In this episode, Kaina and Ririha are still trying to escape from the Valghan soldiers, who are after them. The military of the Snow Sea tries to rescue them, but they are no match for their enemies. The Valghians capture Ririha, and Orinoga, commander of Atland, is in no position to win the fight. She orders him to take Kaina with him to see King Hallesora of Atland. When they meet the king, a conflict of objectives emerges that sets the course for Kaina’s adventure. It sounds interesting, but it does not grab my attention, except for the end and the scenery of Atland and the sea.
The scenery of Atland is interesting. It tells a little bit about the different society from Canopy, where it is similar to hunter-gatherer and pastoral, as shown in Episode 1. Atland, on the other hand, is probably similar to agriculture ruled by a monarchy, even though the military uses snow horses for transportation. In one scene, it shows that people hold the basic tools for cultivating and farming in one area. The country’s architecture suggests that people from the general populace can establish a permanent community.
Although Atland is modern, spirituality still plays a strategic role in the series. The story of the sage is still in the minds of the people. In Episode 1, Ririha knows about the sage, and she risks her life to go to Canopy in search of it to save her country. Even when she finds out that it is not there and thinks that it does not exist anymore, she still wants to find out, as shown in Episode 2. In this episode, the queen’s and king’s dialogues suggest that they really do not believe the saga exists. It is just a fairy tale once Orinoga reports to them that it does not exit in Canopy.
The queen and king’s characters are not interesting. They lack emotional depth, making it difficult for me to get into the characters. Although the king’s dialogue reveals his objective, it is not convincing that his character is believable. This goes the same way as the queen’s character. In one scene, they do not show any suggestions for rescuing the princess or negotiating with their enemy.
The ending is OK. It reveals that Kaina’s equipment and skills are still essentials on Snow Sea. Without them, there is no way to get to the destination without a snow horse to rescue Ririha. The roots of the spire trees underneath the sea make me wonder what the connection is between the two worlds. Is there one?
Overall, this episode is okay. Despite some positive and negative aspects, it is uninteresting. It lacks the sense that time is running out for negotiations. The emotion is not there since getting into the character is challenging. Perhaps there isn’t a relatable background story about them. Yet, I want to see the purpose of Kaina in the Snow Sea and the existence of the saga.
Rating: 6/10
| Characters, Season 1 Episode 4 | Cast |
| Kaina | Yoshimasa Hosoya |
| Amerote | Maaya Sakamoto |
| Ririha | Rie Takahashi |
| Orinoga | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| Ngapoge | Tomokazu Sugita |
| Yaona | Ayumu Murase |
| Hallesora | Kenyu Horiuchi |
