English Dub Review: Requiem of the Rose King “Richard is dead, died alone in the woods that day.”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Richard stews in inner turmoil as Edward celebrates the Yorkist victory and George jockeys for position. When the question of the captive Henry’s fate is raised, Richard is forced to make an irrevocable choice.

Our Take:
The war between York and Lancaster has reached its shocking conclusion, with the former kingdom taking the win. However, just because the fighting’s done doesn’t mean their lives will return to normal. The only war left for York to face lies within their own kingdom.
The plot in the show’s recent episode starts with Edward and York celebrating their victory over Lancaster. Meanwhile, we see Richard seeking to speak to Henry, but his memories seem to be foggy. He’s not only remembering about wearing the crown, but he’s also not knowing Richard. That is until Cecily, the one who has no right to be called a mother, tells him who Richard really is while King Edward assigns him to assassinate Henry.
The majority of the storyline represents the unfortunate end of Richard’s relationship with Henry, with the latter refusing Richard’s proclaimed love for him after knowing his true identity. This resulted in Richard completing Edward’s request by stabbing Henry in the chest, killing him. Knowing that it’s based on Shakespearean lore, I thought this episode did a stellar job capturing this sad part of Richard’s journey. It earns the heartbreak and emotion that’s been built up since the end of its tenth episode, and it’s wonderfully animated through its stylized sequences.
Part of the emotion that drives the episode, along with the entire show, is Richard’s coming-of-age journey of finding love. He’s been searching for the one who’ll love him for who he is despite his unusual appearance. Richard thought he had found it in the form of Henry, but his discovery that Henry’s the king of Lancaster left him in turmoil and despair. But that seems to have ended when Richard confesses his love to Anne and wants to marry her. Let’s hope that this relationship turns out better than his last one.
Overall, this episode is a well-earned conclusion to the tragic end of Richard’s first love. This is another chapter that proves that the Shakespearean drama outside the battlefield is surprisingly more investing than the actual war itself. After experiencing the first twelve episodes of this piece of Shakespeare anime, I have to say that I was most impressed with what I’ve seen so far. It took a bit to get me engaged with the series, but once it did, I became immersed in Richard’s complex nature and his continuous quest for the throne. Hopefully, it can maintain my interest during its remaining episodes.