English Dub Review: The Beginning After the End “The King Is Betrayed”

Overview

In the lowest level of the dungeon, Arthur and his party have a horrifying encounter.



Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, the story throws Arthur and the others into a chaotic confrontation where illusions and fear slowly push the group toward complete collapse. The dungeon atmosphere was easily the strongest part of the episode, with the mist creating a constant sense of paranoia while the regenerating vines and looming mana beast kept the tension high. Arthur’s determination to protect everyone despite the overwhelming danger also helped give the episode some emotional weight, especially once the situation spiraled out of control.

The episode definitely had some rough writing choices, though, particularly with how certain characters reacted under pressure. Lucas, in particular, continues to be frustratingly reckless, although the corrupted environment at least partially explains why everyone was acting irrationally. Even so, there were still a few genuinely cool moments scattered throughout the episode, especially whenever Arthur unleashed more advanced abilities. Some of the action cuts and magical effects showed flashes of the stronger adaptation fans were hoping for from the start.

Overall, this was probably one of the more engaging episodes of the season despite still being held back by inconsistent execution and production quality. The darker atmosphere, higher stakes, and Arthur finally pushing his powers further gave the episode a stronger sense of momentum than previous weeks. While the adaptation still struggles to fully capture the impact of the source material, this episode at least felt like a step closer to the intensity and scale the story is aiming for.