From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

Episode 7

Episode 7 of From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman does a pretty decent job of handling the mundane challenges of parenting even if it never quite excels.

Beryl's struggle to be a good surrogate parent to Miwi is endearing overall. He wants to do what is best for her in every way possible. He's concerned about basic needs like food and shelter, developmental needs like schooling, and emotional needs like connecting with her and having age-appropriate peers. This is all good stuff, both in-text and outside of it, and while the challenges seem less deadly than sword strikes and magic missiles, it is far more important and stressful for Beryl. I think that the show makes nothing of the distinction between teaching children in a school setting versus raising a child in the home is good, and it helps bring that contrast front and center.

Additionally, I liked the character-specific moments sprinkled throughout the episode. While Beryl has been struggling to think of the best way to take care of Miwi, Miwi is also looking for ways to contribute to the household and find her comfort. She wants to give back to Beryl for taking care of her, yet she's also advocating for herself and ensuring she gets what she needs rather than just what he thinks she needs. The real spotlight moment is the attempt to deal with the rats – the fact that the sequence is given all the importance of a “standard” combat encounter, yet is directed towards pest control, is a smart move. It's funny, fun, and unique, allowing Beryl and Miwi to work together, which makes way more sense than a typical fantasy fight against bandits or monsters or what have you.

My biggest gripes this episode are my usual ongoing issues with the series. Most of the animation is rather stiff, and while it's serviceable, it isn't all that interesting to look at in most cases. Last week was a real high-water mark in of visual fidelity; I know we can't necessarily expect that every week, but the drop-off still left me stumbling a bit. Secondly, the repeated over-the-top reactions from Beryl's former students are absurd and feel like they're trying to imply things that are not present in the text, but feel voyeuristic/pandering in a way I don't care for. Again, the sooner this sub-theme disappears into the ether, the better.

Rating:

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Videos on Saturdays.