, Axel brazenly walks in the front door, re-enacts the elevator battle from Captain America: the Winter Soldier, and walks out like a boss. Watanabe and his team truly were attempting to make Axel into the second coming of Spike Spiegel, and so far, it might be working.
Sadly, the CEO of Delta is as left in the dark about Hapna as everyone else is. They tested the drug on monkeys, and confirmed its lethality, but that’s about it. They want to catch Skinner as much as everyone else does. Left without any other option, and with the government wanting results soon, Lazarus has no choice. They team up with Delta to devise a trap to lure Skinner out.
How Was this Plan Supposed to Work?
Their plan is simple: they have Delta stage a fake conference claiming they’ve created a cure for Hapna. Their hope is that this will be enough to have Skinner, or someone affiliated with him, sneak in to see if its true. While the plan might seem clever on the surface, though, there are multiple flaws to it.
Firstly, Lazarus and Delta are operating on the assumption that Dr. Skinner will take the bait. Given everything revealed thus far about him, he’s not the kind of person who would. He was confident enough that no one would realize Hapna was a trap, he went into hiding two years before revealing it. The chances he would fall for Delta’s bluff are slim to none.
Second, they fail to take into account the fact that claims about there being a cure would be enough to entice other people to try and get it, not just Skinner. They do implant a GPS in the fake cure, but that relies on thief getting outside the building.
Lastly, they fail to account for the fact that in their current day and age, anything that’s electronic and can run on a network, no matter how small, can serve as a means for a skilled hacker to get inside remotely. They could then mask their cover using something else and slip away undetected.
Complete Waste of Time!
In the end, everything about Lazarus’ plan that could go wrong does. The only guy who tries to steal the cure is someone random who uses it on himself, only to look like an idiot. Worse, the inevitable hacking attempt uses a blind spot so well hidden to the point of being laughable to break in. The hacker, Popcorn Wizard, runs circles around Eleina before making their big getaway. Eleina gets the last laugh by revealing it was a bluff, that’s little comfort to Lazarus. They essentially wasted theirs and everyone else’s time.
There are twenty-one days left before the first people who took Hapna start dying, and Lazarus is no sooner to finding Skinner. With the series approaching the halfway point, it’s not a good idea to continue with this wild goose chase. The series needs to start giving people solid leads on Skinner sooner rather than later. Otherwise, people are going to start to lose interest.
If you stick with something for long enough, there’s a chance it might end up being better than how it started. If that’s true, then maybe TBATE is finally starting to get better. With the post-credits scene from the last episode ending with Arthur being held at sword point by the Elves of Tessia’s homeland, things did not look good. It looked as though Arthur might be in even more trouble, with Tessa seemingly indifferent to his plight. What makes things more surprising, though, is how this is actually a step up from what happened in the webcomic!
For the first time, the TBATE anime has one-upped its source material.
What Happened in the Webcomic
In the original webcomic, Arthur and Tessia’s arrival in the Elven city is far more lighthearted in tone. The reaction Arthur has when learning that Tessia is the Princess of the Elf Kingdom is more comedic and the attitude of the other Elves is more respectful. Whatever suspicions they had, the fact that Arthur returned with Tessia safe and sound warrants a little courtesy.
By contrast, the sight of the Elves outright attempting to arrest or kill Arthur could be seen as an improvement on the source material. Not only do the adults’ hostile attitudes increase the tension, but they also drive home just how deeply distrustful the Elves are of Humans for things like slavery. Thankfully, once Tess snaps out of whatever trance she was in, the sweet girl is Arthur’s biggest defender. The sight of her innocently taking Arthur home with her without any prejudice is the kind of thing we should all want to see our kids do.
The original webcomic is already good, but this was probably the first time the anime managed to improve upon things. As funny as Arthur’s reaction to learning his new friend is royalty (and he chews her out over it later), the anime’s decision to have Arthur’s life depend on his ability to talk things through feels more realistic and dramatic.
This episode really helps to hammer home the idea that TBATE seems to be at its best when it’s not focused on the fighting. Instead, the character interactions and the resulting drama help to keep people interested despite not looking as good as other anime. Case in point, when Tessia’s grandfather, the former King Virion, takes an interest in Arthur, he invites him to scrap together. The resulting fight once again shows the series’ criticized “PowerPoint fights,” as the fight isn’t that impressive. That being said, the show does make an effort to include some actual animation.
The fight isn’t really what’s important, though. What is truly important is what happens afterward. The reveal of the cause behind Arthur’s increasing chest pains, as well as the fact that they will eventually kill him if left unchecked, is handled well by the anime. As is Virion’s offer to train Arthur as his apprentice. The alternative, though, is what will eventually happen if Arthur doesn’t get help for his chest pains: they’re the result of Sylvia giving him some of her power. And since his body can’t handle it yet, he’ll die if nothing is done.
With Arthur’s plans on returning to his family now on hold for the time being, the show looks set to settle into the land of the Elves for a few episodes. Here’s hoping that things improve for the anime’s sake, or it’s not going to last past the first season.
Despite the heavy criticism it has received in its native West, The Beginning After the End is being well-received overseas. Various pieces of data indicate it’s been fairly popular in Japan, while the series itself has a high number of five-star ratings on Crunchyroll.
TBATE Anime is a success in Japan 🇯🇵
Even if occidental public is hating the anime, TBATE is in every important top 10 in Japan, including: Netflix, Hulu, U-Next, D-Anime Store, TVer and others… #TBATEpic.twitter.com/rlv9akDscY
While it might have gotten off to a rough start, TBATE has started to show some slow improvement in the last episode as Arthur met, befriended, and was trained by a mysterious dragon named Sylvia. However, their time together got cut short for reasons that likely won’t be made clear in this season, leaving him on his own once more. However, his quest to reunite with his family leads him to make an unexpected detour, as well as make his first real friend in his second life.
Arthur Goes Assassin’s Creed
As seems to be the case, there was a moment from the manwha that was left out of the anime at the start of the episode. Arthur cries in frustration as the realization that Sylvia’s dead hits him, only to be snapped out of it by a pre-recorded message from her. In it, she explains that she imparted part of her “will” to him, but he can’t use it until he grows stronger. This will become an important plot point going forward, but the immediate ramifications are that Arthur’s mana core will soon start to flare up in pain.
Beyond that, though, what happens next with Arthur and the slave traders is nowhere near as bad as it gets in the web comic. The slavers actually bind and gag the poor girl they captured, and the fact that they don’t do that doesn’t make much sense here. The whole point to that is to ensure the captive can’t escape, making the slavers feel like amateurs. Regardless, the way Arthur kills them is just as ruthless as it is in the comics.
After that, though, Arthur manages to make a new friend. And she’s an elf girl.
This is Tessia, and given how TBATE takes pages from Mushoku Tensei, it should come as no surprise that she takes inspiration from several girls in that series. Her physical appearance, status as an elf, and initial timid personality all scream Sylphie. However, once she starts to open up to Arthur, she starts to display some of Eris’ more fiery and confrontational nature. Thankfully, she’s not violent like Eris is, only going so far as get snippy with Arthur when he’s making fun of her.
The two of them make for a rather odd pairing, especially given how Arthur is mentally an adult. Still, it feels nice to see Arthur being able to have a friend his own age, something that the anime all but states he never really had by the time he died. The anime does leave out a few of the more comedic aspects of their journey together, but the overall bonding and sentiment remain present right up to when they make it to the outskirts of Tess’ home.
Don’t Worry: Arthur Will be Fine
Full disclosure: that post-credits scene was not present in the web comic. It appears that the series might be going in a more serious direction to amp up the drama, or at least leave viewers in suspense about what comes next. Those who read the web comic should also be surprised by what happened, and now have something to look forward to next episode. It feels like TBATE might be on the mend, and hopefully, if we stick around long enough, something good might come out of it.
Thanks to Lazarus’ efforts in the last episode, they managed to get a few leads on Dr. Skinner. Axel and Leland managed to track down Skinner’s grandmother in Istanbul and got a better idea of what the man behind Hapna is like. Meanwhile, Eleina managed to discover that the one responsible for covering Skinner on cameras everywhere is another hacker, Dr. 909. The bad news is that not even the FBI knows who 909 is. The good news, though, is that Eleina has a plan to catch them. However, to pull it off, they have to go to his contact at a swanky nightclub. Lazarus is going clubbing, and that in and of itself carries a number of risks!
Time to Go Clubbing
Thanks to getting 909 to take Eleina’s bait, Lazarus has learned a few things about them. Firstly, that they somehow knew ahead of time that Hapna stocks would crash. Secondly, they worked with a stockbroker to make a ton of money off it. The good news is that they know who the stockbroker is; they’re the owner of a popular nightclub.
The bad news? This guy, Sam, is a creep, a sexist, and just cringe. The Lazarus team even admits it! Unforutunately, the only way to get to him is by having the girls dress up and get picked up by him at his weekly party. Though, in this case, that means Chris…and Leland dressed as a girl.
Club at Your Own Risk
Clubbing is often a high-energy, potentially high-risk activity. On the one hand, the bright lights, thumping music, and party atmosphere can suck people in. On the other hand, if you’re not careful, bad things can happen to you. Lazarus does a great job of capturing both aspects of the nightclub, and capture them well. The background art alone is praiseworthy and eye-catching, but it’s the smooth animation of the club-goers that makes the place really entertaining. It’s very much like the kind of club that you would expect the young and hip to attend…and for creeps to try and take advantage of people.
From the start, Sam and his guy posse are portrayed as nothing but one-dimensional sleazebags trying to take advantage of women. Sam himself drugs the women he brought with him, which is morally reprehensible and disgusting! His hired DJ, Visionary, is no better, trying to hit on a disguised Leland. Not to mention how the man has no respect for his craft, leaving it up to AI to do all the heavy work for him! And, as Eleina figures out, he’s also the hacker they’re after.
A High-Stake Helicopter Chase!!
The entire experience at the nightclub is capped off by something that is a staple of many a good action film: an honest-to-goodness nightclub shootout. Axel and Doug make short work of the guards, while Chris gives Sam some well-deserved karma for being an enemy of all women.
And Watanabe continues the trend of beautiful women who can kick men’s asses. All of this culminates in yet another staple of the action film genre: a high-speed chase on a helicopter with Axel flying a drone after them like he’s the Green Goblin!
Sadly, their efforts prove to be for naught. Neither Sam nor Dr909/Visionary/Donald McDonald know nothing about Skinner. They were just taking advantage of the chaos to earn money, like the wastes of space they were. The one consolation is that these events confirmed that Delta, a medicinal company, was aware of the dangers behind it. Only 24 days remain before Hapna becomes lethal, and if people were doubting this fact, the episode gives major proof otherwise. In the final scene, we see a group of monkeys in a lab that were likely used to test Hapna start to die. In other words, this drug is the real deal.
This was a fun episode in a series that, thus far, has been fun to watch. People seem to love Lazarus so far!
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