How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2

Episode 13

What a finale! I'm impressed, and I think it's a great note to end the season on regardless of whether or not we will get future entries. I'm curious how well-received this ending is on the whole as I think it addresses a lot of my issues with the series, but departs from prior episodes in so many ways that it feels like something else entirely.

As far as twists go, I think this was a good one. In my opinion, the best twists aren't necessarily about shock value as much as they are about recontextualizing prior events. The revelation that the former queen has a sort of memory-casting ability to allow her and the king's past selves to keep trying until they get things right is a good twist. As long as you don't mind a bit of paradox – and Lord knows I'll take all kinds of paradoxes if it makes for good storytelling – it's a great reveal that manages to convey some of the pain from past failures. This is a good way to attach consequences even though they can keep resetting, so to speak.

I also think it does a lot to alleviate some of my past concerns about the breezy way Souma has taken to politics. Souma's earlier exploits all felt a bit too clean, a bit too perfect, lacking in nuance and friction. That's because the actual realistic approach already happened once and it was a big messy affair that ended in tragedy. That's a good way to lampshade the wish-fulfillment aspects of the story. I also enjoyed that Souma wrestled with this for at least a little bit, wondering if his actions really mattered at all in this light. Even Liscia gets a lot of time to shine; having the king regret not trusting her in a past life and the really tender moment she and Souma had at the end are all great stuff.

Sadly, all these appreciable elements also make the warts stand out that much more. The wrap-up ending with all the other cast-members/wives only serves to highlight how flat and tropey these characters are, and undercuts some of the effectiveness that the rest of the episode had. Will future seasons – should they come to pass – direct the same kind of self-awareness that this episode had towards its harem elements, or will they continue to fall back on the same “omg Souma you're so great” ad nauseum? Only time will tell, but I think the nuance and creativity expressed in this episode is precisely the sort of energy I want to see going forward, and I would actually be excited to review more of the show in the future should it come to pass.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is currently streaming on Funimation.