Unnamed Memory

Episode 10

I could be misremembering this, but I believe that Tinasha's reduced magic power isn't because she and Oscar are now sleeping together. This episode wants to imply that it is, which I could uncharitably interpret as leaning into damaging "purity" narratives about how women are only valuable when we emphasize the social construct of virginity. In order to make Tinasha a "better" heroine, there must be a price paid for her daring to have sex with her fiancé. Leonora's words about Tinasha being less powerful now that she's found a man would seem to support this, but then, she is the bad guy, so perhaps we ought to expect it of her. But then, this could be Unnamed Memory not caring enough to remember (or remind us) of its own lore. In any case, Tinasha said at the beginning of the series that her type of magic wasn't affected by sex, and possibly just last week, Lucrezia noted that the poison she ingested to cure Oscar could have a deleterious effect on her magic power.

Anyone who doesn't remember that (assuming they aren't working on the series) could be forgiven, though, because this week continues the downward spiral for Unnamed Memory. It continues to plow ahead by merrily hopscotching through plot points, including the square you skip over. It felt very abrupt that the episode opened with Tinasha and Oscar in bed together wearing nothing but their L-shaped blanket (you know, the special movie kind that covers her to her collarbones and him to his waist), but more of an issue is the emotional and official components of their relationship. Given what Tinasha lived through as a child with great magical power, she's perfectly within her rights to be wary of having a baby with Oscar, and she clearly lays out her reasons for him. Essentially, it comes down to her not wanting her child to suffer as she did, and she knows that as the queen, she'd be expected to provide an heir. It's the rare moment where the story makes perfect sense, so of course, Oscar needs to react to it in the least helpful way possible, just asking her why that matters. The way he brushes her very valid fears under the rug is unpleasant, to say the least. It's one thing when a random royal at a ball does the same and spouts nonsense about why Tinasha should get over it and have a kid; it's another entirely when Oscar, who knows her history, ignores her concerns.

Of course, that's just one of the several elements of this episode that don't quite work or make sense. Why Tinasha felt it was appropriate to tell said random royal that she's not sure she's going to marry Oscar is one of them, and the sudden need to introduce both Leonora (who was at least mentioned last week) and a demon king named Travis when we're three episodes away from the end of the show is also odd. And then there's the way Tinasha acts in public – she may say that she's not sure about marrying Oscar, and she may forget the whole fiancée act at times, but she plays the part. Her gown and position during his progress through the city both scream "engaged to the king," and then during the balcony appearance, she's right there next to him, dressed in his'n'hers outfits, waving to their people. Comparing that to Tinasha's words makes it look like she has a serious memory issue rather than conflicted.

It's a shame. The books really aren't bad, and you can practically taste the wasted potential more with every episode. I don't even have the energy to complain about her incorrect side-saddle riding (she's got the wrong saddle unless she's glued her backside to the horse) because keeping up with how this is dropping the ball is exhausting.

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Unnamed Memory is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.