English Dub Review: Skeleton Knight in Another World “An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades”

Did we actually get something new from Skeleton Knight in Another World? This week’s episode, “An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades,” Actually started out differently from the prior two weeks. We have plot development! Let me tell you, I was surprised. I promise you all, I honestly did not go into the subbed versions and peak ahead. this was crazy to see.

Of course we still have our normal main thread of Skeleton Knight… with “Arc doing odd missions from the guild until the end boss of the week shows up” thread, but it’s the ancillary plot at the beginning of the episode I want to focus on. A lot of short form anime, especially with shows like Death Parade, there is generally a slow burn for the overall plot, and it explodes within the last episode or two. It’s like a giant crescendo or a firework. What we have with Skeleton Knight… is a, comparatively, very quick introduction to the behind the scenes scheming an machinations of the world around Arc and the main plot. This, right here, is what we need from short form anime.

The introduction of Lord Tryton du Diento and his constituent Celsika are going to be the driving force behind the plot, and as of right now, I am all for it. I think the big takeaway from this interaction is that Diento is one of the reasons the basilisks attacked in the last episode. And of course, all of this is for political wants and to control the world. This was a huge exposition dump, and it will probably to a lot better to just watch.

Fast forward back to Arc, and we meet the elf woman from the alley in the first episode. Again, we’re finally getting plot threads that are reaching back to past episodes, and I’m digging it. Her name is Ariane, and she’s trying to find out who is attack and kidnapping elves and selling them as slaves. Of course, she declines Arc’s offer of help, and he decides this is a quest to help Ariane…because I forgot this was a show about a guy who got transported to another world.

I’ve been hard on the progression of plot in the first two episodes. But hot damn, “An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades” is streamlined. Before watching this week’s episode, I was kind of dreading watching anything week because of migraines. However, “An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades” was a welcome change, and didn’t feel like a chore at all. Ariane is a very welcome change, because I don’t know how long Arc’s character and demeanor can carry Skeleton Knight… for the long run. Arc has been enjoyable, but I could see the charm draining fast.

The bond between Arc and Ariane grew throughout the episode in a fairly stereotypical manner, but there is only so much when one side is so grossly overbearing like Arc, and one as stern and somewhat cold like Ariane. It was necessary, but stereotypical. This is going to be the duo going forward, and I can dig it. The juxtaposition of the two diametrically opposite characters is going to carry Skeleton Knight in Another World to places that it couldn’t if it was going to be Arc and only Arc for the entirety of the run.

“An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades” was a fantastic rebound from last week. I was feeling everything about this week’s episode, mainly because the plot progression, and the ability to finally build on events from the previous week made for a much more enjoyable time. Also, making the weekly end boss a bunch of slave traders instead of a big bad “monster of the week” was a change as well. The theme this week was “change for the better,” and “An Austere Elf Dances for her Comrades” did it well.