English Dub Review: Nippon Sangoku “Imperial Council”
Overview:
As the “Toryumon” continues, viewers will see if Aoteru and his new companion will pass the seemingly impossible task: bringing a commander to his knees, in the latest installment of Nippon Sangoku.
Our Take:
The previous episode ended with a cliffhanger, before Aoteru got his chance to try to solve the impossible task. Yoshitsune Asama tries first. While his sword skills don’t seem to work, some swift leg movement proves crafty enough to get the Borderland General to bend down with a simple kick. It’s probably for the best both ways, since he was threatening to chop the old man’s legs off.
For his part, Aoteru presents a meticulously planned out agricultural reform plan. While impressed, the general is unsure how this would bring him to his knees. Aoteru simply admits that he has no way of passing and so decided to take advantage of the situation to present it while he can, originally hoping to present it after he had passed the test. Noting that he won’t even get credit for it, the general is touched by this, and willingly kneels down, allowing Aoteru to pass. Of course, the commander is soon spooked by the possibility that Aoteru planned this all along.
In another amusing bit, Asama thinks he has found a rival, only to be surprised by Aoteru giving him a thumb’s up.
Viewers soon get a break from Aoteru’s story to see the inner workings of Yamato’s imperial court. The territory has an emperor, but he is soon shown to be cowardly and easily cowed by Denki Taira, the comedic yet calculating figure from the first episode. He is even able to issue commands to surrender to the other territories without even telling the emperor beforehand.
During his reappearance, he even appears to be able to subdue the general. He might be laughing through it all with a smug smile, but viewers might already start to worry that he is already cooking up something sinister. Of course, given that he makes sure to end his scene by ordering two decapitations, whatever he’s got planned has got to be big.
Cutting back to Asama and Aoteru, who have both gotten new promotions, the episode ends with a hint of another force that they will soon have to deal with.
