English Dub Review: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman “The Old Country Bumpkin Faces Off Against His Father”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
With the saberboar threat eliminated, Beaden holds its annual festival.  The friendship between Henblitz and Randrid grows, while Adel and Edel fuss over Mewi.  Beryl watches it all and reflects on his own feelings over the years.  Then Mordea arrives and the two head for the dojo.  Can Beryl overcome the giant wall that is his father?

Our Take:
The relationship between Beryl and his father, Mordea, has been playing a key role in Beryl’s first trip back home.  No, I’m not just talking about Mordea’s concern about Beryl finding a wife.  I’m also referring to his history as the world’s strongest swordsman, who’s also the only opponent Beryl couldn’t defeat, yet puts him in charge of the dojo anyway.  With this in mind, it left us with a question of who really is the strongest in swordsmanship.  After leaving us with anticipation in the last two episodes, we finally have our answer.  After a fun day at the festival, Beryl and Mordea face off in a sparring match that’ll test their strengths and mentalities, mainly Beryl’s
Throughout the season, Beryl isn’t just worried about his age but is also haunted by a mental wall convincing him that he’ll never beat his old man.  That all changes when Beryl spars against Mordea and finally wins, with the sole purpose of Mordea removing the mental block from his son’s head.  With this and Beryl’s confusion over him taking over the dojo, it shows that regardless of age, a swordsman or any other individual can become stronger, both physically and mentally.  As a result, the episode becomes a suitable closure to Beryl’s personal trauma, strengthening the bond between father and son, as well as the first half of the second season.  Even if the execution of its premise doesn’t reach any emotional heights, this is another episode whose character development and action mostly compensate for the show’s English dub shortcomings.