“No matter who you were born as,
having someone who accepts you is all you need to keep living and smile.”
~Sariphi (Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts episode 21)
One of my favorite shows of Summer ’23, Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts finished airing on September 28th, 2023. It’s now the middle of October, and I still haven’t finished my episode reviews for this series. I could work on new anime series right now, but I’m a bit of a completionist, so I want to finish what I started. For that reason, I’ve written up some notes about episodes 19, 20, and 21. I hope you can enjoy them.
Note: These episode reviews will not contain recaps like in previous posts – there will only be some thoughts on the events.
Episode 19: A Bridge between Beasts and Humans
In this episode, Judge Set is still up to no good. Lately, he’s been meticulously going through the old libraries, researching the topic of the King’s birth. Much to his intrigue, there are absolutely no records about this – someone has covered up all the details, including information about the King’s mother. Nevertheless, Judge Set will continue to seek the truth in order to fulfill his secret ambition – whatever that may be.
The “holy ground” where the King took Sariphi was beautiful. The gift of the new engagement ring was very romantic, and I feel happy for both parties. Additionally, I felt glad to hear that the King is taking the first steps toward abolishing the sacrifice system. Peace between beasts and humans will eventually be possible – especially with Sariphi being the bridge between the two. It should be exciting to see how she approaches the coming issues.
I took interest in the conversation between Leo and Sariphi on the night of the storm. This scene showed us the King’s lack of knowledge about his mother, as well as the questions that haunt him. He wonders if his mother – or anyone, for that matter – actually wanted for him to be born. We already know that Sariphi was unloved and unwanted by her parents. The same might be true for Leo. Sariphi comforted the King and assured him that who they are now and what they do is what counts.
This was a fascinating scene for me. I happen to know that I was intended and wanted by my parents. Of course, that comes with problems of its own – like being expected to fulfill a parentally-dictated role in life. But more importantly, I don’t think it should matter at all to an individual if they were purposefully conceived or not. I agree with Sariphi that the present is what’s important. Who cares what your parents wanted or intended? You should do what you, personally, want to do. Live for today.
Episode 20: A Royal Letter and a Taboo Witch
Episode 20 was highly enjoyable. For one thing, the visuals throughout this installment were brighter and prettier than usual in the beautiful human country of Yoana. It’s slightly random, but the appearance of Edelweiss was another reason I enjoyed this episode. That’s one of my favorite species of wildflower. Just as Sariphi pointed out, it often symbolizes memory. I’m glad Sariphi protected the flower field, even if it was rather reckless.
The “Taboo Witch,” Anastasia, seems like a fantastic character. I doubt she will be a recurring or important character for more than another episode or two, but at least we got some time to appreciate her. Anastasia’s gorgeous character design coupled with her beautiful voice made her unforgettable. (Fun fact: the seiyuu who played Anastasia is Saori Hayami, an extremely talented and attractive seiyuu and singer.) It almost goes without saying that I love “outcast” characters, especially women. That’s yet another point for Anastasia.
As far as plot is concerned, the most important part of episode 20 was learning about Anastasia’s family history. She’s a descendent of a cursed woman who married a beast and bore his child. In other words, Anastasia is related to the King’s mother. I’m definitely interested in learning more about that woman. Unfortunately, I doubt she’s still alive. My theory is that she died giving birth to Leo, which resulted in his father resenting him forever. We’ll see if I’m right eventually.
Random Note: I think Sariphi looks extra adorable with her hair tied back!
Episode 21: Peace and a Secret Revealed
Sariphi returns to the beast realm with the news that the humans need more time to consider a peace treaty. Thanks to Sariphi’s emissary mission, peace between beasts and humans starts to seem more feasible. However, conspiracy brews within the Ozmargo palace. In this episode, Judge Set finally puts his plan into motion. On the day of the King’s grand speech – which was meant to announce the negotiations with humans – the secret was revealed. Judge Set used magic to blow away the miasma, resulting in the King’s forced transformation into a human.
This was definitely an exciting episode with some beautiful moments as well as suspense and dread. The King of Yoana seems unexpectedly graceful and calm. It was good to see Anastasia reunited with her childhood companion, Ocelot. In addition, I liked the sparkling cave where Sari and the King went for some time alone.
As for the developments at the end of the episode – the exposure of the King’s human form – I am not surprised. This has been coming for a while now. However, I’m excited to see how Sari and the other characters will deal with this turn of events. Furthermore, I want to know what Judge Set actually hopes to achieve. Is he simply power-hungry and hoping for a chance at the throne, or is there something more complex in his mind?
I was moderately surprised that Anubis feels so much doubt toward the King at this point. Naturally, it would be shocking to discover that your lifelong friend and master had kept such an important secret from you. It might feel like personal betrayal. But still, I thought Anubis would be dedicated to the King no matter what – even if there were scandalous secrets. It remains to be seen whether Anubis will continue in his loyalty after this.
That’s all for my episode reviews today. In the next few weeks, I’ll finish this series along with other shows from Summer ’23. Thank you for visiting Anime Rants. Have a great day!
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