Unnamed Memory

Episode 7

I regret to inform you that the screencap over there implies a level of intrigue that this episode never actually develops. It shouldn't be a surprise at this point – Unnamed Memory has pulled off the impressive feat of feeling underbaked while not skipping all that much from the light novels. Or at least without skipping much in the plot department; as you may have guessed, character development and worldbuilding are an entirely different issue.

This week, we finish up the whole Tinasha-was-Aeti plotline, meaning that an entire war takes less than a full episode. Probably the most impressive element is the sheer chutzpah of Lanak. As far as incredibly foolish causes to devote yourself to go, thinking that the woman whose internal organs you turned to mush would be willing to fight a war on your behalf and then go through with a childhood betrothal is definitely up there. There is a token attempt made to explain why he's gone screaming off the deep end: Tinasha remarks to a (male) mage that the reason why witches are all women is that men have a harder time stabilizing the magical forces flowing through their bodies, which can lead to them having psychological issues. The implication is, therefore, that Lanak had a psychotic break hundreds of years ago, which is what caused him to perforate Tinasha's abdomen. He's still suffering from that mental upset now, which is why he thinks his ludicrous scheme is going to work. The sad thing (for him) is that it might have if he hadn't attempted to involve Tinasha. There's a need for a country like Cuscull, where mages feel safe and aren't discriminated against, and Lanak's power as the lost prince of the fallen kingdom of Tuldarr is enough to make people want to follow him. But by involving his former fiancée, Lanak sets himself up to fail because there's no way Tinasha is going to ally herself with the man responsible for her current inability to die.

He also failed to consider that Tinasha would have as much influence as he would as the former crown princess of Tuldarr. However, that could just be another sign of his mental decay since it probably didn't occur to him that she'd ever work against him. That's what saves the day…probably. This is where things get murky in the plot department: it looks like Tinasha has made a couple of allies, although we don't know how or why. She's also been working to make it look like Cuscull is culling the herd of non-mages without hurting anyone, and she's been going nightly to warn the prince of Taiyiri to stop discriminating against magic users. Even setting aside the fact that Lanak must be incredibly unobservant to have missed this (especially since Cecelia makes it sound like Tinasha's visits are common knowledge), we don't get enough time to digest Tinasha's actions or to see their effects. Yes, the prince seems a little cowed, and his sister is still gunning for Oscar's hand in marriage, but that's not enough to make the plot feel compelling. We're being asked to accept that things are interesting and important because the story says so, with nothing to support the assertion. It feels more like a clip show version of the plot than the full episodes.

I suppose it's nice that Tinasha and Oscar seem happy-ish together in the end. Lukewarm joy is probably better than misery, and Oscar at least isn't pulling any more questionable stunts to get her on a bed. But this truly feels more like the tale of lost potential than a fantasy adventure, and at this point, I'm not sure that anything could save it.

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Unnamed Memory is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.