English Dub Review: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman “The Old Country Bumpkin Sees Himself in an Old Man”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Wolf-shaped shadows attack the teachers, and magic is rendered useless on campus. Able to fight even without magic, Beryl and Ficelle force their way into the school in an effort to uncover the cause of the strange happenings. When shadow wolves appear in the cafeteria, Mewi and the classmates decide to confront them, despite their inexperience. Two battles unfold, so how will they end?
Our Take:
We’re only three episodes in, and Beryl is already encountering a formidable foe within school grounds. In addition to the sudden disappearance of magic, Beryl and Ficelle are left to deal with mysterious wolf-shaped shadows that may be responsible for the occurrence. As a result, the master-student duo would have to contend with removing the root of the problem using only their sword magic, leading them to a shocking secret beneath the building.
The episode showcases that while regular magic is quite helpful, it doesn’t mean that it’ll solve every problem, with the wolf shadows being some of them. With Beryl and Ficelle confronting the big boss down below, Mewi and the other students had to use their heads to battle the wolf invading the cafeteria. The solution? Using sword magic with just their tiny knives. They may look small, but they’re surprisingly effective. More importantly, the battle also highlights Mewi’s development in terms of fitting in with the other students, as well as her supposed leadership.
After the first two episodes, “Sees Himself in an Old Man” quickly found its footing with an enticing battle inside the Magic Academy, mainly due to the animation for the characters’ sword techniques. While basic by design, the CG animation for Old Country Bumpkin was the only true highlight of season one, calling attention to the accurate swordsman skills presented by Beryl combined with the typical magic abilities. So it was nice to see that this aspect persists in making its sophomore season tolerable. However, the real meat of the plot is its continued reflection of a person’s fear of age, with Principal Brown seeking eternal youth to keep himself from growing old. This aspect will likely affect Beryl’s own dilemma as we advance through the season, as he wonders about the day he’ll put down the sword and retire for good. If that’s the case, then it’ll surely help the series improve its narrative amid its “master reunites with former students” premise.
