English Dub Review: Tales of Wedding Rings “Episode 8”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The oracle who’s secretly running Maasa, the Land of Water, offers some advice to Marse, who failed in his mission. Satou and Sluder prepare to repel the approaching Abyss King’s horde. As Satou struggles, a certain person suddenly stands before him.

Our Take:

When we met Marse in the first episode, he’s portrayed as a faithful and kindhearted prince who understands Hime’s true feelings for Satou. As a result, Marse handed over the title of “Ring King” to the outsider. Unfortunately, as the previous episode depicted, it also resulted in dire consequences for Marse since he was supposed to be the next “Ring King”. It puts a massive strain on his relationship with Saphira, whom he promised to marry, and his alliance with his family, the Gisarus Empire. So now he’s forced to choose between his loyalty to his friends and the Empire. However, it seemed like Marse had no choice due to an anti-magic sword possessing him.

With Satou and Hime getting some development throughout the series, seeing Marse get the same treatment was the boost it needed to heighten the tension in their dynamics, mainly him and Satou. This was proven during Satou’s confrontation with the possessed Marse, controlled by his doubts as a failure. Despite Satou being advised by the rings to kill Marse, he still believes that Marse is a good friend to him regardless of his failures. It’s enough for Marse to choose his own path and foil the nefarious plot by the Oracle, who reveals herself as the Abyss Knight. As a result, not only does he help Satou save Maasa, but he also wins back Saphira’s heart after rescuing her from the invading monsters.

While far from special, the eighth episode of Tales of Wedding Rings has enough moments to make Marse’s development rewarding amid its ring-seeking narrative. But, of course, that doesn’t mean we’ll see the last of Marse’s royal family, especially since the Emperor is hellbent on conquering the land. His conquest will likely interfere with Satou’s quest to retrieve the four elemental rings, as he’s got one last wife to marry to achieve full power.