English Dub Review: If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord “The Young Girl Returns to Kreuz”

 

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)

It’s Latina and Dale’s last few days in Teathrow, so they must say their goodbyes. The farewell to the Soaring Wolves isn’t easy, particularly for Latina’s and her favorite pup; however, those marvelous creatures leave them with a terrific parting gift. You see, there are a lot of dumb monsters in the wilderness, and those creatures are frightened of phantasmic beasts like Soaring Wolves. And so, the head wolf shakes off some of its fur for Dale, promising it will scare off those dimwitted beasts.

Later on, Dale learns that the Teathrow people make a good portion of their traveling clothes out of Soaring Wolf fur, and have so for generations. Since Latina formed a strong rapport with the large animals, the villagers have been collecting the discarded fur from the brushes she uses to groom them. Dale has mixed emotions about this, but appreciates when his grandmother gifts Latina a pair of bows made with Soaring Wolf fur. The old woman also adorns the young girl with a special Teathrow name, inviting her into the family a few years early in case she’s not around to see the girl grow into a woman.

After bidding adieu to Latina’s teachers, the canine trainers, and a few other villagers, Dale and Latina finally say goodbye to Dale’s family. After a big feast the night before, the fam is still hesitant to say farewell. At long last, however, they’re relieved that Dale has accepted his role of protector even though it means living far from the village. They’re also very proud of the nurturing relationship he’s developed with Latina. The girl senses the good vibes and knows she’ll miss the family very much, especially Grandma with whom she developed a very strong bond.

As promised, they stop at Joseph and Ute’s on their way home. Maya is even more annoying and clingy than she was on the initial visit. It gets so bad, Dale and Joseph have to wait until the small beast-child is asleep in order to peel her away from Latina whose side she refuses to leave. Unfortunately, their plan doesn’t work, and our duo once again has to leave town listening to that brat wail and wail until the heinous sound finally vanishes into the wind.

Back in the port town, Latina buys souvenirs for all her friends. However, she forgets all about those gifts the moment she steps foot inside her beloved inn. Seeing Rita and Kenneth invokes quite an emotional response. Rita is looking super pregnant while Ken looks about the same. The young girl is a little miffed when Dale crosses paths with Kenneth before her, but the general vibe is so positive, such a small hiccup is soon forgotten. The most fanfare, however, comes from the drunken customers who are ecstatic to see their favorite little waitress. Welcome home, Latina.

 

Our Take

When you break it down, even though each episode is stuffed with scenes, not a lot happens in any given episode of Demon Daughter. And yet, by the end of the half hour it feels as if so much has been accomplished. How is this possible? It’s probably because each small scene has enough character and plot content to advance the story, where larger shows are bogged down in a ton of filler scenes that do little to nothing at all. This show, above all, knows how to use the time allotted to its fullest.

Over the past three episodes we’ve gone on an epic journey with various stops and a considerable layover. With that being said, not a moment seemed rushed even though the entire adventure’s runtime clocked in at around sixty-two minutes. That’s considerably shorter than most films and yet so much more was accomplished than in your average blockbuster.

Even though they’re only minor characters, we got a real feel for the Teathrowers. Their motivations were clear—to live free under their old-fashioned and unique traditions. And the mixed feelings shared by Dale and Yorck felt legitimate and complicated just like they were supposed to. It’s clear to everyone that Dale prefers his life with Latina more than any possible future that could’ve been. And yet, his feelings remain complex, and he torn. The man was practically banished by those closest to him—all for the greater good. The Teathrow way of life would’ve ceased to exist if not for Dale and his expert fighting and diplomacy skills.

Politics, who needs ‘em?

The trip back was rather uneventful, but it’s good to know that Dale and Joseph find Maya as annoying and unnecessary as I do. Hey, Big Joe, you can talk up your daughter’s cuteness all you want, but there are plenty of cuter creatures in this universe that don’t make me want to stab my brain with a sharp pair of scissors.

And at long last, our heroes return to the inn. While their little adventure was entertaining enough, this is the story’s true setting. Seeing Rita and Kenneth again was a much needed return to normalcy that is likely to extend to the end of this season—and beyond, if the show continues. Now we just need to see Chloe and the others and everything will once again be as it should.