Episode 82 subbed discussion
This discussion for episode 82 was written by me, tiam_atardecer. The insights on this post are my own and do not reflect the views of fandom as a whole or the other mods of this journal, only my own. ^^ Don't forget to check the rules here and have fun!!! :D
Also I want to add that I hope my discussion isn't too weird because I tend to see some details that may look random to some people ^^'.
I think what was the most unexpected surprise is that most of us thought it would be a cute filler and it turned out to be a very dark and sad episode, but that showed us a lot of emotion and that somehow was a hint of what was going to happen in the future, that we were going to see darker episodes in this season.
^^ It seemed also that some people didn't seem to like it that much, because of the weird and creepy look of the bearbees when they transformed. I don't blame them :).
But let's start with our discussion :).
Shin Makoku's laws for the protection of endangered species
I probably look a lot into things but there were a lot of things in this episode that were very interesting for me.
One is that it made me curious about the laws for the protection of endangered species. We have been mentioned that bearbees are in danger and that it was probably a miracle that they chose some months ago their nest in the castle.
I mean, we saw in season 1 (episodes 19 and 20) that dragons are also an endangered species and that they have an area, protected by several traps, where they can live peacefully.
So it makes me wonder what happens to bearbees then? Aren't they as protected as dragons? Is it really legal to breed them without permission? Okay, maybe I'm going too far XD.
I think it'd be interesting to know more, since bearbees are Shin Makoku's national symbol, right? :P
Greta and her fathers
For many episodes we have seen Greta mostly interact with either one of her parents, but a very few times with the two of them at the same time. And it was really nice to see how much Greta loves both for equal, which was her reason to name her bearbee mixing both their names.
Also, it was really funny to see that Greta knows how to use her charm with them and how they cannot resist to it XD who could? really
In the case of Yuuri and Wolfram, we saw how much their love for Greta has grown with the pass of time. It's interesting, especially with Wolfram, who used to dislike humans and now considers Greta an important member of his family.
Sparkles were added for dramatic effect :)
Suspicions
It was very curious to see that everyone but Yuuri, Greta and the people of town (probably) didn't notice at all that there was something unnatural going on with this new breed of bearbees. It was mentioned a lot, especially by Günter, that it's very difficult to breed them.
Also it got more evident, when the seller told the guys not to let Yuuram get near water. Conrad was the first one to mention that it wasn't known that bearbees disliked it. At this point, it makes me wonder what is known about bearbees and if it's only known by the people in the castle only. Do we know if Shin Makoku has a library? oO (maybe I should stop with my random thoughts.)
Minor characters
Being able to see more of Dacascos and Sangria made me happy, because we really don't have enough of minor characters, especially because it's a way to know more about them and, I think, also a way to see how their daily activities are, and not only seeing them as comic relief.
Mud dolls
When it was mentioned that those bearbees were mud dolls, the first thing that came to mind was a golem and made me think that a lot of magic was really needed to create a fake bearbee, but to make it have a personality. And if we take into account that not only one mud doll became a fake bearbee, but at least 50.
Even Wolfram mentioned it would require a lot of magic to create them, which makes me think that a very powerful person or group of people is behind all this, and that even if there weren't any casualties, who knows what would have happened if the bearbees hadn't been stopped by the Maou.
Greta's strength
For a little kid who has suffered a lot in the past, I think we have seen a very strong Greta since she appeared. And this episode showed it a lot. She was the one who decided to be the lure for the behalf of Yuuram and the other bearbees, even if it was obviously painful for her.
We saw Wolfram and Yuuri trying to find another solution for the problem they were facing, but I think that Greta's resolution was what convinced them to go ahead and face the problem in that way.
Yuuri as Maou
Since the previous episode, I think, we have seen how much Yuuri seems to control his Maou powers more now and that he has grown a lot.
I know a lot of people might not agree with this, but I think that what motivated Yuuri to transform (or the Maou to appear) was so Yuuram wouldn't transform like the rest of the bearbees and, in a way, to save it. It was probably a painful decision since all of them were trying to protect Yuuram and Greta, but it was, maybe, the less harmful thing to do. I also think, though maybe I'm looking a lot into things, that it could have been also a way so Greta could remember Yuuram as her beloved bearbee and sibling and not as one of those 'things'.
Greta and Yuuram
Even if it was for a very short time, and even if Yuuram was a mud doll, I think their short relationship was really sweet. Not only was Greta able to feel that her current family was growing, but also she was able to feel what was to love someone else and feel loved.
I'm not sure how the personality of the rest of the fake bearbees was but we saw a very curious and mischevious Yuuram, who loved and protected Greta twice.
It was indeed very sad what happened to Yuuram, but I think Yuuri was right when he said that Yuuram was happy to be with Greta. And even if what happened was very unfortunate, Greta is a strong girl and will have memories of Yuuram.
Episode 82 and the movie Gremlins
XD I think it was pretty obvious that the animators got inspired by that movie. We all saw in both movies how cute mogwais were before they transformed into Gremlins and how dangerous it was for them if they got in contact with water, because they'd multiply.
However, they used water in this episode so the bearbees would become evil instead.
^^ I guess it wasn't much of a surprise, because we have seen references of other things on the series (and novels) or at least them being mentioned, especially by Yuuri.
Although, I guess no one would have thought that cute bearbees could look scary.
Other general stuff
I had comments about other stuff, but they're probably to random, so I put them here :).
-Shin Makoku's market
I'm probably the only one attracted to little details like this that show us a bit more of how people in town live, since we see a lot how things in the castle are managed (to some extent).
Also, I really don't understand why the guys used their costumes, but Yuuri didn't use his wig and lenses. Because we have seen in the past that black hair is not common and, for that reason, how much protection Yuuri needs from possible attacks. So, I wonder...Did the animators forget about it, the guys don't care anymore, or people in town don't mind to see their king hanging around there XD.
-Gwendal
Gwendal's reactions when he sees something cute never cease to amaze me. This time we saw he just froze there blushing with just hearing "nogisu". And it was also funny to see Conrad's smile and Yozak's knowing smile to him. It seems they know Gwendal too much to know about his weak point :P.
-Music
I think the music was perfect in this episode, giving some scenes a more dramatic feeling when it was necessary.
^^ And that's all, hope you share your thoughts.
Remember you can comment on other things I didn't mention above as well. Have fun! :)