English Dub Review: A Centaur’s Life “Mental Strength Might Be the Biggest Reason One Wins a Serious Competition. | The Uncertainty of What One Believes In…Or So I Absurdly Mumble.”

Dating and false idols.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Overall, this episode was very cute.

We’re finally introduced to a centaur that’s not part of Himeno’s family, Ayaka. She’s part of the archery club and has a crush on Himeno. Himeno is nice to her and tries to ease her worries at competitions, but her nerves keep getting the better of her. She is fiercely competitive and is determined to win the competition. What ends up really motivating her is Himeno’s bet, and that’s enough to push her to victory. As such, she ends up going on a date with her senpai. Overall, a very cute segment.

The second half focuses on the merfolk, specifically a young idol who has to sing for their god as part of the tradition. An imposter appears, which seems to be run or controlled by a ship of Antarcticans. These Antarcticans are very different, for they have four arms and flat eyes, and tilt their heads. It’s not clear whether these are a certain kind of Antarctican, or a race mimicking them, but some sort of conspiracy is happening. The worldbuilding in this show has been quite detailed for a slice of life series, and tensions between the nations have been mentioned in past episodes. What sort of purpose making or controlling this false idol will serve is still unknown, but it’s pretty unnerving regardless.

Our Take

I’m a little tired of anime’s constant need to showcase nudity for young girls, even if it did make sense as a notable piece between the cultures. It felt unnecessary, especially considering the latter half of the second part had nothing to do with the first half. Alas, this is very common in anime, unfortunately.

The extreme change in mood between the two segments was quite surprising, and it almost feels like the two didn’t flow together. Knowing that Sue is still hanging out with her zashiki-warashi friend is definitely a good way to end the episode, though.