English Dub Review: Requiem of the Rose King “Even alone, it wasn’t frightening. Rather… the loneliness has been kind ever since losing Father.”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Richard and Catesby continue their mission to win George back to the Yorkist cause. Meanwhile, Henry laments his position as Warwick raises an army to prevent Edward’s return.

Our Take:
King Edward has been rescued, but the war is far from over. After returning the king to the Yorkist throne, Richard and Catesby are sent on a new quest to bring back George. If you’re wondering why only George, it’s because Warwick is still a traitorous asshole who isn’t worth saving. During the quest, Richard reencounters Henry while the former’s feelings for him start to grow gradually.
The episode mainly focuses on Richard and Catesby’s mission to rescue George. More importantly, it further showcases Henry’s constant struggle between his position as king and his feelings for Richard. Henry seeks to be free from the stress of being the ruler of Lancaster, and he believes that his love for Richard is the only solution to that cause. It also represents why Henry is being fearful towards women via a flashback to his childhood days. In the flashback, we see a young Henry knowing that his mother is a “love demon”. It’s not that Henry hates women entirely. Instead, it’s the desire and lust that made him so antsy.
The episode continues to provide suitable development and complexity for Henry and Richard. Regarding its integral theme of love, the episode further explores specific characters and their own complications. The primary example of this was the scene involving Prince Edward and Anne confessing their love for Richard instead of each other. It was a well-handled sequence that represents the two different perspectives of Richard regarding his appearance.
Overall, the eighth episode is another solid chapter in the complex Shakespearean love-fest. Its development towards the characters and their internal struggles makes this a better episode to inject more interest into the series. It would be interesting to see how much longer it’ll take for Henry to realize Richard’s true identity.