This was a calm-before-the-storm episode where not much happened, but what did transpire, and what I learned, was of great significance. It also underscored the fact that the female gaze as represented by Nina is not only present but prevailing in Bahamut.
Case in point, while running an errand for Rita on the eve of the great Anatae festival, Nina comes afoul of the Pimp whose slaves Mugaro released, only this time he’s armed with ridiculously handsome henchmen that make it tough for her to fight back.
It’s an ingenious way to place her in a state of vulnerability and in need of rescuing by the dreamy aloof vagabond. As thanks for his assistance, she asks him to stop by Bacchus’ hot wings stand, and he says he’ll be there.
Nina’s resulting bubbly high from the gruff yes lasts her for much of the episode, as her facial expressions reach new heights of contortion and she wanders through her festival duties in a haze. She’s got the hots for the stranger, and bad…but I wonder how she’d fell if she knew that stranger was none other than King Charioce XVII, walking among his people in disguise.
Meanwhile, Azazel’s imminent plans cast a pall over the big festival—plans that heavily rely on a very large assumption that Nina will side with him and the demons, transform into a red dragon, and help his cause; none of these things are certain, but he’s moving forward regardless.
The night of the festival, Charioce keeps his promise and stops by, and Bacchus asks him to take Nina and show her around. A lovely montage ensues, with an initially just-as-bashful-as-ever Nina gradually becoming more comfortable beside the pretty man as they engage in all manner of festival-related activities.
Those activities culminate in a folk dance, which is as carefully and lovingly animated as the scenes of action, violence, and destruction in previous episodes. Nina’s face is typically a kaleidoscope of emotions, but the dance takes her expressiveness to a new level.
When the time comes to bid farewell, Nina asks the king-in-disguise his name: he gives the name “Chris.” She wants to see and dance with him again, and he hopes they will, a line that echos in Nina’s head and almost turns her into a dragon right there, which is her cue to speed off, Road Runner-style.
While running, she fortuitously collides with Azazel, who has returned to Anatae after his long absence. Azazel has no time to chat, and sternly instructs Nina what to do. Notably, despite the fact he squeezes her cheeks and her eyes meet his, Nina does not blush or react strongly at all to the contact.
This, and her blissful letter to her mom, not only suggest that Nina now only has eyes for “Chris”, but that Charioce may have successfully accomplished what he set out to do: “disarm” Nina and remove her as a potential trump card for Azazel.
Was Charioce only playing Nina, or does a part of him get a thrill from being out in the world without the crown on his head; holding the warm hand of a lovely woman, rather than cold steel, in his own.
We’ll soon see. Azazel Comin’.
RABUJOI - An Anime Blog 
I’m very interested in how much “Chris” knows about Nina. Does he have a hint that she’s more than meets the eye? Well he sees her abnormal strength of course. I don’t think he knows about Nina being the Dragon though. If this side of Charioce we see is genuine, I think it makes his character much more interesting. He might be a ruthless and pragmatic ruler with no concern for other races, but the flip side would be that he truly cares for his people instead of just using them as an excuse to gather more power.
The whole ruler secretly disguises himself as a mundane person to personally inspect the state of his rule is a common trope used to show “Good kings/princes”. However it’s rarely used for an actual ruthless the ends justify the means type of ruler. It’s pretty refreshing to see.
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I hope you’re right about him!
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I thought this was a great episode (possibly worth a 10?). There was some beautifully detailed world building during the festival which I really liked a lot. One part of that I thought was really excellent was the music. Often when shows like Bahamut want to use folk style music, its usually an adaption of existing folk music figures and phrases but Bahamut’s composers created tunes and dances that didn’t utilize that. In other words they created an original folk music for the Bahamut world. It sounded like traditional folk and utilised folk instruments but the patterns and phrases were their own. It really complemented the excellently animated dancing scenes. I thought that was great work.
Does Charioce know that Nina is the red dragon? I’m not sure he does. It seems to me he recognizes she is unique somehow but maybe doesn’t recognise she is the dragon. But who knows with Charioce? He strikes me as cunning as well as brutal so I can’t say for certain. Actually the stranger being revealed as Charioce was a nice touch as well. I was wondering if the stranger was going to turn out to be a good hearted rival claimant to Charioce’s throne but the reveal shows an interesting ambiguity to a character that had been mono-dimensionally black and white up to then.
You are right this is far less of a bro show than the first Bahamut and as a result it is more multi-layered and thus more interesting so far as a result.
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