Alderamin on the Sky

Episodes 1-2

Note: Since I covered episode 1 in the Preview Guide, this entry will mostly focus on episode 2.

Although I had a high opinion of the first episode, I must admit that it plodded along a bit as it concentrated on introducing its core cast and establishing its setting. As if to make up for that, the second episode is a flurry of activity. In fact, it covers so much ground that I'm curious to know how much of the source light novel it burned through, since it feels like it just skims over numerous scenes in an effort to get the story to its crucial transition point, where the central quintet formally begin their careers as soldiers.

Still, the story does at least cover its bases. Ikta gets a couple of chances to show off his tactics, once in a virtual ambush of the soldiers who came across Princess Chamille at the end of last episode and once in an ensuing effort to get them safely past the border guard, with some trickery involving the blimp and Ikta disguising himself as a Kioka soldier. As ruthless as Ikta's questioning of the dying soldier seemed, it was effective given the situation, and I liked how the story took time to show both the effects that being in their first deadly fight had on most of the group members (and the princess) and how their killing of the soldiers wasn't glorified. You could almost feel bad for the Kioka soldiers, who were just doing their jobs; Yatori is not one to mess with should a fight get to melee range. On the negative side, the scene after the group is back to safety is much more awkwardly-handled, as Ikta and Yatori reflect on the announced death of the garrison commander they met. While the reasoning for why this happened is interesting, it was a cheap way to demonstrate the Empire's callousness towards its own soldiers.

The following scenes are better. The group gets to meet the Emperor and finds out that they've been awarded the titles of Imperial Knights for their roles in rescuing Chamille. There are some potentially interesting political dynamics going on here, as they become test cases for compelling military duty through a reward. Ikta and Yatori's reactions suggest that much more is at play here than just him being upset about not being able to be lazy anymore. What Chamille rattles off about his past gives us some big clues, and I actually liked the portrayal of that whole scene. The series is apparently not going to ever be shy about allowing Chamille to act her age (she gets enthusiastic about what she's discovered without stopping to consider the potential impact of what she's saying) and being called out for it when she oversteps.

There's a lot to like in the characterizations overall. Ikta received some criticism over his womanizing behavior in the first episode, but that does not significantly carry over to this episode. It looks like he is going to be a much more complex character than your run-of-the-mill light novel protagonist. Personally, I didn't feel that Ikta ever took his shtick too far (he's no Akatsuki Osawa for instance), because he either seems to know his limits well or else implicitly trusts Yatori to keep him in line. It's also nice to see a male protagonist who doesn't either freak out when dealing with the opposite sex, ridiculously perv out, or have the density of a neutron star over potential romantic matters (hello Touma Kamijou). The dynamic between him and Yatori is also strong and interesting, and I hope their background gets explored more at some point. There doesn't seem to be any romantic tension between the two, but there's a strong level of loyalty, trust, and platonic companionship. The backstory that Chamille reveals about Ikta at least suggests how they might be associated with each other. (Nothing strange at all about the daughter of a noble house being acquainted with the son of a once-prominent general.)

The artistic effort continues to be very solid. While this may be purely conventional artistic fare, it's still well-done for what it is, and it suits my tastes much better than something more daring and stylish but messier. Combine that with uneven but full-of-potential storytelling, and I'm liking the prospects for this series as it goes forward.

Rating: B

Alderamin on the Sky is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.