English Dub Review: Radiant “An Encounter in the Rain -Mist-“

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

As Dragunov prepares to carry out his new Thaumaturge duties, Alma sends Seth off to find Caislean Merlin. But not long after heading out, his broom is shredded by a ship belonging to the Merchant Barons, who see the conflicts between Sorcerers, Inquisition, and Nemeses as simply an opportunity to profit further. They’ve come to take some of the land’s resources, but end up coming across Seth as he lands on their fattest member. One baron, Cristolom, gives him a bit more trouble by using white silver weapons and magic potions to boost his strength and speed, but Grimm rescues Seth and helps him recover from his injuries. Seth still has bruises on his heart from Rumble Town, which has led him to push away Doc and Melie, but Grimm tells him he should be glad that things aren’t worse.

The next day, Grimm leads Seth to the road heading into Caislean Merlin, where humans and sorcerers live side by side in peace and Knight-Sorcerers, such as Mordred and Sagramore, garner quite the reputation as heroes of the city. And to Seth’s surprise, Doc and Melie are also within sight.

OUR TAKE
This episode feels like a more proper introduction to the new elements in this arc, as Seth encounters new enemies like the Merchant Barons and finally enters Caislean Merlin, where his search for Radiant can continue. The barons in particular give us a glimpse at a side outside of the three way conflict between the main factions, who might be just as much of a force to contend with if they’re able to profit from all sides like they seem. And it turns out that this group is in this area due to Seth’s antics in Rumble Town hurting their prospects. So, what is it that they’re after here? That remains unclear but will no doubt be elaborated on soon.

We also get the return of Grimm, the enigmatic ally Seth and friends encountered in Rumbled Town who seems to have his own story going on that we don’t quite understand just yet. We got hints about who or what he was after in that arc, but nothing concrete. We definitely get a bit more of a look at his many abilities which dwarf Seth’s own, meaning that he could be around as someone for Seth to use as a gauge of upcoming threats. And he’s been pretty cool and fun as a character so far, so I’m down for more of him as the story goes on.

And lastly, we only got a tiny look at Caislean Merlin, but we’re seeing enough that there’s already plenty to talk about. For one, it looks to be another sorcerer haven like Artemis, only on the ground instead of in the sky. It also surprisingly has humans and sorcerers peacefully co-existing alongside each other, something we haven’t seen in this series prior. Usually it’s a human society where sorcerers are persecuted, unless it’s Artemis where there aren’t ANY normal humans. On top of that, sorcerers are practically celebrities if the crowds of adoring fans are any indication, which must be new to Seth, someone who’s only seen them be seen as monsters by those who aren’t of that kind. And we as the audience are experiencing this alongside him, helping us learn things as he does, especially with Doc and Melie finally back in the show. Essentially, this episode has opened the floodgates for plenty of new and interesting additions to the story’s lore and world that I very much look forward to seeing expand in the weeks and months to come.