English Dub Review: Requiem of the Rose King “Requiem of the Rose King”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

As two armies array themselves for a decisive battle on Bosworth field, Richard questions the meaning of fighting this war.

Our Take:   

This has been one heck of a journey for the Demon King. It’s full of violence, tears, betrayal, and death. Now, his quest has reached its conclusion, with him leading his army to war against his final opponent, Richmond. The fate of his throne heavily depends on the war’s outcome, and I was here for it.

The second half of Requiem of the Rose King is some of the best I’ve seen this year regarding its storytelling and characters. Once I got past its faceless supporting characters and confusing elements, I found myself surprisingly engaged with Richard’s adolescent journey to assume the throne. Even last week’s episode did enough to make me almost shed a tear or two. So the finale had a lot of high expectations to meet to conclude the adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic tales on a resounding note. Unsurprisingly, it did just that.

The finale successfully conveyed the emotional impact of last week’s episode and injected it into Richard’s latest chapter of his lifelong quest. Part of the episode’s emotional depth came from Richard, as his sickness still affects his health. But, more importantly, he questions his true identity regarding his birthright since his mother told him that he isn’t the Duke of York’s son. Fortunately, Richard receives that answer after meeting James Tyrell and recognizing Henry’s own struggles as king.

Some might say that the battle on Bosworth field is my favorite part of the episode because of its high-stakes sequences. Well, they’re only half right. Despite some of the violence still being shown through imagery, the entire scene alone was indeed riveting. However, it didn’t come close to matching my actual highlight of the finale.

Like the final scene in last week’s episode, which had Richard confronting his mother, the moment between Richard and Catesby hits me in the feels. Through its flashbacks and Kow Otani’s beautiful score, this scene perfectly reflects the ever-lasting relationship they shared throughout their lives. It also resembles Richard’s deep respect for Catesby, who’s one of the only people who accept him for who he is despite his appearance. Ian Sinclair definitely deserves all the credit for delivering an outstanding performance as Catesby in the finale and the other chapters before it.

My only tiny issue with the episode is that the ending felt incomplete, with Richard being left injured before being saved by James, who takes on the form of Richard. After that, Catesby carries an unconscious Richard back to the kingdom, with Richmond being the victor of the war. Although, given that the manga is still ongoing, it makes sense why it had to end the season like that. Additionally, the moment Richard encounters Joan of Arc and James resembles Richard finally learning to love himself after spending years feeling tormented by his appearance.

Other than that, “Requiem of the Rose King” succeeds in closing its first season off with an emotional bang. What started as a typical adaptation of Shakespeare’s stories gradually transitions into a strongly compelling tale of love and tragedy. The ending signifies that Richard’s fight could continue in a second season, but we’ll have to see how the show’s first season fares with the other viewers.