English Dub Review: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman “The Old Country Bumpkin Learns the Challenges of Parenting”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Beryl and Mewi start living in the house Lucy gave Beryl.  Although unsure, Beryl works on becoming a parent figure for Mewi.  When they find out that the magic institute Mewi is enrolled at has a student dormitory, Beryl wonders whether it is best for her to live with him or on campus.

Our Take:
Following the intense confrontation with the corrupted church and its “army of the dead”, Beryl is now tasked with the most difficult objective known to man: parenthood.  In addition to a new house to live in, Beryl reluctantly takes responsibility as a legal guardian to Mewi, hoping to get her life back on track.  But, as usual, being a parent to a stubborn teenager isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially regarding Mewi’s discomfort and attitude.  Of course, Beryl gets a bigger taste of being a parent when he and Mewi discover that the magic institute has a dormitory where Mewi can live.  This resulted in Beryl struggling with what future Mewi wants to have.
While it doesn’t further expand upon the previous episode regarding the fate of Mewi’s dead sister, the episode doesn’t neglect its focus on the gradual relationship between Beryl and Mewi.  In this case, Beryl hopes to be a better guardian to Mewi while helping her learn to be more comfortable around other people.  Considering the magic institute consists of well-mannered students, Beryl finds it challenging for Mewi to be more open towards them due to her reclusiveness.  Fortunately, Mewi started to turn around after encountering Surena at the sausage-exclusive restaurant and the invading rats inside their new home.  Seriously, those things were quite big.
The episode takes a tenderhearted and low-stakes approach to the difficulties of parenting instead of the usual “villain of the week” narrative, especially with Beryl’s internal struggle to provide Mewi with a better future.  While the structure doesn’t offer anything particularly innovative, it does bring a heartfelt and subtly dramatic touch to the guardian/teen relationship that effectively develops its characters, especially Mewi.  As a result, “The Old Country Bumpkin Learns the Challenges of Parenting” became a standout episode of the season, highlighting that being a good guardian is just as challenging as being a master swordsman.