Chivalry of a Failed Knight

Episode 5

The prelude to a kiss has to be done just right to get the perfect reaction from the audience – preferably the one where they wait with baited breath for the moment to come and smile when at last it does. This episode of Chivalry of a Failed Knight pulls it off by staging a spectacular fight (of the yelling and screaming variety) wherein both Stella and Ikki jump to silly conclusions, have trouble listening to reason and the other person, and generally remind us that the course of true love most especially doesn't run smooth when both parties are teenagers. While there are certainly plenty of moments in the episode where you just sort of want to shake some sense into Stella, the payoff is worth it, and it suddenly is looking very much like this really is a romance rather than a harem.

Basically this episode really is all about Ikki and Stella's relationship and the way it has stalled since their mutual confession two weeks ago in story time, but it also offers us a look at how Ikki's school life has changed since his successes in the tournaments. His new nickname is Another One, presumably for the way he keeps defeating his opponents (as in, “He took down another one!”), and suddenly old-school swordplay has become a discipline of interest to other kids at school. Initially it was just girls who thought it would be a way to get closer to him, but before long he has a mixed gender group attending his lessons, all looking to improve their skills as blazers. Kagami, the intrepid girl reporter of the show, is of course just milking this to get a scoop, but most of the other girls and boys really do appear to be interested in the skills rather than the guy, which is nice. Shizuku is naturally another story and is very much using the lessons to spend more time close to the object of her crush, though she does appear to be realizing that he will never love her back romantically.

This brings us to the only time I've found myself annoyed with Alice. Generally Shizuku's roommate has been the outside voice of reason when Ikki has been struggling to get out of his own head and fears, and in this episode we see that she provides that perspective for Shizuku as well. At first her words when Shizuku expresses her worries about her love for Ikki being weird make a lot of sense, and even if the incest trope isn't your thing, understanding the reasoning behind Alice's words is pretty easy. And yes, I suppose that in Alice's eyes, since neither Ikki nor Stella appear to be making any physical moves on the other, it does look like Shizuku could still have a chance. But more than anything it just feels cruel to raise Shizuku's very slim hopes and to tell her not to give up, because as observant as Alice is, she has to know that it really isn't going to happen.

This episode brings back the fanservice with a trip to the pool, with Stella providing most of it. Since she's really trying to get Ikki to make a move, her choice of a small bikini makes sense. Her frustration is really the centerpiece this week, and while it doesn't necessarily make as much sense as it could since she's already pulled the bath stunt from a few weeks ago, her concerns do speak to the mixed messages girls get about their sexuality – you should want a physical relationship with your boyfriend, but you shouldn't outright ask him for one, because that makes you a slut. Stella actually says that she's been afraid to ask him for anything physical because she's afraid he'll think she's “nasty” or “naughty” or “a slut,” and while it's clear that Ikki wouldn't think that (he's got his own fears on the subject), it's kind of refreshing to hear Stella voice those worries and the fact that she does want a physical relationship. She shouldn't have to worry, in an ideal world, but that her concerns are spoken of feels like a good thing.

Less good this week are the visuals, with everyone looking just slightly off. Ikki suffers more than Stella does, while Kagami's breast size seems to fluctuate a bit, and most of the background characters look decidedly lazy in both their animation and design. Presumably they're saving the good stuff for next week when the tournaments resume, with both Ikki and Stella facing off against members of the student council. If there's one thing that anime has taught me, it's that you usually can't trust those guys, especially not when they dress eccentrically and/or have a resemblance to small furry animals. Can our heroes cope with their burgeoning relationship and formidable foes? We'll just have to wait until next week to find out.

Rating: B

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is currently streaming on Hulu.