Summary: Nina turns 17, but cannot celebrate her birthday because she's in prison.
It's been ten days since she's been underground, and she writes a letter to her mother about her new life and tasks without mentioning that she's been deprived of her liberty after being sentenced for treason against the crown.
In the men's prison, Kaisar and Favaro catch up after years of not seeing each other. Kaisar tells him that, although he's in prison, he has committed no crime and was only trying to stop Azazel's revolt, which cost him becoming a traitor to the crown for disobeying Charioce's orders. He also tells Favaro how Azazel involved a young woman wearing clothes from an unknown land named Nina in his rebellion.
Upon hearing this, Favaro says he knows who he's talking about and that he met her on one of his journeys when he passed through Dragonfolk Village.
It all started when Nina overheard him bragging about being a bounty hunter while he was drinking and flirting with women in the village one night.
In his memories, Nina is so interested in how much money bounty hunters like him make that she asks him to make her his disciple. Favaro refuses at first, but Nina is so insistent that she manages to convince him after demonstrating her strength and speed. Nina tells him that she possesses both qualities because she's half dragon. Unable to refuse again, Favaro agrees to train her if she lets him stay in the village.
In her training, it's clear that Nina isn't good with any of the weapons Favaro uses as a bounty hunter, nor does she have good marksmanship.
Favaro knows he has put himself in a bind by agreeing to train her and needs to relax after all that training.
While taking a bath in the town's hot springs, Nina dives into the water without knowing that Favaro was there before. When Nina sees him naked and with wet hair, she transforms into a dragon.
Once she returns to her human form, Nina reveals to Favaro that she transforms when she sees handsome men. He notes that something like that's going to give her trouble eventually.
Nina wants to continue learning, but Favaro concludes the training and gives her a white bounty hunter's armband. He also tells her that, if she wants a job, to go to Anatae and look for a rare colored chariot since the drunk and the duck in it are in charge of giving bounty hunters jobs.
Having finished his story, Favaro tells Kaisar that when he left Dragonfolk Village, Onyx Soldiers captured him at his next destination. After that, Charioce used him for his amusement by putting him through various punishments before sending him to the prison-island.
Kaisar thinks of his subordinates and trusts in that they're doing well.
On the surface, Dias and Alessand visit a host club in the red-light district.
Alessand expresses how disappointed he's been to have joined the Orleans Knights, and it's worse since they have no captain now. The only motivation he ever had for joining was to be able to meet Jeanne D'Arc, his ideal woman. However, when he joined, she was no longer part of them.
Cerby —Alessand's favorite host at the club— along with other demons, encourage him and tell him that he should become the new captain.
In the women's prison, Nina and Jeanne become friends. Jeanne wants to know how someone like her ended up in the dungeons.
Nina tells her that a friend and an acquaintance of hers were captured because of her fault and that she ended up imprisoned because she was mistakenly involved in a revolt led by a demon named Azazel. And not only that, but they also took prisoner a captain with a funny hairstyle.
Jeanne tells her that she knows Azazel and Kaisar, but that hasn't seen them in years.
When Nina tells her about Mugaro, who makes everyone go crazy when her left eye glows, Jeanne becomes very interested in her story and asks if she's really a girl and not a boy. Nina is doubtful, but Jeanne suspects it's her son.
In Vanaheimr, Gabriel tells Sofiel that she'll restore El's/Mugaro's divine power, but Sofiel tells her she thinks it's too soon. However, Gabriel insists that it's something that El must want too, so she'd better get everything ready for the ritual to restore his divine power.
Sofiel goes with El and asks if he remembers her. She asks him to forgive her since it was because of her that he and his mother ended up being separated. He and Jeanne saved her once, and now she vows to save his mother. El trusts Sofiel's words and smiles at her.
On a new work day at the women's prison, Jeanne tells Nina that she plans to escape because she wants to meet Mugaro and check something out for herself. As she can't break out of prison alone, she asks for Nina's help, who agrees to help her immediately.
While they plan their escape, Rita heads to the dungeons borrowing Hipogriff to free Nina and Kaisar.
Style: The idea is given from the beginning of the episode with Nina describing her new life to her mom. It's given again with Favaro telling Kaisar how he ended up in the dungeons. And the idea is again emphasized by showing Mugaro isolated in a room.
Point of view: Favaro's and Nina's predominate as they tell Kaisar and Jeanne, respectively, how they ended up in prison.
Tone: Nostalgic
Fixed literary devices:
- Transversal themes:
- Love
- Identity and Secrecy
- Transversal symbols (motifs):
- Water
- Ocarina
- Flames
Mutable literary devices:
- Episode Themes:
- Freedom and Imprisonment
- Friendship and Trust
Conflict: Freedom vs. Imprisonment
Thematic Elements:
- Freedom vs. Imprisonment:
- Nina narrates her new life, comparing it to the one she had before, outside prison.
- Favaro narrates to Kaisar how he went from being a wandering bounty hunter to a prisoner.
- Mugaro is isolated in a cell just like Bacchus and Hamsa.
- Friendship and Trust:
- Nina befriends Jeanne in prison, and they come to trust each other enough to agree to escape from the dungeons.
- Favaro and Kaisar are old friends who meet again and catch up on their experiences.
- Sofiel befriends Mugaro and asks him to trust her.
- Love:
- The theme revolves around Nina's past, where Favaro meets her when things already happen to her that make her turn into a dragon when she sees attractive men.
- Nina writes a letter to her mom telling her that she's okay although she can't see sunlight and there's not much food in her new 'workplace'.
- Identity and Secrecy:
- Favaro reveals to Kaisar that Nina is the Red Dragon.
- Nina reveals to Jeanne that Mugaro has some special power, which leads her to deduce that it's her son.
- Jeanne makes Nina question whether Mugaro is really a girl.
Symbols:
- Water: Once again, it symbolizes change. Whenever Nina transforms into the Red Dragon, water is present.Furthermore, water not only symbolizes Nina's change of form but also represents a change of status, as with Favaro, who's cleaning himself in the waterfall when Nina asks him to be her master. It announces that Favaro will become from a bounty hunter to a mentor.
- Ocarina: In this episode, this instrument acts as the link between Mugaro and Azazel, as it's the key element that communicates that he's sad because he doesn't know what happened to his friend.
- Flames: Again, they symbolize power. When Nina speaks of Mugaro's power, the flames of the torch outside Jeanne's cell flutter.
- Red light: Symbolizes the presence of Uriel, the archangel of wisdom. When Jeanne asks Nina to pretend to work while listening to her, there are several lamps with red lights, the spotlight the one that illuminates Jeanne when she tells Nina her plan to break out of prison.
Scenarios:
- Royal City of Anatae
- Prison-Island
- Women's Prison
- Men's Prison
- Coliseum
- Red light district
- Host club
- Dragonfolk village
- Land of the gods
- Vanaheimr Sky
References:
- Archangel Uriel: Uriel, the archangel of wisdom, is depicted with the red light.
People ask for Uriel's help in seeking wisdom before making decisions; having creativity about how to help the ones in need; learning new things; resolving problems and/or conflicts; letting go of anxiety and anger, and recognizing dangerous situations. - Same Old, Same Old: The title of the episode is inspired by the Japanese film released in 2016 'Taikutsuna hibi ni sayonara o' (退屈な日々にさようならを) directed by Rikiya Imaizumi, whose official English title is Same Old, Same Old.
The story is about the reunion of two twin brothers who have not seen each other for almost 10 years.
This can be compared to Favaro and Kaisar, friends who have not seen each other for almost 10 years.
Foreshadowing:
- Elements:
- Number 17: Just like Charioce's name, the 17 in Nina also comes to announce death. There's a destiny of death in her from the minute she turns 17 years old as if it were a curse (*).(*): This is where the supernatural significance of the red chili as an amulet begins to make more sense. Nina was wearing the chili that Chris/Charioce gave her back on the festival day. Therefore, she's protected by Charioce himself from the evil that could happen to her.
- Foreshadowing lines
- Charioce's kindness:Favaro: Something valuable was taken from me. I was the victim of horrible things. It only occurs to me that the king was playing with me.This line foreshadows Charioce's hunting nature and that sometimes he just plays with the prey he hunts.Favaro's noticing this about Charioce ties into the events of episodes 19 through 22, as he manages to decipher Charioce's true intentions and feelings for Nina perfectly. Favaro knows that Charioce has a good heart.On the other hand, Charioce playing with his prey or putting them through 'tests' is something that foreshadows what could happen to Kaisar —something that ends up happening in episode 16.
- Alessand's future:Alessand: Cerby, do you think I'll ever become a great knight?Cerby: I don't see why not.Alessand: Really?Alessand: No, it's impossible. The Orleans Knights are finished. They've arrested the captain.Cerby: Oh, they've arrested him? Oh, in that case, why don't you become the new captain, Al?These lines are relevant because they foreshadow that Alessand might be promoted at some point since Kaisar is no longer the captain and Alessand has always wanted a better name for the Orleans Knights. This actually ends up happening in episode 21.
Characters:
- New:
- Favaro:
- General description: Bounty hunter. An old friend of Kaisar and Nina's teacher. He was the one who told her that if she wanted a job as a bounty hunter to go to Anatae and look for Bacchus and Hamsa.Physical description: Man. 35 years old. Tan-skinned, dark reddish afro hair and green eyes. He has a scar in the shape of an X on his face.He wears a black bounty hunter's armband on his left arm.Psychological description: Carefree and friendly. He has a good sense of humor.Recap & Analysis: He catches up with his old friend Kaisar, whom he asks why he ended up imprisoned.He's struck by the fact that Azazel started a revolt because he wanted to avenge his kind, but not that Kaisar was captured for trying to stop him since he knows his friend believes in peace.Kaisar tells him that because of Azazel, they also captured a young girl named Nina, who wears clothes from an unknown land. At that moment, Favaro tells him that he knows her, and he tells him how that happened.Years earlier, Nina overhears Favaro drunkenly bragging about being a bounty hunter who makes a lot of money, which catches her attention.Nina insists that she wants to be his apprentice, and Favaro accepts after her insistence. Favaro tries to teach her the basics of being a bounty hunter, but Nina is bad with a crossbow and a whip. However, her great qualities are her strength and fast running.One night, while taking a bath in the town's hot springs, Nina jumps into the water without knowing he's there. And seeing him naked and with wet hair, she transforms into a dragon and chases him through the forest until she returns to her human form.Favaro discovers Nina's secret and knows that not being able to control her transformation will lead to problems in the future.Before leaving town, he tells his disciple to go to Anatae and look for work with the drunkard with the odd-colored chariot, as he's the one that takes over the bounty hunters.Soon after, the Onyx Task Force captures Favaro, as they were looking for him because he was one of the most wanted in the city.Favaro realizes that after that, Charioce put him through a series of tests for his amusement (*).(*): This detail is important because Favaro can see the intentions behind Charioce's actions, an insight that only he seems to have regarding the king. He's very sharp and doesn't let Charioce's words and actions deceive him since he can see through them.
- Previous:
- Charioce: Thanks to Favaro, it's learned that Charioce is capable of sending people to prison for whims or other deeper reasons, as he does with Kaisar and Nina, whom he decides not to execute, but to lock up in a safe place, for a reason that's explained in episode 22.
Favaro: Something valuable was taken from me. I was the victim of horrible things. It only occurs to me that the king was playing with me.
Kaisar: King Charioce?
Favaro: I've been imprisoned here ever since.
- Nina: In this episode, events occur involving the Nina currently in prison, and the Nina of a few years ago, when she became Favaro's disciple.The events of her past are developed in detail in Favaro's character section, as they're narrated from her point of view.
Past: Thanks to Favaro, it's revealed that Nina asked him to make her his disciple, as she liked the idea of being a bounty hunter upon hearing him talk about his exploits while drunk.
Present: She turns 17, but cannot celebrate, as she's locked up in prison, so she sings Happy Birthday to herself in her cell.
She narrates her experiences in prison to her mom, although she doesn't tell her where she is. She just describes it as a new workplace where she also does very well and that she has made many friends, but the only bad thing is that she doesn't see the sun and there is little food.
As the days go by, Nina befriends Jeanne once she offers her bread.
Jeanne is eager to know why she was sent to prison since she doesn't seem to be someone capable of committing a crime. Nina tells her that, because of her, a friend and an acquaintance of hers were taken away, that she couldn't save them because of her inexperience (*), and that after that, they mistakenly thought she was helping a demon named Azazel, and that she ended up in prison with a funny-haired captain. Jeanne is interested in what she says and checks if that captain's name is Kaisar, to which she replies that he is.
Jeanne tells him that she knows all those he told her about and that she hasn't seen them for years.
(*): Nina blames herself, even though she never wanted to agree to participate in the plans that Azazel plotted by counting on her against her will. Instead of seeing that Azazel did something wrong, she sees a lack of inexperience in herself.
Nina remembers that she still doesn't tell him about Mugaro, so she mentions that she is a girl with a strange power and that some crazy things happen when her left eye glows. She tells him that Azazel saved her from some slave traders, but that when she was arrested, she saw bright people take her to heaven.
Jeanne asks her if Mugaro is really a girl, and Nina begins to question whether she must have been mistaken in thinking he is.
On a new workday, Jeanne tells Nina that she plans to break out of prison. After all, she wants to meet Mugaro. Jeanne asks her to help her, and Nina agrees. Nina is happy when she notices that the other women in prison are willing to help them make that possible. - Kaisar: He tells Favaro that he ended up in prison because they thought he supported Azazel's rebel cause and not because he tried to stop it. He's very affected because Azazel had Nina, a girl from an unknown land, arrested as well.When Favaro tells him that he knows her, he ends up learning that Nina is the Red Dragon, and manages to understand why Azazel was using her.Another concern Kaisar has is that he has left the Orleans Knights while he's in prison, but he's confident that they'll get along fine without him.
- Jeanne: Seeing that Nina is a good young woman, she befriends her after offering her some bread.Nina tells her how she ended up in prison, and that she meets a demon named Azazel, and a captain named Kaisar. Jeanne meets them and asks Nina for more details, who ends up telling her that, in addition, she knows a girl with powers called Mugaro, whose left eye glows when she uses her power.Jeanne suspects that Mugaro is her son and asks Nina to tell her more about him and help her escape from prison, as she wants to see him and check if he is who she thinks he is.
- Alessand: He visits a host club in the demon suburb. He's disappointed with the Orleans Knights. He expresses that his only motivation for joining them was Jeanne, who used to be the captain, and yet he is disappointed in Captain Kaisar.The demon hosts of the club animate him by telling him he should be the new captain.
- Dias: He accompanies Alessand to the host club, but doesn't get drunk or act the same way he does.
- Cerberus/Cerby: She's a host at the club that Alessand often visits and is the one who cheers him up by telling him that, since the Orleans Knights don't have a captain, he is now.
- Gabriel: She's especially interested in awakening El's power as soon as possible and asks Sofiel to prepare the ritual to make it possible.
- Sofiel: She thinks it is too early to awaken El's divine power. When she visits him in his room, Sofiel tells him to trust her and that she'll save his mother because she saved her once.
- El/Mugaro: He's sad because he's captured and doesn't know what happened to Azazel. He seems to trust Sofiel.
- Rita: She has gone out on her own to get Nina and Kaisar out of prison.
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