English Dub Review: Ascendance of a Bookworm “Gift from the Blue-Robed Priest and Going Home”

Overview

With the Spring Prayer finished, Main and the others returned to the cathedral. Sylvester appoints Main as his guide to show him around the orphanage and workshop, where they observe how the scripture picture books are made. As he leaves, Sylvester gives Main a necklace with a black stone, saying it’s a protection charm just in case anything were to happen. Meanwhile, Ferdinand, who had also witnessed the books being made, tells Main’s method of making books will change history and how dangerous that may be…

Our Take

Giving Sylvester the grand tour of all Main workshops and places of operation. Showing him the orphanage where the quality of life has drastically increased under Main’s proper care, Wilma the priestess who designed the drawings in Main’s picture book, Meeting with Benno to see the merchants Main deals with. Going out with the boys to gather in the forest, and Sylvester bonding well with everyone and being an all-around proverbial boy scout this episode.

The makeshift printing shop is now equipped with those metal block letters so making books is much faster. Ferdinand also questions why Main is going to great lengths to make books given how much their creation and ease of access will change things. History will shift with this invention just like it did in our world. Innovation always leads to a disruption that will change history. And I’m surprised that Main’s knowledge of the future never thought of those implications before.

Overall, a decent episode. I like it when a series gives you enough information to correctly follow the logic when you understand it enough because I immediately knew what everyone was thinking when Ferdinand was looking at all those orphans learning to read, write, and create mass-produced books. And even asked how her world could possibly respond to that change. Ferdinand explicitly points out to her, that it might not be the same outcomes as her old world’s history but it changes things nonetheless. Whether we want to admit it or not, change is often feared by the ones on top who wish to preserve their current world order and retain their status, power, and wealth. I also like how the whole town celebrates a new baby being born. Even with the infant mortality rate being so high as the father explained. It’s motivation enough for Main to make her books a lasting thing so her little brother remembers her after she leaves…