English Dub Review: Saga of Tanya the Evil “Beginning of Madness”

The end is the beginning is the end.

Spoilers Below

Saga of Tanya the Evil episode “Beginning of Madness” resumes shortly after the Dakian massacre in “My First Battalion.” There’s a heavier military focus, and revelation of the grand war stage.

At headquarters, Empire army officers decide to send in their “secret weapon.” The 203rd Battalion, led my Tanya Degurechaff (Monica Rial). But Degurechaff, despite the easy victory against the Dakians, senses an evolving war. Why, she wonders, has the victory in the North not been won yet? Tanya suggests to Second Lt. Serebryakov (Jeannie Tirado) that the conflict has evolved into a world war.

Further, Tanya surmises that the “invisible hand of that megalomaniacal self-proclaimed god Being X is to blame for all of this.” Degurechaff happens to be correct in her assumption about Being X. After shooting down an enemy plane, Tanya searches for survivors. A bloodied, lifeless corpse reanimates as Being X and reveals that it’s responsible for the scale of the war.

In a cabin, Allied troops track Tanya, referring to her as the Devil of the Rhine. Not only has the war rapidly morphed into a world conflict, but Tanya’s infamy quickly spread. “Beginning of Madness” is increasingly action-oriented. While previous episodes boasted action, fight scenes populate this episode.

Madness appears to spawn on several levels. For one, there’s the growing scale of the war. Tanya, now commanding a battalion, becomes more ruthless. At one point she advises her troops to eliminate every enemy. Furthermore, she cancels the planned reinforcements for a trial in iron and fire. Being X presents a different aspect of its persona. Being X seems vindictive. Plus, Tanya’s antics and great success garnered Degurechaff potentially unwanted attention.

I enjoyed Being X’s reappearance. This all-powerful entity seems well-rounded and with the taunt of an orchestrated world war, Being X exhibits a complexity that adds an air of mystery. Who or what is Being X? The mix of magic and WWII-era military tech continues to shine. Moreover, there’s an odd but sensible logic to the battles. While Tanya and company handily defeat the Dakians, bombers present a greater challenge.

It’s also neat when the Allies track Tanya using her magical energy signature, and she in turn tracks them with their electronic signals. There’s a similar dynamic, and magic is treated as tool or weapon. I appreciate how magic feels like it suffers from limitations rather than appearing as an all-powerful and one-sided advantage. Sure, the 203rd continues trouncing enemies. But presumably as the war progresses, Tanya’s mission both to win the war for the Empire and stay alive to die from natural causes, will become more of a challenge.