English Dub Review: BACK ARROW “Is Having Dreams a Burden?”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Arrow attempts to run to the Wall by manifesting his Briheight. However, he doesn’t make it far since he got hungry. He meets Shu, the High Diviner of Rekka who questions him on his situation and offers a deal to Arrow. Shu’s companion, Ren drops him off back at the remote village where the doctor treats Atlee after her first use of the Bind Warper. The next day Elsha and Bit explain to Arrow about the scarcity of resources and send him on his way with some food and water.

Then the people of Lutoh find out that Arrow has the ability to defeat another Briheight user without killing them. The princess of Lutoh wants to know how he does it and Lutoh sends people to capture Arrow for questioning. Another fight in the village occurs, but Arrow is nowhere to be seen. Atlee and Elsha try to fight them off when words fail to convince them. Elsha then falls into a hole as Arrow appears and joins the fight. Meanwhile, Shu goes to the imperial library and researched the banned texts for information. He finds out that Arrow’s arrival is not an accident and that change is coming to the world they live in.

Our Take:

This episode continues to expand on how Arrow gets into trouble with the two factions. The show also explains the burdens of using a Bind Warper for extended periods of time. It goes to emphasize how Arrow is special from the other Briheight users. The Wall is very tall and far away from the village, so if Arrow is going to make it to the Wall he’s going to need more than his Briheight to get there. It introduces the other faction, Lutoh to the audience. It’s Western-inspired going by their clothes which contrast the attire that Rekka has on Shu and Ren.

Arrow is a funny character and his banter with the other characters is amusing. Despite his memory loss and being in an unfamiliar environment, Arrow doesn’t appear to be worried about his situation. He’s simplistic about his goals and actions to get to the Wall. He does understand that he’s a liability to the town. However, he stays after a request from one of the people and later joins the fight to honor the spirit of the former sheriff.

The light-hearted mood between Arrow, Elsha, and Bit turns dark at the blunt reality of the town’s situation and the risk of Arrow still being there. Elsha also brings up a good point on why he was in the Rakuho as if he was running from something. Hopefully, we find out why in a future episode since he is the main character. Furthermore, Shu’s companion, Ren establishes the intensity of how people reject anything beyond the Wall. Admittedly I do have to question why people reject anything beyond the Wall so aggressively.

Now the officer from Iki is a cartoonish villain even in his dialogue. The fight against him was average with how Atlee and Elsha tried to stop him and the other officers. Then Arrow joins the fight and defeats the guy before the ground starts crumbling at the awakening of something beneath the village.

Overall the episode was a good continuation that highlights the scarcity of resources and the importance of Arrow’s existence.