The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 06 – Honey Apple Fairy Tale

As the eighteenth prince, Ten’yuu never harbored any delusions of rule, but he loved his mother, and was devastated when she came down with a wasting illness that would eventually confine her to her bed. When he heard a rumor of a high-grade potion Sei gave the sea captain, he hurried to Salutania as a transfer student so he could investigate.

While he initially believed Sei was the alchemist he sought, he apparently no longer does, but asks her to relay his case to them. The task of crafting a cure is further complicated by the fact that Ten’yuu doesn’t know what precise ailments his mother is suffering. The alchemist can very well travel to Zaidera, while his mother is too weak to travel to Salutania.

It’s quite the pickle, but Sei, who feels guilty for having to continue to conceal her true identity, tells Johan she intends on developing a panacea: something Ten’yuu can take to his homeland to cure any ailment his mom might have. Johan is supportive of the idea, as long as Sei remains careful and discrete.

Sei soon hits a dead end, Al returns from his home, and kept his promise to see and greet her before anyone else. Not only that, he’s brought Sei a rare gift as a token of his affection: a jar of apple blossom honey, which is perfect for her tea.

This might’ve been a perfect time for Al to finally tell Sei straight up his feelings for her, but she’s vibing on the apple honey so much it not only refreshes her after being stressed out about the dead end to her research, but actually progresses said research. She never thought to use apples in her panacea.

Johan manages to procure an apple sapling, which he has planted in the royal conservatory, out of sight. Sei works her magic to accelerate its growth and induce it to fruit out of season, producing all the apples she’ll need to complete her panacea. I do wish they’d gone into a little more detail about how she came upon the formula, however.

Instead, in keeping with everyone’s desire to keep Sei’s hands off of this, Ten’yuu is brought before the king, who presents him with panacea potions he claims to be from the royal larder, were made by a famous alchemist, and the formulas to which have been lost to history.

Ten’yuu initially rejects the gift as he’s unable to reciprocate, but the king tells him he needn’t worry about repaying him anything right away. Sei and Jude discuss how Ten’yuu has since set off back to Zaidera…with the potions she made. In this way, she was able to help Ten’yuu and his mother without exposing her sainthood. Everybody wins!

When Sei described the apple honey in her tea as having “a gentle sweetness”, I couldn’t help but think that sounds like a perfect descriptor for herself, and show in general. Kind, gentle, sweet, and talented: that’s Sei to a T. Now, if only she had more confidence in herself as a worthy recipient of Al’s affection!

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 05 – Heart of the Matter

With Sei sequestered to the palace, Jude has to make excuses for her to Prince Ten’yuu, who shows up day after day asking about her. When it becomes untenable for Jude to continue to do so, Johan and Sei agree the best way to proceed is by making herself available to the prince, so they can try to learn what he’s after.

When he spots her packing up a huge amount of mid-level potions and asks how many people crafted them, Sei has to lie and say four to five, because she’d give away too much about herself if she told the truth: she made them all herself.

Lying doesn’t come naturally to Sei, but she does learn one thing: the prince knows his stuff, and seems keenly interested in high-level potions. Believing a good offense to be the best defense, Sei resolves to learn more about Zaideran medicine so that she can steer their lengthy conversations away from places where she could be exposed as the Holy Saint.

To that end, she meets with the merchants Oscar and Franz, who make the connection between the prince and the sea captain Seiran. Sei also hopes to study up with Liz in the library, but Commander Hawke shows up before Liz to tell Sei he’ll be headed home for a while and wanted to see her. Liz makes a tactical retreat, allowing Al to help Sei devise a plan to deal with Ten’yuu.

The next day at the institute, Ten’yuu comes by as usual, but this time says that he’ll be going to other facilities going forward. Then Albert rolls in to discuss, quite loudly with Sei, his unit’s need for more high-level potions, and asking if she could reach out to her alchemist friend to make some.

Ten’yuu later apolgizes to Sei for overhearing them (which was their intent), and asks her directly if he’ll put him in contact with that alchemist. Sei in turn asks what exactly the prince needs, and he tells her: he’s seeking someone who can brew a potion for muscular distrophy…for his mother.

That’s right, Ten’yuu wasn’t sent to spy on Salutania or steal its secrets, simply to to seek out what he could not acquire in his homeland. Now that Sei knows the truth, I doubt she’d hesitate to help him out. However, Johan has made clear they don’t want Zaidera to know she’s the Saint, so she may have to get a little creative to do so.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 04 – The Prince from Across the Sea

Johan and Sei receive word from the king that a prince from the distant kingdom of Zaidera is traveling to Salutania as an exchange student at the royal academy. Due to the fact Sei’s status as Holy Saint is a state secret, the king requests that Sei remain sequestered in the royal palace for the duration of the prince’s stay.

Sei bristles at this. Not only does she have work to do and rare herbs to tend, it’s a big imposition to suddenly uproot her from her daily work life. When Jude suggests that the potion she gave to the sea captain from Zaidera may be the reason the prince is coming, she concedes it might be best if she’s not around when he is.

Liz, who is vice president of the academy’s student council, jests to Sei that the prince could be a troublemaker escaping is country, or even a spy, but in all seriousness doubts that Zaidera cares all that much about Salutania’s national secrets. What she’s not so sure about is whether they care about Sei.

While Sei is to stay at the palace while Prince Ten’yuu is at the research institute, as a member of the royal court it’s her duty to attend his welcoming ceremony. She does so while wearing her saintly raiments, but also a magical veil that will conceal her face. Since the veil makes it harder for her to see, she needs an escort for the ceremony.

Enter Al, who is once again clearly overjoyed to serve her once more. Sei is working on not letting his compliments fluster her, but while she does well at first, when the maids note she looks like a bride and he calls himself her groom, she loses her composure. At the ceremony, Al is all business, and Sei could swear the prince momentarily glanced in her direction.

She stays away from Ten’yuu as agreed, and Liz reports that he is indeed a very studious, serious young man, but also one who makes friends easily and soaks up knowledge like a sponge. But one day when Sei is back at the institude, Prince Ten’yuu is suddenly there, introducing himself and asking all sorts of pointed questions about her herbs and what she does there.

It turns out his impromptu visit to the institute was neither announced nor sanctioned, and while he claims to have simply gotten lost, Sei overheard his attendant saying “it’s almost time,” which wouldn’t really make sense if they were actually lost. He’s given a warning and the king assigns him bodyguards to make sure he doesn’t wander anywhere else without warning.

Ten’yuu has almost immediately zeroed in on Sei as the “key” to his mission in Salutania. Whether he sees her as a resource for potion-making, a suitor to heighten his status, or something else, it’s clear he has all four of his eyes fixed upon Sei. It seems only a matter of time before he discovers she’s far more than a mere herb gardener…

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 03 – Ballin’ Out

Sei is unexpectedly summoned to the Royal Palace for not one but two official events: her official debut as the Kingdom’s Saint, and the royal ball later that night. It is reiterated that Sei can be rather insecure and unconfident about such things, as she lacks the self esteem she should have.

However, whenever Al takes her hands in his, as he does when he offers to be her escort, Sei feels a lot better. The morning after she spends the night in the palace, the maids don’t hide their excitement at the prospect of dressing her up not once, but twice.

Sei is less enthusiastic, especially when she considers herself unworthy of the intricate white robes of the Holy Saint. But once again, as His Majesty introduces her to his assembled court at the debut ceremony, Sei finds that Al is in attendance, offering her a smile of support, and her spirits are buoyed.

That’s also the case when Liz stops by to see Sei in her Holy Saint vestments. She brings along a friend, Rayne, the second prince of Salutania. He was eager to meet her, and also to apologize on his behalf of his brother. Seeing Liz and Rayne so happy to see her, Sei stops regretting going through with the ceremony.

When they encounter one another other in their ballroom duds, both Al and Sei play a back-and-forth game of who can make the most Shoujo Manga Face. It hurts a bit when Sei tells Al not to say she’s beautiful when she clearly is, and also when she’s not able to tell him how beautful he is. The two simply end up embarrassed when the royal herald and maids loitering in the hallway tell them it’s time to line up for the ball.

If I had a complaint, it’s that Sei and Al don’t actually get to dance for very long. I feel like Bell and Ais got more time. Nevertheless, the pair oozes chemistry and grace, and both Sei’s butter yellow dress and Al’s blue suit reminded me of Belle and the Beast in the Disney film.

Etiquette dictates that Sei not dance with the same partner twice, so with a lot of ball left to go, she is protected by Al and Johan from randos who might want to curry favor or even propose to her. Johan dances with her first, followed by Yuri and Erhart.

While having tea with Liz and Aira the next day, Sei mentions how she had no idea men lead in different ways, since her only partner for a while had been her dance teacher. When Liz asks her who her favorite was, Sei hesitates. She says she’s not sure, but c’mon. It was Al. I know that, you know that, and Liz sure as hell knows that!

The tension builds after the credits as Johan tells Sei that she must have received a number of fresh invitations from members of the court and nobility, but the palace likely politely declined them on her behalf. The herald once again summons her to the palace for an important matter, suggesting perhaps the subject of her future husband will be broached.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 02 – The Taste of Home

While en route to Morgenhaffen via carriage, Sei is gently woken up by Albert, and the two exchange admiring looks, all before Sei wakes up for real. Turns out Albert couldn’t join her on the trip, but she’s here with Jude and Wolff, and Oscar also shows up.

Nevertheless, the Saint can’t just wander around a foreign land in public, so she adopts the disguise of a merchant’s daughter. Anyone who hoped to see a light brown-haired Sei with glasses gets their wish this week—I don’t hate it!

The market is full of interesting wares, but before Sei can come across any rice she learns that a crew member from a ship in port was seriously hurt in an accident. We see his leg has been crushed and mangled, and potions aren’t working.

The captain—who incidentally is hot—calls out for help, and while Jude and Wolff advise against Sei intervening with her magic, she still finds a way to help out those in need. She offers the captain one of her potions she keeps on her “in case of emergency.”

It goes without saying the potion saves the sailor’s life, and the captain, one Seiren from the Empire of Zaidera, tracks Sei down and insists upon rewarding her. After they go back and forth insisting and declining, Oscar finally comes between them and suggests Seiren offer Sei a discount on the wares he’s brought to port.

The wares from Zaidera end up being the motherlode: not only do they have shiso and chili pepper and miso paste, but also rice, sweet, beautiful rice. Sei’s little Naruto run and reaction to finding the rice is adorable, and as soon as she’s home she invites Aira and the guys to a Japanese feast she’ll be preparing…just not while Johan watches intently!

While Johan waits impatiently, Albert also shows up, answering Sei’s “modest” invitation. Johan makes clear to Albert that as Sei continues to rise in the world it’s only a matter of time before she receives suitors for her hand in marriage. Al needs to make a move soon, or he might lose her.

This sudden urgency is on his mind when he joins the others for Sei’s completed feast of rice, miso soup, and other Japanese staples. You can tell both she and Aira are over the moon; now this strange world feels a little more like home with their soul food.

When Sei spots Albert, she smiles and waves with a subtle blush. There’s no way he could know she was dreaming about traveling with him to Morgenhaffen and making eyes, but that’s precisely why he has a good shot at her: she likes him too, at least on a subconscious level.

He just needs to find the right opportunity…before that hot captain tracks her down again and proposes, lol! Seiren’s already sending a letter to the emperor regarding the miraculous potion a random young woman gave him, and remaining in these lands to search for the alchemist who made it.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 01 – Coffee Break

After a brooding, dramatic prologue elegantly cut between classi white-on-black credits involving an undead dragon in a cave, Takanashi Sei, AKA the Saint wakes up in the comfort of her bedchamber, ready for her second summer in this new world. She is greeted by a huge delivery of ingredients courtesy of the alchemist Cecilia from Krausner’s Domain, as thanks for clearing the forests of monsters and miasma.

Sei’s hobby of crafting cosmetics takes the next logical step when Johan introduces her to two representatives from a trading company. They’re getting grief from other traders for being the sole distributer of her wildly-popular products, so they suggest she start her own business.

She agrees, and the business is started…off-camera, with her only responsibility being to just keep developing cosmetics when she feels inspired. Her store is a huge success, so she and her bodyguard Albert (who holds her hand on the way) celebrate by visiting a recommended café that serves actual coffee.

Sei is overjoyed to have coffee back in her life, which is how anyone who’d ever had coffee before would feel, but what she really wants to try to find in this world is rice, Japan’s staple crop. Johan and Jude haven’t heard of it, but they think the best place for her to begin her searc is to visit the eastern port city of Morgenhaffen.

The violent, fiery stinger aside, this was another calm, quiet, deliberate episode that merely follows Sei around for some low key interactions and experiences. In other words, this second season seems poised to remain Tuesday evening comfort food for yours truly!

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 12 (Fin) – Quite the Day

After Drewes and Aira join the battle in the forest, we’re back in Krausner’s capital experimenting with crops with the Alchemist lady. Both she and the Gran Magus really put Sei to work such that she’s exhausted by the evening, but Drewes knows she’ll have to perfect her conjury and speed it up if they’re going to win the war against the monsters. The next morning, Aira joins Sei along with Leo, Drewes, and Al on the next adventure into the woods.

We get Saint’s Magic Power’s longest and most sustained battle, as both toxic slimes and demonic monsters hassle the expeditionary force. Both melee and elemental magic attacks fly freely, with the various magic users employing teamwork for maximum efficiency. All the while, Aira and Sei perform healing and protection duties. There are number of close calls, but someone, usually Al, always has Sei’s back.

When they come close enough to the miasma-infected swamp for Sei to begin her purifying conjury, she is distracted from the task when Al and Aira end up in danger. Drewes insists Sei keep herself focused on her conjury duties, and when the enemies start to surround them, he goes back on his promise to hold back and unleashes a devastating Inferno attack that destroys both nearby fiends and burns the forest. Sei is able to purify the swamp, but that’s all she has the energy for.

That night, Sei finds it hard to sleep, both due to the forest having been destroyed and her unannounced feelings for Albert and what to do about it. Albert escorts her to her tent, but before she heads in to retire, she turns around just as Al does, and they share a tender moment that fades to black and could be interpreted as sharing a chaste kiss. The next day, Sei is back at 100%, and with Al holding her hands, she’s able to revive the forest to its former glory, wowing Aira, Leo, and everyone else in the process.

After the exertion, Sei loses consciousness, coming to in Al’s arms as he princess lifts her back to the city. Sei insists she can walk on her own two feet, but doesn’t pass up Al’s offer to hold her hand as she does. Aira is loving it the whole time! When it’s time to return home to the capital, the old alchemist tells Leo that the Saint’s Magic Power is…love. Well, duh, that’s been pretty clear for a while now! And that love is more often than not focused on a single individual: Albert Hawke.

After the bombast of the forset battles, this very quiet, steady, and pleasant show ends on a characteristically quiet, steady, and pleasant note: Sei and Al enjoying the gorgeous view of the capital from a good vantage point at sunset. As the sun sets on Sei the Saint and her dashing and valiant love interest, I came away nodding agreeably. MAL is often very wrong in its scores, but 7.32 is just about perfect for this show. Never terrible, but also never game-changing, and bolstered by the warm and expressive Ishikawa Yui, whose voice I’m always happy to hear in non-dystopian series!

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 11 – That Time I Got Ambushed by a Slime

With Sei off on an expedition with Al, Yuri takes a shine to Aira. Sei confirms that the best way of summoning her saintly power is to think of Al, the man she loves. The thing is, she’s in no particular hurry to confess to him or start any kind of official relationship, despite the fact she’s already saved the guy’s life and they have superb chemistry. Meanwhile, the hulking Leonhart (no relation to Annie) thinks he might have a chance at Sei, but he’d only be setting himself up for Leonhartbreak—if Al doesn’t kill him first!

With the newfound realization of her feelings for Al, Sei has taken to blushing so much he asks if she’s ill…thought that might be less him being dense and more being courteous or playful. He’s not one to talk about blushing around someone, as he does it a lot around Sei. But besides the insertion of Leonhart, who is shaping up to be more of a big (or big little) brother to Sei than the vertex of a love triangle, there’s not much movement in the Sei x Al romance, which at least for Sei is the way she wants it, at least for now.

When the expeditionary group enters the deep forest, they come afoul of several nasty dark slimes, not at all like our pal Rimuru Tempest from TenSura. Sei is able to purify a bunch and shield herself, Al and others, but they’re soon pinned down by superior numbers. That’s when a column of flame heralds the arrival of Yuri…and Aira, who I’m glad to see in the field. It seems likely she and Sei will be fighting side by side next week, which is something I’ve been waiting for since they were first summoned!

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 10 – The Secret Ingredient Is Love

Sei and Al arrive in Klausner’s Domain and meet Lord Daniel Klausner, who hosts him at his castle. Sei comes to dinner in her Saint’s Robes to show she means business, and it soon becomes clear that this region’s need for her is dire. But that doesn’t mean she can’t have a tasty meal that employs the capital’s new trend of seasoning food with herbs that she started!

Before joining Al and the knights, he says his unit will be scouting for the next few days, giving Sei time to check out the Alchemist’s Holy Land. But while escorting her to her room, Al cannot avoid telling her how stunning she looks in her robes. As one would expect, Sei blushes and runs away from Al, wishing him a curt goodnight.

The next day Sei is more in her comfort zone: making potions at a clip that’s nothing crazy for her but impresses one of Klausner’s venerable court alchemists. It’s clear from the lord and alchemist’s knowing look that her goal is to ascertain whether Sei truly is the Saint. Sei also gets to meet yet another hunk in the alchemist’s grandson Leonhardt, whom Sei regards as a gigantic, dumb puppy.

The alchemist leads her to a dark office where a special book is held in a safe. It is the diary of the Great Alchemist who made Klausner’s Domain the herbal paradise it is. She writes of famine and disease that plagued the land, and how everyone, including her beloved younger brother Curt, seemed doomed to starve. That is, until she unleashed Golden Magic upon the land, healing both the people and their crops.

It’s a moving, inspiring tale, and what happened to her by accident sounds exactly like Sei’s ability…because it is. Soon she pulls it off once again, but first gets warmed up by healing Leonhardt’s mercenaries after they were ambushed by a rare monster. When she hears the Knights were also attacked and didn’t fare any better, she casts a big ol’ Area Heal and runs to the knights…and to Al.

When she spots him covered in blood, she fears the worst, and unleashes her Golden Magic, healing and purifying the entire vicinity. However, Al is actually just fine; the blood on his jacket wasn’t his. He may not make the connection that it is he specifically who fuels her Golden Magic, but Sei confirmed it in the diary of the Great Alchemist, who may well have also been a Saint: the magic is made possible by the power of love.

But even if she accepts that, it’s just too embarrassing for Sei to just come out and say it. So once again she flees before her confused knight. Perhaps, in time (preferably before the series ends!) she’ll be able to tell Al how she feels. I don’t think there’s any chance of him not returning those feelings.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 09 – The Selfish, Mistaken Prince

For her role in saving everyone from the horde of monsters with her purification magic, Sei is rewarded by being teased by Grand Magus Drewes, much to Albert’s displeasure. Upon returning to the palace, word of her great saintly deeds precedes her, and she’s even more of a celebrity with the nobles.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Prince Kyle specifically waited until Sei returned in order to stage his spat in the courtyard with Elizabeth, who both wants to be a friend to both Sei and Aira. Kyle lays it on rather thick, calling Sei an “impostor” and “most definitely not the Saint”, making things even more uncomfortable for poor Aira.

Liz, unaware that Kyle is carrying out a ploy, takes him to task for his foolishness, but then both she and Aira spot Sei, and Kyle takes aim, pretending not to know who she is and even trying to put his hand on her. Albert comes out of nowhere to prevent that.

Drewes, who slinked off, returns with the king himself and his retainers, and takes Kyle to task for spreading fake news. Kyle continues to maintain that despite Aira having no accomplishments of note, she’s still the only person he summoned. The king orders them to continue this discussion in private.

There, Kyle bears all, admitting he was intentionally acting like a boorish lout so that all the heat from the public would fall on him, while Aira would be seen as a victim in his craven schemes. After learning he played the fool for Aira’s sake, Liz is no longer angry at her fiancé, and in fact seems to have come to admire him even more, while lamenting how awkward he is.

As for Liz, Aira is left in her care, and she arranges a tea party so that Sei, who is now officially recognized by all as the Saint, can finally meet Aira, and vice-versa. It’s a little awkward at first (due to the age difference, among other things), but Aira soon learns that Sei is a gentle, kind person who is eager to spend more time with her.

She and Liz also suggest that if she wants to continue her magical studies, she should join the Royal Magi Assembly. Considering how long Sei and Aira were kept apart, this first meeting has a very understated, almost anticlimactic quality. And maybe that’s for the best: one thing Sei and Aira have in common (besides their homeworld) is a general distaste of the limelight. A laid-back tea party was the perfect place to begin their friendship in earnest.

The king, striking an Ikari Gendo pose, consults with his chief of staff about the region in most need of assistance against the scourge of monsters and miasma: Klausner’s Domain, AKA “The Alchemist’s Holy Land”, the kingdom’s primary source of medicinal herbs.

When Sei learns Albert and his knights will be headed to Klausner’s, she volunteers to come along, surprising her director who assumed Sei would want to stay put at the institute and was preparing excuses for her. Albert says Sei’s safety is paramount, but what’s a safer place for her—or him—than by each other’s sides?

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 08 – Into the Western Woods

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent would prefer if we forget about Aira and whether or not she and Sei will ever actually speak to each other, and despite being somewhat frustrated by the sudden page-turn, I came to accept it in the spirit of enjoying watching Sei’s magic power continue to evolve, which all starts when she finally gains access to the forbidden section of the library.

Yuri Drewes might have the line of the night when he sidles up to her and asks if she’s thinking about murdering someone. But her interest in poisonous plants is obviously more honorable and altruistic. When her attempts to create holy water or imbue plants with magic fail, she learns from Yuri about “Saintly Conjury”, which is the closest analogue to the “blessing” of water of which she speaks.

At the end of the day, Sei more or less figures out how to perform Conjury quite by accident, simply because she’s concentrating very intently on her desire to help those who have helped her. An orb of magical energy appears just below her throat, and it lets out a little shock wave that imbues all of the surrounding plants with magic, just like she’d been trying.

While this is inarguably a huge breakthrough, Sei isn’t quite sure how she did it, and so isn’t sure how to repeat it. But then duty calls, as the knights request the institute’s best healer to accompany them on a dangerous expedition to the infamous Western Woods. Johan expects her to be very low on the prospect, but to his surprise, she’s fully prepared to do whatever she can to prevent or mitigate more casualties of the kind she treated before.

So early the next morning, she dons her durable, practical, yet stylish adventurer’s outfit and prepares to depart. She’s met by several surprises, first Jude and Johan seeing her off (though I don’t see why she’s surprised; they both adore her). Then she learns Commander Hawke will be joining the expedition in order to protect her. That goes for Yuri too, though a part of him is coming along just in case she pulls off Conjury again.

While Sei is wearing the hear ornament Albert gave her because she knew she’d want to keep her hair out of the way, he tells her that it’s actually enchanted, and will keep her safe come what may. His delicate, respectful, and above all dignified courtship of her has been one of the many surprise delights of this series.

But heck, even if her hairpin didn’t do jack, she’d still be fine, right? I mean, she’s got a Knight Commander and the Grand Magus protecting her. Well, maybe not so much, as the miasma becomes denser and the monsters grow stronger, Yuri and Albert’s hands are full stemming the tide of lesser beasts when a boss-type salamander appears.

When it spits its fire breath at Sei, she doesn’t have time to raise a magical shield, but her hair ornament has her back, raising an ice barrier in the blink of an eye that protects her from the flames. So yes, practical choice of hair accessory, but also a literal lifesaver. Though I suppose she could always heal herself if it came down to it…

But up to this point in the ongoing battle, Sei had been on her back foot and serving a support role as a healer and buffer, a role she knew well from the video games she’d play when not working her ass off. But when she witnesses a demon cat bite Albert in the shoulder, drawing blood and causing a deep wound, Sei just…reacts.

Whether it’s Saintly Conjury or simply Saintly badassery, Sei casts the same spell she cast the other night, but instead of simply imbuing nearby plants with magic, it eliminates all monsters and miasma across a vast area-of-effect, while fully healing Albert and everyone else’s wounds, right down to minor cuts and bruises.

Sei’s not just a healer or supporter. She also might just be the greatest weapon against evil alive. That aside, it was just hella fun to finally see her operating in the field, rising to the occasion as I expected she would.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 07 – All About Aira

SMPO pulled off a clever trick: By having Sei’s story monopolize the first six episodes, we became wholly invested in her happiness, her growth, and her success as the true Saint. Prince Kyle and Misono Aira were always off-camera, and so neither of them really had a chance against someone as charming as Sei—not to mention her seiyu Ishikawa Yui.

But while we were always pretty sure Prince Kyle was a big ol’ asshole for picking Aira and spurning Sei, there was always a lingering feeling that there was more to the story, and in any case Aira was as innocent as Sei in this whole business, having also been summoned there against her will.

The show finally rights a wrong by explicitly placing Aira front an center in her own episode, which is bookended by an instance of Aira encountering Sei in a hallway, who is too preoccupied talking to Liz to notice her. But Aira notices her, and you can’t help but feel a yearning in her; a desire to reach out and know this person.

But first, Aira’s beginning. The daughter of two busy parents, she’s about to head out for a solo dinner when she’s summoned to Salutania and quickly whisked away by Prince Kyle. Her visceral shock over the sudden change of world is beautiful and heartbreaking in its presentation

When she’s told there’s never been an instance of a Saint returning to her home world, she finally breaks down. Here’s where we learn Prince Kyle isn’t a complete shithead, as he displays genuine remorse over putting Aira in such a position. That said, he is convinced the survival of his kingdom and his people will depend on her.

Like Sei, Aira is cast into a den of maids who present her with a variety of dresses to try. Just as her parents did for their family portrait, a “cutesy” pink dress is chosen for her, rather than her being vocal about wanting the more subdued color.

When Kyle sees that Aira still can’t quite believe any of this is real, he springs her from the palace to walk among the masses in the capital. This raises her spirits, and is also when she sees that Prince Kyle is not altogether beloved by his people.

While on a balcony overlooking a gorgeous view of Salutania, Kyle’s friend anf advisor Damian confirms what Aira had suspected: to uphold the Kingdom’s peace, they must be “strict” with its people, even if it doesn’t endear them to said people. Kyle also vows to do whatever he can to find a way to send Aira home once the threat has passed.

Aira tells the “self-centered, awkward…and direct to a fault” prince that she’ll do her best. Shortly thereafter, he presents her with a wand, a robe, and all the other supplies she’ll need to attend the magic academy. There, we see she begins to thrive, all while enjoying the company of spoken-for lads.

Due to her forwardness with said lads, Aira is shunned, resented, and ostracized by the other women, who are in the margin of every shot in her training montage, visually expressing their disapproval. this whole time, I wished Sei would enroll at the academy and give poor Aira a damned hug.

There’s no more heartbreaking, lonely scene than when Aira and a classmate end up sheltering from the rain beside each other. The other girl seems receptive to talking, but before Aira can get a word out, two more girls show up and offer the girl an umbrella, completely ignoring Aira.

Thankfully, Damian shows up with an umbrella, distressed by how soaked Aira is, only for Aira to demonstrate her extremely precise magic by gathering nearly all of the rain that was on her skin and clothes into a single orb suspended over her finger.

But while watching it unfold makes Aira a much more sympathetic figure, I could have imagined this was the life Aira had been living while Sei enjoyed a comparatively easier road. The real twist of the episode concerns Prince Kyle’s decision, in light of rumors Sei is the true Saint, to accept his mistake as having been born of his stubborn pride.

Kyle took Aira’s home away from her, so he feels it is his duty to find her a new home. If it’s inevitable that Sei will supplant Aira as the Saint, he plans to continue playing the role of “incompetent, stubborn crown prince”, hoping the court will take pity on her. He’s proves he’s not just playing lip service; he truly cares about Aira and doesn’t want her to suffer because of his fuck-up.

Not every woman hates Aira’s guts, of course. That one girl in the rain would have likely talked to and even befriended her had those other girls not shown up. Likewise, Elizabeth is ready and willing to become friends with Aira, only for Kyle to step between them and forbid it, saying he alone will look after her.

It’s another misstep for Kyle, who is being overprotective in this case. He may think his fiancee is jealous of Aira, but we know that Liz isn’t that kind of perosn. One would hope the crown prince would get to know his future queen a bit better!

As for Sei, she and Aira still haven’t so much as uttered a single word to each other, nor has Sei even looked directly at Aira since the two were summoned. That remains hugely frustrating, especially when I think of how much tension could be released by their meeting and sharing of experiences. There’s no good reason for them to be on opposite sides of anything. Hopefully this wrong is righted soon!

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – 06 – Goddess Dressing

Sei is surprised that Grand Magus Drewes deigns to serve as her tutor even in the most basic of basics until he explains why it has to be him. In addition to the Saint’s abilities being a jealously guarded state secret, Yuri is, at the end of the day, a researcher, and Sei is the most intriguing subject to come along in a good long while.

While not 100% enthused to be treated like a subject of research, Sei can’t deny that despite how hard Yuri works her he’s still going easy on her compared with the others he trains. She makes it a point to work hard and do her best to lesson the time it takes to cast her magic. Then Sei brings up expeditions with the knights, something Yuri hadn’t considered, but if and when it does happen, he’ll accompany her to ensure she’s kept safe.

Of course, Sei still sees this as Yuri preserving his prized subject, so her heart isn’t affected. Contrast this to Commander Hawke, who has missed Sei the woman, tenderly touches her face, then agrees to let her participate in the knight training exercises so she can get more practical healing experience. When she plops down on her bed, she’s exhausted but happy.

The next day is a “Lady Day”, the name Sei gives the days she’s taught how to dress, gesture, speak, and dance like a proper lady. The head maid seems to almost take a bit too much pleasure out of tightening Sei’s corset, but there’s no arguing the final result is a properly glowed-up saint.

Albert comes in before her dance lesson is complete, and her instructor suggests Sei dance with him, in order to get comfortable with another partner. Al shows he can cut quite the rug, while Sei doesn’t embarrass herself by tripping on her dress like I thought she would.

The “social season” is fast approaching, and while neither Sei nor Al are fond of them, as the Saint she won’t be able to refuse all invitations that come her way. With this in mind, Al asks if she’d let him be her date on these events to make them more palatable; after her mind wanders a bit, she blushingly accepts.

Sei’s next lady lesson involves a tea party of the daughter of a prominent marquis and the fiancée of Prince Kyle. It initially slips Sei’s mind that “Ashley” is the surname of her library friend Liz. Liz is impressed that her friend is so adept at healing she’s been called a “goddess” by knights she saved.

When talk turns to Aira and the way she’s befriended many a “taken” man—including Liz’s own Kyle—Sei explains to Liz just how much less socially strict her and Aira’s homeland of modern Japan are. She doubts Aira is acting “improperly” on purpose, and hopes she’s going okay.

I for one would sure like to hear Aira speak some time; I feel all the show has done with her so far is tease us about an imminent encounter with Sei that keeps getting pushed off. Maybe they’ll finally be able to meet at one of the upcoming soirees?