SAND LAND: THE SERIES

Episode 7

So, here we are—just like our heroes—entering uncharted territory. With episode 7, Sand Land moves beyond what both the manga and film covered. However, this means there is a major issue to overcome right off the bat.

The first six episodes are a self-contained story—and were designed to be such. There was never any plan for the story to continue. Both the plot and character arcs have all been resolved. Thus, this episode has the difficult task of not only getting the band back together but convincing them to leave their new, peaceful lives for another adventure.

Of course, Rao himself seems to be biggest sticking point. While Beelzebub goes on an adventure out of sheer boredom, and Thief has to go wherever he is ordered to, Rao has little motivation to go beyond his small piece of desert. The evil general has been taken down, a good man now leads the army, and water is once again accessible to rich and poor alike. He's won a war he never thought could be won.

And better still, after decades of emotional suffering in personal exile, he's found that the genocide he played a part in wasn't complete—that he has a chance to at least partially atone for his war crimes (even if the Picchi don't blame him for his role in what happened). With all his reasons to stay near his home, it seems almost an insurmountable task to get him back on the road. However, the show comes up with the perfect motivation for Rao.

While his sense of responsibility for what happened to the Picchi is what keeps him in the area, it is also what gets him to leave. While atoning for his crimes is vitally important to Rao, just as important is making sure said crimes are never repeated—especially when he has a chance to stop them. He is one of the few who has seen the destruction Aquanium can cause—and has felt the personal loss that comes with it. Hearing that the neighing nation is developing Aquanium weapons is something that Rao cannot allow. And so our heroes set off—now with an additional member to the party.

Ann is an interesting addition to the team's party dynamic. She is ruled by her preconceptions. She sees Rao as a legendary general—the hero who could lead her Forest Land rebellion to victory. On the other hand, she sees Beelzebub as a bratty kid—an annoyance rather than an asset. It should be a lot of fun to see as she starts to learn about the complex people they truly are—and how deep their ride-or-die friendship truly goes.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I like how politics and international relations are used to show that Rao is the only man for the job—specifically because he's not a member of the army or government.

• It's a cool idea to show how much home-field advantage matters. In Sand Land, Muniel is a joke. However, in the high humidity of Forest Land…

• I love how Ann (along with Muniel and General Bred) has been added to the opening theme song animation.

• A gun that can't kill is the perfect weapon for Rao—a man already suffering from the blood on his hands. (I do hope the party gets a new tank at some point though.)

SAND LAND: THE SERIES is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.